《Genshin Impact, Breezing Through Teyvat》


 Chapter 1

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    ***

    "Yomite Hissha, wee to the afterlife. Unfortunately, your story hase to an end, as you''ve... died. It might''ve been short, but your life''s now over. You''ve died at an age of 25 in an elevator ident."

    Someone suddenly spoke to him.

    "Elevator idents are pretty rare, but they do still happen. Thepany you were working for didn''t have a repair check in years, so it was bound to happen, eventually."

    Yomite wasn''t even able to register what was happening. He had no sense of reality and felt like he was floating inside of a dream. Everything was fuzzy and confusing. The best way to describe it would be as if you were drunk and close to throwing up, but at the same time, feltpletely at ease.

    Out of nowhere, he found himself in this pure white room, feeling nothing but calmness and a sense of relief as if the weight of his sins from the past twenty-five years fell on the ground from his shoulders.

    Well, in reality, it was his body that disappeared, that''s why he felt so light. All that was left, was his soul, the remnant of his being.

    He could still see and feel though, which was convenient.

    The sudden turn of events still confused him. Why was he here? Will he go to hell or heaven after his death? Is purgatory real? Trying to ignore the scary thoughts, he nced around the spatial astral ce he was in.

    The ceiling was made of what resembled a gxy of some kind, it definitely wasn''t the Milky Way. He didn''t know why, he just got the feeling it wasn''t. The gxy was covered with white fluffy clouds and he had to admit it looked incredibly cool.

    In the wide white room was an office desk and a red throne, covered with ruby stones. The one who announced that his life was over sat on the said throne.

    He looked at the young woman who was sitting on the majestic throne and noticed she held something in her hands. It was a book. From the book''s cover, it appeared to be a fantasy novel. One of Yomite''s many favorite genres.

    It was hard to ignore her appearance. If there was a goddess, she had to be it.

    She had long, silky smooth ck hair.

    She seemed to be a teenager, but as it was a divine entity, her age probably couldn''t be measured.

    Her chest was t, but t boobs deserve some loving as well.

    Her beauty was beyond the idols shown on television; she had a mour that surpassed humans. He had dated quite a few women in his life, yet none were even close to her in looks.

    "I''m just an astral being. I have no gender, so you don''t need to be excited." The woman spoke as if she was able to read his thoughts.

    "...I see..." Yomite tried topose himself, but the sole thought that she could probably read his mind was unsettling.

    The beauty blinked her eyes, which were the same ck color as her hair, and stared at him as he tried to figure out what was going on.

    Mysteriously calm, he asked the beauty before him:

    "...May I ask you something?"

    The beauty nodded in response to his question.

    "Please, go ahead." While not breaking the line of sight with the book she was reading.

    ''She said she has no gender...but let''s refer to this being as a ''she'' for now, so that it won''t be that confusing.''

    Yomite thought. He opened his mouth and asked,

    "What you said just now...that I''ve died...is that true? I only faintly remember it, but it feels as if those memories weren''t even mine..."

    "I have no reason to lie. You did in fact, die. It was quite the spectacle. All of your insides were sttered. Just try to think about it. Sometimes it takes a bit of time for the soul to regain its memories after the death." She flipped to another page of her book and continued reading.

    Yomite put his hands on his head, but they slipped through, catching nothing. Left with nothing but the soul, he delved deeper into his memories and thought about what happened a few moments ago...

    He was a reviewer in a publishingpany. The area of his expertise was books and novels. Some fanfics too, but that rarely happened, as it was almost impossible to see fanfic outshine an original story. But there were instances of few fanfics getting contracts, although they had to be good enough.

    He was about to bring his boss a new outlet of original stories that arrived from new promising authors like Mad Snail and Xin Feng. He could feel their potential in his bones. While their novels were about overpowered protagonists, he felt like they had potential as the bnce betweenedy, fight scenes, and overall aplishment of those characters was perfect. Moreover, there were many fans of genres like Overpowered protagonist, harem,edy, and weak to strong. Face-pping was really popr too.

    After everything was said and done, he sessfully signed a contract with them and was happy to deliver the news to his boss, but during an elevator ride, something happened to the engine, and the elevator car malfunctioned. It fell from floor eight directly to floor one, instantly crushing him inside. The building had been cited for an elevator problem in May, and the employees said the elevators had previously malfunctioned, yet no one bothered to do anything about it.

    He was quite unfortunate, as the odds of being killed by an elevator are about 1 in 10 million, ording to insurancepanies. You''re more likely to be killed by a bear. And it''s nearly ten times more likely you''ll die in your bathtub.

    Yet the poor man died the way he did.

    "Yomite Hissha, your job was to review...books, is that correct?"

    Yomite absentmindedly nodded and replied, "That''s right. I''ve been doing it for over ten years at this point."

    "Magnificent! Could I ask you for a favor? Would you hear out the ending of my story and give me some professional feedback? I would greatly appreciate it."

    The "woman''s" innocent gaze pierced into him, and he couldn''t help but agree.

    "... It''s fine, I guess. I don''t mind. It''s not like I have anything else to do after dying anyway..."

    "Great! That''s the spirit!" The woman was overjoyed.

    There was something in it for him as well. Maybe if it was good and he gave her a good review, she would send him to heaven instead of hell. That would be nice.

    "That''s great! Well then-" She gotfortable in her seat and began. The aura around her immediately changed from a kid fooling around to something akin to a serious teacher.

    Yomite couldn''t help but appreciate the sight. He found it really charming when someone dedicated their attention to reading a book without regard for what other people think.

    The young "goddess" sat on her crimson throne, toying with the ends of her ck hair while holding the book. Her skin was as white as pearls, and despite having no gender, it was hard to believe that the being in front of him wasn''t actually a woman.

    The color of the book she was holding was cyan, emitting some kind of divine light with her every touch.

    Her slender fingers slid across the book frame, as she gently turned the page.

    "---A boy and a girl, stood amidst the atmosphere, under an unfamiliar sky. They were a pair of traveling twins, passing through countless worlds during their journey. Descending upon a continent named Teyvat, they nned on moving away, but the scenery left them captivated. Out of all the worlds they have seen, none were this beautiful..."

    "But as if on purpose, the scenery soon changed into that of zing hell, as they saw the world turn into turmoil. A cataclysm was raging across thend, turning the beautiful scenery into a scene of carnage. Afraid they will get caught up in all of this, the twins wanted to quickly leave the world, but unfortunately for them, an unknown god crossed paths with them and confronted them. She took away one of the twins, filling his mind with nightmares and corrupting him, sessfully turning him into her puppet while she killed the other one. The world was ending, every resident dying, every insect suffering, every animal awaited its end in anguish. The end."

    The goddess closed the book in her hands and gazed at the person standing in front of her.

    "A sad but satisfying end, wasn''t it?"

    "...Well...what to say...as a premise this would have piqued my interest as it shows plenty of potential, but to call that an ending would be an insult..."

    The goddess narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Is that so? Please borate."

    "Well...first of all, you didn''t let me immerse myself into the story. I barely know these characters, and you already ended it by killing them off? Who does that!? Why should I care if some random character from some random novel dies? I have no emotional attachment towards those people or that particr book at all."

    "Moreover, the ending was shit. There was no mention of an epic fight that could have taken ce or the aftermath of things or anything! Just ''The End'' isn''t enough to exin who those twins were, who the unknown god was, what their purpose was, why they traveled the worlds, literally nothing! There is so much space for improvement it''s making me go insane!"

    The man was outraged and experienced in reviewing as he was doing it for years. He didn''t hold his tongue despite being in front of a godlike entity that could end him with a simple thought.

    "I see...So you are saying that in order for you to feel the flow of the story, the soul of the story itself has to be better interpreted, exined, and has to have a proper ending?"

    "Exactly! I mean, what you were reading wasn''t even an ending. It felt more like a description or synopsis! It was too short to be one anyway...And the ending wasn''t satisfying at all! It was as if I was reading Domestic no Kanojo all over again! It doesn''t have to be a happy ending. It can be tragic, but at least give it some depth and exnations! That''s all I am asking for!"

    The goddess smirked at his remarks, "Thank you very much for the feedback...I can work with that. In that case, I will use you."

    "Huh? What was that?"

    "If it''s you...then maybe going there would be better for you instead of going to Gridania..."

    "Excuse me, what are you exactly murmuring under your breath, Goddess-sama? Gridania? Did I hear you correctly?"

    "Oh, nothing, in any case, don''t call me a goddess, I''m not one anymore. I''m just a remnant of a fallen entity." She gracefully reopened the book on thest page. She shuffled around her pockets and pulled out an eraser.

    She then ced the eraser on the paper, and the moment she did, the text on the page was magically erased, as if none of that ever happened.

    "Then...What about this..."

    She giggled, full of excitement.

    "Hm?"

    "The unknown god took away one of the twins and didn''t manage to kill the second one due to the fallen entity''s intervention, sealing her away into a deep slumber, and once she awoke, the world has changed. The mes of war raged no longer, and nothing was left that looked familiar. Now, the story is just beginning, the journey to find her brother and to defeat the unknown god. The story inside of Teyvat."

    She jumped down from her throne and walked towards Yomite while holding the book.

    "How''s that sound? The ending was altered."

    Yomite thought for a while before replying, "Well, it was definitely handled better than before, although I would need to read the entire thing, and until then, I can''t give you a good review. So far, it was only average at best, maybe less than an average fantasy novel."

    The goddess gave him a nk stare, "You truly are...interesting. Not afraid of the consequences of your actions at all...Humans sure are free spirits."

    "I sure am afraid of stuff. I was just a poor victim of you think about it. If they fixed the elevator, then I would be still reviewing books. I am still afraid of pain, and I am nowhere near immune to it. However, now that I have experienced death, I feel calmer than ever before. Maybe it''s because I no longer need to crush or dictate someone''s life when ites to writing. I am free. You know, maybe it was better to die in that elevator, rather than to get attacked by someone one day because I canceled the publication of their novel." Yomite''s soul quivered and he fell silent.

    "Your intestines and bones were crushed inside of the falling elevator. What a beautiful and gory way to go out..."The goddess giggled.

    "...That''s really morbid and not nice...But forget it...It''s probably impossible for me to understand an entity like you...So...what now...do I get to go to heaven or hell? I am probably guessing hell since I''ve been quite rude..." He sighed. This was one of his problems. He was too honest and upfront, especially when it came to something he loved. Maybe if heughed and told her that her story was amazing, he would be going to heaven, but now, hell was guaranteed for him.

    ''Yomite...you are such an idiot!'' He cursed himself in his mind.

    The woman pondered over his words like a schr.

    "...I shall take that as apliment. And no, you don''t need to worry. There is no heaven nor hell. Humans that die are usually traveling as souls in the orbit till the end of time. Which is kind of boring if you ask me. I would rather read a good book, wouldn''t you agree? However, the most interesting bunch of individuals gets to experience what''s it like to be transported to a random world of my choosing. For my own entertainment, of course."

    "Transported to a... world?" Yomite was confused but soon enough, his face lightened up. ''Is this what I think it is!? The fantasy novel turning into an isekai!?''

    "Yes, just like I''ve said. If I find them worthy enough to entertain me, they get a chance for a new life. This is our first meeting, Yomite Hissha. My name''s Sia. I''m a fallen being of creation that guides people to the afterlife. Now, putting aside my interest in entertainment, you now have two options."

    Seeing that Yomite was paying attention, she smiled and continued, "The first option for you is to let go of all of your regrets, memories, and everything to enter the soul stream and wander around for eternity doing nothing. The second option is to get your soul into a new body and be ''Reborn'' as a new person with all of your memories intact. You would begin a new life. A new story. With a new body, of course, as your old one, was pretty much obliterated."

    Yomite immediately chose the second option.

    There was no point in losing everything when there was an option to have a new life. What kind of idiot would chose that? It was an exciting opportunity. He also felt like he experienced quite a short life and still wanted to do so many things. He believed he made the right choice and pressed the matter. "I choose the second option. What do I do now?"

    "You are quite the impatient man, aren''t you? Well then."

    She waved her hand, and a beam of light entered his soul. Yomite was startled and thought it might hurt as it directly prated his ghost-like body, but it was just warm and didn''t harm him in any way.

    "W-What was that?"

    She winked at him and smiled, "Oh, just a small gift from me. The world I''m sending you to seems a bit dangerous, and it''s only natural for me to give you something in return for your professional review. Also, I dislike weak protagonists."

    "...I see..."

    "You will be a new protagonist of the story. Only you decide how the story will continue to progress. Whether the main heroine dies or manages to find her sibling, you will y a huge role in that so bear it in mind. You''ve received three abilities from me. The Tempus of The Story, The Tempus of The Heart, and The Tempus of The Particles."

    "The Tempus of The Story lets you choose the optimal way to progress the story and dialogues, and once activated, you cannot disable it and have to choose one of the options provided. There is always one good option, one fine option, and one that is very bad and usually leads to a disaster scenario. So do be cautious when using it."

    "The Tempus of The Heart lets you peek into the desires of any person or even an animal. You will see what they like and dislike, it even has a rtionship meter of how the targets feel about you. It can also give you a small portion of the target''s information like name, age, race, and so on. Definitely use this to your advantage if you wish to learn about someone. It might also work on some of the special items."

    "The Tempus of The Particles is an offensive ability that will help you ovee most enemies. It''s quite hard to maintain, but you should get a gist of it after a few tries. The ability summons a cube of particles, that can erase the nearby structures or enemies from existence, so be sure to keep it in check and not to use it around other people. It takes a bit for you to charge it before you can use it."

    "Thest thing I am going to mention is rted to magic as we are running out of time. All of the spells, abilities, and magic are projected through a thing called Vision. Vision is usually an amulet and is a gift from gods. Now, just so you know, I don''t have the right to give away a Vision to you, so I am just giving you a bunch of abilities instead. You will be awarded a Tattoo of The Fallens from me, which will be acting as a catalyst for your abilities, but people may find it suspicious if you use The Tempus of The Particles without Vision, so bear it in mind."

    Yomite nodded. Although he had numerous questions, he felt like trying it out himself instead of listening to a tutorial guide. Who likes to read through a tutorial? It''s like reading through the terms of services. Nobody does that. It''s more fun to explore stuff on your own. He knew it mighte back to bite him in the asster, but he didn''t care. He already listened enough to her exnation anyway. Time to enjoy his isekai life.

    After she was finished, she put the book she was holding on top of his ghost-like shoulder and asked him, "Are you ready, for your adventure?"

    "Yes." Yomite nodded without hesitation.

    "Then, without any more dy, I wee you, to the world of Teyvat." With a quick motion, she swung the book through his soul, making him disappear.

    "Before you enter, a new body will be reconstructed for you. It will be randomly generated." Was thest thing Yomite heard before the light in front of him faded away.

    The shining clouds in the background slowly began to spread around the gxy ceiling. They spread everywhere like a rug with no end. Encircling a certain.

    "Show me the genre. Show me the choices you make. Show me what you consider to be... an interesting story worthy of a 5-star review."

 Chapter 2

    His mind became all white. This was the summoning procedure, but first, he had to wait till his body was reborn anew.

    His soul was pulled into a vortex and soon enough, a new body was formed. He didn''t know how he looked like, nor could he choose his appearance, which was kind of disappointing but he knew he had no right toin when he was the chosen one to reincarnate.

    It was still better than being reincarnated as a baby or a child and while he was clueless about his appearance, the one thing he could see with his newly formed yellow eyes was the color of his skin, which he was d for because it stayed the same as in his past life.

    Histe mother was South African and histe father was Japanese. At the time of their rtionship, interracial couples were illegal under the apartheidw of South Africa, and a boy that was more white than his peers was considered to be an albino, even though he didn''t look remotely simr to one.

    Due to this veryw, his parents were forced to separate, and both he and his father were chased away. Since then, Yomite was living in Japan with his father. He only ever saw his mother from photos, and unfortunately, just a year before he turned eighteen, the interracial restriction was lifted, but soon enough, he learned his mother has passed away shortly before that, due to an illness.

    His father had passed away a few years prior as well, so it''s not like he has anyone left. Luckily, there was no one waiting for him.

    As he thought about his past, his body was finally reconstructed and he was ready to go. Thest thing he noticed before closing his eyes and losing consciousness was a ck dragon tattoo on his left arm stretching all the way up to his chest.

    ''Ah...The catalyst...''

    ***

    Several thousand years ago, many godlike archons roamed Teyvat, each with control over particr aspects of an element.

    However, when seven divine thrones in Celestia opened up, promising the victors absolute dominion over their element, bitter power struggles now collectively known as the Archon Gods War erupted throughout thend.

    Two thousand years ago, thest divine seat was imed, and the archons who emerged victorious became known as The Seven Gods.

    Together, they established the continent of Teyvat, its seven nations, and the seven elements as they are known today. Each of The Seven possesses a Gnosis, a higher nexus of power that allows them to resonate directly with Celestia and grants them the divine ability to defend their respective nations.

    However, during the great Archon War, hundreds of thousands of gods have perished or disappeared, nowhere to be found.

    Now, thousands of years have passed, and everything is lost in history.

    However, how will the world change, when a new existence invades their homeworld?

    ***

    The World of Teyvat, Windwail Hignd, Wolvendom.

    In the center part of the Teyvat,id a dangerous forest that was filled with terrifying magical creatures and humanoid monsters called Hilichurls.

    This ce was a paradise for many adventurers because they could hunt high-level monsters and suddenly be rich overnight, no longer needing to worry about eating and drinking in their lifetime. But countless adventurers had forever slept in this very forest because of their low strength.

    In the periphery of this Monster Forest, was a small stream, at whose side a youth wearing fancy martial arts clothingid down. This youth looked to be 18 years of age, but he didn''t have any trace of childishness on his face, and those two dashing eyebrows and slightly chocte skin of his, only increased his handsomeness and exotic appearance even further.

    At this time, the tattoed hand of this youth slowly moved a few times, as he gently opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was clouds, slowly moving across the blue sky.

    With his ears, he picked up the sound of birds chirping in the distance.

    He looked around him with a puzzled expression.

    "What the..."

    He slowly stood up, looking around his surrounding environment. Only a water stream and trees appeared in his vision. He waspletely puzzled looking at these huge towering trees. Where was he?

    "Ah...."

    He held his head and unceasingly rolled on the ground as one scene after another shed through his mind. After a few moments, he stopped whining and forced a bitter smile on his face.

    "...Now I remember what happened...So this is the new world, huh. Not bad, not bad!"

    Yomite was studying this information in his brain, after which he made a wry smile in his heart. He had never thought that one day he would lose his life in an elevator only to get reincarnated to another world just like those protagonists with cheats.

    It was an amazing feeling. His life was boring, yet he found his salvation in books. But the more he read the more he realized the wasted potential of the authors and their characters.

    So he decided to be a reviewer to lead the authors to the right path and help develop their stories in the best way possible.

    But now, his life was no longer going to be boring. After all, he became one of them. One of the protagonists he always dreamed of and read about in the books.

    Looking back at his life, he had no anchors weighing him down. His parents have passed away years ago, he never had a sibling, and he could care less about his Ex-girlfriends or wannabe friends.

    "...The first thing I should do is..."

    He felt extremely thirsty and having seen the stream in front of him, his desire to survive red up.

    He struggled to get up but after a few tries, he managed to do it. After that, supporting his weak body, he started to walk towards it.

    He didn''t know why he felt like shit, but he assumed it was only a side effect of the soul assimtion with his freshly created body.

    When he looked at the water, a darker-skinned male with dark brown hair and a pair of yellow eyes appeared in the reflection.

    "...That''spletely different from what my appearance was prior to the death...But I am definitely much more handsome than I was before, which I don''t dislike at all."

    For whatever reason, the back ends of his dark brown hair were red, making his appearance even more exotic.

    "Well... it''s hard to tell what''s exotic in this new world, but I sure am satisfied with what I got."

    He pulled up his shirt and observed his chiseled chest. His new body was very fit and his muscles were basically exploding with power.

    While he was pretty fit in his old world, he never would have reached this level in that life.

    "Well, she did say it''s going to be dangerous around these parts...So I guess she made my body with that in mind? But still, this body is boosted as hell...I feel like I could fight a bear with my bare fists."

    He reached his hand towards the water stream to take a quick sip as his thirst was still not satisfied, but then he realized, that he shouldn''t drink that, and should instead find a different source of water.

    Water streams support entire ecosystems of living things. Bacteria are likely to thrive in such an environment. Drinking stream water would definitely expose him to these bacterias. It''s especially dangerous when he had no idea what kind of bacterias there were in this new world.

    "...I don''t have any good filtering device or anything I could use to filter out the water...I should definitely go with the safe route and scout out the area first. It seems there are just trees all around me. I need to look for a ce where the water flows the fastest. If it is a good distance away from the source, it means there are fewer chances of me drinking unsafe water."

    He looked on and noticed the stream was basically endless. It would take him forever to find that specific location.

    "Damn, it''s only chapter one, and yet things are gettingplicated already. I love it. But ey, it''s still better than drinking water filled with animal piss and bacteria of all kind."

    He was about to head out when he heard someone singing a kid''s song in the distance.

    "?Silly-churl, billy-churl, silly-billy hilichurl. Frilly-churl, willy-churl, frilly-willy hilichurl? Ah! Oya? Oya Oya Oya!? Hey there! You look like you''ve died recently, do you need help? Te-he."

    When people say, "Time stood still," they must surely be talking about times like this.

    There was a girl casually walking through the forest towards him, with a polearm in her hands. With one smooth motion, she stabbed her hand, shedding blood on the said polearm, and spreading the blood all around the de. The de that was bathed within the blood slowly heated up and a small streak of fire ignited around it.

    "Time to be purified, evil spirit, hehe!"

    Yomite brought his hands in front of him in an attempt to stop her from attacking.

    "Wait! I am not an evil spirit! I am a human!"

    The de stopped a few centimeters away from his head.

    He could feel his sweat pouring down from his forehead.

    He just reincarnated, he definitely didn''t want to die this quickly! The swing wasn''t that fast so he could have definitely dodged it but he was still a bit disoriented from the soul transmission. Moreover, she was the first person he met since he arrived here, it would be wiser to ask her about the world.

    She nced at him with an indifferent face and pulled her polearm back.

    "Is that so~? Then why can I sense the deathly aura around you~? You smell like you''ve died recently~"

    Her voice was yful, but from her actions, Yomite considered her a dangerous individual. Was his difficulty set to Hell?

    ''Still, she looks like she is hesitating, that''s good. I wouldn''t wanna die in a tutorial. How embarrassing would that be? I need to think of a perfect way to y this...Hmm...What should I say...''

    He cleared his throat with a cough and was about to think of something when the grass around him stopped swaying, and the girl herself stopped moving. Everything around him came to halt, and a small blue window with three choices opened up in front of him.

    [1. I was just reincarnated into this body, I did die, but I am alive right now! Don''t hurt me!]

    [2. I really am a human! Stop pointing your weapon at me or I will call for help! Someone will definitely arrest you! Police! Police!]

    [3. I just killed a squirrel and ate it. Maybe that''s why you feel the deathly aura around me!]

    ''Isn''t this...The Tempus of The Story ability? That''s great...This will definitelye in handy, but what the hell are these choices?!''

    It looked to him as if his ability turned on by him thinking about what he should say, but he will have to figure that outter. Now, he is facing a bigger problem. He looked at the options and couldn''t help but frown.

    ''The goddess did tell me there was always one good choice, one fine choice, and a very bad choice...I can''t escape this and need to choose one of them or I am guessing I will be stuck here forever...From the way I look at this, the first one is probably the good one, the second one is the fine one, and thest one is the worst, but a gut feeling of a novel reader is telling me that usually, the weirdest one out there turns out to be the correct one, but the question is, should I risk it or not? I am hesitant...''

    ''...''

    After a few minutes of doing nothing but thinking and staring at the choices, he chose to rely on his gut feeling. He slowly aimed his finger at the third choice, and his mouth moved almost automatically.

    "I just killed a squirrel and ate it. Maybe that''s why you feel the deathly aura around me!"

    The next moment, he saw another icon pop up.

    [1. THE WORST CHOICE]

    [2. THE AVERAGE CHOICE]

    [3. THE BEST CHOICE] ??

    Yomite stared at the checkmark that appeared before him and sighed in relief. His gut feeling didn''t betray him.

    Not long after, the world returned back to normal.

    The girl in front of him had a thoughtful look on her face and nodded, "I see, that would make sense as your smell is so faint! In that case, let me remove the smell for you so that it wouldn''t bother you or anyone else, kay~?" The girl put away her polearm and pulled out a yellow talisman with weird symbols from her pocket.

    Yomite stabilized his breathing and calmed down his beating heart.

    He was still a bit afraid she would try to do something but once she put away her polearm his face rxed.

    She put the talisman on his chest and a yellow glow was emitted in the surrounding area. A few secondster, she cheerfully smiled and said, "It seems like you were telling the truth! You are truly not an evil spirit!"

    "Hm? How are you so sure all of a sudden? Didn''t you want to kill me a few seconds prior!?"

    "Te-he, sorry about that! If you were an evil spirit, the talisman would have turned red and purified you, just now!"

    ''I see, this is certainly important to remember for the future.'' Yomite thought.

    He took a closer look at her and couldn''t help but admit the girl in front of him was very good-looking. She was a young girl with fair skin and scarlet eyes with flower-shaped pupils. Her eyes were intriguing and he felt like he would get lost in them if he were to stare into them any further.

    ''A flower-shaped pupils...this is a fantasy world for sure...amazing...''

    She had long, dark brown hair fading to crimson at the tips, parted into a pair of twin ponytails.

    Her clothes consisted of a dark coat and ck shorts with a pair of low-heeled shoes. She also had a few rings with skulls on her hands and coupled with her ck nails, it only added to her overall beauty and fit her very well.

    "Well...We started off quite steamy, haven''t we? Hehe~ I''m the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao! ''Hu'' as in, WHu put me in this coffin!? And ''Tao'' as in, I can''t get Tout! Hehe!" Feeling proud about her dry joke, she threw a triumphant smirk his way.

    "..."

    "...No? Not funny?"

    "..."

    Choosing to ignore her, Yomite introduced himself instead.

    "...My name is Yomite Hissha and...I am a simple wanderer. Currently, I am trying to find a way out of this forest so if you don''t mind, would you show me the nearest vige or city?"

    She put a finger on her head and tried to think, soon after, her smile beamed, "Actually, I was about to go to the nearest city of Mondstadt! You can follow me if you want to! I don''t mind~!"

    Yomite nodded and nced at her small bag. He was thinking about whether to ask her or not but decided to do it anyway.

    "Hey, before we leave, do you have clear water to drink by any chance, I am dying of thirst."

    She didn''t seem like she minded, "Sure, sure~! Here, drink this!" And looked into her bag. She quickly pulled out a wooden bamboo bottle with plenty of fresh water inside and handed it to him.

    Yomite swiftly grabbed it and gulped the contents down. The water was sweet and it was the first time he ever drank something like this. He almost felt like he was drinking a melted popsicle or an apple juice.

    *Gulp* *Gulp* *Gulp*

    "...Thanks, that felt great. I am sorry I drank the entire thing, I will be sure to buy you something in the future." He returned the bamboo bottle into her bag.

    While it might have not been much, thirst was scary, and at times like these, people will part with expensive things just to save their lives from thirst or hunger. So Yomite was taking it as a serious debt, especially since she didn''t even hesitate and willingly gave up on her supplies.

    "Don''t mind don''t mind! Once we are in the city, I will be able to restock so don''t worry about it! Let''s go to the city!"

    "Sure, soun-" He couldn''t finish what he wanted to say, as she grabbed his wrist.

    "Now let''s go, let''s go, let''s go! No time to waste!" She ran while pulling Yomite behind her.

    ***

    Five minutester, they managed to get out of the forest, soon enough, they saw the mentioned city of Mondstadt.

    It was a huge fortress that acted as arge stronghold and it seemed to have a town as its base.

    ''Fortresses are usually run by high military soldiers, which means it might be impossible for me to enter without some form of identification or verification.''

    He looked at Hu Tao and thought about his second ability. The Tempus of The Heart. Apparently, it was a skill that would let him peer into the heart of an individual, an animal, or even certain items. The only requirement was looking at the target, but so far, no matter how he tried, he couldn''t activate it.

    ''Status, Observe, Arise, Stats, Skill Window, Tempus of The Heart...Sheesh, none of these are working.''

    Feeling that the atmosphere turned awkward ever since their weird introduction, Yomite tried to strike up a conversation.

    "So...Where are you from if you don''t mind me asking?" He wasn''t the best when it came to talking to a person he just met, but even he could strike up a normal conversation.

    "Ah! I am from Liyue! I work as a director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, but I did tell you that before. If you ever need a coffin, I will give you a 48% discount. So, what do you say!?"

    "No...No thanks. I am too young to die...and what''s with that weird percentage? Might as well let it be 50%..."

    "Now now, don''t be shy, it''spletely normal to buy the coffins upfront. Especially for the adventurers and such! You never know when you will kiss the dirt after all! No need to be scared of death. Ites suddenly, but it''s essentially the end of your journey, and all journeys muste to an end, so you should just ept it with open arms~!"

    "That''s not very uplifting..."

    "It shouldn''t be, it''s about dying after all~! But then again, passing away is a peaceful process, so there is really no need to be afraid~!"

    "I am not afraid of death anymore, it''s more about the fact that if I die without being able to finish what I wanted and without enjoying my life, it would be a really depressing death. I might evene back to haunt people as a ghost just for fun. I won''t be able to pass on in peace."

    "Mhm~ that may be true~! Restless souls are the worst kind to deal with and sometimes you even have toplete certain requests or tasks before they can pass on, like this little girl here!" She pointed towards the back of her neck and a small white apparition peeked from within her long ponytails, although it was visibly ufortable to show itself.

    "...Wait, that''s an actual ghost? Is this how people look like after they die?" Yomite was intrigued. While he did die, he never saw the form of an actual dead person''s soul.

    "Nah~ This little girl here is just a remnant of her soul. Unfortunately, she was unable to pass on due to her regrets, so I offered to help her. It''s been five years, but I still wasn''t able to fulfill what she wanted from me...at this point, her soul has dissipated so much, she probably doesn''t even remember what she was searching for..." Hu Tao turned a bit solemn and caressed the head of the ghost with her finger, which in turn, headbutted into her cheek lightly, out of affection.

    The atmosphere turned pretty dark, but she quickly bounced back into her entric personality.

    "But back to your question~. Once a person passes away, they either be a restless soul or they immediately pass on to the other side. If I see a restless soul, it''s my job as the director of the Liyue Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, to make it follow me to a special ce called Paradise, where it stays until Iplete their requests. After that, it can pass on in peace."

    "Sounds tough. But I think it''s great that you are helping them. Because without you, they would just wander on forever until they turn into a malicious spirit, right?"

    Hu tao stopped in her tracks, and her mouth slightly quivered, "...Yep, that''s right...You are quite knowledgeable yourself! I might make you my assistant! If the restless soul goes unattended, they might turn into a vengeful spirit...In which case, we can only exorcise them! Which was something simr to what I wanted to do to you a few minutes prior, hehe~."

    "Yeah, don''t make me remember something like that!" He nced at her hand, which was pierced through by her polearm, and saw that it has magically healed. "Come to think of it, I noticed a streak of mes during your attempt to behead me, what was that about? Are you a magician or a polearm master that can cast sorcery on your weapon, or maybe a Lancer?"

    "Magician? Lancer? Sorcery? I am not sure what those mean, although I did get some weird power after my grandpa passed away...The thing was called...what was it again? V...V...Vis...Viscent? No, Vision! That''s it~!"

    He nced at the pendant on her chest and thought, ''So this is the thing the goddess mentioned. She is one of the chosen ones by one of the gods of this world. I think that it will be wise to stick to her for now. She is a valuable source of info.''

    As Yomite was thinking about stuff, Hu Tao was fidgeting. It was only then that he realized he was basically staring at her chest area the entire time, and while she was fully clothed, it still didn''t change the fact that it was creepy and ufortable for the other party. That was what he thought.

    "You don''t have to sta~re at them for so long, they won''t grow~ I tried a lot of things like drinking milk but none of them worked~." She gave him a teasing smile and she didn''t seem to feel embarrassed about anything that she just said whatsoever, it was as if she was talking about some everyday normal topic.

    "I wasn''t looking at you like that at all. You look like you are thirteen. Unfortunately, underage Lolis are out of my list, and while you might be attractive you are still a child, so you don''t have to worry about it, although I do admit it might have been ufortable for you, so I apologize for that.." He swatted her teasing away like a fly and delivered a heavy punch to her ego. Hu Tao definitely felt this one.

    "...L-Loli...?"

    Yomite observed her crestfallen expression and continued, "Anyway what is this Vision about, I''ve never seen it before, can I check it out?" He smiled with a bit of hidden intent.

    "...Loli...Ah...Vision...Oh, you mean the thing you were looking at?" She pointed towards her chest. There was a red ruby crystal pendant engraved into her clothes. "Yeah, whatever...It just showed up in my house one day...I don''t really need it but it does help me with purifying the vengeful spirits, so I guess it can stay. Here you go, you can check it out!" She unbuttoned the Vision from her chest and threw it to him.

    "Fu...but to call me a loli..."

    Hu Tao still seemed stunned by Yomite addressing her as a Loli, dejectedly looking into the distance as if she didn''t want to acknowledge the reality.

    ''I wasn''t expecting she would know what that term means, but whatever, it''s not like it matters.''

    Yomite caught it and observed the exterior.

    ''Interesting, so from what I heard, this apparel is projecting her power like a catalyst.

    The moment he touched it, however, the crimson-like color dissipated from the pendant and it immediately turned gray. ''So it''s like that huh...It only works for the chosen ones, so even if the user was to die or if it was stolen, it would be a useless piece of jewelry. Well, at least some info for now. Interesting.''

    He returned the pendant to her and smiled, "It seems like you were chosen by the gods, lucky you."

    Hu Tao sighed and replied, "I honestly don''t really care about being chosen or something...I-...We are entrusted by the people to loyally see out their wishes. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is special, in that it carries a dual responsibility, to those both of this realm, and the next. I could care less about something like that when people all around the world are suffering."

    Yomite widened his eyes and felt his respect for her jump by leaps and bounds.

    ''What a selfless person. She is basically only living for others. Completing tasks so that other people can rest in peace.''

    "That''s actually a really noble way of living. Aren''t you a bit bored though?"

    "It''s fine, I am not! Because during my adventures I get to bury a lot of corpses into the ground which is actually pretty fun! Although sometimes I y with the bones and forget where I put them so I am forced to bury them while they are missing some of their body parts but ey, stuff happens~."

    "..."

    It''s funny how the respect for someone can disappear in a matter of seconds...

 Chapter 3

    A carriage made a loud creaking sound as it drove over the pavement. Arge lizard like creature was pulling the cart.

    Before his eyes were houses built from red bricks, the streets right out of Europe from the middle ages.

    There were no cars, bikes, power lines, or telmunication cables.

    He looked around the street, watching people pass by.

    ''There are mostly human inhabitants, but there were also a few people with animal ears. I have yet to spot something resembling an elf or a dwarf though, but maybe they reside elsewhere.''

    They got into the city rtively ''easily'' although he could tell a lot of people were looking his way. They were probably suspicious of a new face.

    Now that he looked around, there wasn''t really anyone with a darker skin tone, so he knew he must have been standing out to some degree.

    Anyway, he was satisfied with how he looked and the clothes that were provided to him with this body. The goddess did a good job with that. It would be a disaster if he were to appear in this world naked. Now that would have been a Hell of a difficulty.

    He is also d that he was able to reincarnate into this fantasy world.

    Right now, he also found himself a newpanion, and he can''t wait for his adventures to begin. To gain riches, search for excitement, and to make a harem. Everything will be great.

    But.

    But...

    But!

    "But still! Hu Tao...What the hell was that about? You said you had a n to get us in! Why were the guards acting as if you were an international criminal!?" Walking by his side was Hu Tao, cluelessly sucking on a lollipop she found in her bag.

    "Eh? What is what?"

    Yomite grit his teeth.

    ''She is acting as if nothing had happened just a few moments ago...just how much of a bad reputation does she have for the guards to freak out that much?''

    All this time, they have been following a person that called himself the Cavalry Captain. If it weren''t for him, they might have not even been able to get to the city in the first ce. He told them he would introduce them to a higher-up that might help them with what they need.

    "What are you waiting for? Let''s go, brother. Fufu."

    Yomite nced at the figure of his new acquaintance and followed him.

    ''Haah, it would be nice if nothing bad happened for the rest of the day.''

    ***

    Five minutes earlier...

    As the duo of exotic-looking individuals got closer towards the main gate of Mondstadt, two Knights have crossed their path.

    "Who goes there!? Halt!" The Knights aimed their swords towards the two unknown people, "Don''t move any further! Show us proof of identification, or else we won''t let you through!"

    "Sounds tough. What do we do?"

    "Do you have a Mondstadt identification card by any chance, Yomite?"

    "Nope. Are we in trouble?"

    Naturally, the exotic-looking duo was Yomite and Hu Tao. Yomite had already guessed this, but the moment they got near, they immediately met with the first obstacle. The Guards.

    Considering he wanted to find a ce where he can stay for a longer period of time, attacking the guards or provoking them in any kind of way wasn''t the smartest decision.

    "I see, well, leave it to me then! This shall repay my earlier debt of trying to behea�� I mean...Exorcise you with a smile on my face~!"

    "Hey...I heard that...Did you really have to put it that way? In any case, if you have a solution to get us into the city, then please, be my guest." Yomite folded his hands and patiently observed her.

    Hu Tao waltzed towards the guards with a creepy smirk, "Well then, gentlemen, My name is Hu Tao, and I am the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor~! I am here with the official business proposition for the adventurer''s guild! As you can see, I and my assistant wish to enter the city of Mondstadt~!"

    ''Assistant? Excuse me?'' Yomite just rolled his eyes and sighed. As long as it got them in.

    The Knights immediately fidgeted when they heard the name of the infamous funeral parlor. They met each other''s gaze and whispered, "Wa-Wangsheng...Fu-Funeral Parlor!!? Oi... isn''t she the crazy individual we should be avoiding at all cost!?"

    "Y-Yes, the Adventurer Guild states that no one should get too close to her...but...she said she had official business with the Guild...W-What do we do?" Both of them were trembling, afraid that they will get cursed by the crazy individual.

    "Sh-Should we call the Acting Grand Master?"

    "No no, she is the busiest person of Mondstadt. We shouldn''t bother her with pointless things..."

    The Knights were in a dilemma.

    They heard all kinds of things about her. There were rumors that she buries people with a creepy smirk on her face, unfazed of the death.

    They looked at her face and could indeed see the deadly smirk. It felt as if she was looking at them, or marking them as future potential corpses she can have fun with.

    There were also rumors that she offers coffin discounts to people that arepletely healthy and young, while saying, ''Your time wille one day anyway, so why not order a coffin beforehand? Ites with a discount of 50%~!"

    They heard all kinds of crazy and creepy stories about her.

    The Knights looked at her ''assistant'' that had a dark aura around him. His gaze was as cold as if he was used to killing people and then burying them without a hint of sympathy. A trained mercenary that will do anything for the money!

    "W-We can''t let them enter!"

    Yomite''s mouth was slightly agape as he could clearly hear the guards whispering.

    ''A crazy person? That might fit her to some degree, she did try to behead me the moment we met, but I wonder why she is so infamous.''

    He looked at her and knew that she probably heard them whispering as well, but wondered why she didn''t react. Maybe it was an everyday thing for her?

    As the Guards were discussing, a pair of hands touched both of their shoulders.

    "Now now~ What''s themotion?"

    The Knights shook for a bit before they recognize who it was.

    "C-Cavalry Captain! It''s a pleasure to meet you!"

    "Wh-What brings you around here, sir?"

    They had a lot of respect for the Cavalry Captain, Kaeya. He became a Knight of Favonius at such a young age and then immediately promoted to a Cavalry Captain.

    His talent and strength were immeasurable, and yet, he never acted high and mighty or arrogant. He also had a strong Vision, that was so cold, his enemies begged for a quick death.

    He was always a carefree person enough to bring his subordinates peace of mind, although, on the battlefield, his methods of ''Interrogation'' were always questionable.

    "There was an assignment given to me by the Acting Grand Master, but it was too boring, so I dipped, and now I finally found something interesting to do." He nced at the neers, and the moment he saw Yomite, he raised his eyebrows. Both of them met gaze and stared at each other without saying anything.

    The Knights tensed up and felt their blood boil. Something was about to go down. It seemed like their Captain was about to draw his sword at any moment now.

    "Oh, Yomite! Is that your brother~? You look really simr~!"

    The one to break this awkward atmosphere was Hu tao.

    """Huh?"""

    No one expected anything like that.

    "...My brother? How did you evene up with something like that..." Yomite was really confused about this girl. He had honestly no idea what to think about her.

    "Well...you know... Your skin color is really simr! So maybe I thought you were lost long siblings or something. After all, this is the second time I ever saw someone with a darker skin tone that wasn''t a monster, and I have traveled to a lot of countries~" She replied cheerily.

    "Just because of my skin color?" Yomite snorted, ''Ah, yes, my bad, I forgot...She is an idiot.''

    Kaeya burst outughing, "Yes, brother,e on in. Make yourself at home! I don''t mind having another brother!" He turned to the Knights of Favonius and said, "Please let them in. I will vouch for them. If anything were to happen, I will bear the responsibility."

    "Seriously?"

 Chapter 4

    I have decided to up the chapters a bit for today since I got a patron, so I will release three chapters today and then somehow write three more as fast as I can for him so that people wouldn''t say I scam them on ******* or something...

    ***

    The mysterious Kaeya, the Cavalry Captain. His look was exotic, just as Yomite''s. He was a tall young man of lean build with dark skin and while this was already enough to give him the exotic and foreign look, his diamond-shaped pupils and long navy blue hair was the finisher. He had a long ponytail that reached his waist. He also wore an eyepatch over his right eye.

    Yomite wondered if he lost his eye or if it was just a chuuni essory.

    ''I guess I will have to ask himter.''

    His clothes were form-fitting, consisting of a white fur cloak over a white jacket that exposed his chiseled chest, a navy shirt, and slim navy pants. He donned a cape resembling a single wing over his left shoulder. If anything, this person was much more exotic looking and wore more exotic clothes than Yomite did.

    Yomite also noticed that he possessed the godly source of power, the Vision, which was hanging around his left thigh. His Vision looked different in both design and color from the Vision that Hu Tao had.

    His Vision was blue, with two feathers, while Hu Tao''s Vision was red like crimson mes, and the design wasn''t even remotely simr to the one he had.

    ''He is really strong.'' Yomite wondered to himself as he observed him from head to toes.

    The way he carried himself was especially something you can only learn how to do by continuous training.

    But his attitude was what actually kind of disturbed Yomite the most.

    ''He let us in without a care in the world, called me his little brother, and now is leading us to themander of this city...Something is fishy here. But the good thing is that we made it into the city despite the fuss at the gate.'' He unconsciously looked at the carefree Hu Tao who was still licking away at her candy.

    He observed the city an noticed that the city was indeed bustling with liveliness. The people looked pretty happy. That was a good sign. If the citizens are happy, then there is less chance of meeting an oppressive higher-up that might drive him away because he had no identification.

    Well, altogether, he was lucky he wasn''t thrown into a world where there was an ongoing war or something, but he knew that peace would eventually go away and the war might happen one day, as Hu Tao told him there were plenty of other small ''countries'' like this one, that have desires to expand their territories, and as known from the history of mankind, there were always wars due to some stupid reasons to start a conflict.

    For example, he remembered that in the past, he read about a war that started because a couple of fishermen started throwing Cod fishes at each other. The name was The Cod Fish War. It was about a territorial dispute of fishing.

    So if one day, a war broke out, which side would he be fighting for? Or would he justy low somewhere until it all ends?

    ''Nah... it''s pointless to think about stuff like that now. In any case, my old world was a bizarre ce for sure.''

    As they stepped inside the city, he felt as if he was on a market. All around him were shops of all kinds. From a shop that looked like it was selling flowers, to an outside cksmith, to something that resembled a scam, selling some kind of protective ''Divine Artifacts Charms''.

    ''I have never seen an outdoors smithy before. I used to spend a lot of time in a smithy back on Earth. My father''s friend owned a smithy, so we attended it regrly. Seeing one that is maintained outdoors, and looks like it''s a self improvisation brings a lot of joy to me.''

    The smithy was run by a burly middle-aged man with a beard, together with what looked to be his disciple.

    The forge was also pretty well done for an improvisation.

    "I told ya to pre-heat it! Pre-heat it! Do ya know what that means, ya Bampot!"

    "Bu-But master! I wanted to quickly finish it so that I can start making another sword!"

    "Jobby! Tis'' trash! Yer reapin'' what ya sow. I won''t allow ya to go y by yooehrself! Yer better finish tis'' thin'' before the sunys low! Awa'' n bile your head!"

    "Y-Yes, master!"

    They gathered quite the crowd of people who wereughing at the boy''s misfortune. It was an everyday sight, and it was simply too funny and satisfying to listen to the amazing and bountiful dictionary of his master. It felt like aedy skit.

    Yomite also couldn''t help but smile at the sight. He remembered being the same, inexperienced child, but you learn along the way and from your mistakes.

    ''Good luck, kiddo.''

    As he looked further to his left, there was arge building with a sign that read ''Adventurer''s guild''.

    Yomite was pleasantly surprised he could read, which could either mean his body was modified by the goddess to the point that he can perform speech, read and write in theirnguage, or this world''snguage was the same as back on Earth.

    He noticed there was a ck-haired beauty behind a counter, which was also outdoors for whatever reason. Usually, in isekai stories or in a fantasy setting, the adventurers guild is a rowdy ce full of people that would try to pick a fight with you. There would always be a cutedy behind a counter, but the counter and the board with quests were usually located inside of the guild and not outside, so this a breath of fresh air.

    The woman behind the counter looked diligent and didn''t move a single inch since the past minute. The professionalism of this person was definitely showing.

    ''It''s almost scary, she isn''t even blinking. Is she a human?''

    As he was looking around, Kaeya stopped and waited for him to feast his eyes upon the city. Yomite noticed this and got moving.

    "Do you like it here?"

    "Oh yeah, it''s really peaceful."

    "Of course! Knights like me are the reason why! Your older brother is simply an outrageously amazing person." Kaeya chuckled in amusement as he said this.

    "...So...how should I address you? Is Kaeya enough?"

    Kaeya smiled and gave him a wink, "Kaeya is fine, but you can also call me older brother! I always wanted to have a younger sibling, you see, my older sibling is rather...grumpy you could say. He is so cold to me, but it''s fun to tease him, that''s for sure."

    "An older sibling? I see that you have your hands full."

    "Well, we aren''t really rted as I was adopted into his family, but I regard him as such."

    "I see. I never had a sibling, so I can''t really tell how it feels like to have one, but it has to be fun to some degree. Also a bit annoying."

    "Well, it''s a shame that you couldn''t experience the greatness of having a brother to bul��I mean, have fun with! Teasing him is one of the funniest things. But don''t worry, now you have me, soe on...call me brother, older brother, big brother, Aniki, anything your heart desires~!"

    There was a reason why Kaeya was this excited. The trigger was the words that Hu Tao spoke of before. Having another brother sounded interesting and fun to him.

    Being able to tease two brothers at once is better than one!

    Moreover, he did look like he came from the same ce as him. So his hidden motive might have had to do something with it.

    "Ehm...I think I will stick with Kaeya for now..." Yomite was a bit ufortable calling a stranger brother. At least for now.

    "Is that so? What a shame, little brother. I know you will change your mind soon enough! Well then, follow me. We are almost there."

    They turned right and followed a short path, quickly arriving in front of something that resembled a pub.

    "Eh...this doesn''t look like the ce..." No matter how much he looked, this was a pub. It didn''t look like the Headquarters of a fortress at all.

    "Don''t mind don''t mind! Come on in!"

    Yomite''s face twisted into a troubled look at Kaeya''s words.

    Maybe he was overthinking it, maybe this pub was a hidden ce where the strongest of individuals from the city gathered in like a secret room or something. That was a standard plot for a lot of novels.

    He decided to go in after all, ''Wait...where is Hu Tao?'' He turned around but she was gone.

    "Kaeya, where did Hu Tao wander off? How did we lose her? Was she kidnapped?"

    "Hu Tao? Oh, you mean the little girl? She said she had something to discuss with the Guild about her coffin discounts. She will be back shortly. If I remember, I saw her before. She came here like two years ago I think, and raised a ruckus about selling coffins to healthy people. She is a lively one for sure!"

    Yomite facepalmed himself, ''Jeez, so she was serious when she was talking about the discount stuff? She is so small I didn''t even notice she had disappeared...''

    Unwillingly, he followed Kaeya inside the pub...

 Chapter 5

    ***

    Kaeya and Yomite entered the bar called Angel''s share.

    The ce didn''t seem that shabby, and there were a lot of regrs here, who frequent it.

    Old men, young guys in love, line the walls, were muttering unintelligible slurs around the pipes hanging from their lips as they drank away their problems and sorrow. Alcohol is love, alcohol is life.

    "Ah...Barbara-sama is so cute and adorable, and I love her so much! I hope that one day I could marry such a girl..."

    "Heh, dream on, Albert, Barbara-sama is the most popr girl of Mondstadt. A regr mortal like you has no way of dating an idol of a goddess."

    ''Hm? A goddess?'' Yomite''s interest was piqued. He inconspicuously eavesdropped on the two drunk men to gain some intel.

    "Ah, I know...How unfortunate. One day I will confess though! Men are all about guts, and while Barbara-sama may seem untouchable like a beautiful goddess, she is still a mortal girl! Just watch me confess at the next Windblume Festival!"

    "As the leader of the Barbara Fan Club, I, Albert, will do my best!"

    "Ahahaha! Good luck kiddo!" He earned himself a round of apuse and some whistles.

    Yomite sighed, ''It was just about a girl that was pretty enough to be a goddess...I should really look for something like a library if I have the time, to find out how many gods there even are,"

    Anyway, as he had feared, it turned out to be apletely normal bar. Kaeya brought him out for a drink, which he wouldn''t decline in normal circumstances, but right now, he didn''t even have a ce to stay and didn''t wanna be forced to stay outside under the stars.

    Obviously, he has read many survival tactics and novels that hinted at how you should survive outside in the wild, but then again, you should always search for a ce that you can call home. Moving around in wild, without a home like a homeless man or a vagabond, didn''t really suit him.

    He sat down at the bar chair next to Kaeya.

    "What''ll it be today?" The bartender asked while wiping away at a ss in a typical bartender fashion.

    "Oh, Charles, how are you doing? Haven''t seen you in a while! I will have a Berry & Mint Burst special as always! Oh, and can you give us a menu so that I can order something for my brother here as well?"

    Charles handed the menu to Kaeya, "Brother? I''ve been an employee here for more than a decade, and I thought your only brother was Master Diluc." He gazed at the young man sitting near Kaeya and couldn''t help but admit that they indeed looked a bit alike. He leaned forward and whispered, "Well then, young man, are you being threatened or ckmailed in some way? If yes, blink thrice very quickly."

    Kaeya nervously scratched his neck, "No no no, Charles, please stop...My older brother will kill me if you joke like this..."

    "As if you are actually scared of him, with your mental fortitude of pissing him off every few seconds, it''s hard to believe you don''t have balls of steel." As the bartender was mixing the drink, he gazed at Yomite with some hidden intentions.

    Yomite understood the man''s n and decided to y along, "Well, you see, kind sir, I was about to enter the city with mypanion, and this person suddenly put his hand around my shoulders and dragged me away...Mypanion didn''t make it and has unfortunately passed away, but I am here and lucky to be alive..." He spoke with a terrible sense of guilt in his voice.

    "What! Uneptable! Cavalry Captain Kaeya, I am telling Master Diluc and The Acting Grand Master Jean!"

    Kaeya furiously denied it and shook his head, "You can''t be serious!? Little brother, how can you say something like this! Things like this create big misunderstandings, and my big bro isn''t the type to understand jok��"

    "��What do I not understand?"

    Kaeya''s shoulders stiffened as he slowly turned around, "Hey there, big bro, long time no see!"

    "Repulsive, call me Diluc, or I will kick you out of my bar." The man who entered the bar was none other than the owner of the Dawn Winery, which was known as the best producing winery in the world.

    He was also the older brother of Kaeya and the employer of Charles, the bartender.

    "...Yes..." Kaeya had no choice but toply, as he didn''t want to leave the pub this soon. He will get back to Yomite for thister, in a brotherly way.

    Diluc looked at Yomite, and Yomite stared back at him. A few moments of silence had passed before Diluc spoke again, "Kaeya, did you multiply?"

    *Pfft* Kaeya almost spat out his drink. "See!? I told you we look simr...The little girl was right too~!"

    "My name is Yomite Hissha, and you can just call me Yomite. I heard some things about you from Kaeya already." He extended his hand, "Nice to meet you."

    Diluc, however, just stared at it and didn''t shake it.

    An awkward momentter, Diluc scoffed and went behind the counter without saying a word. "Kaeya, who is he? Does he have an identification? How did he get into the city?"

    The atmosphere took a wrong turn, and Kaeya knew he had to exin, "This is my new younger brother Yomite! I decided to adopt myself a cute younger sibling as my older brother is a huge douchebag."

    "Stop messing around and answer me. Who is this person? You do realize that the city of Mondstand is in a pretty serious situation right now, right? We can''t have some spies from foreign countries, or assassins enter the city and move around freely."

    "Woah, that''s some huge usations right there! Alright, let''s rx, dear brother, I was nning on taking him to Jean after we were done here. There is nothing to worry about, she will know, and everything will be alright, and besides, my brother here is Visionless and doesn''t appear to have any weapon on his body, nor any hidden one''s, I''ve checked earlier. He ispletely harmless."

    "Huh? Checked earlier, what do you mean?" Yomite didn''t remember anything like that happening.

    Kaeya gave him an innocent smile and replied, "I had to make sure that you were harmless, but now I am sure you won''t cause trouble."

    A bead of sweat poured down the Yomite''s forehead, ''I didn''t even notice him check me for my weapons...As I thought, this Kaeya is really strong.''

    Diluc rolled his eyes and replied, "Don''t trust Kaeya to that degree. There is no way he would check whether you have weapons or not. He is toozy to do so. You can only trust half of what he says...at best. He is just talking shit again."

    "Ah...I was caught, Te-he" Kaeya stuck out his tongue and scratched the back of his neck.

    "Alright then, thanks for the advice, what should I call you?"

    Diluc sighed and replied, "I don''t really like talking with people, especially people who are not trustworthy yet. Diluc, of Mondstadt. Not interested in idle chit-chat. If you have things you want to get done, let me know. If you turn out to be a criminal of some sort, colluding with Fatui or other organizations like Abyss Order threatening the peaceful Mondstadt, I will eliminate you. I am not like the weakwilled Knights of Favonius." He said that as he poured himself a non-alcoholic beverage.

    "I see, nice to know you too," Yomite wryly smiled about his rudeness, but he let it go.

    He was a bit interested in the topics Diluc mentioned. He was currently trying to gather as much information about the world as possible, so the things he mentioned, were quite interesting, ''Knights of Favonius? Abyss order? Fatui? So many new terms are popping up. Anyway, he seems like a really cold guy. He is like a soldier that had witnessed war or something. He really seems like the type of guy that''s hard to talk to.''

    Diluc walked away and picked up the used sses of wine and other beverages, that were sprawled all around the empty tables. He thought that people should really learn how to clean up after themselves.

    ''Filthy pigs.''

    While Diluc was cleaning up the tables, Charles spoke, "Please, dear sir, don''t take it to heart. Master Diluc is a really amazing person, and I am not only saying it because he takes my shifts from time to time despite being my master."

    "No, it''s fine, I have experience with rude people. I feel like he is trying to keep it in check, so that''s fine. Besides, a little bit of toxicity never hurt anyone."

    He remembered the times as a reviewer when he didn''t sign up a contract with some of the authors, and was usually shouted at, and even threatened by them to some degree, even though he was just doing his job and what his boss told him to do.

    Charles smiled and replied, "I am d, this one is on the house." He put a colorful drink on the table and passed it to Yomite.

    "What''s this?"

    "This is the apple cider from the Dawn Winery, which is special at Angel''s Share. No need to worry, for it''s a freshly squeezed, and fruity non-alcoholic beverage. It has a strong sobering effect, so the patrons usually order it as thest thing of the night so that they won''t die on their way home."

    "Seems logical." He was about to taste it when Kaeya stopped him.

    "Lemme try something before you drink, little brother, alright?"

    Yomite didn''t mind and passed him the drink.

    Kaeya aimed his hand towards the bottom of the ss and his Vision activated, soon enough, a streak of cold rushed out of his hand and cooled down the drink.

    "Cooled it, there you go, now try it."

    Yomite tasted the drink while thinking, ''So his Vision grants him the power of ice. Interesting. Oh, the drink is really refreshing.''

 Chapter 6

    ***

    Yomite thanked the bartender for the free drink and left together with Kaeya, thest parting words of Diluc were that he was watching his every move and should he try something, he would dispose of him.

    Yomite didn''t take it to heart and wasn''t scared about such trivial stuff. He didn''te here to start a war after all. He just wanted a home base. There was no need to start a conflict with any of the inhabitants or higher-ups.

    Kaeya has finally decided to bring him to the Acting Grand Master, but Yomite knew they first had to pick up the baggage they left behind. The baggage in form of a little girl.

    As they were returning to the main gate, Yomite could already hear a very familiar squeaky and entric voice in the distance, arguing with the ck-haired beauty of the Adventurer''s guild.

    "As I mentioned previously, we don''t wish to ept your services, please see yourself out."

    "Aiya, so the two plus one special didn''t work out either...Still, this is the deal of your lifetime! I, Hu Tao, came here to strike a deal! So I won''t give up! Just ept my proposition, I swear you won''t regret it!"

    "Look, I told you, we are not interested in the kind of ''cooperation'' you describe..." The ck-haired beauty was clearly upset about Hu Tao and wanted her to leave immediately.

    "Come on! There is no need to get upset! Since ourst negotiation a few years ago, I''vee up with a new proposal! Which I think you''ll find has far more benefits for you! First things first, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor will prioritize Adventurers'' Guild requests above all others! You will also receive 100 of our signature wooden coffins for free together with your first order!" She ced her hands on top of the Guild counter and continued, "That''s not all! We also provide an on-site cadaver collection service covering almost all regions in Liyue and Mondstadt! Now, we do charge slightly premium for a very small number of especially dangerous areas like Stormterror''s Lair, but...but don''t worry about that, I promise you it''s still very affordable!"

    Hu Tao nonchntly stated, feeling confident that no one would be able to resist such an amazing opportunity.

    The ck-haireddy had just about enough, "I don''t think you''re hearing me..."

    "I get it...but just think about it! An adventurer''s life is full of unexpected threats, it''s only natural to take precautions. ''Mend the roof before it rains'', as they say." Hu Tao wasn''t backing off. She had to establish some form of connection or deal with the Adventurers'' guild.

    The ck-haireddy frowned, "Yeah...no. I''m not so sure that saying applies in this context. Speaking of precautions, I''d rather focus on keeping my adventurers safe and healthy in the first ce. The idea of dying is a possibility indeed, but that''s a grim thought we shouldn''t explore any further. It''s time for you to go. I have to attend to other matters. Please leave." She stood up and went inside the Guild house, forcefully closing the door behind her as a sign that the discussion has ended.

    Somewhat depressed Hu Tao picked up her portable bag from the counter and left dejectedly.

    "Aiya...no sess here either..." she sighed. "They don''t know what''s good for them. Maybe I should have offered more stuff..." She turned around and saw that Yomite was standing there, watching, with Kaeya.

    "Oh! Didn''t notice you there! Are you finished? Do you have the identification? Can we stay now~?"

    As if nothing had happened just now, her personality bounced back rather quickly.

    "No, we are nning to go there now. We returned to bring you with us," Yomite replied.

    They pointlessly wasted time in that pub, they should have just gone there in the first ce. "I saw you had some...difficulties... in striking the deal?"

    "Hmph! For sure! Rejecting a once in a lifetime opportunity! They don''t know what''s good for them! It''s their loss. Some things are inevitable. It''s only a matter of time." Hu Tao wouldn''t let such a trivial problem ruin her mood.

    ''So she was angry after all.''

    Hearing her, Kaeya smiled ''What a scary little girl. Talking about death so casually... If only my big brother could get over it. Some things are truly... inevitable.''

    "...Hu Tao...Let''s just go and leave it at that..."

    "...Alright."

    He knew there must have been something. Something like a goal she wanted to achieve by signing the contract with the Adventurers Guild. It couldn''t have been just to gain profit. She was not that kind of person. He knew her for only like twenty minutes but he could already perfectly picture her character in his mind.

    He remembered when she was talking aboutpleting tasks and request for the ghosts that cannot pass on peacefully, so maybe it had something to do with that.

    ''Maybe she has deeper intentions. Something I have yet to know about.''

    Hu Tao stretched her arms upwards, "Ah...I really feel like burying someone...Where is the cute little zombie Qiqi when you need her...I am so lonely..."

    ''...Or maybe not...'' He rolled his eyes. "Hu Tao, hurry up. We don''t have all day..We still need to find ourselves a ce to stay at."

    ''Preferably an inn or something...As mentioned before, sleeping under the stars is nothing like home sweet home...''

    Yomite''s remark made her frown. "Ah, yes...It hase to this." She slowly wobbled towards them, and together, they arrived in front of the Knights Of Favonius Headquarters in a rtively short time.

    "So this is the true Headquarters...It''s pretty alright in size." Yomitemented after observing the building that was pretty close to something that resembled a church.

    ''A church or a manor house? I wonder if I could somehow contact goddess Sia, but I doubt it.''

    Hu Tao tilted her head, "True Headquarters?"

    "Ah, don''t mind it...Let''s just...go in."

    "Mhm!" Hu Tao cheerily nodded.

    "You sure are a lovely duo, just watching you is fun," Kaeya smiled while greeting the nearby Knights and entering the Headquarters.

    Just as Yomite was about to enter the building, he frowned as he looked up into the sky, "Damn, is it already sote? But wait... wasn''t sun still shining a few moments ago? What is goin��" His words were interrupted by a howling wind, blowing into his face, making it hard to breathe.

    ''What the hell is happening?!'' With his eyes, hurting from the pressure of the wind, he could only barely see arge silhouette, flying in the sky. He didn''t know what it was, but he knew it was huge and possibly dangerous.

    "Is that...the Stormterror?" Hu Tao muttered while everyone looked up.

    ''Storm what? That name sounds ominous...'' He wanted to ask about it, but the wind was so strong he had trouble breathing.

    "Ah... Stormterror came to visit again, long time no see," Kaeya mumbled and reached out for his sword.

    Yomite managed to finally catch his breath and raised his voice to ovee the loud whirling sound of wind, "Seeing that you are reaching for your weapon, I assume whatever that thing is...isn''t a friendly unit, huh..."

    "Well..yes...but actually no..."

    "Stop with the word y, what the hell is that?!"

    Arge silhouette was flying across the darkened sky. Women, men, children alike, hid inside their houses and prayed for the great wind beast to spare their lives.

    "That thing, is a Dragon. It was our ally, now it''s our enemy," Kaeya replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

 Chapter 7

    Uff chapter took me some time to make as I didn''t want it to just be a shitty fight, its like 3k words too so yeah...hopefully you will enjoy.

    ***

    A goliath? A colossus? A sentinel? A Monster?

    Maybe everythingbined. A Dragon.

    Usually an end game monster in a lot of role-ying games.

    A mighty, prideful, and intelligent creature capable of human speech and also capable of annihting cities by itself was currently flying around the city of Mondstadt. The monster has long revealed itself in its full glory.

    The old protector of Mondstadt has for some reason turned against his own people, time and time again.

    Having such an enormous build, he was surely one of thergest beings in the world of Teyvat.

    His entire body was colored in a shade of blue, with his main body being a lighter shade of azure blue.

    Sixrge wings spanned across the sky and perhaps that was what made him different from all the other dragons Yomite had encountered in his role-ying games.

    Hisser-like pupils brought fear even into the most skilled of mercenaries.

    ''If I don''t count Hu Tao, I have yet to encounter a single hostile enemy. There was no slime, goblin, or wolf. No tutorial monsters. Nothing. But now, the first thing I witness is a freaking dragon!? Isn''t this a bit too stupid?''

    Feelings of anxiousness flooded his mind. He was indeed reincarnated into this world to go on an adventure, but for him to meet a dragon this soon could be his doom. Not only did dragons have a thick skin that couldn''t usually be prated by normal weapons, but most dragons also had special abilities like a fireball or in this case, most likely a destructive wind or a tornado spell.

    ''My third ability, The Tempus of The Particles might be able to do something, but I have yet to try it out. I might injure an ally. So the logical thing to do would be not to use it unless ites down to eat me... Shit! Couldn''t you havee muchter once I trained myself or something you big lizard!''

    He looked to his right at his twopanions.

    Hu Tao was frozen stiff, holding her polearm in her trembling hands, while nervously mumbling, "...Is it...my time..."

    Anyone could tell she was frightened. Maybe not frightened of death, but the process. No one would want to be torn apart or in the worst case, eaten alive by this kind of monstrosity. This kind of monster was an ultimate enemy that could cause multiple casualties, and even then they might not be able to beat it.

    Kaeya, on the other hand, just observed the situation with a frown, "Attacks like these were happening a lottely. Confrontation should be avoided at all cost, but looking at the damage it''s doing to the city, I guess I should go and intercept it."

    Yomite looked at him in disbelief. Was he crazy? That''s an actual dragon. "Do you at least...have a n?"

    Kaeya looked his brother into his eyes and replied, "I don''t. But don''t worry, brother. Your big bro is a master at escaping. Diluc calls me an unkible cockroach all the time. I will try to drive it away. It shouldn''t be long before other Knights hear of themotion outside, and I already sent two Knights to ry the message, so I should get reinforcements soon."

    He raised his sword and gazed at the creature with one of his star-like eyes, "There is no way for me to fight it in the air, I will have to wait till ites down. Seeing as you don''t have a Vision, please stay back, brother. It''s dangerous even for people with a Vision. The dragon can be merciless." He turned to Hu Tao and continued, "I might require your help, so I would appreciate it if you snapped out of it, kiddo."

    Hu Tao clenched the polearm in her hands even more, "Hehe~...I am not scared, don''t worry~! I am just excited that there might be so many people to bury after this incident and that the Adventurer''s Guild might finally consider and ept my proposition~!" Despite what she was saying, the tone of her trembling voice told differently.

    "Tch!" Yomite was upset. Being sent to the back lines...Kind of pissed him off.

    He clenched his hands and put an end to the annoying feeling of being scared, by overwriting it with a strong feeling of pain.

    He hit himself in the leg with his right fist. The force was strong enough to make him kneel for a bit, but he recovered rather shortly.

    Both Hu Tao and Kaeya looked at him in wonder.

    "I might have a n. Hear me out."

    He had a n. It was a dangerous one, but if executed properly it could work.

    Kaeya saw his determination and nodded, "...Let''s hear it then. If it helps, then Diluc can do nothing but ept you into the city."

    "Could you, say, float a mountain of ice or shoot up a huge icicle right up close to the bastard...? How strong is your Vision?"

    "Let''s see, hmmm...a mountain of ice would be quite impossible for me, unfortunately."

    Yomite gave his reply a simple wave of his hand to say, ''it can''t be helped'', and looked up to the sky.

    "What a beautiful dragon..."

    If he wanted to survive in this world, Yomite knew he must use his abilities fully without hiding anything. While it might give him some trouble, he was not the type to lie or the type capable of holding a secret.

    That just how he was, an honest idiot.

    ''What did it matter if I were to show my ability to someone? I would have to use them one day anyway, so why not now, when we are all in trouble?''

    He resolved himself and told Kaeya and Hu Tao about the n.

    ***

    "Hmm. That sounds interesting. But it might be hard for me to do. So give me a minute."

    "We can definitely pull it off if you manage to aim it well. I trust you."

    "Trust me? Heh, you shouldn''t. I don''t trust myself, but I will try my best. Oh, and before we do something, here, take this." Kaeya handed him a weird tool.

    "This is..."

    Yomite stared at him for a moment before he understood.

    "...Thanks."

    "No problem, you wouldn''t have probably survived otherwise." With a smirk, he closed his eyes as his Vision activated. He concentrated all of the cold energy he could gather within him and aimed it at one ce.

    Yomite told him to concentrate all of his power into one point and wait for his signal to release it.

    "What about me! What should I do? What should I do?" Hu Tao eagerly raised her hand.

    "You should go and check around the city whether there is someone injured and bring them to safety. I am counting on you too!"

    Hu Tao let a faint exhale trickle out, and as Yomite awaited her reply, she narrowed her beautiful crimson eyes with flower pupils and said, "Understand! Leave it to me!" Despite her worries, she dashed off into the city to look for any civilians that needed help.

    Death would eventuallye anyway. She wasn''t afraid of it. What she was afraid of, was being unable to pass on in peace.

    She searched hard, for years, but she couldn''t find her grandpa nor the previous directors of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, which only meant one thing.

    That they were all able to pass on in peace without a single regret.

    Right now, Hu Tao still had a lot of tasks she needed to finish. She couldn''t die here. Not yet. Otherwise, she would have plenty of regrets to share.

    She looked at the cute apparition hiding behind her ponytail and smiled, "Hu Tao shall pass on once your wish is fulfilled! As stated in the contract! So until then, don''t worry, and enjoy the ride!"

    "Kyuuu!" The cute apparition squealed.

    ***

    "Shall we begin the n?"

    Kaeya looked into the sky, waiting for Yomite''s signal. His n was simply reckless, and he loved every single bit of it. He loved the excitement and interesting things so this was right up his alley.

    Just as he was waiting for the signal, he witnessed something weird. A blond-haired girl, ascended into the sky with a wind glider, as if she was some kind of fairy or maybe, an angel.

    Small beams of green magic light ignited in the sky, visibly damaging the Stormterror. The girl was trying to force Stormterror to retreat.

    "Oho~ It seems like something intriguing had appeared. We might actually win this battle. We just need to provide some kind of support."

    Kaeya and Yomite both gazed at the visual spectacle in the sky.

    "Kaeya, are you ready?"

    "Yep, I will start now..."

    ***

    From afar in the sky above, Stormterror, the Dragon, furiously roared. There was a bug in the form of a flying human being, throwing magical spells his way. While his shield was able to nullify most of her attacks, and his natural regeneration was helping too, he wasn''t fond of pain.

    Stormterror didn''t know what was wrong. He felt his mind being invaded by a foreign entity of some sort, telling him to destroy, kill everyone. Get his revenge on the humans he once protected.

    "Kill...humans...get...revenge...kill...devour...bug..." His mind was almostpletely corrupted, and he was being controlled by the emotions he shouldn''t be feeling.

    Just then, he felt a powerful swirl of magic power from the city. The magic condensed was so strong it was starting to leak into the heavens.

    Having detected such threat, the Stormterror gazed down, "Third grade...Vi...sion...dan...gerous..."

    A navy blue-haired young man with an exotic appearance was standing in the center of the vast vortex of magical power.

    Over time, the magical power swirled around his legs, building up as the man gave it direction, gently constructing a very longnce of ice with a sharp tip protruding from it.

    The vile frozen weapon was in the thirty-foot range, and its sharp spear tip was aimed at the center of the Stormterror.

    Even from the distance, the might of the weapon appeared to be menacing, but the Stormterror noticing it before he fired it was fatal.

    "Futile...useless...puny...ant..."

    Hearing the words, Kaeya chuckled, "Aw man, that''s not nice~...I am getting bullied by an ancient dragon...Diluc my dear brother~, where are you when I need you~? Come and find me~! I need you to bully this dragon for me...I am helpless..."

    His smile slowly turned into a face full of scorn, "Hey...Cool...it..."

    He coldly mumbled as the icy spearunched from the ground towards the sky. Right after that, Kaeya dropped to his knees out of exhaustion. His energy and magical power werepletely spent.

    Of course, the target of the icy spear was dead center in the torso of the flying dragon. The icy bloodlust elerated rapidly with a force sufficient to break through the sky, but the time it took to achieve that eleration, and being seen at the moment of itsunch, meant the n had failed from the very beginning. The objective unfulfilled.

    The Stormterror easily dodged the magical spells from the flying girl behind him and waved its tail. He was swimming through the sky by slicing the wind. That alone threw off the icy spear''s aim. The pathetic spear of ice sailed wide of the mark, passing by the Stormterror''s nk, on its way to the distant sky.

    "...?"

    The instant the icy spear passed by, the very gentle sound of something shattering reached the Stormterror''s hearing.

    "...I gotta admit, you look much cooler from up close, but knowing that you are an enemy..."

    An exceeding light sensation mounted the back of the Stormterror.

    At the same time, it realized that something hadnded atop its back, the icy spear, supposedly flying past, vanished without a trace, and the Stormterror once again, caught a whiff of even bigger torment of magic, now,ing from its back instead.

    "Hopefully this works, if not, I am dead meat, but oh well, don''t take it too personally... You attacked first after all." A burst of wickedughter echoed across the sky, as Stormterror faintly listened to his words.

    "What is...that...Get...out..."

    The dragon tried to shake him off, but it was as if the human was rooted in his scales.

    The blonde-haired girl stopped her fire and observed the situation. She almost didn''t notice that a man, was currently sitting on top of the dragon she was attacking all this time.

    "Paimon thinks we should just get away for now...Paimon feels a huge amount of magical powering from that crazy guy...Who would willingly sit on top of a dragon!?"

    The girl nodded at the words of herpanion, and retreated into the distance, still quietly observing the situation from afar.

    ***

    ''The ability summons a cube of particles, that can erase the nearby structures or enemies from existence, so be sure to keep it in check and not to use it around other people. It takes a bit for you to charge it before you can use it.''

    "While I don''t know how effective it will be as I''ve never used it before, it should still do quite the damage."

    He held his palms together and clenched them tightly.

    "I guess it''s time for me to try and say something cool...hmmm...nothinges to mind. Either retreat or die here!" Yomite shouted and slowly, small particles of white light, energy, and magic morphed together into a medium-sized cube of destructive force.

    A burst of energy swirled and it almost felt like space itself was twisting and distorting. All three of the forces blended together and rested between his two palms in harmony. He held the force in his trembling hands and aimed it towards the back of the dragon.

    He noticed something weird on his back. It almost looked like a purple blood clot. There were two of these weird things on his back. It felt like those were his weak points. They were so conveniently ced there for him to attack.

    ''He might have arteries around these parts, let''s try attacking it...''

    With a mighty yell, he unleashed the cube into the purple blood clot.

    In one instant, the light enveloped the sky, and, in the next, a sharp sound was born. The light and sound chained into each other, intertwined and resonating, a simple, clear melody filling the air.

    The moment the cube came in contact with Stormterror''s shield, itpletely crumbled into molecr pieces that soon disappeared together with a huge part of his scales and one of the blood clots.

    Arge amount of blood spilled from Stormterror''s back. He was dealt a fatal injury.

    "Gah...human...!"

    Stormterror bellowed in pain, shaking Yomite off of him. Yomite was about to try and make another one of those cubes to repeat his attack, but the dragon simply retreated far away. Stormterror had regenerative properties, so his injuries would eventually recover, but it would take him more than a month to have a full recovery. That meant that Stormterror wouldn''t be bothering anyone for the time being.

    Everyone was watching the spectacle with bated breath. Knights, residents of the city, Hu Tao, and obviously, Kaeya.

    Soon enough, the violent torrents of wind had gone away, clearing out the afternoon sky, returning to the shining sun.

    The blonde-haired girl elegantly descended from the sky, as if she was a professional at flying with the wind glider, training for years, while Yomite was wiggling in the sky like a bird without wings.

    "Sh-Shiiiit! Kaeya! How the hell does this thing work!?"

    He was never good with heights. It took a moment for him to stabilize himself in the air with his fake wings and drop safely down on the ground.

    "Just don''t panic~! Everything will be alright~!" Kaeya weakly shouted, still tired from hisst attack.

    "But ey, my younger brother sure is something else...He chased Stormterror away when he doesn''t even have a Vision." Kaeya frowned but soon, his expression rxed, "Everyone has secrets. He will tell us eventually once he feels like it."

    The moment Yomite touched the ground, he rxed, ''I am alive...that would have been scary if I fell from such height...it was almost goodbye isekai world, wee Sia, long time no see...Still, I have to thank Kaeya for this deviceter, without it, I wouldn''t be in one piece right now.''

    Before they initiated the n, Kaeya gave him his own wind glider, which was a really popr device. As the name implies, you can glide in the sky for a short period of time. A pair of fake wings if you will. Although you need a license first...

 Chapter 8

    ***

    After the Stormterror had escaped, Yomite wanted to return the wind glider to Kaeya, but he told him he could keep it as he had spare ones.

    Kaeya was still exhausted but seeing that they managed to sessfully defend Mondstadt and repel Stormterror with the help of Yomite, and the blonde-haired girl brought a smile to his face.

    He picked himself up from the ground, and soon enough, he heard a voice of a girl that was very familiar to him, shouting in excitement.

    "You were amazing! I am so d you are okay!"

    A brown-haired girl with a red ribbon on top of her head, resembling rabbit ears, was cheering for the safety of the blonde-haired girl.

    "I was scared for a few seconds because you just flew up without a warning, but you did it!" She quickly ran up to them with a big smile on her face.

    "...mhm."

    The blonde-haired girl nodded without saying anything further. Anyone could tell that she had a bit of an introverted personality, or maybe she didn''t want to talk much and was instead focusing on something else.

    "It was simply like out of a fairy tale! The fact that you could even stand up against Stormterror in such a way was a miracle itself. You have incredible skills!" The girl just kept on praising her.

    The group''s attention, however, was soon caught by the sound of an unfamiliar voice.

    "That''s true. Wonderful, thanks to your cooperation, we managed to bring peace to the city of Mondstadt...for now, but don''t forget my brother, who was the one that took a huge part in the battle, driving Stormterror away."

    Kaeya walked towards them while pping,

    "Ah, Sir Kaeya! You look...exhausted."

    Kaeya wryly smiled at the energetic girl''sment, "Yeah, my amazing self had fought in the battle as well. Unlike usually, I had to expend quite a bit of energy. On the other hand, you look quite well, Outrider Amber. If I may pry, who are these individuals?"

    "Ah...Ye-Yeah...*Cough* These two are travelers from afar, Lumine and Paimon!" Amber turned to them and continued, "This is our Cavalry Captain, Kaeya!"

    Kaeya had a thoughtful look on his face, ''Travelers from afar? Is that all we know about them? Hmm...but still, they did help with fending off the Stormterror, so it should be fine. Besides, I allowed my new little brother to enter the city of Mondstadt as well, so I shouldn''t y favorites.''

    Lumine lightly nodded at Kaeya out of courtesy, while focusing her gaze towards Yomite, who was leaning against a wall nearby.

    Amber also followed her gaze and found that it was the man who dealt the fatal blow to the Stormterror, although looking closely, he didn''t appear to possess a Vision, but was simr to Kaeya in some aspects, "Sir Kaeya...Were you serious when you said he was your brother?"

    "Naturally, I and Yomite, go way back as we''ve been together since birth but then were unfortunately separated. However, fate brought us back together, and today, the duo of siblings saved the city of Mondstadt, let the bards sing of this tale, till the end of times. The Seven were generous enough to let me meet with my long-lost brother..." Kaeya spoke emotionally.

    Amber stared at Kaeya with eyes wide open, "That''s amazing! I am so d for you, Sir Kaeya! Reuniting with a sibling after so long! I thought your only brother was the Master Diluc!"

    She immediately ate up all of Kaeya''s words and believed himpletely. She didn''t doubt anything that came out of his mouth, which made Yomite sneer.

    Lumine looked down when she heard the word sibling, and Paimon immediately knew what she was thinking about.

    "Paimon thinks you are worrying too much! To Paimon, your brother sounds like a very powerful person, so Paimon is pretty sure he is alive and well!" She tried to raise her spirits, and to some point, it worked as Lumine thanked her afterward.

    Yomite didn''t know whether tough or cry, Kaeya was just too much, ''We have been together since birth, my ass...You wouldn''t be saying that if you knew I was reborn not too long ago...Now I see what Diluc meant by trusting half of what Kaeya says, at best. He is just enjoying himself, but I guess I don''t mind it though.''

    He nced at the woman who introduced herself as Lumine and noticed she was staring at him intently. It felt a bit hostile too.

    ''Wait...what have I done to her? Or is it possible that...Are my handsome protagonist''s looks finally paying off? Did she fall in love with me at first sight when I helped her in the battle against the dragon, but is having an internal conflict inside of her mind, like in Kaguya-sama? I''m sorry, though, not interest.''

    He rejected her ''confession'' even before she said anything to him. Such was the life of the popr main protagonist, saving the city from a terrible threat known as The Stormterror. Of course, he knew that Lumine had something against him, and didn''t believe in something stupid like falling in love on first sight, he was just joking about the popr harem trope.

    In reality, the girl''s intention was much deeper than he would have ever expected.

    She was hesitating whether to ask him about something or not but decided not to, at least...for now.

    Yomite walked towards the group and introduced himself, "My name is Yomite, it''s pleasure to meet you all." He nced at the girl who called herself Amber and couldn''t help but widen his eyes at her...assets...

    She had a very friendly smile and had a gorgeous face, coupled with her walnut-colored hair, she was a drop-dead beauty. The biggest pros she had, however, were most likely her perky butt that was covered with rather, daring short shorts, and her plump thighs, which could probably crush even a watermelon. If Yomite had to choose between a butt and breasts, he would most likely go for the butt.

    Or the thighs.

    Having big breasts might be appealing, but the reality was often disappointing.

    Big breasts meant not only terrible back pain, but they also get saggy after the years, which doesn''t look the nicest.

    Still, they felt nice to touch.

    Yomite didn''t mean to stare at her too much, but out of all girls he met so far, this one was the closest to his type. Although it was a shame she looked too young. Of course, he didn''t dislike younger girls, as that type was usually very energetic and adventurous.

 Chapter 9

    Had some stuff to do, alsoziness... Will post one more chapter today and will try to catch up with the schedule as soon as possible.

    ***

    "Long story short, the Traveler is searching for her brother, and I thought it might be a good idea to help her, so I brought her into the city, but then the mighty Stormterror attacked, and now we are here. Oh, and she is also searching for the Anemo God!" Amber exined with a grin.

    Kaeya pondered over Amber''s words for a while, "I see...Wee to the Mondstadt, though you haven''t arrived at the best of times, I am afraid. I can understand your anguish of being separated from a family member. I am not really sure why you are searching for an Anemo God, but everyone has their secrets, right?" He gazed at the Traveler with one of his starlike eyes and noticed she was staring at him with hostility, "Haha, rx! I won''t press you for more, anyway, first and foremost, I have to thank you, on behalf of all Knights of Favonius for defending the city and offering a helping hand in the battle." Kaeya did a small bow.

    Lumine felt awkward about this kind of treatment, so she waved him off with a soft voice, "...We couldn''t leave the situation to fester any further, besides, I didn''t help because I wanted to, but because I need your help."

    "Fair enough!" Kaeyaughed and turned to Yomite, "Brother, your fight to defend the city against the dragon was witnessed by no small amount of citizens and Knights themselves! You are bound to be recognized as a hero! As expected of my brother! You will definitely be awarded something for your bravery."

    "A hero? I think you are overreacting...Although frankly, I won''t beat around the bush, I do hope to get some sort of reward. Preferably money as I don''t even have a single penny. Also, a ce to stay would be nice. I don''t need a title like that though, no thanks." Yomite said with a thoughtful expression. If he got that out of the way, most of his problems would be solved. Money, ce to stay at, and naturally that way, also food and other things.

    He was really curious about the money system. Would it be the standard copper, silver, gold, tinum currency or would it be something different?

    "You don''t have to worry, The Acting Grand Master of Knights of Favonius is also definitely interested in meeting you, so I am sure you will get rewarded, together with the Traveler for assisting us," Kaeya replied while gazing at both Yomite and Lumine.

    "Ah! Paimon wants a reward too!" The flying fairy chimed in despite not helping with the battle at all.

    Kaeya looked troubled, "Eh...Then how about a Sticky Honey Roast? You can stuff yourself with itter. It tastes amazing, and the explosion of sweetness literally explodes in my mouth whenever I eat it.~"

    "Really!? Is it that good!? Yaaay!~" The fairy floated around happily in the air.

    Yomite nced across his shoulder at the fairy? Plushie? Flying bodypillow? Either way, it was cute. Almost too cute. Yomite wondered what kind of race she was from and thought about getting one for himself.

    ''I have no idea what that is, but I have an impulsive feeling to hug and protect it.''

    "By that logic, shouldn''t I get something as well? A small sack of coins would be nice." Hu Tao joined in, she was silent all this time, "Despite not being much of help, I did bring three citizens to safety! I would like a small sack of coins, hehe~." She announced, proudly.

    "Sure! Everyone gets a reward!" Kaeyaughed.

    Yomite facepalmed himself, ''This little girl...Instead of caring about a small sum of money, she should be begging for the contract she was desperately trying to sign with the Adventurers Guild earlier... That would help her much more in the long run...'' he sighed and nudged her shoulder.

    "Hm? What is it~?"

    "You should ask the Acting Grand Master for the contract or whatever you wanted to sign as your reward. Try using your brain a little."

    "Ah! You are right~! How smart of you, my assistant, Ipletely forgot about that~! As expected of my assistant~!" Hu Tao''s eyes shined brightly.

    "Assistant?" Lumine murmured with curiosity.

    Yomite rolled his eyes, "Don''t listen to her...I am not her assistant. I am Yomite Hissha a wanderer with no upation...She is just making stuff up. She only called me that way so that we could enter the city but we ultimately failed, in the end, Kaeya had to help us get in..."

    "Ah, so that was the n at first, interesting." Kaeya nodded with understanding.

    "Ohe on~! Don''t be a grumpy old man! Assistant~, Assistant~, Assistant-kun~!" Hu Tao was singing.

    "You know...that''s a really childish behavior...and I won''t be provoked by it. It would be embarrassing if I was." Yomite confidently stated. He had hundreds of hours of experience with people that provoked and cursed him on a daily basis. Such a thing was nothing to him.

    "Assistant-kun~, Assistant-kun~, Assistant-kun~!"

    "Litle bro~, Little bro~, Little bro~! Kaeya joined in on the teasing.

    "Yomite-san~, Yomite-san~, Yomite-san~! Amber thought it seemed fun so she joined in on the singing.

    Of course, in his world, if he were to attack someone, he would lose his job and go to prison, what''s the worst that can happen here?

    "Now listen here, you guys!! Are you children!?"

    The groupughed and even Lumine showed a small smile. It seemed like they were good people. She was d, although she was still suspicious of Yomite due to one certain thing.

    After a bit of bantering, the group entered the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.

    "We are finally here...It felt like ages..."

    Yomite looked around and noticed that several of the Knights were looking at them with suspicion.

    But it was only to be expected. Unknown individuals usually don''t just enter the Headquarters. The people who do enter are usually criminals that are imprisoned in the confinement downstairs. Maybe even tortured.

    "What is the Cavalry Captain thinking, inviting outsiders in?"

    "Hell if I know, it''s really irresponsible. They are acting as if they are on a yground or something."

    "Yeah...What if they try to do something...Be on guard if something happens."

    The Knights were gossiping.

    The group obviously overheard their remarks but decided to ignore them. It was hard not to overhear them when they weren''t being silent, to begin with.

    Lumine slightly frowned at thements.

    Paimon saw her expression and said, "Paimon will beat them up don''t worry! Let Paimon at them!" The fairy was flying near Lumine''s shoulder while boxing in the air.

    Lumine shook her head and replied, "...It''s alright. Others aren''t fazed by it either so why should I be?"

    Most of the people from the group ignored them, but one girl couldn''t simply listen to it any longer.

    "What kind of attitude is that, Mister!" Amber stepped in immediately after overhearing their discussion. "These are the esteemed guests that drove Stormterror away! Why are you being so mean!? Show some respect!"

    "Th-They did...?" The Knights had a troubled look on their face.

    "Yes! We are on our way to meet the Acting Grand Master to reward them! So be good boys and don''t be mean like that again! You are Knights for the Sevens..." After her small outburst, she returned back to the group and Lumine thanked her, "...You didn''t need to, but thanks. I appreciate it." She let out a sad smile.

    Amber put both of her hands on her hips and cheerfully replied, "Any time!~"

    ''This amber person feels like an older sister character. She generates that kind of energy.'' Yomite thought. ''I was about to turn and say something but it seems like she resolved it herself.''

    "Well, It seems like they are wary of us despite driving the Stormterror away. Some of them look out of shape, and yet they still dare to talk behind someone''s back, what a bunch of dumbasses." Yomite talked loudly enough for the Knights to hear while shaking his head.

    The Knights frowned but didn''t say anything back.

    Kaeya heard his remark, halted his footsteps, and let out a sneer, "True, but no need to say it out loud. A lot of Knights here are sensitive to hear the truth. To tell you the truth, most of the Knights here are only trainees, as most of our Knights went on an expedition with Grand Master Varka. I really do appreciate people like him. I wonder when they will return."

    "Grand Master Varka?" Yomite mumbled. A new name popped up.

 Chapter 10

    ***

    "Ah, The Grand Master Varka, a man among men, also called Knight of Boreas or by his enemies, The Titan of The Knights of Favonius and most likely the strongest person in the city of Mondstadt has departed half a year ago on an expedition and has yet to return."

    "Heh, where did he go?" Hu Tao asked.

    "I might sound like a douche, but this is ssified info." Kaeya smiled wryly at her pouting face and continued, "Unfortunately no can do... Well, I can tell you that he took all the best men with him, leaving us with these...rejects."

    ''Oof that was harsh.'' Yomite thought, but a huge smile was stered on his lips.

    He nced at Kaeya and asked,

    "Kaeya, there is something I''ve been meaning to ask you ever since I met you."

    Kaeya waved his hand in affirmation, "Go on, brother."

    "There was this one weird thing that has been bugging me ever since I came here. You are the Cavalry Captain, right?"

    He nodded, "Yes, the best Cavalry Captain if I may add, although it''s not like there are any other besides me."

    "I see, so...where are the cavalries?"

    "...Eh..."

    "There should be horses, soldiers or rather, Knights riding horses right? At least that''s how I remember the definition of Cavalries."

    This was probably the thing he paid most attention to as it was sitting on his mind the entire time. When he came here, he saw a carriage being pulled by some sort of lizard instead of a horse.

    Horses. Mounts. Something he can use to travel. He wanted to ride on something. This was an isekai world, meaning there might be things like traveling lizards, ground dragons, flying travelingpanions, and of course horses and donkeys, maybe even camels.

    He always dreamed of riding horses. Back in his old world, he only got to see horses a few times during his life.

    Horses were really rare toe by. He would even dare to say that seeing horses live in the flesh when you live in modern Japan is close to impossible, almost like winning a lottery ticket, and riding one is even more impossible.

    ''Seeing that he is called the Cavalry Captain, that must mean there are some horses here...'' Yomite concluded.

    "Kaeya, where are the horses?"

    "...Ehm...Hmmm...umm...about that..." he had trouble exining, "Well...you see...ehm...all of the horses were sent together with the Cavalries...to the said expedition of Grand Master Varka..."

    "All of them? Wait...if all of the Cavalries were sent on the expedition...as a Cavalry Captain...shouldn''t you be there with them or am I wrong?"

    Kaeya started sweating profusely, "Well...you see..." he started scratching his hand, feeling nervous, and Yomite knew he hit the bullseye.

    Seeing Kaeya this anxious was a first for him. Although he looked nervous in front of Diluc, Yomite knew he was just pretending, but this was different, and something inside of him has awakened.

    "Kaeya...dear brother...spit it out..." Yomite really felt like bullying him right now to get back at him from the previous stunt he has done.

    "...Well...I-I...I overslept...and they left without me..."

    "...Ah."

    Silence. No one spoke. It was so silent that if a pin fell on the ground, it was definitely going to be heard by everyone present. It was silent, yes. Until a certain girl blew up.

    "Sir Kaeya!? Didn''t you say that the reason you didn''t go was that Grand Master Varka gave you an important mission in Mondstadt!? Was that a lie? I can''t believe you!" Amber was furious.

    "E-he...Did I say something like that? I can''t quite remember now~..."

    "I will tell Acting Grand Master Jean! You are a very bad boy! Even worse than the Knights from earlier!"

    "...Yes...sorry...Although she already knows about it..."

    "That doesn''t mean you can just push it away like that! It''s your responsibility to do something about it! What if Grand Master Varka needs you!?"

    While Amber was violently abusing Kaeya with words, Yomite observed the corridor they were in. He had to admit, the building was quite grand.

    There was arge hallway that acted as a huge room you would see upon entering.

    There were doors on each side of the building, and even stairs that led up to the second and maybe even third floor. The building itself was made of stone bricks that brought a familiar medieval feel to Yomite.

    Still, he was quite disappointed there were no horses, but he will definitely see someter on during his travels.

    After apologizing profusely to Amber, Kaeya led them through one of the many doors that were present within the hallway. The door he picked was precisely the door that led to the Grand Masters Office. The room itself wasposed of mainly wooden furniture of decent quality.

    At the back of the room were a few rows of shelves, full of books, making it seem like a small library of some kind due to the vast quantity of them stacked across the shelves, and a few of themying on the table.

    The windows were tinned just enough for the light to permeate inside without being ufortable.

    In the room were two women, the first one was standing near a table while holding a book and muttering to herself under her breath. She was a mature woman, presumably reaching her forties, yet still preserving a youthful charm enough to im any man as her own. Her fair skin and gorgeous green eyes with brown hair made Yomite feel like he struck gold.

    Coupled with her witch like attire, purple white dress with ck gloves,rge witch hat, ck stockings and high heels, it made her very attractive in his eyes. A milf has appeared. A magician milf.

    ''She really knows how to dress that''s for sure, and she also has a Vision, huh...Seems like everyone around me is chosen by a god.''

    The Vision was sped on the cor of her dress, once again different in design from other Visions he has seen, with a purple color as the main theme.

    The other woman was tall, athletic and just like the first one, pleasing to eyes. Blonde hair tied in ponytail and blue eyes simply cliche yet beauty to behold. Yomite would guess her age to be around twenties and despite sitting down, anyone could feel she carried herself with dignity. She wore white shirt with blue tailcoat attached to it and white tights embroidered with gold diamond-dot pattern.

    A bright green light shone from beside her waist. It was yet another Vision.

    ''So this is the Acting Grand Master. Well I heard it was a woman but hell...does every girl in this god-damned world have to look so good? What is up with this SSS-ss beauty department. Not only that, this one has a Vision too...''

    The dignified woman smiled and with her left hand, allowed her guests to take a seat, "Wee, to the city of Mondstadt. My name is Jean, the Active Grand Master of Knights of Favonius. It''s a pleasure to meet you."

 Chapter 11

    Was busy making 4k smut chapters for the future, so at least you know what you can look forward to now. Will post one more chapter today if possible and then three tomorrow as I am pretty free. They gave me a day off at job. Yaaaay.

    ***

    Kaeya stepped forward and started exining the current situation to the Acting Grand Master of Knights of Favonius, Jean. From the situation near the gate to the Stormterror attack and so on. They had a lot to discuss, and as mentioned previously, Kaeya wanted to give them some form of a reward for their heroic actions.

    During that, Yomite stole a few nces at the Witch in front of him. She was silently reading a book while listening to the conversation. It didn''t seem like it interested her much, or rather, the book itself was more intriguing than what Kaeya had to say.

    He peered at her secretly, but not too long as to not seem rude. He can appreciate beauty without acting like a disgusting pervert. She was his type, so acting like a creep was not the way to go here if he wanted to strike the gold.

    ''Top-notch figure, tall, mature woman with an insane sex appeal. It seems likeing to this city was a really good idea after all.'' Yomite pondered.

    As if she could read his thoughts, the Witch lifted her head and noticed he was gazing at her. She teasingly smiled and sent him a yful wink. Yomite smiled in return, and for a while, they just stared at each other in silence.

    Hu Tao noticed that the woman was staring at Yomite and nudged him, "Hey, is thatdy your acquaintance? Because she is looking this way!"

    Without breaking eye contact with the Witch, Yomite replied silently, "Nope, I said I was a wanderer, right? There is no way I would have ever met her. We are just getting along. We are just greeting each other, nothing more."

    Hu Tao nced at the Witch, making her lose focus and look away from Yomite. She gave Hu Tao a friendly smile and a small wave.

    "...and once it was over, I brought them all straight here."

    "I see. Thank you for your thorough exnation."

    Kaeya was finally done with exining so he stepped back and awaited any further orders or questions from the Acting Grand Master.

    Jean steered her gaze and spoke, "Mondstadt wees you, windborne travelers. I''ve already introduced myself earlier, so I believe there is no need for such small formalities." She pointed her hand towards the woman next to her and said, "This is Lisa, our resident Librarian."

    Lisa slightly bowed and asked in a teasing voice, "Oh, you sweeties, are you perhaps here to help us out? You are all so adorable!" The tone of her voice changed as she continued, "Sadly, your timing is regrettable. Stormterror has caused quite a ruckus in the region of Mondstadt since its recent resurgence. Simply put, Mondstadts elemental sphere and ley lines are now akin to a yarn ball in the paws of a kitten."

    "For a mage, things couldn''t get any worse. My skin is one elemental particle away from a full-blown breakout..."Lisa sighed while examining her skin.

    "I think that you are good as you are now," Yomite replied, gazing at her unashamed.

    "Ara~ Ara~ Thank you for thepliment, Handsome~" She once again, sent a wink his way. Both of them were flirting with each other disregarding the others around them.

    *Cough*

    Jean cleared her throat and spoke, "Travelers. Lumine, was it? If it weren''t for the interference of the Stormterror, the Knights of Favonius would have better ways to help you than putting up a few missing posters...We simply ask that you repose in Mondstadt while we help you seek out your brother for you."

    Lumine was touched by the good nature of Jean, "...Thank you...I really should help out somehow as well...Finding my brother is my wish, but for it to be fulfilled I need the help of...everyone I can find."

    Paimon floated around and announced, "Paimon shall help as well! Everyone can count on Paimon to beat the bad guys up and steal their treasure!"

    "In that case, I the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor shall help with something as well! Of course, after appropriatepensation was given~"

    Everyone was getting excited and then there was Yomite.

    "Hey, I kind of wish to get some reward money and to find myself a ce to sleep in if you don''t mind."

    Jean shook her head and replied, "Of course not." Jean reached behind her to something that resembled a safe, but it looked like it operated with magical power, or rather, resonated with her Vision.

    The safe opened, revealing quite a few bags of money. She pulled two bags out of the vault and handed them to Yomite.

    "Here, both of these bags are one million Mora each. Hopefully, it will serve you well. As for the lodging, currently, the Inn operating in Mondstadt is closed down, but I have a ce in mind. It''s a small house not too far away from here, although there is a small problem."

    "Small problem? What kind of problem are we talking about?" Yomite asked.

    Jean sighed and replied, "Well...you see...there is a seal of some kind...blocking the pathway...so I wasn''t sure whether to talk to you about it or not...But best just forget the ce...I will try to see if the Inn doesn''t want to reopen."

    "I see...a seal...that''s quite troublesome." He had no power that could help him break through a seal so he was back to square one. Trying to find himself a ce to stay.

    ''Wait but now that I think about it,'' he turned to Hu Tao who was jumping around like a dog waiting for her reward in the form of a contract with the Adventurers Guild. "Hu Tao? You seal away evil spirits, correct? Is there a way for you to also unseal something? For example, the seal that was mentioned just now?"

    Hu Tao shook her head and replied, "Unfortunately, I have no experience in this kind of thing. Also, the sealing ceremony for the dead is apletely different kind of sealing ritual. I am sorry I am of no help."

    ''Go figure, well at least I gave it a try. What to do now? I did get the money...Should I just leave the town to search for another settlement or a city where I can stay at?''

    Kaeya pondered for a while before replying, "In that case, why not just stay in my home? I get kind of lonely sometimes."

    Yomite thanked him, but it simply wouldn''t work, "Hu Tao also needs a ce to stay at, considering she ns to stay here for a while, and even sign up her contract with the Guild, but thank you for your offer."

    ''Haah...why is everything soplicated, can''t I just summon myself a new house with some kind of overpowered magic spell?''

 Chapter 12

    ***

    Hu Tao dashed towards Yomite and pped his back a few times, "What a kind Assistant-kun you are~ Thanks for being concerned for my well-being!~" She honestly meant her praise, although she said it in a form of teasing.

    Seeing that she was still hitting his back with her small hands, Yomite sighed and replied, "Naturally, I can''t leave a Loli alone on the streets at night while I would livefortably in someone''s house. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth."

    "..."

    Hu Tao became unusually quiet. Yomite used the forbidden word just to make her shut up for a bit.

    He needed some time to collect his thoughts and he couldn''t focus with the whole hyperactive, entric personality of Hu Tao.

    ''I can get more rewards if I were to help them with stuff andter they might even reopen the Inn...I also have many questions regarding the currency in this world so I guess sticking around with whatever they will be doing won''t be that bad, but it seems like I won''t be able to avoid sleeping outdoors either way...''

    Yomite mentally sighed, he gazed at Jean and asked, "So, what''s the n now?"

    Jean widened her eyes and graciously nodded, "With Stormterror''s direct attack just a few moments ago, we may actually have a chance to cut this problem off at the source. It seems like Lisa has found out the source of Stormterror''s power with her detection magic. After we are done with that, we can search for your brother." Her gentle gaze fell on Lumine and thetter didn''t know what to say.

    Lumine felt conflicted. She honestly felt wrong to just leave the search in the hands of everyone else, it was her brother after all. She had already been looking for him for a good while now, so just giving up and letting others do the work all of a sudden left a bitter taste in her mouth.

    "Is that so? Then are we good to go?" Kaeya inquired as everyone''s gaze fell on him.

    Lisa nodded and exined, "Through the magic thread, I found out that the source is located in the abandoned Four Winds'' Temples. Stormterror''s ability to whip out these kinds of storms can be attributed to it drawing the power directly from those temples."

    Jean nodded in agreement, "Our current objective is to deal with the three of the four temples. I trust that everyone understands why we are only dealing with three of them, right?"

    "Paimon doesn''t."

    "...No Idea."

    "Nope."

    "No~No~No~!"

    Paimon blinked in confusion while Lumine and Yomite just shrugged their shoulders. Hu Tao was in the world of her own, almost impossible to tell if she was paying attention or not. It looked like none of them knew anything about it.

    Well if they only needed to deal with three of the four then it was better. At least they saved up some time.

    Jean sighed as she remembered that half of the people here weren''t locals.

    Seeing that Jean was in a helpless situation, Kaeya decided to help out a bit, "Don''t worry, I will exin it on the way."

    Amber also beamed and agreed with what Kaeya said, "I will exin everything as well~! Don''t be shy!~ Just ask me anything~!" following which she saluted.

    Jean thanked Kaeya and Amber, her gaze growing serious, "Outsiders, Knights of Favonius, time is against us! The storm is rampant. We will get nowhere with maintaining our defensive position! Tens of people were injured, although no one has died yet, the buildings are in shambles and the people are scared. We need to take the initiative and act before the situation esctes any further. If it goes to that point...then we might not even be able to stop it..." After her speech, everyone got some time to get ready.

    "It seems like the kids are full of energy...Well...see you at the gate~." Lisa left the room to make herself herbal tea so that she can rx a bit before their departure.

    The meeting point was in front of the gates of Mondstadt in exactly one hour.

    To stop the Stormterror''s siege, two parties of skilled individuals were formed. The two parties would go to one of the Four Winds to eliminate the elemental flows left within them and once they were done, they would wait for each other at the final Temple so that they can take care of it together.

    The group meeting was disbanded and everyone left to prepare. Yomite and Hu Tao found themselves on the empty streets of Mondstadt, wandering around.

    "So~ What do we do now?" Hu Tao asked while ying hide and seek with the apparition that was hiding behind her ponytails.

    Yomite shrugged his shoulders slightly and replied, "Hmm...We could do a lot of things actually. The right question is, what to do first?"

    If they were about to go on an expedition, then that meant he would most likely meet some hostile mobs like slimes, wolves, or goblins. An appropriate weapon was a must in these situations. There was also the matter of food, he was starving, and also the Inn. He nned on checking the Inn out himself and ask around if they couldn''t actually sleep there, even if the rent was a bit higher than normal.

    "For now, let''s go the see the cksmith."

    ''Okay~!'' Hu Tao replied.

    As they arrived in front of the smithy, all they could find was the disciple that was bullied all the time. The master was nowhere to be seen.

    ''How unfortunate...Should wee backter?'' Yomite was about to turn away when the disciple noticed them, "H-Hey... there customers...what can I do for you?" His voice sounded tragic, almost helpless to sell something.

    "Tch." Yomite turned around, "Where is your master?"

    "Ah...well...master told me to work overtime. He is currently busy collecting ores around the Stormterror''s Lair.

    "Stormterror''s Lair? Isn''t that their of that dragon? Seems like he is not afraid of death."

    "Who knows... probably not...He is a strong man after all!" The disciple said in admiration.

    Yomite nodded in understanding, "I see, show me your weapon arsenal then, preferably something like a two-handed sword."

    The disciple immediately gathered all kinds of des and let Yomite swing them around a few times.

    "What''s the price for a sword like this?"

    "Ah let me see. It''s 600 Mora per weapon, my dear customer."

    Yomite internally frowned as he thought about the price, ''Isn''t that kinda cheap? I do have 2 million of this Mora thing. That either means the sword is too shit or that the Acting Guild Master Jean actually gave me a lot of money as a reward. I would need to check the prices of other things first to understand.''

    While Yomite was busy trying out swords, Hu Tao was sitting on a bench nearby, ying with her hair, "Assistant-kun! When will you be done? I am getting bored and I hate boredom~!" She eximed but didn''t get a reply, she called for him again, while kicking her legs up and down, "Assistant-kun?"

    "Hu tao, didn''t you want to replenish your water beforeing here? Also, go and grab something for us to eat while you are at it. I am starving. There is plenty of stuff for us to do and I don''t have time to do everything by myself so you should also do something." Yomite replied while trying out some shoulder armor, but it didn''t seem like they had his size.

    "Okie Dokie~!" Hu Tao left and Yomite finally had a peace of mind.

    The disciple was curious about their rtionship so he asked, "Is that your daughter perhaps?"

    Yomite was caught off guard by the weird question but then he noticed there was a list of sales on a nearby table "...Is there a father-daughter sale perhaps?"

    "Naturally, 30% off!"

    "It''s my daughter."

 Chapter 13

    I was thinking for a while and decided not to use Primogems for anything rted to summoning as it would make no sense, so I will improvise and change it a bit to something like Constetions you get from the Wish after rolling the same character.

    Basically after spending a certain amount of Primogems, it will upgrade your Vision or something, giving your Vision a level up on strength or more stamina or something. I have still yet to decide but for now it''s going to be this.

    ***

    Yomite left the smithy with a smile on his face. He bought a pair of shoulder protectors and a two-handed sword, or how the residents of this world called it, a ymore.

    Yomite knew that this ymore was of pretty poor quality but seeing as there were no better options, he picked the best-looking one.

    It was an expendable weapon after all. He even got a 30% off on both the weapon and the shoulder protectors, so it was all worth it as he only spent about a thousand Mora on all of the items.

    The weight of the weapon was ideal and he even got something like a scabbard with it.

    Once he paid for the things with Mora, Yomite asked about the types of currencies in this world. Will it be copper, silver, gold, tinum, or will it be something else?

    Nope.

    Schultz, the disciple of the mighty cksmith exined, that there were apparently two main types of currencies in this world. There were also a few side currencies although not many people used them.

    It turned out it was somethingpletely different from what he had in mind.

    Mora and Primogem were the main batches.

    Mora was used in every city, every part of the world. You could buy anything with it. From housing to food to weapons.

    Primogem, on the other hand, was very special. From what he said, it was an ancient currency useful for people with Visions. However, it was pretty useless to others.

    Apparently, you could use a certain amount of Primogems to make your Vision stronger. So your power level would basically jump by a huge mile.

    Yomite already saw what a Vision can do. In one instance he was almost beheaded and the other had enough magical power to prate a dragon if Kaeya managed to hit it, but that wasn''t really the goal there as he just wanted Yomite to get aboard the dragon.

    Just how strong would a Vision be if it was upgraded by the Primogems? Could the power he received from Sia also be upgraded? He had to conduct researchter on but right now, he was starving.

    ''I am hungry...where is she at?'' Yomite pondered as he leaned on the door of the closed Inn that Jean mentioned before.

    He went to check or maybe make some sort of deal with the owner of the Inn, but they were indeed closed down. It was empty as if they fled.

    ''Probably due to the Stormterror''s attack...Jeez, I am starving...''

    Just then, Hu Tao walked from behind him, holding apples, other kinds of fruits, and what appeared to be meat on sticks in her hands, "I bought food~! Let''s eat and wait for others~!" She announced with a droll. Her stomach must have been just as empty as his.

    "I thought you were lost."

    He could finally satisfy his hunger. He ate the meat vigorously and had to admit it was delicious. "Good job, Hu Tao-chaaan~." He praised her for bringing it to him.

    Upon hearing his words, Hu Tao almost dropped the food on the ground out of disgust, "Assistant-kun...that was really... repulsive. Please refrain from calling me like that..." she felt a chill down her spine. Seeing him suddenly act all friendly and happy and not grumpy made her feel weird.

    "Jeez...you are so hard to understand." She huffed.

    Yomite scoffed, ''She gets to call me whatever she wants but doesn''t want me to do the same...so much for my new daughter, what a brat.'' he showed a thin smile.

    "Ah, now that I remember." he pulled out a few coins from his sack.

    He wasn''t sure how much she paid for everything, but he handed her 1000 Mora in return because after all, a part of that was also his food and she paid it off of her own budget.

    "Thank you~! Payment received~!"

    "Don''t make it sound like I just paid you for some questionable services..."

    "No worries! No worries! I am old enough~!" she said with a mischievous grin.

    "That doesn''t make it better..." Yomite was getting lightheaded from her. It was a really troublesome child.

    He was wondering how long it would take till he fell over and died from exhaustion while dealing with her.

    ''Nah, I can''t afford to do that, or else she wouldugh at me...''

    He could already imagine him in his soul form, ready to pass on in peace, only for him to be kidnapped, held prisoner by her, telling him bad jokes on a daily basis and teasing him about the way he died.

    "Fu-huhuhu~! Assistant-kun! Good morning~! You promised me to go fishing next week, but you got a heart attack today...Too bad~! Well at least even after your death you are keeping the promise of collecting worms! Badum tss! Funny right~? Got you there didn''t I~?"

    Just thinking about it made him pissed.

    ''At this rate, I want to live as long as I can to not meet this dumbass.''

    They were about to leave the town when Hu Tao stopped to look at something.

    Yomite had a bad feeling. He followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at the Adventurer''s Guild.

    ''Oh god...not again...''

    He spoke with a slight frown, "Hu Tao...Please don''t." He didn''t want to see another desperate attempt to make a deal.

    She looked back at him with a smile, "Don''t worry~! Don''t worry~! The Acting Grand Master said she would resolve this for me after all! I was just thinking if we should make a party or not?"

    "A party? That might actually be interesting. There might be quite a few benefits."

    Hu Tao nodded and replied, "It''s actually very beneficial. Normally, youplete quests and get a reward. But in a party, you can get twice as much money for each party member."

    "Isn''t that kind of...abusable?" He frowned. "It seems like a very dangerous thing for them to do. What if someone makes a party of fifty people andpletes ten quests daily? Wouldn''t they bankrupt in a few hours?"

    "No silly~! Of course, there is a rule to bnce things out. They make much more money from the materials and from the clients posting thesemissions! Besides, there is a rule that says that no matter how many members there are, you can only get this bonus up to four members!" Hu Tao exined.

    "It''s weird but I understand."

    Being called silly by Hu Tao herself, made Yomite question reality.

 Chapter 14

    ***

    "So let''s go make a party~! Yaaay~!" Hu Tao dashed ahead, seemingly teleporting from her spot.

    "Wait up!"

    Yomite followed closely behind.

    Not even a few secondster they found themselves in front of the Adventurer''s Guild.

    The ck-haired beauty narrowed her eyes when she saw Hu Tao and immediately raised her hand, "I am sorry, we don''t wish to make a deal, please see yourself out."

    Hu Tao was about to reply but Yomite went ahead and interrupted her, "We are actually here to register as a party if that''s alright? I am quite unfamiliar with the procedure, so can I ask you to exin?" There was not much time left for them to meet in front of the gate, so he wanted to quickly get it over it without wasting time. He wasn''t aware of how much time had passed as he didn''t have a watch, but he could roughly tell by counting.

    "Oh! Excuse me then." The woman sat herself straight and continued with a professional smile, "Ad astra abyssosque! Wee to the Adventurers'' Guild."

    "Ab asta... what?" Yomite tried his best to pronounce the weird sentence but didn''t manage to do it. It felt like his tongue wasn''t designed the way to pronounce it properly.

    It was like a tongue twister.

    "Ab astra abyssosque means, ''To the stars and abyss with boldness.'' I am Katheryne, the receptionist here at the Adventurers'' Guild. The Adventurers'' Guild is an organization that was set up to support all of Teyvat''s adventurers, all across the seven nations. In hopes of establishing good and healthy rtionship."

    "I see. Is there a payment to form a party or not?" He asked while reminiscing about countless novels that had that kind of setting.

    Katheryne pulled out a paper and a pen from within a drawer and handed it to him, "Nope. forming party ispletely free, but you must sign the number of your party members, the names of your party members, and the name of your party on this paper."

    Yomite quickly filled out the paper form, and thest remaining thing to do, was to name the affiliated group. "What should we call it?" He didn''t feel likeing up with a name so he pulled the pin on the grenade and asked Hu Tao for some suggestions, knowing they might be terrible.

    And Hu Tao was more than happy to oblige, "Let''s call it...The Funeral Party~!"

    Yomite felt a headacheing his way, "Listen...Hu Tao...The words ''Funeral'' and ''Party" shouldn''t go together in any circumstances..." He knew it will be a disaster, but oh well, he brought it upon himself, "Any other suggestions?"

    Hu Tao tried to think hard, it took her a few seconds, "Assistant-kun''s and Director''s Ghostly Adventurer''s Party~!"

    Yomite frowned and thought, ''Something about the name Ghostly irks me... It''s weirdly familiar to another word... It sounds like something stupid and annoying, but I can''t quite put the finger on it...Anyway.''

    "Rejected! Next!" Yomite was getting impatient. He was also weirdly surprised he just ignored the Assistant part.

    "Then what about Harbingers Of Death, Filling The World of Darkness With Bright Light Of Hope! It''s really cool!"

    "That''s too chuuni...Sounds embarassing...How did this evene up?"

    "How about..."

    "No."

    ...

    ..

    .

    Hu Tao was disappointed, "Why do you have to reject everything...Then why not just call it Yomite''s party? If you don''t want the name to be shy, it seems ideal enough."

    Yomite considered this since the beginning but he wasn''t sure whether she would be happy with it, "Alright, let''s just call it that way for now, and once we manage to think of something interesting, we will change it, okay?"

    Hu Tao agreed and Yomite wrote the name of the group on the paper.

    Katheryne checked the paper form thoroughly and nodded, "Good! Here are your four daily tasks! You will receive money and for some quests, even items. You don''t have to worry about notpleting them, the only demerit is that you won''t get a daily four questspletion reward bonus."

    Yomite took the paper from her hands and looked through a list.

    [Collect 4 Sunsetias]

    [Bring eight pieces of Pork]

    [Defeat five Anemo Slimes]

    [Mine three chunks of Iron]

    ''Slimes huh, at least they have a monster I recognize. Hopefully it won''t be a powerful Demon Lord that will instakill me.''

    "If that''s everything you needed, then I bid you farewell, Adventurers, and thank you for registering in the Adventurers'' Guild!" Katheryne bowed.

    Yomite thanked her and left with Hu Tao.

    ***

    Near the Adventurer''s Guild was a ce with chairs so that guests could enjoy the food of Good Hunter''s restaurant. Lumine finally had enough money to buy herself and Paimon something to eat after a long time.

    Lumine stared at the tter of golden perfection in front of her. Paimon immediately materialized out of thin air with a squeal of glee and begun to drool.

    Some of Paimon''s drool even got onto Lumine''s white dress which earned her a karate chop to the head.

    "Ouch...Paimon is sorry, but Paimon can''t hold herself back any further... it''s been three days...Three days since we''ve eaten something! Paimon is dying." Lumine''s stomach growled in agreement.

    Living in the wilderness was tough for someone like her. She could cook on the manual stove she stole from some Hillichurls before, but her cooking skills weren''t exactly... usible...

    Back home, her brother was the one that cooked most of the time and even now she regrets she never tried to get into it.

    Paimon''s eyes zed at the food in front of her,

    "Ah, the famed moon pies...Paimon shall taste you first...No more burned food."

    Paimon''s been badgering her about trying these ever since they reached the city of Mondstadt. Lumine was hesitant as stockpiling Mora was more important and they could just catch a fish or something, but she was also interested in higher ss food that wasn''t burned down to crisp and cinders from the stove...Her talent in cooking wasn''t actually that good...scratch it, it was bad, terrible, horrible.

    At longst, Paimon''s mouth will be too preupied with eating to spout random, irrelevant food trivia.

    ''It''s a shame that Paimon once again escaped her inevitable fate of bing emergency food, but no matter. The day of reckoning will soon be upon her...'' Lumine thought.

    She didn''t mean it seriously and usually said it as a joke, but looking at Paimon from this distance...she could actually picture her as a flying steak.

    Just as Paimon was about to take a bite out if the perfect food, Lumine brought Paimon up close to her with a hug and yfully nommed on her cheek with her lips.

    Sometimes she just couldn''t resist her cuteness and just wanted to squeeze her tight. She was like a cute small animal that was capable ofmunicating, or like a cute toddler.

    She must be protected at all costs.

    "Ah! Wh-What is the meaning of this! Paimon hopes you are not serious about eating me! P-Paimon is a friend of yours! Apanion!" A beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

 Chapter 15

    ***

    Lumine put Paimon away so she could eat in peace and as soon as she raised her knife, ready to dig in, Yomite and Hu Tao appeared in her field of vision.

    Lumine eyed him with dismay because she just knew that their appearance meant her lunch will be interrupted, and her stomach has been growling since three days ago when Paimon made her scale the Hilichurl towers in order to search for a ''treasure''.

    "Hello, is this seat taken?" Yomite asked while gazing at Lumine and...the precious thing stuffing her cheeks. It was simply adorable.

    "If I say yes, will you go away?" Lumine responded, her hunger making her a bit more cranky and blunt than she wanted to sound. In reality, she wanted to ask him a couple of questions and hoped that he would stay.

    Perhaps this was also why Paimon was usually increasingly more annoying in the hours right before their meals. If that was the case, then Lumine needed to seriously look into what kind of snacks she should buy for her with her remaining Mora to keep Paimon''s chattering to a minimum.

    "I would, but unfortunately, It seems like you have somewhat of a hostile rtionship towards me and I want to know why. We met half an hour ago for the first time. What''s up with the enmity ?" Yomite sat down across from her.

    Before Lumine could even blink, Hu Tao snatched a moon pie from Paimon''s tter, looking smug and entirely unrepentant about the fact that she just stole her food.

    "Hey!" Paimon screeched indignantly and stamped her feet in mid-air. "Get your filthy hands off my moon pies! We worked hard for that!"

    Lumine nodded in agreement, frowning at Hu Tao as she shamelessly took arge bite of her moon pie. "Wow, to think it tasted this good! I should really buy it again in the future!" Hu Tao hummed as she took another bite.

    "Hey! Don''t act as if you bought it! This is stealing! Stop it!" Paimon screamed as she was holding onto Hu Tao''s hat while Hu Tao ate her food.

    "This is good, give me another one!"

    Hu Tao ignored her jab and reached for her te. Luckily, Paimon rushed forward and pped her hand away.

    Hu Tao held her hands up in a cating gesture.

    "Well, it was a lovely meeting with you guys. I regret that I have matters I must attend to, so I must be off. Till next time," she winked at Yomite, and then, with a dramatic swish of her ponytails, she departed, but not with empty hands.

    "Good riddance!" Paimon huffed, "Wait..." She looked back at the table but her tter was nowhere to be seen, "My moon pies! Wait, you thief! Paimon will eat you once she catches you!" Paimon flew after the running Hu Tao, swearing she will get her revenge, and finally, it was quiet. Only Lumine and Yomite were left alone.

    "So...now that we are finally alone, let''s talk," Yomite said as he crossed his legs. This was, of course, his n all along.

    To get rid of the obstacles named Cutie Paimon and Hyperactive Hu Tao. He wanted to have a quick discussion with the person in front of him. With Lumine.

    He was 95% sure of who she was. Ever since the beginning when she showed up, saying she needed help to find her lost brother, immediately reminded him of the characters from the story the goddess Sia mentioned to him and coincidences like that are rare.

    But there was still this 5% chance he was wrong but for the most part, he was likely to be right.

    If it was confirmed, then she was without a doubt, one of the twins, and the main character of this story. Now, how much should he tell her, or keep a secret from her? Should he even tell her anything at all? It wasn''t his job, nor did he ept some kind of mission from the goddess. Sia only mentioned he could interfere, to help her, but she didn''t say it as an order, or something that he needed to do.

    The choice was up to him and him alone.

    Lumine didn''t say anything, choosing to turn back to her meal instead of answering his question.

    "Look at me when I am talking to you," He raised his voice a bit. This was important and he didn''t feel like ying around.

    Lumine sighed and looked at the flying figure of her friend disappearing while chasing Hu Tao behind his back. "I assume you''ve nned this out. You made a perfect ce for this, so you probably already know what''sing. Good then, I will begin. Where is my brother? Have you seen him?"

    Yomite shook his head and replied, "I have no idea how your brother looks, nor where he is, nor his name."

    "Whats your rtionship to the unknown god...where do I find her?" She inquired with a deadly gaze.

    "Nothing, no idea who she is nor where she is. Now, let me be the one who asks, why are you hostile to me? I did nothing wrong."

    "...That is..." Lumine bit her lip.

    He was right. She was acting hostile to him ever since she met him more than an hour ago. Normal people would usually ignore when someone was talking bad about them or didn''t like them, but he just went in and immediately asked her what was wrong. Why was she acting like that towards him?

    And...

    She didn''t know.

    She didn''t know the answer to that. Seeing his ability, triggered something inside of her mind, the tragedy of separation from her brother, her only family.

    His ability looked like a cube, while the unknown god, who separated her from her sibling, also had an ability rted to a cube, but the color wasn''t even remotely simr, the same could be said about the abilities.

    So at this point, she finally came to a realization that she was just being rude. All this time.

    "I am sorry...I simply don''t know what to do anymore..." Lumine pursued her lips, her expression struggled to stay in her neutral, expressionless state, but her brow and the corners of her lips were faintly straining in a way she would not normally permit. She looked down and let out a strained voice from her throat, "It''s too much on me, I am hungry, I have no money, I have to take care of Paimon as well because she is a dear friend and that''s just the way I am, I can''t abandon her despite my difficulties...I can''t find my brother, I don''t know how to cook, I don''t have a ce to stay at...I am simply hopeless..." A wry smile, a truly wry smile appeared on her face. She couldn''t hold up her head.

    Lumine started slowly opening up her heart, to a stranger she basically just met, not knowing whether he cared, whether he wouldugh, or just leave her there for good. She needed something. She needed to talk to someone, about the things she was going through. About the difficulties. She didn''t want to bother Paimon... Her heart was screaming, desperately begging for some sort of support. A pir that can help her, so that she wouldn''tpletely break down.

    Yomite could feel the vortex of uncertainty, bewilderment pain and hesitation swirling inside of her. He didn''t want to admit it, but the various things she just said to him, with that pitiful expression, were greatly, powerfully, fiercely shaking his heart.

    No human was emotionless, even if you tried to hide it, there is still at least one thing, one certain thing that makes you feel sad or makes you show some sort of emotions.

    So what should he do now?

 Chapter 16

    ***

    Lumine wasn''t sure if it was okay. She wasn''t sure if she should have done something like this. To tell a random stranger about her problems, but she couldn''t hold it in anymore. She had to tell someone.

    Disaster had struck and after she woke up, she was alone and lost for a long time. Then, she met Paimon by fishing her out of the pond. Her first friend, that helped her through difficult times.

    Unconsciously, she was leaning on Paimon for support, no matter how funny it seemed, and she knew she had to stop, but now, once again, she sought some sort of pir of support that would encourage her or at the very least help her deal with some of the stuff she was going through so that she wouldn''t be handling everything by herself.

    Lumine was short of breath after venting all of the gloomy, miserable, and painful things that are tearing her up from inside.

    She lifted her gaze and nced at Yomite, who was deep in thought.

    She was a bit surprised, as she expected him to mock her. The moment he started talking to her about why she was hostile to him, he came out as that kind of type that likes to prey on the weak.

    "Ah fuck it..."

    Lumine was startled by his sudden outburst and wiped her tears away.

    Yomite looked at her te full of food that was slowly starting to get cold and said, "You should eat that, didn''t you say you were hungry? Just eat."

    She did as she was told. She picked up her knife and resumed eating.

    After being starved for three days, this moon pie gave her the energy she needed the most right now.

    "Ok, look...I have a proposition."

    Lumine was silently eating as she asked in between her chewing, "What... is it?"

    Yomite folded his arms and replied, "You will join my party. So far, it''s currently Me, Hu Tao, and the new addition will be you. With the broken Adventurers'' Guild party system, you can easily gain enough money to survive for months on end. As you are the third person, the benefits will triple easily, making us a fortune. Finishing some basic quests shouldn''t be too hard."

    ''It would be embarrassing if we weren''t able toplete basic quests with two isekai protagonists and Hu Tao, who also has a pretty strong Vision. There should be no issue with some slimes or wolves.'' Yomite concluded as he reached out his hand towards one of the bags full of Mora he received from the Acting Grand Master, Jean.

    He decided to give her half of the earnings from the bag.

    He put up about 500k Mora on top of the table, and with a solemn voice said, "You helped me distract Stormterror during his attack, also damaged him quite a bit, so I feel like only asking for posters of your brother is kind of nonsense, especially when you are in such a tight situation you described earlier. You need a better kind of reward. Take this."

    Lumine widened her eyes at his kind gesture. She was in disbelief from the sheer number of Mora.

    Obviously, she was in the room when The Acting Grand Master gave him the money, so she knew he received quite a bit, but seeing it in person was a different thing.

    "I...can''t ept this..."

    He looked at her hesitant gaze and sighed. ''Just how much of a goodie two shoes can she be? She is barely surviving in this unknown world for god knows how long. Thest thing she should be focusing on is modesty.''

    "Fine! If you want to be so stubborn and don''t want to take it for free... then I will lend it to you. You will pay me back with an interest of 100k... no...200k Mora by the end of this year, and if not, I will be taking Paimon hostage."

    "That might change your mind. If you won''t even ept that, then I will just leave the money here,yingfortably on this table! I bet someone will eventually show up and get it for themselves!" Yomite scoffed as he stood up and tucked the chair in.

    Lumine knew she was in a dire need of money, yet she still hesitated.

    ''So stupid...''

    He sighed, shaking his head, and somehow brushed off the tearful and thankful gaze of the girl in front of him as he nced at her once more.

    "Al...right"

    ''Jeez...what a drag.'' He thought, ''But it was all worth in the end. I just need to steal myself one more person for the bonus to quadruple. Unfortunately, I don''t think Paimon would count as the fourth member... Once I get thest member, I might be able to get back what I lost just now, within a week, maybe quicker.''

    He read the rewards of the daily quests and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of Mora they will receive for thepletion of each one.

    This way he could earn at least 50k Mora each day hepleted these dailies, not to mention the other quests that wereying around on the board as no one wanted to do them.

    The quests were piling up, almost no one wanted to go adventuring due to Stormterror''s attack. As such, the rewards were also raised.

    ''I am going to be filthy rich soon.''

    He let out a small grin.

    Lumine noticed his evil grin and wasn''t able to tell if he was actually a bad person or not, but he did want to help her, so he couldn''t be that bad, right?

    "Alright! I am off to the Adventurer''s Guild to sign you into my team." He nced at the iing flying fairy and knew that his time to discuss stuff has ended.

    Before he left, he held up a finger and spoke with a buoyant tone, "This way you will be working for me, in my party to repay the money I gave you. Remember I will be taking Paimon hostageter!" he winked and left the area, heading straight to the guild.

    Well, it was not like he knew what year it was right now or when it ended and he doubted Lumine knew either. He just wanted to get her a bit motivated so that he can get something out of her.

    Lumine let out a sweet smile as she watched his parting figure.

    "He definitely isn''t a bad person."

    Just then, a tired Paimon returned, heavily breathing, "This...Thief had...so much...energy...she escaped!" she nced at the table and noticed the amount of Mora, "Woah! Where did you get all of this Mora from?" She inquired with her small eyes.

    "This...We are joining Yomite''s party and he gave me this for helping with the Stormterror." She didn''t mention the Paimon kidnapping thing as she was sure he was just joking.

    Paimon rested her hand on her small chin and spoke, "Seems suspicious! The Tattoo better not try something or else he will have to deal with Paimon! In any case, we have money now and Paimon''s food is gone...can you buy Paimon something...please..." she outstretched her small hands.

    Lumine nodded and once again pulled her into an embrace, "Only if you let me recharge my energy like this once in a while, maybe on a daily basis." she rested her chin on Paimon''s small head and nuzzled against her.

    "Paimon doesn''t mind hugging and acting friendly, so Paimon thinks you can do as you like. As long as you don''t eat Paimon that is..."

 Chapter 17

    ***

    After adding another member to his party, Yomite met up with Hu Tao in front of the city.

    He was satisfied by her ''acting'' and thought she would want something as a reward but she said that teasing the small fairy kid was so much fun that she doesn''t need anything.

    At one point she also managed to run away from her, then creep from behind her and scare her so badly her wings stopped working and she fell down into a flower pot.

    Yomite just wryly smiled at that, after this quest waspleted, they would be adventuring in the same party and he couldn''t even begin to imagine the amount of stress and pranks she might pull on the poor Paimon.

    ''Well, Lumine kind of sold her out in a sense, feels bad man.''

    In any case, Yomite talked with Hu Tao a bit and asked her about the kinds of monsters there were in this world, but only got vague answers such as slimies, flowies, hilichurls.

    He was familiar with the former two, despite her weird pronunciation, but what the hell was a Hilichurl? Another tongue twister like that abyssos something?

    Upon further investigation and a few teasings, she described the Hilichurls as cute humanoid monsters with masks, using weapons.

    "Bu-hahah! Assistant-kun~! How can you not know what a Hilichurl is~!? You are so stupid! I am dying!" She was rolling on the grass in front of the city gates, holding her stomach, "You are so silly~!"

    The roars of herughter echoed in the surrounding area.

    ''This little...''Yomite grimaced.

    Yomite then saw something out of the corner of his eyes. It was the two Knights guarding the entrance. He met them earlier today.

    For a quite number of reasons, they were slowly distancing themselves from the duo, and Yomite couldn''t help but agree with their decision.

    He felt like he was slowly descending into madness. At this point, it wouldn''t even surprise him if someone spread rumors about the new crazy addition to the already crazy Hu Tao. Now there was a duo of crazies.

    Anyway, back to the Hilichurls, Yomite could imagine them being something close to goblins or maybe some humanoid tribesmen monsters, as she said they wore masks and used weapons.

    In any case, he would have to see Hilichurls for himself first before arriving at some sort of conclusion.

    Currently, Hu Tao was running around the bridge like a wind. Chasing after pigeons and scaring them away while shouting, "Take that! I shall fly in the sky with you one day!"

    They entered the city through this very bridge, starting their adventure on this exact day. It was hard to believe that only something more than an hour had passed and he managed to experience so many new things, be it good or bad ones. All experiences mattered.

    Yomite wasying on the ground in front of a river, enjoying the peaceful breeze and the smell of the warm grass he was currentlyying on.

    "Yuppie~! Yahoooo~!" Hu Tao''s shouts from the other side of the bridge could be clearly heard by him. She was like a child. He knew she was definitely at least of age, as it was amon trope in novels and anime for someone to look and act like a child, only to be a 3000 years old monster virgin loli granny.

    He took a nce at her from the distance and groaned, "She did help me with that so I guess I can let her do whatever she wants for a short while...well it''s not like she is going around setting stuff on fire or something, so it should be fine." He concluded and noticed that there was a boy sitting on the edge of the bridge, looking at Hu Tao with a frown of disapproval.

    ''Who is that child?'' Yomite hadn''t seen him before. When they entered the city with Kaeya, he wasn''t there.

    He didn''t know who it was, but he for sure generated an aura of hostility.

    Yomite left his resting spot and walked up to him with a friendly smile, "What''s up, kid? You seem to be troubled."

    The boy turned around and replied, "Is that person your friend? If yes, please tell her to stop."

    "Huh? Why? What is she doing that''s bothering you?" Yomite was confused. Well sure, she was loud, but he didn''t believe that bothered him. Kids were loud all the time after all.

    "She is scaring the pigeons away!" The boy shouted.

    "Huh? Pigeons?" Yomite was dumbfounded, well the boy wasn''t wrong as Hu Tao was indeed chasing them, but he didn''t understand why it bothered him so much.

    "I was feeding them! She is a bad person for scaring them away!"

    ''Ah...kids...'' Yomite sighed and shouted at her, "Oi, Hu Tao,e here for a second."

    "Eh? Okie dokie~!" She swiftly arrived and asked. "What do you need, Assistant-kun~?"

    "This kid here says you shouldn''t be scaring pigeons away as he was feeding them as you can see," He pointed to the ground that was full of seeds and grains.

    Hu Tao nodded and replied with a somber tone, "I see..." Her fun was ruined and she definitely didn''t like it.

    The little boy pointed at Hu Tao and shouted, "Hey! You are a bad person! You should be ashamed! Bad! Bad! Bad!"

    Hu Tao was being hit by a barrage of ''insults'' but she couldn''t care less about what a kid had to say. She sat down on a nearby rock and fiddled with her ponytails, fixing them as not to let her hair be loose.

    "They''ll be back anyway. They are birds after all. If you feed them properly." Yomite said while staring at the grief-stricken child.

    "They doe back usually... But what happens if one day they leave and nevere back again?"

    "Just like daddy..." the boy started wailing.

    ""...""

    ''Oh...Oh...Alright...You''ve got to be kidding me...'' Yomite wasn''t good atforting children so he turned to Hu Tao who was still sulking. As he watched the side of Hu Tao''s face, she looked toward him with a pissed look that seemed to say "What the hell do you want!?"

    Ignoring her rude re, Yomite silently waved at her and whispered, "Hey...can you deal with this?"

    She, however, averted her eyes to face forward as she put her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her hands. She was annoyed to the extreme. Why should she stop having fun just because of a random kid? Stupid birds and a stupid kid.

 Chapter 18

    Yomite knew he had to motivate her a little, "Come on...don''t be a little kid, aren''t you the mighty 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? Show some of your skills so that I will take you a bit more seriously."

    Hu Tao lifted her gaze and mischievously smiled, "My skills? Sure! I will show you...Just you wait...you will be blown away..." The twisted smile on Hu Tao''s lips was in for anyone to see.

    Yomite had a bad premonition. He already dealt with a blonde-haired crying child that had a breakdown not too many minutes ago...he simply couldn''t handle another one so he asked Hu Tao to take his ce, but now he wasn''t sure if it was the best idea as whenever he leaves something to her, it goes horribly wrong.

    Hu Tao stood up just in front of the little boy and asked him, "What''s your name?"

    "Tim...mie..."

    "Timmie? Alright, Timmie! Do you like jokes? Jokes are fun aren''t they?" Hu Tao inquired with a bit of a creepy expression on her face.

    "Yes..." Timmie nodded again, still kind of sad that the pigeons had disappeared.

    "Good! Then do you know this one? Why can''t Hilichurls climb their tower?"

    Both Yomite and the child were interested. Yomite especially since it was about the Hilichurl monsters and he wanted to know their habits or how they looked like.

    Timmie on the other hand looked troubled but still asked, "Umm...because the tower was too high?"

    "��because they are dead. And you will be too someday, so go get your 30% family discount coffin coupons as you will never know when you will be in a dire need of an extra pair for you or your remaining family member!" She said while pulling out a few legit-looking yellow discount coupons that read "30%" from her robe.

    Silence enveloped the beautiful scenery, the only thing that could be heard, was the movement of the flowing water under the bridge.

    "..."

    Yomite was simply speechless. ''She just said that...to a child...''

    "Uweeeh..." The kid, of course, started crying again. Nothing has changed.

    She nced at Yomite and shook her head in confusion, "Whatever should I do...Assistant-kun...he is still crying...The joke was funny too..."

    "..."

    "Assistant-kun?"

    "..."

    Yomite was simply standing there as if he turned himself off. No movement or sound. Simply nothing...It was his fault after all. He knew how she acted yet he still asked her to be of help. What a moron he was.

    "You are a terrible person, I hate you!" Timmie pointed his finger at her as he cried.

    Hu Tao shrugged her shoulders and murmured, "Every joke will offend at least one person...Unfortunately, you were the one...It was pretty funny to me."

    Yomite sighed.

    Today was a tough day. The first day of his Isekai adventures was about to end...The sky was getting dark. A few minutester, the others will show up and they will go on a quest.

    ''Yes, let''s go with that. Let''s focus on that and ignore everything else.''

    "I...let''s just...not talk about it and pretend this didn''t happen...Hu Tao...apologize to the kid...please..." Yomite was spent. He gazed into the distance, his lips trembling. He had enough for today.

    Hu Tao raised her hand and spoke in a half-jokingly matter, "Kay, Kay! You can count on me!"

    She knelt down near the crying Timmie and said in an apologetic voice, "I am so sorry! I will tell you a really really funny joke if you stop crying!"

    Timmie wiped his tears and snot away while gazing at her suspiciously, "A really really funny joke?"

    Hu Tao nodded, "Yes, it''s something rted to you as well! I know you must have heard it at least once in your life! It''s simply amazing!" sheughed just thinking about it.

    Timmie thought for a second and nodded, "Umu..."

    "Hehe..."

    This time, Yomite was facing Hu Tao''s back, so he couldn''t see the deranged face she was currently making. A face that was unbefitting of her. She opened her mouth and spoke in a low tone, "Knock, knock."

    "O-Oh...W-Who is there?" Timmie recognized this format of a joke. It was a ssic. His mom told him this specific joke all the time and he never failed tough.

    "''Definitely''!" *pfft*! *cough* *cough*

    Hu Tao coughed as she couldn''t hold it in and started giggling.

    "D-Definitely who?" Timmie asked, noticing Hu Tao''s expression.

    "Definitely not your daddy!"

    "..."

    *Pfft*

    "Bu-hahahah!" Hu Tao emptied her lungs and couldn''t stopughing. Laughing like mad for thirty straight seconds without stopping.

    After she recovered, she nced at the boy and noticed that he wasn''tughing for some reason. The joke was just so good, so why notugh?

    "Not funny?" she frowned.

    Rather than happiness from theugher he should be feeling, Timmie was currently feeling other kinds of emotions.

    He was wallowing disgracefully, practically drowning in tears. Liquid was pouring from every cavity in his face. Whether it was tears or snot. The child has simply lost it.

    "I-I...Hate you!"

    He ran away, screaming and crying back into the city of Mondstadt. The two guarding Knights heard themotion and arrived, but once they found out who was behind it, they quickly retreated back into the city.

    Who knows what that crazy person might do to them after all. Curse them? Bury them? Sell their organs? Burn them alive?

    There were all kinds of rumors regarding this person, but one particr rumor was simply the extreme and stood out from the rest.

    Hu Tao, the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, kidnapped children and buried them alive in her backyard while saying she was freeing them out of their misery,ughing maniacally.

    Even the Millelith of Liyue were investigating this matter and found out that it was partially true, but also a bit of a misconception.

    They didn''t exin it to the masses in detail, but people only cared about the fact that it was confirmed.

    One of the worst rumors about Hu Tao was confirmed to be true. Wouldn''t that make the other less extreme rumors about her also true then?

    Even the retainers of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor were frightened about the news.

    Information spread quickly and all around the world, people knew that in Liyue, there was a certain psychopath who was doing whatever she wanted and was getting away with it, without any kind of punishment. That''s why people avoided her at any cost.

    Currently, there was even a book, or rather, a series of tips circting on the market of Liyue, about things people should always follow when they are in Liyue.

    A few of the tips were also rted to her.

    No matter what you do.

    Don''t make contact with Hu Tao. Don''t look at her, don''tmunicate, just ignore her and pray that you won''t meet her at night, sitting on some rooftop, gazing at the moon.

    "So silly...The jokes were funny too. Why the tears?" Hu Tao was indifferent.

    Having lost count of how many sighs he''d made today, Yomite made one more as he decided that Hu Tao was simply going too far. He didn''t know what was bothering her to pick on the kid, but she clearly went too far.

    He grabbed her by the back of her neck and lifted her up. She was much lighter than he expected, or maybe his body was simply too strong and he had yet to grasp how to use a certain percentage of his strength.

    She hung, her feet dangling in the air, she felt like a kitten grabbed by her mother, being moved somewhere.

    "Yaaay, what kind of game are we ying~?" She asked while happily swinging her legs back and forth.

    "You went too far," Yomite spoke calmly.

    "Eh~? I fail to see how that''s my problem though~?" Hu Tao replied bluntly, her gaze unwavering, "People don''t care about me, why should I care about others?"

    "Hu Tao...The kid ran away crying..." Yomite murmured.

    "We all cry at some point, I did too~ But after a while, you ignore, forget and forgive. That''s just how mortals are~."

    And that was when Yomite realized that the person in front of him, the person in his party was aplete sociopath.

    After a short period of nerve-racking silence between the two of them, Yomite heard a familiar voice calling his name, "Yo, brother, I see you are getting quite intimate there! I am jealous!" It was Kaeya and the rest of the group.

    "Ah~ I am envious~ holding her by the neck like that seems thrilling~." Lisa groaned with her mature, enchanting voice.

    "Let''s go on an adventure~!" Amber announced cheerfully while stuffing some kind of plushie into her backpack.

    "Ah! It''s the Bad Tattoo and the Food Thief!" A flying fairy announced, she still held a grudge for thest time.

    And thest member of the group, Lumine, just simply nodded at them in greeting.

    Everyone has gathered. Everyone was here. Everyone was ready.

    It was time to go.

    The teams were as followed.

    Yomite, Hu Tao, and the leading Captain of the first excursion, Kaeya.

    Lumine, Paimon, Lisa, and the leading Captain of the second excursion, Amber.

    Both teams had one goal in mind, to stop the flow of the magical power within the temples, and then meet up at thest location and finish thest temple together.

    "Alright, let''s get going!" Paimon cheered as others nodded their heads with determined looks on their faces.

    Yomite took onest nce at Hu Tao and had to admit he was wrong about her.

    He said he could picture her personality within a few minutes of meeting with her, yet he waspletely wrong. She was warped, in a different world than others.

    Sometimes cheerful, sometimes weird, sometimes she had this gaze of indifference. Especially at the moment where she should have felt some kind of emotion, she didn''t.

    He just didn''t understand her at all. He didn''t know her well enough to judge her yet.

    ''Jeez... I found myself quite a prick of apanion, huh.''

    ***

    Jean watched them leave from within the window in her office as she gazed at them with concern ced all over her face.

    She let out a small sigh and got back to work.

    "Good luck to all of you."

    Yomite''s adventure was officially beginning.

 Chapter 19

    The Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

    The name Hu Tao brought fear to many.

    Funeral ceremonies allowed mortals to leave this world with dignity.

    And Liyue''s Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was said to be painting thest strokes on the scrolls of people''s lives in the most respectful way.

    Traditional funerals included multiple steps such as holding a wake, burial, putting up a memorial que... All of which were subjected to strict rules.

    Regardless of their social standing and level of wealth, all who departed deserved a ceremony that would do them honor. This was the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor''s client service philosophy.

    One would think that such a reputable organization ought to be led only by an individual of utmost learning and sagacity.

    Yet the heavy mantle of the 77th Director has fallen on the shoulders of a youngdy like Hu Tao.

    She has got quite a reputation in Liyue. She was mostly infamous though.

    Whenever someone mentioned Hu Tao, their neighbors found it extremely hard to navigate the conversation. Whenever someone mentioned her name, something bad happened.

    Citizens of Liyue had decided to stop saying her name out loud altogether, and instead referred to her as ''You Know Who.''

    Although she was widely praised for her wit and shrewdness, her entric and inconsiderate notions were not as wee, as she often let her imagination run wild, doing whatever she wanted without a care in the world.

    Hu Tao was always special.

    As a three-year-old, she would read through volumes of ssic texts while doing handstands.

    At six, she would cut sses and fall asleep in the coffins.

    When she was eight, she started living in the parlor and learning the etiquette of funeral ceremonies...

    One would never use the word "measured" to describe her behavior. She was simply crazy. Simply too different. Simply not of this world.

    During her teenage years, Hu Tao was tasked with conducting a funeral ceremony for the first time.

    The parlor''s undertakers and consultants were anticipating her debut with their stomachs in knots as if they were suspended over the peaks of Jueyun Karst.

    But unlike they expected, everything was going smoothly.

    Until that incident happened...

    ***

    As the trio of Kaeya, Hu Tao, and Yomite were walking towards the Domain, a silent atmosphere was ruling.

    Kaeya was busy looking through a map and didn''t pay attention to anything else, and Yomite disagreed with the behavior that Hu Tao was showing, not wanting to talk to her right now.

    Hu Tao on the other hand was humming a tune, peacefully without a care in the world.

    Just then, Kaeya suddenly stopped and raised his hand, indicating his teammates to stop.

    "We are near a Hillichurian settlements. The question is, do we want to avoid them and potentially lose time by going all around the cliff, or should we intercept them?" Kaeya inquired while gazing at the duo behind him.

    He knew there was some heat between the two of them as his little brother Yomite was looking into the ground while Hu Tao was avoiding his gaze at any moment she could. It felt like an old married couple fighting.

    Kaeya chuckled and continued, "Alright guys, then I shall take your silence as a yes. I dislike avoiding fun either way. Let''s fight then~!"

    Both of them sharpened their gaze at his words. Yomite and his group was about to face a group of unknown enemies, and if it weren''t for the dragon that attacked the city not too long ago, he would be quite nervous about his first monster encounter.

    He silently observed the weird humanoid monsters from within their hiding spot and he had to agree with himself on this one. These were definitely some alternatives for goblins.

    The only difference from goblins would probably be the color of their skin and the traditional masks they wore.

    "I will count to ten and we will ambush them, got it?" Kaeya nced at them and they immediately nodded. Preparation and strategy were the key to every battle.

    "One...two...ten!" Kaeya dashed forward, leaving behind a dumfounded Hu Tao and Yomite.

    "Hold on a minute!? Where the hell did you leave the other numbers!?"

    "Hahaha! Little bro! What''s the point of ambushing such lowly creatures!? Enjoy your life!" Kaeya shouted andughed, Hilichurls immediately noticing his presence, but they were far too slow on the uptake as he effortlessly started cutting them down one by one, staining his sword with fresh blood.

    Hilichurls started panicking and went into their tents to grab some weapons. Despite being monsters, Hilichurls were smart enough to use weapons and in some cases, even magic.

    Up to this day, no one has ever found out how they could use elemental magic or magic reactions without a Vision. They were simply mystery.

    "Ah! He is having fun all by himself! No can do!~" Hu Tao pulled out her polearm seemingly out of nowhere and ran in to help.

    "Tch! Those stupid battle junkies!" Yomite clicked his tongue. He pulled out his ymore from his scabbard and rushed in as well.

    Most Hilichurls had already encircled Hu Tao and Kaeya, but there was one lone Hilichurl that noticed Yomite''s presence.

    It''s two red eyes behind the ornament mask met Yomite''s gaze.

    "We...hate...you...Die!"

    Yomite bathed in the monster''s overwhelming enmity as he mumbled,

    "What the..."

    Surprisingly, the monster could actually talk, which caught Yomite off guard.

    The Hilichurl grabbed a nearby wooden club and lunged at him.

    While watching the strike, Yomite dodged the attackpletely. He was confident that he could avoid the attack from the get go as he could see the movements of his opponent, just as the trajectory of its club swing.

    "So slow...This monster truly is weak." He reminded himself, boosting his confidence a bit, but still staying on guard.

    These were truly tutorial monsters.

    Predictable and weak, nothing like a dragon.

    But even weak monsters like goblins were dangerous in packs.

    Hilichurls were simr to goblins to some extend. That''s why he was still cautious.

    Yomite knew that his new body was much stronger than his old one, and he could feel the strength flowing through his veins.

    ''It feels as if I got some kind of physical strengthening ability from the goddess. I can swing this ymore without any trouble.''

    As the Hilichurl missed its strike, Yomite was about to y him with his ymore when out of the corner of his eye, he saw another Hilichurl, that was hiding up till now, preparing for a sneak attack.

    ''I knew it. Damn goblins.''

    He parried the iing attack with the ymore and poured strength into his left arm, tightening the muscles and sending a punch at him as a payback��

    And as he did that.

    ��The head of the humanoid monster before his eyes exploded like an overripe melon.

    ''Huh?'' Yomite stared wide-eyed at the falling parts of meat and brain matter.

    Bludgeoned to death at point-nk range, its still fresh blood showered Yomite''s face. The Hilichurl''s headless body sailed forward and crashed into him, dropping the club in its hands onto the ground with a loud *thump*.

    "Wh-What just...happened?"

 Chapter 20

    ''Nah...Nah...Nope...there is just no way... isn''t this body a bit too broken?'' Yomite thought as he stared at his bloodied and trembling hands. He didn''t feel much resistance when he punched the Hilichurl so he was a bit suspicious ever since the beginning, but topletely annihte its head like that was beyond what he thought would be possible.

    The other Hilichurl who was currentlyying on the muddied ground was equally as scared and confused as he was. He picked himself from the ground and rushed at Yomite as hisst desperate attempt to live.

    ''The head isn''t supposed to just explode like that though...But that''s good. If my body is like this, I will have a much easier time in this world.'' he contemted as he bend his body downwards and swiped the Hilichurl''s feet.

    Keeping the Hilichurl from standing up with his foot and then stabbing him with the ymore straight through the neck, ending its suffering.

    "It seems like I am done here, but jeez, there is so much blood on me..." He tried to wiped the blood with the sleeves of his martial arts robe, but the blood on his face had long dried up, leaving him with no choice but to find a pond or a river to clean himself offter.

    But the smell of blood was disgusting.

    It made him want to vomit. This was the first time he killed something so he knew that it would rile up his stomach a bit and make him question reality like in most novels.

    He nced at his two teammates, curious on how they were doing and they were handling their own opponents without much difficulty despite being both heavily outnumbered.

    Kaeya knew he was outnumbered, but he wasn''t given the title of Captain for nothing.

    He took pride and confidence in his skills. He left a trail of blood and mutted bodies in his wake, easily besting them.

    Kaeya''s sword whipped out in two shing arcs, cutting through the Hilichurls'' flesh with ease. Instead of engaging the next, he slipped past him, uncannily fast, fueled by enjoyment and fun. Before the Hilichurl could turn, he jabbed his de into the space between his thigh and knee. The Hilichurl fell with a strangled cry, and in the next second, was beheaded in a one clean sweep.

    "Whoops, even I felt that one." He grinned with excitement while running towards another one.

    Most Knights already knew about this, but

    Cavalry Captain Kaeya could be as ruthless and unforgiving as the bitter frost.

    Hillichurls'' blood trickled down his coat, making him shake his head in annoyance.

    "You sad creatures, do you not know how hard it is to scrub blood from the white fabric? Some..."

    He shot out a burst of Cryo at the source in front of him, freezing a Hilichurl archer to death, but just in case, he didn''t forget to cut him down as well, granting him certainly not a peaceful death.

    "What''s wrong? Can''t handle the cold?" Kaeya taunted as he faced another onught of enemies.

    During all of this, Hu Tao was also doing her part. The chestnut-haired goddess had descended onto the field of battle.

    One hand tightly grasping the iron handle of the polearm, the other one holding her precious hat.

    Spear was a destructive and precise weapon, capable of a long distance fight with insane reach and speed, and in the hands of someone with Vision, it could do miracles.

    Hu Tao made a small cut on her hand, and slowly, her Vision had ignited. The spear became coated in something that resembled a fire aura, ready to burst forth.

    "Pyre, pyre pants on fire!"

    Her right arm, wielding the spear of death, whipped sideways, unleashing a fierce fire sh, cutting through five Hilichurls at once and if one looked closely, a small apparition could be seen, fueling the mes.

    Each swing with her polearm utterly pulverized everything in its path. The shockwave of its might moved down branches and snapped tree trunks before piercing another Hilichurl fighter. The weapon connected with such power it not only split the shield of the Hilichurl fighter in two, but also his torso, turning it into a fertilizer for the forest.

    ''Amazing...'' Yomitemented while feeling the wind pressure from her attacks from at least ten meters away from her. That was a true fighter. He had plenty to learn.

    But despite it being his first real battle, not counting the dragon, he did pretty well and he now had a small grasp of his godlike body strength, so he won''t be hesitant to use it more boldly in the future.

    The group cleaned up the location rtively fast despite it being a huge Hilichurl''s settlement and thest living Hilichurl was currently stomped to death by Kaeya''s foot.

    "Why don''t you...Squeel a bit for me?" He put a bit more pressure with his foot, almost closing up the Hilichurl''s windpipe.

    Kaeya liked to do this. It brought him joy. Watching them squirm. He took pleasure in watching people''s eyes widen in fear, but people weren''t the only living beings capable of feeling fear.

    The monsters and animals were the same.

    The enemies such as Hilichurls were a prime example of that.

    "Re...venge...aby...ss..." were the Hilichurl''sst words before his throat was crushed.

    Kaeya turned to the two and spoke with smile, "Good job, Good job! That was a fast sweep! Let''s check their tents for some hidden treasures or items we could use for ourselves! Hilichurls often pick up stuff they find or steal from people they defeated! They also love shiny things like Mora so there is bound to be some juicy reward!"

    Yomite and Hu Tao nodded and after looting the ce, they went straight up for the Domain.

    During the trip, Yomite was feeling a bit weird and had this look of uncertainty on his face.

    Seeing that his little brother was struggling with something, as the big brother, he felt inclined to listen, "What''s up, lil bro? You looking kinda down."

    Yomite sighed and replied, "Let me just ask you then...as you are pretty well versed with things like Hilichurls... Couldn''t you...hear what they were saying? I heard some weird bits..."

    Hearing this, Kaeya stopped at once, feeling his blood freeze in his veins.

    "...is that so? And? What did they...say?"

    Hu Tao jumped right in and looked at him weirdly, "No way, silly~! Although I am quite the studious type, I never bothered learning Hilichurlian because thenguage simply isn''tplete! There is hundreds of missing fragments, so it''s impossible to understand them! You must be hearing things!"

    Yomite shook his head, "No, I could clearly hear it, they said revenge and abyss and other things..."

    *Pfft!* "I didn''t take you as the type to tell jokes, but I guess I have to change my opinion about you, Assistant-kun~ All thates from their mouth and is coherent, is just Muhe ye and Ye dada, otherwise they are pretty stupid and theirnguage is dead. Although I do admit they can be quite cute sometimes." Hu Tao snickered.

    "Oh shut up! Try me again and I will smack you! As I said...I am not joking...It was quite weird...It felt like I was actually killing a person..." Yomite had a bad aftertaste in his mouth. At that point, he found the thing that truly differentiated goblins from Hilichurls.

    Some remnants of humanity?

    While the two were bickering, Kaeya was silently staring, as if, straight through Yomite''s soul.

    "Little bro."

    Kaeya walked closer to him, and stopped a few centimeters away from Yomite''s face.

    "...What is it...keep your distance dude...There is this thing called personal space..." Yomite was bing visibly ufortable.

    Kaeya leaned forward and whispered into his ear, as if he was whispering a prayer, "Have you heard of the word...Khaenri''ah before?"

 Chapter 21

    Khaenri''ah was a nation without a god

    It was a powerful nation, built purely by humans, an unprecedented flourishing and glorious civilization.

    It was the pride of humankind.

    It was dark and mostly barren of natural life. Yet people at the time were happy with their lives.

    It was also partially an underground realm, and its natural faunas were few indeed. As such, its alchemy focused more heavily on the creation of life and the overall creation of a new never before seen technology.

    Until an incident 500 years ago, where a couple of gods decided to get rid of it...

    And so the ancient civilization has fallen, and so did the pride of mankind.

    ***

    "Have you heard of the word...Khaenri''ah before?"

    Yomite felt like Kaeya wanted him to confirm something for him, but he had never before heard of the term Khaenri''ah.

    ''Another tongue twister? No. It must be something important this time.'' He thought for a while and replied, "Um, unfortunately, no. I have never heard of such a thing before."

    "Ah, is that so? What a shame." Kaeya wasn''t buying his words, putting his hand on the back of his neck, "I guess some things should be left well alone..." He looked up and caught the other''s eye silently staring, as if wanting to uncover all of his secrets.

    A few secondster, he pulled away and continued, "Well then, we had a few seconds to rest, and now, it''s time to go the Temple of the Wolf!" He announced, throwing his hands up in the air in a carefree manner.

    "Okay?"

    Yomite didn''t understand what Keaya''s goal was. He was thinking that maybe he could have used his second ability, the Tempus of the Story to learn something more but frankly, be wasn''t that much interested.

    There were so many new terms and names for everything that he felt like he should take stuff like this naturally and learn it along the way.

    He would try to use his ability if Kaeya asked him again, but right now, there were more important things at hand.

    ''Like washing my bloodied face and eating something...''

    ***

    Twenty minutester, they arrived before noon, contemting whether they should camp near the temple or go in and progress with the n. After the encounter with the Hilichurls, they hadn''t encounter any other hostile mobs so their journey became a little bit boring, but a smooth sailing was always weed as who knew what was hiding inside of those temples.

    The entrance to the Temple, or rather, the entrance to the Domain, was huge. The gate was majestic and almost felt like it led to heaven.

    The top of the gate was engraved with four leaves sticking out in each direction, and the gate itself had three gems hardened in the middle, forming a deformed triangle.

    Yomite wondered if those gems were worth something. If yes, he might just take one or two of them once Kaeya wasn''t paying attention.

    The Temple of the Wolf was a lot farther than the Temple of the Falcon, which the other group was currently busy dealing with.

    So it was pretty likely the other group would be finishing up things sooner than them and would already be waiting for them at thest location.

    Kaeya gazed at the sky and felt his stomach rumbling. He turned to hispanions and spoke, "I feel like we should stop for today, make a camp outside and go through the temple tomorrow. Let''s put something into our stomach now, and then the next morning we will proceed to enter the Domain. How does that sound?"

    "Sure, I need to wash my face in a pond anyway, it''s still bloodied from the Hilichurls I killed." Yomite nced at the nearby pond, nodding at Kaeyas''s decision. It was an alright move.

    Yomite went to cleanse his face into the pond. The water was cold, yet refreshing.

    Slowly, he was starting to gather information from all kinds of novels he read, to utilize the best ways to fight, survive and live the best life possible inside of his head.

    "Fighting while hungry is not a good idea, but overfilling your stomach isn''t good either...as it would slow down your blood flow, dulling your movements..." he started mumbling to himself as if he was possessed.

    "Alright so we are taking a break at once." Kaeya announced once he mistook Yomite''s state of out of body experience with exhaution.

    "We have a break? Okie Dokie! Let me prepare our food!" Hu Tao was happy about the news and immediately pulled out quite a few of fruits from her bag.

    She lined some of them up on a nearby wooden stub and walked up to Yomite, handing him two fruits, "Here is one apple, and one big sunsettia~! For being a good boy~!"

    ''Good boy? What was he, a dog?''

    Yomite nced at the apple and the fruit called sunsettia and took them from her hands, "Is this supposed to be your form of apology or what?"

    Hu Tao put a finger on her lips and nodded after thinking it through, "Yep! Let''s go with that~!" she rubbed her palms together, generating sound from the numerous rings she wore on her petite hands.

    ''That doesn''t sound very convincing.'' He mused as Kaeya called from behind, "Yo! Can I also get one of those? Sunsettias are delicious!"

    Hu Tao reluctantly pulled out one more sunsettia from her bag and walked towards him, "Here." almost spiting at him. The sunsettia he was given was disheveled, and almostpletely dry.

    "Aw, don''t be so cold, I am literally begging here...My amazing little brother earned himself two fruits, yet you only give me one?" Kaeya was pretending to be sulking.

    Hu Tao rolled her eyes and replied, "There isn''t any more left."

    "I see..." Kaeya let out a wry smile as he noticed five sunsettias and two apples lined up on a nearby wooden stub.

    ''Yes...there isn''t any more left...for me that is...''

    Yomite made his way to others, and grabbed Kaeya''s spare knife which was convenientlyying on the ground next to him, slicing his fruits into small pieces.

    "Taking my stuff without asking? Well, you can!" Kaeya''s loudughter entered Yomite''s ear, making his mind go hazy.

    ''So noisy...''

    As Yomite sat down, Kaeya detailed their n for the next morning. After a short strategic meeting, they rxed on the grass in the shade.

    Truth to be told, each and every one of them were tired and starving, and while sunsettias and apples weren''t all that fulfilling to eat, they still tasted amazing.

    Hu Tao and Kaeya were tired from using their Visions too much and while Yomite''s body wasn''t that tired, his mental state needed a bit of rest. Luckily, this time Hu Tao had nothing to do with it.

    As he ate the fruits, Yomite was slowly getting addicted to the taste of sunsettias especially.

    ''The apples taste better than those in my old world, but this sunsettia fruit is simply unbelievable.''

    The sweetness was exploding on his tongue whenever he took a bite and swallowed. It felt like a mix of mango, kiwi and pears.

    The weather was mild, and the air smelled as sweet as salt and smoke could possibly smell, and theyid like that for a while, rass-stained and spent.

    ''Rxing like this is not bad at all. I really like this world.'' Yomite mused as he gazed at the slowly darkening sky, thinking deeply whether the goddess that sent him here was reading his story with bated breath.

    "She is definitelyughing at me from there, that''s for sure," Yomite mumbled with a wry smile.

    "Hwfm? uwat ghas mdat?" Hu Tao perked up while nomming on three sunsettias at once, stuffing her face, making her cheeks bigger than that of a squirrel.

    Yomite replied almost reflexively, "Nothing, stop talking when you are eating. Don''t do two things at once, you glutton."

    "Oway!" She continued happily munching on the fruits.

    "Jeez...this was the part where you were supposed to act offended that I called you a glutton..." Yomite shook his head, closing his eyes. She simply didn''t understand human emotions. Or maybe she did, but still acted like she didn''t. He didn''t know what was worse.

    Hu Tao looked at him curiously, and swallowed the fruits, "I see! You are teaching me so much! Thanks, Assistant-kun!" a lovely smile rose onto Hu Tao''s face.

    "Whatever..."Yomite clicked his tongue and soon the mental exhaustion kicked in. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted away to sleep.

    Hu Tao gazed at his sleeping face for a while before she settled near him and fell asleep almost instantly, feeling full after eating all seven of the fruits and showing her satisfaction on her face.

    "Oh, they fell asleep. It seems like they believe I wouldn''t just cut them down in their sleep, huh."

    Kaeya mumbled as he turned his head and peeked through his shoulder.

    Distantly, Kaeya heard a wet, rustling sound of slimes slowly encroaching on them as he was biting into the dried sunsettia.

    "This tastes worse than Diluc''s cooking..."

    He groaned, moving to sit up. "I guess it''s time to clean up. But ey, they sure act like kids, eating up and falling asleep afterward." He drew his sword and gazed at the iing slimes with hostility, "Don''t you dare make a single noise while dying."

 Chapter 22

    Somewhere in the middle of the night, Yomite woke up. He raised his head and looked around, observing the only source of lighting from a nearby torch, presumably put there by Kaeya to keep the bugs and monsters away.

    "Yo, had a nice nap?" He heard a voice from behind him, he cocked his head and saw Kaeya sitting in the darkness, less than half a meter away from him.

    You could only faintly see the outline of his silhouette, but he was there, no questions asked.

    "Okay man, that''s way too creepy, and creepy not in a sense of being scary. There is this thing called personal space, and you are way beyond that..." He quickly got up from the ground, staring at Kaeya with suspicion.

    "No worries, I did nothing! I swear!" Kaeyaughed.

    Yomite raised an eyebrow, "Your innocent smile doesn''t make it better..." he said, dusting his clothes off.

    Sleeping on the ground wasn''t the best thing in the world as his clothes had be increasingly dirty.

    "Oh,e on...I am not a full-blown bad guy...only to some extent. Some things I say are still very much true. I feel like my dear brother Diluc has wronged me, and now, you are too cautious around me too..." Kaeya cried out with a fake facade and then ruffled his own hair, "Such is the tragic life of the handsome Pirate Cavalry Captain." He grinned, raising up two of his fingers, forming a peace sign.

    Yomite rolled his eyes, "Since when were you a Pirate? From a Cavalry Captain to a Pirate...I swear if you don''t show me the horses or the ship I won''t buy it."

    "Now, Now, don''t be mean. Actually...I don''t know, I feel like I was a pirate....ever since I was bored�� I mean...born...Te-he~!" A small mistake like that let Yomite immediately figure out he was lying after all.

    "Yeah...right..." Yomite looked around but couldn''t find what he was looking for, "By the way, where did Hu Tao wander off to? I don''t see her at all."

    "Ah, the little girl woke up an hour ago and silently left. But I am pretty sure she hadn''t wandered off too far, maybe check out the hill that''s on top of the entrance to the Domain, I am sure you will find what you are looking for." Kaeya replied and pulled out his sword, chiseling it on a nearby rock, "It''s almost morning, you two slept like a log. There have been multiple battles urring during your princess sleep though. I had quite the hard time."

    "Wait...battles?" Yomite looked around the location but couldn''t see any dead bodies nor any signs of a battle that took ce, nor he could smell the blood in the air, "Who did you fight?"

    "A horde of slimes attacked us during the night. I am not sure what riled them up, or maybe they just wanted to enter the Domain, but we were blocking the entrance? Well, I doubt slimes are even that intelligent."

    Yomite pondered for a moment, ''Slimes? Damn, and I was asleep? I wanted to see one, but oh well...They aremon mobs, I will have plenty of other chances to get to them.''

    He already had ns regarding slimes for the future. He could use them for quite a number of things. Once he found himself a house or some kind of property, he will definitely make himself a small farm of slimes. The more the merrier.

    Smelling something foul, Kaeya frowned as he nced towards the entrance of the temple, "I feel like something must have happened in the temple, as ever since we''ve arrived, there has been this burning smell hanging around in the air." He crossed his arms in thought, "I imagine there will be slimes, hilichurls, and whatever else that is giving Stormterror extra power."

    ''So more fighting then? Good. I need more practice with both my weapon and my ability.'' Yomite hummed, his piercing golden eyes staring at Kaeya, "The situation seems pretty serious, but could be a bit fun."

    "Oh, ho-ho! My little brother is quite the brave one, isn''t he! I agree it''s going to be very lively in there indeed. They are just a disorderly mob of creatures though, so nothing that life threatening." Kaeya folded his arms and sighed, "It''s a pity the Temple of the Wolf has been disturbed by such an atrocity. It was a majestic temple of the mighty Wolf, yet now, it''s nothing more but a Domain overrun with monsters."

    Yomite felt that this time, Kaeya was actually sincerer about his words, feeling a sense of loss about the poor temple.

    Maybe he had some connection to it, but thinking that he may feel ufortable talking about it, Yomite hasn''t asked him anything.

    The sky was getting brighter as the sun was waking up from within the mountains.

    He nced at the top of the hill and sighed, "It seems like it''s almost morning, I will be right back." Now that it was more bright outside, he wouldn''t be needing the torch, he left it behind and went up.

    Kaeya seemed to understand what he nned on doing and mischievously smiled, "Don''t take too long!"

    ***

    Yomite saw Hu tao as he made his way up the hill, sitting atop of the highest point in the mountain in the grassy in, that cheeky smile coated her face as usual.

    And weirdly, a flicker of unknown pain passed through him as he looked at the youthful face of his teammate.

    She was holding her hat in her hands, her long, dark brown hair swaying in the wind, as she stroked the hat in a steady rhythm, gazing at the moon.

    Her smile was obviously stered on her face, yet when he looked more carefully, her expression was solemn and much darker than he had ever seen it before.

    She could sense himing from miles away, despite him trying to sneak around.

    "Assistant-kun~ you''re being very sha~dy~" she turned around as she giggled.

    "I am not trying to hide really...I just came for you..." He lied as naturally as he breathed.

    Taking a closer look at her, he felt like this might have actually been the first time he had seen her without the hat on her head.

    She didn''t even put it away when she was inside of the Knights'' Headquarters, or when she was in the room with the Acting Grand Master.

    Usually, you would put down your hat as you enter a building, those were the basics of courtesy in most countries.

    But she didn''t.

    So it was surprising she took it off now, out of all the moments she could choose.

    It wasn''t like they were that much in a hurry, and not like Yomite had something better to do either, so he sat down next to her and tried to strike up a conversation, "That hat seems to be quite precious to you."

    "Mhm. It''s my most beloved treasure." She mumbled as she stared into the distance, looking at the floating ind of Celestia, hidden within the clouds

    ***

    Twenty minutester.

    Kaeya was getting restless. He wanted to go and kill some monsters, but his two juniors were having fun elsewhere, so he had no choice but to wait.

    Just then, he saw then going down from the hill, finally returning.

    "Great, you are finally here...I thought you would bring her after a few seconds, what took you so long? Did you get lost or something?" Kaeya asked with a frustrated tone.

    "Yep, the woods are dangerous and we got lost pretty easily." Yomite joked.

    "Sure...sounds convincing enough...Alright folks. No one makes offerings to The Four Winds anymore, yet the old winds never truly vanished." He touched the gate with a sense of nostalgia, the three ruby crystals transforming and opening the gate upon his touch.

    "We need to clear out the temples, for The Four Winds. Let''s go in, team."

    Yomite nodded and Hu Tao also voiced her agreement.

    "Right." "Okay!~"

 Chapter 23

    Kaeya touched the entrance of the Domain, and the mechanism on the door slowly opened up.

    A streak of purplish light appeared, forming something that resembled a portal to another world, and maybe it actually was, as the moment the trio stepped inside, they found themselves walking on a paved, grey-colored, bridge stylized with a criss-cross design.

    The group appeared in apletely different cepared to what Yomite had in mind. He thought they would be in a jungle, surrounded by trees, but it appeared he was wrong.

    He looked around and his eyes widened.

    The whole world around him seemed to be filled with floating rocks and small inds,pletely different from the outside world and what he had in mind.

    The sky was dark, and there was barely any source of light present, other than the torches Kaeya brought with him.

    The night breeze felt chilly against Yomite''s skin, but it''s not like he wasn''t used to it.

    He really didn''t know why he was feeling chills down his spine now, but it was probably just the thrill of the current mission: dangerous and new, he was a simple person reviewing books after all, and that''s what he loved doing.

    Now, he was stranded in this world, and while he was happy that he was reincarnated, he knew he should quickly adapt as this would be his life starting from now on.

    He had massacred a pair of goblin lookalikes with his weapon and bare hands, fought against a dragon, and saved an entire city, all in a span of few hours. Wasn''t all of it overwhelming? It was.

    ''Slowly adapting...just like when I worked with novels...''

    Yomite noticed that the bridge behind him waspletely ruined, and there was no other way but to proceed through the Domain.

    During the tactical talk they had, Kaeya had exined that they couldn''t just leave this Domain whenever they wanted to.

    Either they reached the end, or they will perish in here. There was no other way back. Just that one piece of information was nerve-racking.

    Curiously, he stared down the broken bridge and felt horrified when he saw that he couldn''t see the bottom. He picked up a rock and let it free fall. Waiting couple of secondster, he still had yet to hear a sound of rock hitting the ground. It felt endless.

    ''It''s he deep...Instant death from falling. Although I do have the flying glider thingy, there might be something dangerous down there, and besides...I am not that good at operating the wings, so I would rather not fall...''

    He recalled his previous experience with harsh falling from the top of the Stormterror''s back and cringed.

    He definitely didn''t want to experience that again.

    "This ce looks pretty!" Hu Tao stated, as she ran around, forcing him out of his thoughts.

    "Were you never in a Domain before?" Kaeya asked, tilting his head with a smile.

    She shook her head and replied, "I was in a Domain, multiple times even, but this one seems to be a bit different from the rest."

    The road led way to stairs framed by two cubics, stone-colored pirs decorated in golden ancient runes.

    The short stairs ended on a short opening that itself led to a majestic entrance, which was something he thought to be excessive as it could easily fit anything many times bigger than his own above average height. For example, a Dragon.

    ''There better not be another Dragon...I swear...''

    Looking around he saw that the walls were decorated with different murals and runes which seemed to emit a sense of mystery and wonder.

    Kaeya in particr was staring at them as if he was in some sort of trance, caressing the cold walls.

    Two blue luminous crystals were situated on both sides of the entrance which weakly illuminated the opening.

    Due to the light from the torch he was holding, he was able to see ancient aesthetic pieces of grey-colored architecture and its surroundings.

    This thoroughly satisfied the curious reviewer side of his psyche that always wanted to experience the phantasmic sights the MC''s of the books he used to review usually experienced.

    Kaeya nced at his little brother and motioned, "What are you waiting for? We are going. If you don''t move, we might just leave you here!"

    "Sure, I will be right there," Yomite nodded and answered without missing a beat, trying not to dwell too much on his thoughts, knowing for sure that while Kaeya loved his jokes, he was very much serious this time.

    "Good brother, good!"

    His low chuckles filled Yomite''s ears, and once again, he nodded his head when a sudden thought shed through his mind.

    ''What if...''

    He sensed Kaeya''s gaze and felt like he wanted something from him.

    ''What is it that he wants? What is his goal?'' Yomite mused.

    As an experienced reader, or maybe, even a normal human being, Yomite knew that he should never lower his guard to anyone, especially when he was out on an important quest like this.

    He was currently in a party with two unpredictable individuals. While he didn''t want to say this out loud, his gut feeling was telling him he wasn''t safe.

    Hu Tao, who was struggling with the understanding of human emotions, and Kaeya, who was a liar that just smelled like he was full of secrets.

    Both of them were dangerous in a sense, and while Yomite would dly trust them with his heart, his guts, and rational thinking didn''t want to let go of the feeling of betrayal he might face sooner orter.

    Although that may be just paranoia speaking from him, after being subjected to the torture of reading through more than thirty betrayal revenge novels back in his old world, his boss told him to look up like four months ago.

    From then on, he felt like he couldn''t trust many people. It was astonishing what books can do to the human mind.

    From this perspective, Kaeya was already acting suspicious, as if hinting at him to look at the temple properly, to see if he recognized something, which might have been just Yomite''s wild thoughts, honestly.

    Out in the open, in the unknown temple, where all kinds of monsters and traps may beying around. Being an easy bait to every kind of creature.

    Maybe he couldn''t fully picture why but deep inside, he knew that Kaeya was the real danger and not the monsters.

    Once he was done looking around, he proceeded to enter the temple into the unknown, but a sudden thought filled his mind.

    ''Oh...We missed the daily quests didn''t we...Damn it.''

 Chapter 24

    "There''s no time to waste, we must crush this Domain before there are more casualties from the Stormterror attacks, although it was severely wounded, we never know when he might recover. We need to act fast." Kaeya stated while remaining cautious at each step he took to avoid traps or hidden enemies inside of the temple.

    As they moved further into the Domain, the group kept wondering just how many more Hilichurls there could be.

    They had already killed seventeen thus far, but there was still no sign of any stronger monsters which lead Kaeya to believe there might be something more ominous at the end of the Domain.

    Ever forward they pressed on, dispatching a couple of Hilichurl archers along the way.

    They soon came upon a section of the Domain which must have been the dumping grounds for the unwanted materials.

    Several bones, chunks of rotten meat, and basic Hilichurl weapons like clubs wereid around the area.

    Kaeya examined the pile of bones and concluded the bones weren''t human.

    "Luckily, it seems like it''s just some wild boars, it looks like there were no human casualties...for now," Kaeya called out.

    Yomite noted thest part of his sentence but didn''tment on it.

    Unfortunately, Domains like these aren''t essible to everyone as they were closed down due to the danger that apanies them, but young adventurers always ignored regtions and wandered off into danger while chasing after their made-up adventures.

    All for the thrill of defeating enemies and finding treasures they said, only to wind up dead in a dark ce, bing food for monsters and fertilizers for the ground.

    Proceeding through the domain, once again, silence loomed over the trio.

    It''s not that they didn''t have anything to talk about, but Kaeya noticed yet another group of Hilichurls this time, a few of pyro slimes were with them.

    In the middle of the enemy camp, stood a mechanical device which was presumably the key to opening the path in front of them, so conflict was necessary.

    It indeed looked like the only way to proceed was to defeat the enemies and unlock the contraption.

    ''Oh so this is how slimes look in this world. Cute.'' Yomite thought as he was already thinking of multiple ways he could use them.

    "Let''s go."

    Kaeya and their group ambushed the Hilichurls, instantly decapitating them in a well coordinated group attack, even Kaeya had to admit was perfect, and rushed toward the remaining enemies. The slimes.

    Yomite raised his heavy weapon above his head and swung it down, expecting for it to bounce away and to immediately dodge if the attack was parried toward him, but to his surprise, the sword entered the jelly without much resistance and ended the life of the slime in one hit.

    The pyro slime slowly heated up, expanding and Yomite could tell it was about to explode, taking a step back to a safe distance.

    ''What the hell? Weren''t slimes supposed to be resistant against physical attacks and only be killed by magic or if you managed to locate a core inside of them? What is up with this?'' He couldn''t say he was disappointed as the fight had gone smoothly and they all cleared up the room in a matter of seconds, but unexpected things like this sure left him questioning his knowledge of rpg games and novels.

    ''They weren''t special slimes like slime kings, mutated slimes nor demon slimes, so their resistance might have been weaker but still...in some books even basic slimes werepletely immune to physical attacks...much less slime mutations...''

    Ignoring the thought, he watched as Kaeya stepped forward and touched the device in the middle of the room.

    The walls next to them started slowly folding and moving in different shapes, opening up a path for them in a form of a gate.

    They didn''t even require a key and all they needed to do was to just press the button.

    Upon entering through the gate, they cautiously moved forward until they came to a section that descended, from a hidden vantage point.

    They peered over to the side to see what was below them.

    "Looks like we are almost out folks! I am such a great leader. This was easier than expe��..."

    Hearing that Kaeya stopped his boasting, Yomite and Hu Tao knew something bad had happened, and immediately questioned what he saw.

    "...What happened?"

    "..."

    "Kaeya?"

    "...There is an another...dumping ground..." He muttered with a frown.

    The group had encountered yet another dumping ground, but this time, it was different andpletely out of the expectations for him.

    Intestines ripped apart all around, dyeing the ground in the color of blood, teeth and bones of all shapes, from ribs to the remains of what appeared to be spine.

    This was where the happy thoughts died off and teasings had stopped. Everything went downhill.

    Kaeya sighed as he knelt down and observed the remains. Upon further inspection, he concluded that this time they were unfortunately all human.

    "Shit..." He searched around the piles of bone remains and found a few Guild tags among them.

    "AR rank 2, 3, and 4...They were beginners and too low leveled for this Domain...Why would they enter..."

    He checked the weapons on the ground but found nothing of use among them.

    You didn''t need a Vision to be an adventurer, but it was your saving grace in most situations.

    "Damn it." Yomite bit his lip. He had no connection to those that have fallen, yet once again, a sense of reality hit him deep in the guts.

    The adventurers were prepared to die, yet looking at the scene, Yomite felt nauseous.

    There were mostly bones but there was still half of the body of a person remaining, and it was slowly decaying.

    The body''s skull, limbs, and most of the intestines were missing. Near this body were smaller bones, very little meat stuck to the ckened bones, indicating they had been roasted, possibly while alive.

    If he were ever to die In action, he begged for a quick death, being beheaded or something, and nothing like this person before him had experienced.

    ''Being roasted alive...''

    It sent shivers down his spine.

    He gave a slight bow towards the bodies of the fallen and noticed Hu Tao was standing there, without blinking.

    "What is it, Hu Tao?" he asked, wondering if it was someone who died that she knew.

    Hu Tao sent a wry smile his way and replied, "I really hate Domains, do you know that?"

    "Why is that?"

    "They are still here."

    "Huh?"

    "All of the people that have died here before, are still here, trapped in this Domain." She spoke, her hands trembling. "Hundreds if not thousands of people, are forever locked in here, unable to pass on..."

    Yomite came to a realization. ''The ghosts...'' He looked around, knowing he was unable to see anything.

    He really wondered how the world looked like in her flower-shaped pupils. Maybe he would be able to understand her more that way.

    "One day... I will enter all Domains one by one to purify you all..." She started doing handsigns, as if preparing for some kind of ritual and pulled out a few ck talismans from her robe.

    "What are you nning on doing?" Yomite asked. He was sure that before, when she met him, she used a different color of talismans so he wondered what she would do now.

    "...There is this thing called Forceful Passing. Easily to guess from the name, you forcefully make a soul pass onto the other side. It is a forbidden technique we shouldn''t be using, as it goes against our principles, but these people deserve it. Their pain is too much. Usually when people die, their soul takes ce of a form from their appearance, but sometimes there is an anomaly and they end up in pitiful states."

    "With no hands or arms, unable to move in their ghostlike form. Exactly like those three adventurersying there, their souls were not formed well and now they are feeling the exact same pain as when they were dying and I can''t leave them like this." No longer listening to anything else, she put three talismans on the pile of bones and focused on the ritual.

    Yomite observed her serious features and felt that he was once again,pletely confused about what was going through her head.

    At one point she disliked people, then it felt like she didn''t understand human emotions and now, he could see her wanting to seriously help the souls of the dead.

    From this weird mix of personality traits he concluded, that she distrusted people as they probably mistreated her in the past, but she cared about her job and genuinely wanted to help people pass on in peace.

    At least that was the story he understood so far from the rumours he heard from guards and small talks he had with her.

    Kaeya walked towards him, interrupting his thoughts, "This ruin used to be a temple devoted to the Wolf of the North. Now, the priests are gone, and the temple has been seized by monsters. However, they say that the spirit of the Wolf still watches over the endless fields of Mondstadt from somece else." He muttered while sliding his palm across the cryptic walls full of ancient symbols, trying to ignore the remains of the people who fell here.

    Such was the life of an adventurer. Unexpected could happen at any time, whether you liked it or not.

    They waited about an hour and a half for the ritual to finish, much to the protest of Kaeya who kept on mumbling about the time that was slipping through their hands.

    Having finished what she wanted Hu Tao nodded with a smile and swore to return hereter to free all of the souls from here.

    Without a moment of hesitation, they delved deeper into the crypt.

    About ten minutes of walking through empty ruins, Kaeya suddenly spoke, "Wait," He whispered as he leaned his ear near a wall, taking in the distant sounds. "I hear Hilichurls from up ahead, and something else��something growling, possibly a monster."

    The duo nodded and Yomite was starting to feel like Kaeya was a superman at this point. There was nothing he couldn''t do. Although it was only reserved to fighting and battle experience, it was still very impressive.

    The way he fought was that of an experienced veteran and Yomite was thinking he would ask him for an advice or tips on holding sword or maybe proper sword techniques he could utilize.

    They went deeper into the crypt and it didn''t take long for them to find the source.

    Inside of the crypt were three Hilichurls and a chained wolf growling at each other.

    The Hilichurls cackled with clubs in their hands as the beast in front of them snarled.

    The wolf with white and blue fur and blue eyes was shackled to the ground with manacles around each limb to keep it from moving any closer.

    As Yomite looked at the animal, in the darkness these wolf''s eyes seemed to glow, and in that instant, he could feel an unbearable amount of hatreding from him.

    "So it was an animal making those sounds...Poor wolfie...but what is a wolf doing here? Well it is the temple of the wolf but still." Hu Tao questioned, while being reminded of her own pets back at Liyue. She should go and pay them a visit sometime in the future.

    One of the Hilichurls brought its club down upon the head of the wolf, a quick ssh of blood hit the floor and dripped from the Hilichurl''s club, but the wolf did not fall.

    It snarled once again as it attempted to attack its captors, struggling to remove itself, all the while the Hilichurlsughed.

    "Poor wolfie." Hu Tao tightened her grip around her polearm.

    "Look at the size of it��muchrger than a normal wolf, although it still looks to be young, is that a wolf cub?" Yomite drew his ymore from within its scabbard, ready for another battle to save the puppy.

    "Kaeya what do we do? I think we should just go and help..." Yomite was a huge animal lover himself, from cats to dogs to hamsters, everything cute that could bring him joy was fine, even a snake or a spider.

    That''s why he was furious when he saw how they treated the poor wolf. Wolves were like dogs. Although slightly bigger, but still cute and cuddly.

    "...Kaeya?"

    Without answering, Kaeya jumped down,nding a heroic entrance.

    "Sorry little bro. It appears I am a little bit mad so I need to vent my frustrations."

    He raised his leg and outstretched it, kicking the closest Hilichurl in the right side of its head with enough force that the small body actually flew a few meters hitting a nearby wall with a loud crunch, breaking its skull.

    Not even the mask was able to save it, much less reduce the impact from his kick, it was immediately caved in with its brain.

    At the same time as he did so, Hu Tao and Yomite leaped down toward thending and rushed in with their weapons ready.

    The other two Hilichurls immediately turned their attention toward their direction and saw the two warriors charging forward.

    The Hilichurls were too slow to react and were easily ughtered.

    Yomite brought his de in a downward motion, cutting the first Hilichurl into two diagonal pieces with his huge ymore.

    Funnily enough, he remembered a quote from his favorite manga,

    ''His weapon was far toorge to be rightfully called a sword, no. It wasrger, thicker heavier, and cruder than any normal de. By all ounts, it was no more than a hulking mass of iron.''

    The Hillichurl didn''t even understand what happened as it was cut in half, before weakly falling to the side, spilling out it''s inside fluids and brain matter.

    A cold breeze carrying the stench of blood blew in and made Kaeya''s torch flicker, gazing back at the way Yomite fought.

    He never understood the big weapons. They had no elegance.

    As Yomite ended the fight capable of making people feel nauseous, he stepped over the corpse of a Hilichurl moving towards thest one, but before he could, Hu Tao rushed in and struck thest Hilichurl with the back of her staff, breaking its twisted nose and knocking it to the ground.

    Before the Hilichurl could even register the pain from the first hit, Kaeya plunged its sword deep into the back of its head before giving it a violent twist.

    "Look how low you''ve fallen...Disgusting." He muttered as he sheathed his sword back into its scabbard.

    The wolf had stopped its growling and snarling the moment the first Hilichurl had been killed as it cautiously watched the human in front of it.

    It then turned its head as it heard the sound of the more peopleing to join the one in front of him. The moment they cleared out his tormentors, all eyes were focused on him.

    It immediately tensed up and readied itself to fight once more.

    "Kaeya, what are you doing?"

    "I am going to break the chains." Kaeya calmly replied as he sheathed his sword before joining his party.

    The blue wolf looked back at the group and instinctively growled as it took a shaky step toward them.

    The wolf took another step before fatigue finally set in, and he suddenly copsed on its side struggling to keep its eyes open.

    Blood ran from its wounds from where it had been beaten, stabbed, and cut by the Hilichurls and other monsters.

    For weeks, it endured the torture of the Hilichurls all the while, trying to stay alive, not remembering who it was or it''s purpose, simply used as a tool to gather magic and energy.

    It witnessed the humans who had entered the Domain not long before but were ultimately defeated and consumed by the monsters.

    Now, that it had its freedom once again, it could onlyy there waiting to die from its wounds.

    "It''s injured, we need to bring him to Mondstadt at once." Kaeya urged as he put the huge cub into his embrace, looking a bit hrious, but now was not the time.

    "Why are you going so far for a wolf you just met?" Hu Tao inquired.

    "I feel something quite peculiar about this pup, and to confirm my suspicion, he needs to be healed. We are bringing him with us to Mondstadt."

 Chapter 25

    The group progressed steadily through the temple.

    Kaeya had the wolf cub in his arms and caressed it so that it wouldn''t focus on the pain but instead on the feeling offort.

    They had to hurry both because of the Stormterror and this injured cub.

    On their way, they encountered quite a few traps and hidden puzzles, they couldn''t pass without the help of Kaeya, so he reluctantly put the cub into the hands of Yomite, who was overjoyed inside and carefully stroked the puppy.

    In response to that, the puppy lifted its head and weakly licked his hand.

    ''Cute. We will definitely heal him up. This will be my first pet.'' Yomite decided while caressing it in a steady rhythm that wasfortable enough for the injured wolf.

    Kaeya ended up being one of the most indispensable people on this team as he could basically walk on the water by paving a path through the water surface, freezing it with his Vision.

    The underwater spikes made the area too dangerous to swim through, but with his help, they got to the other side effortlessly.

    "Jesus," Yomite muttered, gazing at the water.

    Kaeya looked back at him through his shoulder, tilting his head, "Who?"

    "No, it''s...nothing..."

    As they entered another corridor, Kaeya spoke, "Stormterror was once one of The Four Winds. I am not aware of the exact details. So if you''re interested, you can ask the Acting Grand Master about it, but now that it is hostile, we will have to either take care of it or persuade it somehow, which I doubt we will be able to."

    "Killing a dragon, huh. About to get that Dragon yer Title in the tutorial."

    He knew that they could potentially do it, it''s just how many casualties would it take to do so. The enemy was a dragon, even if it was weakened to some point, there was no telling of what might happen the moment they encountered it again.

    The dragon was badly injured, and fighting an injured monster that was backed into a corner, was the worst kind of monster you could fight against.

    Some of the people he met yesterday, might not live through the ordeal, or even worse, he might be the one to take the short end of the stick.

    Yomite was still gauging his limits, to see how far he could go before he had to be careful.

    As they moved on,

    It was the sound of loud cursing that made Kaeya stop in front of one of the closed temple entrances, his hand hovering over a mechanism, resembling a doorknob as he listened.

    He could understand it pretty well since it was partially his mother tongue. The Hilichurls were angry about the intruders. It seemed like they didn''t take care of all of the Hilichurls, and a few of them had escaped, rying the news to the higher-ups in charge.

    ''One? No...Two Abyss Mages present. Might be a little bit of fun.'' He turned to hispanions and whispered, "Cryo Abyss mages, and a few of Cryo Hilichurls."

    Yomite luckily understood what Cryo meant. During the small talk they had before raiding this ce, a few new terms such as Pyro, Cryo, Anemo, Electro, Hydro, Dendro, and Geo were mentioned by Kaeya, so Yomite had grasped the basics of elements.

    Quietly, Kaeya turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open to reveal two Cryo Abyss Mages, a herd of Cryo Hilichurls, and a totem ced on the ground as they bowed down next to it, seemingly worshipping the weird object.

    That object looked to be their goal. They needed to destroy it right now and then move onto the next temple.

    He stood in the doorway, watching as two more Hilichurl Archers appeared from the sides, pacing the cramped space, back and forth, guarding it.

    One of the Cryo Abyss Mages reached his hands towards the totem and clenched it so hard Kaeya was surprised when the totem didn''t actually break from the pressure.

    Soon enough, some kind of ancient power flew straight into the veins of the said Abyss Mage, powering him up as a magic shield around him has activated.

    ''The magic shield will be a pain. I will leave it to the little girl as she is the perfect match up against that.'' Kaeya sighed as he signaled toward Hu Tao.

    She noticed the Cryo Abyss Mage and it didn''t take her a long time to figure out what he wanted, she grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.

    Kaeya''s Vision was the same element as the Abyss Mage''s shield, and that made it almost impossible for him to break through without external help.

    He could be slicing, using his Vision multiple times against the barrier, yet it would barely leave a scratch on it.

    This was why elemental reactions and elemental counters were highly based on the match-ups.

    Even if you were a godlike entity such as an Archon, it would still take you a long time to destroy an Abyss Mage''s shield of the same element, when in reality, all you had to do was to find a Pyro Vision user.

    The shield would be gone in a matter of seconds without trying too much. Such were thews of this world.

    "Now then, go in," He signaled her to enter the room and she nodded.

    She reached for her spear and entered the room.

    Unfortunately for them, no one seemed to have noticed her as they were either busy praying to the Totem down on their knees, or currently facing the other way.

    Taking the free chance to engage, she crouched down, severing one of the Hilichurl''s Achilles'' heels with her strike as the Hilichurl buckled in pain.

    She then lunged at the next creature with a shout and struck at the base of its skull, just as she had seen Kaeya do earlier.

    She shed through the next one, and again, her blow was powerful enough to kill the creature.

    Noticing her, the hilichurls were just starting to stand up when a magical red beam shot through the room and hit him in the head.

    It was her spear.

    The creature copsed with a loud rumble to the ground.

    She effortlessly dodged the iing onught of attacks from other Hillichurls and picked her polearm off of the ground, begining the carnage once more.

    "Gohus, Chiso Vonph..." The Cryo Abyss Mages seemed to chant some kind of powerful spell, but before they could finish, a single sh of fire cut both of their shields in two, effortlessly cutting through them as if through butter, making them fall to the ground.

    The perpetrator was Hu Tao, whose range was basically the entirety of this small cramped room, making her spear deadly for all enemies in sight, but also slightly disadvantageous as Yomite and Kaeya could be hit in the cross-fire, so to avoid that, they were waiting outside of the room, observing whether she needed assistance or not.

    Watching them helplessly rolling on the floor, Hu Taoughed out loud and beheaded them, dodging two iing arrows from thest survivors, the Hilichurlian Archers.

    With another swing she burned them up with her mes, finally cleaning up the ce.

    She turned back to her party and asked in anticipation, "How was that, How was that?"

    Yomite nodded and replied, "It was alright." Not wanting it to get into her head and act almighty for the rest of the day. That was thest thing he wanted.

    Kaeya simply pped his hands andmented, "Great, but you should have left some for us, now I am back to being bored." His gaze thennded on the Totem and with a single swing he destroyed it.

    The moment he did, a golden chest appeared in front of them, together with the portal they could use to leave the ce.

    "Oh an actual treasure chest... let''s open it..." Yomite suggested.

    Kaeya had a thoughtful look on his face and said, "You two divide the rewards, I am rich enough. My Pirate bloodline guarantees that I could find million of Mora on a daily basis." Saying that, he picked up the wolf cub and left through the portal.

    "Yeah, yeah whatever," Yomite shrugged his shoulders, his eyes not leaving the chest in front of him.

    "Well, let''s dig in~!" Hu Tao couldn''t wait any longer and opened the chest

    "Woah! So shiny~!"

    The chest was full of shiny Mora, crystals, and a few weapons.

    "Let''s see, I will take the new ymore and you take the spear, and we can divide the Mora inside... wait what''s this?" He noticed some blue starlike things at the edge of the chest.

    Hu Tao took a look at them and concluded, "These are primogems. It''s another form of currency, maybe you''ve heard of it? In any case, they are useless for me as I have no idea how to use them so you can just take them~!"

    Yomite has heard about this special type of currency from the cksmith''s disciple and he mentioned something about it being used for people with Visions.

    He picked up the ten primogems, cing them into his pocket.

 Chapter 26

    Both Hu Tao and Yomite somehow managed to take everything from the chest, not leaving a speck of dust behind, but it was quite challenging. They almost had no more space left to put things into.

    ''Where is the famed inventory skill when you need it...fuck I should have asked for that...'' Yomiteined but it was way toote and besides, it wasn''t guaranteed Sia would just give him what he wanted.

    He should just be happy about the nice bonus of a strong body he got.

    The moment they left through the portal, they appeared in the same camp they were in before, with the only change of there being Amber, leaning on the entrance of the gate.

    "Hey there guys!" She waved at them, both of them looking at her in confusion.

    "Shouldn''t she be with the second group right now? Why is she here?" Yomite asked while gazing at Kaeya, asking for an exnation.

    "Well it appears the second group was so good, they managed to finish thest temple as well! Saving us time and effort!" Kaeyaughed, while somewhat happy that he didn''t need to go to another boring temple.

    Amber chimed in and exined, "Well, we managed to finish our temple yesterday, so we moved onto thest one, but as you never showed up and it was getting dark, we decided to enter thest one. We cleared it fairly quickly and once we got out and you still weren''t there, Lisa was worried so she sent me here to check up on you, whilst the Traveler and Lisa went back to the city of Mondstadt."

    Yomite nodded, "I see, well the temple wasn''t that hard, we just entered it not too long ago as Kaeya wanted us to wait till the morning."

    Amber frowned as she stared at Kaeya form up close, Kaeya looking away frantically, "Sir Kaeya...you were beingzy again, weren''t you?"

    "..."

    Kaeya didn''t speak and instead shook his hands in denial, but that didn''t seem to be working.

    Amber''s gaze turned into that of a slight disgust as she spoke, "You are bing really irresponsible..."

    After another series of harsh scoldings, the group quickly returned to Mondstadt as the puppy needed immediate healing from the Deaconess.

    As they entered the city, they went towards the direcition of the church. Once there, they gently knocked on therge door leading inside.

    Soon enough, a nun poked her head outside and asked, "Hello, can I do something for you?"

    Amber exined the situation, making the nun look at them in suspicion, thinking whether they were joking or not.

    A request to heal a wild animal? That has never happened to them before.

    Still, she led them inside, towards the Deaconess.

    "Deaconess Barbara, some people are requesting an urgent healing procedure."

    "I see! I will get to it immediately!"

    A charismatic individual and a gentle voice. Those were the first things Yomite saw, the second thing was, a pair blue eyes, a pair of ash blonde pigtails.

    Her build was petite and Yomite guessed her age to be something around fourteen to sixteen years old.

    ''A Deaconess that was this young? That''s a fantasy world for you.'' He thought as he stared at the weird, unorthodoxed style of clothing.

    She had a pair of white tights, Yomite could have sworn he saw somewhere before.

    She was in no way dressing up as a nun, nor a Deaconess, that''s for sure.

    Her Vision was attached to a gold-adorned spell-book with a light blue cover and a small cross charm hangs at her side, attached to a ck strap held together with a gold hoop.

    Amber brought the puppy to her and while surprised, Barbara immediately activated her Vision, summoning water droplets resembling musical notes that formed a Melody Loop and healed the puppy fully after a couple of seconds.

    After healing the puppy, she looked at them with a smile and wondered, "Is anyone else injured?" Her voice was calm and soothing, making it seem like she was whispering whilst talking normally.

    "No, we are good to go, thank you and bye!" Amber gave her a salute and the rest of the group waved at her, saying their goodbyes.

    As he was leaving, Yomite couldn''t help but feel like there was sadness in her eyes, but he couldn''t just care about every random person he met now, could he?

    As they wereing out of the church, Yomite saw a familiar person in the distance, "Hm, isn''t that Acting Grand Master Jean?"

    "Looks like it. It seems like she is having an argument with someone." Kaeya revealed a cheeky grin. It''s been a long time since someone other than him was being scolded.

    A woman, in herte twenties, wearing a raven-like mask covering her eyes, was yelling at Jean, who was trying to act calm and collected as always. She was an Acting Grand Master, it was below her to just join this woman in her ''shoutingpetition''.

    "Which is what has brought us to this point in the first ce! If you are incapable of promptly dealing with the Stormterror threat, then leave the defense of Mondstadt to the Fatui! Some of your knights could be ssified as Hilichurls at this point! They are too useless! The Fatui will put an end to the Mondstadt''s dragon issue. All we need to do is to bring that monster to the��"

    "��Monster? Excuse me?" Jean frowned, her shoulders stiffening.

    "Yes? What''s your point?" The woman grinned knowing she hit the weak spot.

    Jean took a deep breath and replied, "Ah...With all due respect, I''d expect a more professional attitude from the Fatui diplomats. Yet you are saying you want to "put an end" to one of the Four Winds of Mondstadt? One of the Guardians? I won''t be having any of this nonsense in front of the Knights of Favonius."

    She was seemingly upset but still managed to maintain herposure. The woman in front of her just wanted to make her feel furious, but such light provocation was nothing.

    The woman giggled as a response, "Heh...Hehehe... Your Guardian is periodically attacking this city, causing both your Dandelion Knight Friends and the citizens to suffer. It''s not as crazy as you make it sound, but fine let''s end the negotiations for today. At this stage, it''s simply an amicable exchange of constructive opinions, no? I reckon you''re pretty smart, so you''ll see what''s better for your people and give in eventually. It''s just a matter of time." With that, the woman turned around and left with a smirk on her face.

    "Fine. Do as you wish." Shaking her head, she noticed an arrival of a certain party.

    Jean''s eyes widened and she let out a rxed smile, seeing this group. "Ah. Wee back. I am d you are safe. Thanks for your help. The elemental flow is now finally stable. The aftermath of Stormterror''sst attack is finally settled for the moment, however, the pressure from the delegation has be too big to be ignored..."

    "A delegation?" Hu Tao tilted her head, "From Liyue Harbor or Inazuma?"

    Jean shook her head, "Snezhnaya. They choose to follow the God of Cryo. Their envoys go by a particr name: The Fatui. Ever heard of them?"

    Hu Tao nodded and her face turned bitter, "They are super infamous...Aiya...They alwayse during my parting rituals and bother me. What a bunch of rascals. I thought they only operated in Liyue."

    "What did they want this time?" Kaeya inquired.

    "They proposed we should kill the Stormterror, or else they will take care of it...And I believe they have enough manpower to beat it, but I simply don''t think killing it is the right course of action. The Cryo God''s Fatui has always coveted the Anemo God''s power. I don''t believe they have Mondstadt''s best interests at heart." Jean hung her head low, resting her hand on her chest.

    "I see, the situation is certainlyplicated." Yomite thought out loud, "So a bitter power struggle is ongoing. To recapitte it, a different country called Snezhnaya wants to take over Mondstadt and its power, and in return, they would take care of the dragon for you, however, you don''t wish to kill the dragon. It''s actually bing really cliche."

    Jean affirmed, "Well, you summarised it to the most part but let''s not talk about it here out in the open." Jean let out a tired sigh and continued, "We wouldn''t want citizens to spread rumors and break into chaos. Let''s go back to Headquarters, for now, there was something the Traveler Lumine wanted to show us but kept waiting for you guys to arrive first."

    "Sure."

    "Sure~!"

    "I am too tired but alright."

    "Roger that!"

    The group nodded with some taunts and got moving.

    Mondstadt and Snezhnaya were considered the same in status. Mondstadt was independent and didn''t belong to anyone.

    It was a city of freedom and despite being regarded as a city, in reality, it was a country, a prosperous one at that.

    "Snezhnaya diplomats are usually the most aggressive out there. They will get their hands on everything valuable without regard for losing face." Jean mentioned along the way, reaching for the door handle of the entrance to the Headquarters.

    "Makes sense, that woman just now was so insufferable! Why is everyone so meantely?" Amber spoke in an irritated voice.

    They talked for a bit before arriving in front of Jean''s office.

    Once they walked in, the group saw Lisa who was reading a book sitting on a couch while sipping on her herbal tea, and Lumine, ying with Paimon in her hands, while leaning on a nearby wall with an adorable expression on her face.

    The moment they stepped inside, both of them stopped their rxing activities and weed them.

    After a brief period of exnations, Lumine pulled out a burning red crystal seemingly out of nowhere.

    "That thing looks like it''s expensive. Any way to check the price, Mr. Pirate?" Yomite turned to Kaeya who studied it carefully, "Hmm...The bids shall start at 20 Million Mora. How does that sound?"

    "Pretty good. Not going to lie."

    "Looks pretty!" Hu Tao chimed in.

    "It fits my clothes! I could wear it as a ne," Amber beamed.

    Seeing everyone''s nonchnt attitude, Jean sighed. She turned to Lisa and asked, "It''s a crystal embedded with some kind of dark power... Lisa, are you able to analyze it?"

    "Let me take a quick look." She brought a magnifying ss and zoomed in on the structure of the crystal. "Hmm... I can see many impurities within the crystal but upon further inspection...No, unfortunately not. Give me some time. I will take a look through the library''s restricted section,"

    Upon hearing the word Library, Yomite''s interest peaked.

    ''She did say a restricted section, so I doubt I will be able to ess it, but the normal section should be fine, right?''

    Once everything has calmed down, Yomite nned on finding some kind of library, but it seems like he didn''t have to look too far. It was inside of the Knight''s Headquarters, waiting for him to explore.

    "Alright, I am counting on you. I will leave the research to you then, Lisa."

    Lisa nodded, "Understood, I will notify you if I make any progress. Though I wouldn''t go getting your hopes up that much. I am nothing that amazing. They are incredibly ancient texts, not to mention��" She reached her hand towards the crystal, floating in the mid-air, and quickly pulled it back upon the contact, a red spark burning her glove and a bit of her skin, "Ouch! Gosh, that hurt!" She caressed the palm of her hand and sighed, "It hurts when I touch it...The impurities within the crystal might be behind it..."

 Chapter 27

    "I see...It seems to be reacting with Visions..." Lisa snarled under her breath, "The impurities and the elemental energy we embody repel each other."

    As she was grumbling, Jean looked up at Lumine, "It''s strange though, it doesn''t seem to be affecting the Traveler, despite her having an ess to the elemental abilities."

    "..."

    Taken aback by Jean''s words, Lumine wasn''t entirely sure how to respond. In the end, the only thing she could manage was to awkwardly stay there in silence. Her whole ordeal and her backstory were a secret.

    So far, only Paimon and Yomite knew about it, and she didn''t n on adding more people to that low count.

    Yomite immediately knew why she was flipping out. It had to do with the fact that she was not from this world. Well, the same could be said about him, as for now, he didn''t n on telling this to anyone, although he was pretty sure that Lumine already knew about it to some point.

    She was also currently in his party, so he will have to talk with her about itter on along the road. He was interested in her story a bit.

    Lisa pulled the damaged glove from her hand and continued, "Anyway, the crystal would be better left in the hands of the Cutie. It will just be a pain if left with us. Both literally and metaphorically..."

    Lumine''s face went from frown to a look of determination before nodding, feeling lucky as the subject changed quick enough for her to escape.

    "Okay. I will keep it. Wait...Cutie...?" She seemed to mishear what was just said to her.

    "...Fascinating," Jean mumbled as she was thinking about how unique Lumine was. She then looked at Yomite, another unique individual who didn''t appear to wear Vision on him, yet managed to defeat Stormterror.

    She heard the report from Kaeya clearly, he was an enigma. They didn''t know where he came from, nothing about his abilities, nor if he was an enemy or an ally, but seeing that Kaeya took him under his wing eased up a lot of her worries.

    The Vision was special, in that it didn''t work unless certain conditions were met.

    First, worthy individuals had to possess it, then, the Vision had to be worn somewhere on your clothes or skin where it was visible for others.

    Simrly, the Vision stopped working the moment the user took it off of themselves or handed it to someone else, losing its worth if anyone ever thought about stealing one.

    And yet.

    He didn''t have one, yet possesed some unknown power.

    ''No, now is not the time...''

    She dismissed the thought and nced back at Lumine, "Do you know about anything that makes you special?"

    Lumine lightly shook her head, her palms sweating. She didn''t have a talent for lying but she could keep up her poker face for a while.

    "Hah...I do not know what to make of it either..." Jean sighed.

    "Well, then Wanderer Yomite, Director of the Funeral parlor Hu Tao, and Traveler Lumine...The Knights of Favonius have another favor to ask of you. For your services, please ept the titles of Honorary Knights...and the gratitude of me, the Acting Grand Master." Jean announced, her hand on her chest.

    Hearing that, Paimon flew around in joy, "Honorary Knights of Favonius!? Wow! That''s amazing! Paimon wants a title as well!"

    "Then how about a Warm Bodypillow? Sounds pretty good I would say." Yomite asked, waiting for someone''s confirmation.

    Lumine shook her head and replied, "Emergency ratios, Emergency food. I am already getting hungry..." a string of saliva ran down her lips as she focused her fervent gaze on the flying chicken.

    "Oh, that might actually be a nice nickname, good one." Yomite nodded.

    Paimon stomped her small boots in the air and shouted, "Hey! That''s not the way to talk to your friend!! Besides, that joke is getting old! Repetitive jokes aren''t funny anymore! And what even is a Bodypillow?!"

    "Ahahah...you are better off not knowing..."

    Having already lost interest in the conversation, Hu Tao leaned forward in her normal careless manner, almost falling asleep as she objected, "I don''t wish to have a title. I would like some reimbursement instead if you don''t mind. The contract with the Adventurers'' Guild I mentioned, for example..."

    "It is already done. I let them know, and we''ve added quite a lot of the benefits. Still, don''t go expecting our Adventurers to go and die...We want them to survive..."

    "Yaay~!" Hu Tao cheered as that was the only thing she came into Mondstadt to do and she seeded.

    "We require your continued assistance in finding some answers. Stormterror''s rage...and those strange crimson crystals...I know Mondstadt''s peace hangs in the bnce...I beg of you..." She bowed to them.

    They needed every bit of assistance they could get. She knew the strongest Knights were currently on an expedition with the Grand Master Varka, so theycked the manpower and these strangers were quite powerful in her eyes.

    No, it would be quite rude to call them that. They were Honorary Knights now.

    Lumine and Hu Tao looked at Yomite, as he was currently the party leader, and he didn''t mind helping, of course for the appropriate price.

    "Sure, let''s do it then."

    Hearing his answer, Jean rxed and replied, "May the wind open our eyes to the truth...I refuse to believe Stormterror turned against mankind for no reason, despite protecting us for so long..." She sighed and continued with her speech, "Once you find something,e to me. Likewise, if we find out something we will let you know."

    """Alright."""

    Jean stared at them as they walked away, slightly in a daze.

    She was overworked. Rubbing her temples, she felt that another headache wasing her way.

    Lisa noticed her pained expression and went to make her a herbal tea.

    Being the Acting Grand Master meant she was overrun by too many responsibilities, jobs, missions, quests, and requests, that she simply couldn''t handle all by herself if she didn''t give it her all.

    Every day, whole day without rest, without a day off.

    That was the moto of the Gunnhildr family.

    "Live for Mondstadt, die for Mondstadt."

 Chapter 28

    As the group disbanded, Paimon dragged Lumine away. She put her small hands on her hips and said, "There is something you didn''t tell them. The dragon and the crystal weren''t the only things we saw...."

    "I don''t think he was a bad guy, I''d like to investigate him on my own first," Lumine replied with a hesitant gaze. The green-clothed boy who was ying on his lyre, sending pleasant waves of melody to the dragon didn''t seem that dangerous to her. She didn''t know why, but she felt like she shouldn''t mention him.

    "So you do remember him! That green guy we met before arriving in Mondstadt! It seemed like he couldmunicate with the dragon." Paimon saw someone run in the distance and muttered, "He looked just like that guy down there."

    Lumine followed her gaze and indeed saw the person Paimon was pointing at, "Well... it looks like him...Or is it a girl? The exact same shade of green too, what a coincidence."

    Paimon let out a chuckle, the sound of it undefined, "...See? See...? I told you!"

    "...Wait...hold on just a minute...! That...That''s the same guy!" she panicked and looked around, no longer able to see the man.

    "..."

    "..."

    "The green guy had disappeared! Let''s follow his elemental trace! We might be still able to get him."

    ***

    Lumine and Paimon said their farewell and left off somewhere.

    Amber said she was itching to try out her new glider so she was currently busy with that.

    Kaeya left while saying he was going to take a nap. He overused his Vision and he needed rest. He also brought the puppy with him for now, although he wasn''t sure what he will do with it.

    Neither Jean nor Lisa seemed to be surprised, nor question where the wolf cub came from.

    That only left Hu Tao, who also dipped, telling Yomite she was going to talk with the ck-haireddy from the guild about the contract that was established.

    She wanted to know more details about it.

    Before she left, Yomite told her to ask thedy behind the counter for new daily missions, as the previous ones have expired and they couldn''t collect any rewards from them.

    After saying goodbye, Yomite found himself standing in front of Angel''s Share pub once again.

    This time, he had both money and the mood to drink as no one was bothering him, although there was still the worry about finding himself a ce to stay at.

    Thest time Kaeya brought him here was by force, but this time, he was alone and nned to enjoy himself fully.

    Just as he was about to enter, a girl in bright green clothes rushed from his side and touched the doorknob simultaneously as he did.

    Seeing that her hand was on top of his, holding it gently because of her mistake, she quickly pulled back apologizing, her face flushed.

    "I am sorry!"

    "It''s fine..." Yomite replied, feeling a bit weirded out by her behavior.

    She was blushing from touching his hand? How can she get embarrassed about that?

    Both of them entered the tavern, and Yomite sat down at the bar chair. The girl did the same and sat next to him, nning to order some ale for herself.

    "What''ll it be today?" Charles, the bartender, asked while wiping away at a ss as usual. He turned to Yomite, recalling his face, "If it isn''t "Kaeya''s" brother. I see that you are still alive...Lucky you."

    Yomite smiled wryly, "Still alive?... Well yeah...Kaeya is a very interesting person. Anyway, I am here to drink and not to talk about him. I am kind of new when ites to drinks around these parts, so can you give me a rmendation for today?"

    "Sure thing, but make sure you have enough Mora, or else I will put it onto Kaeya''s tab." He poured him the special of the day and ced the ss on the table in front of him.

    "This drink is the strongest we have currently. It was transported from a farawaynd called Snezhnaya. The drink is called Cyka Vodka. No Idea what it means, don''t ask me...We tried to sell it to a few people already, but they said it was too strong."

    "Vodka?"

    Yomite squinted his eyes at the familiar brand.

    He brought it before his lips, then gulped down the entire contents of the container. Immediately, feeling a hot change inside of his throat and stomach.

    He wasn''t really used to having a heavy drink for the leisure of it. It wasn''t something he usually indulged in, but once in a while, it wasn''t bad.

    Back in his world, he indulged in things such as wine, beer, or sake. He never tried anything stronger, but seeing the familiar alcohol he heard so much about in his old world, he couldn''t help but want to try it out, now that it was here before his eyes.

    "Yes, today''s special is indeed the limited edition Cyka Vodka, but so far, no one was able to handle more than two shots." Charles turned to the girl sitting next to him and continued, "So, you are here again, Venti the bard...If I am correct, Master Diluc doesn''t allow you to drink as you are still too wet behind your ears. So keep those hands away from my alcohol."

    The woman giggled and begged with a soothing voice, "I drank lots of drinks yet too many to remember, so pretty please let me have some mister Bartender!"

    Charles rolled his eyes and replied, "Keep those rhymes away from me, please...I listen enough to bards every day, and at this point, it''s hurting my head. Like...for real."

    Yomite''s interest was piqued, "A bard? You are a bard?"

    Venti turned and faced Yomite, "I am a bard, big shot, oh yes! Hurray to the Seven gods that bless!"

    Yomite snorted at her reply, and Charles sighed, "This bardes here almost every single daytely, expecting payment in apples or alcohol..."

    "Hoh, a bard how great. I always wanted to listen to one, and it''s even a cute girl at that. Sing me something." Yomite anchored his elbow on the table and tucked his fist under his chin, turning his head to look at "her".

    He then grabbed the Vodka bottle from the counter and poured himself a few more shots. Charles didn''t stop him, as he finally found someone he could use to get rid of the bottle. It would be a shame to just throw it away as it was pretty expensive.

    After four more shots, Yomite could already feel the alcohol now dominating his system, his sight blurred a bit and his temples pounded.

    He then reached out his hand to his bag, giving Venti three hundred Mora, expecting to hear her beautiful voice, adequate for his payment. He didn''t know how much he was supposed to give to a bard, so he didn''t give out too much or too little.

    He felt like listening to something refreshing during his rxing drinking session. Sometimes it was just better to drink your worries and problems away.

    In his old world, he always had headphones tucked into his ears.

    While working, while reading novels, while eating. Pretty much whenever he had the opportunity to.

    Theck of technology and music was starting to bother Yomite and it wasn''t even two days since he arrived here.

    He would have to do something about this in the future, but he already had a few things on his mind and nned on getting rich by selling his ideas.

    As such, he wanted to hear the unknown melody and songs of this world.

    He was even more interested when he noticed that the girl had a lyre, which was an instrument you could almost never even see in the popr genres.

    "Heh...I''m honored, I''m ttered, this meeting really mattered...But as for the rest, I came to the conclusion, to wake you up from your delusion...I spied my little bundle of joy, but to correct you, I am just a little boy! Te-he!" Venti sang with his calm and soft voice, strumming the lyre and sending Yomite a cute wink afterward.

    Upon hearing that, Yomite widened his eyes, "You? A boy? No, you are fucking not! Stop spouting jokes! You are clearly a girl!" He chuckled, closing his eyes and taking yet another sip of the beverage he bought. It was truly delicious.

    He may have been a bit drunk, but even then he didn''t believe Venti''s words one bit.

    Venti seemed conflicted as he murmured, "No, really, I am a��"

    "��I Said... No... You''re... Fucking... Not..." He spelled it out for him, almost crushing the ss in his hands.

    "��Ok-Okay..." Venti recovered from Yomite''s sudden outrage and continued singing, "*Cough* *Cough*...Who are you that I should have to lie? When the nightes falling from the sky..."

    "..."

    "Hear the voice of the male Bard! Who present, past, and future sees, whose ears have heard, the Sevens Word, for I am Venti the Bard, Traveler, Musician and a Rhyming star. Also the three-times best bard of the city of Mondstadt, but that''s beside the point." He gloated about his aplishment towards the end of his introduction.

    "I get it, I wanted you to sing me a song... not to spout these cringe-worthy rhymes in a form of a poem...They are killing me...please stop..." Yomite let out a cross between a snarl and a groan as he pounded his head onto the table.

    Charles nodded in agreement. He never really understood the beauty of poems or rhymes so he was d when Venti finally stopped.

 Chapter 29

    "Can you not speak like that? Please talk normally..." Yomite half-smiled at Venti, but his eyes showed no humor at all. He felt like strangling this trap.

    "Yes, that I can do. Is it better now?"

    "Thank god..."

    "Which one? Depending on your answer, I might reward you with another song!"

    "Ugh..."

    He alwaysughed at the protagonists who couldn''t differentiate guys from girls and mocked them...Now he did the same freaking thing and it was unbearable.

    Just then, someone entered the tavern and shouted, "Ah! We finally found him! You can no longer hide green man!" the little flying girl pointed in the direction of Venti the bard, showing a triumphant expression, "See! Paimon told you we would find him!"

    It was Lumine and Paimon, the duo that was pursuing Venti since a while ago. They finally found elemental traces and located him inside of this tavern, and to their surprise, Yomite was already sitting right next to him.

    "It seems like the party leader was here before us," Lumine muttered under her breath. She knew he was impressive but to find the man before them, as expected of him.

    "Wait...you guys...What are you doing here..." With his mind swirling in an oasis of sudden confusion, Yomite stared at the duo of troublemakers, without having any idea of what was currently going on.

    Venti stood up as he immediately recognized them, yelling, "Ah, that''s right! You are the ones that scared Dvalin away!"

    "Dvalin? Who is that? Paimon doesn''t remember anyone with that name." She was holding her head in her arms, yet she couldn''t remember no matter how much she tried. The name wasn''t familiar to her.

    "Lisa told us already, weren''t you listening? That''s Stormterror''s real name."

    "Oh...Yeah...Most people seem to call him Stormterror...Why do you call him Dvalin? Are you two meant to be close or something? Suspicious."

    "Oh, we are so very close you have no idea!" Venti cheerfully replied.

    "Hey...Paimon thinks this guy has a screw loose..."

    "I''m sorry for my friend Paimon..." Lumine apologized and sat down on a bar chair next to him, "My name is Lumine, and you are?"

    Venti put his hand on his chest and introduced himself, "I''m Venti the bard! Anyway, from the way you are staring at me, it seems like you want something. So, what is it that you need?"

    "Hm? You guys met Venti before? Apparently, it''s a dude! Funny, right?" Yomite let out a humorless chuckle. Feeling every tiny bit of pain from that one sentence.

    Lumine nodded, "We know. Anyone could tell. He doesn''t look like a girl whatsoever."

    "Ah...is that so...okay then..." Yomite slumped back down onto the table. Was it just him who was baited by this so-called "Trap?".

    ''Impossible! I refused to believe this!'' He roared in his mind.

    "Given you recognized us, Paimon doesn''t believe we need to exin any further. Of course, it''s about Stormterror or Dvalin or whatever!"

    "Hmmm...Storm?...What was it again?" Venti, who tried to be oblivious, was dodging the question the best way he could.

    "Hey! Cut it out with your amnesia act!" Paimon shouted as Lumine held her back by her tiny waist or else she would pounce on him.

    She was holding Paimon back, but she agreed with her words, "Apparently, there are people called Fatui targetting Dvalin, so if by any chance Dvalin is your friend, I am letting you know."

    Noticing a small change in his expression, Lumine knew that he most likely cared about Dvalin a lot.

    Charles, the bartender, overheard their small talk and sat down on one of the bar chairs, joining in on their conversation, "If you don''t mind, I will join you for a bit. So, are people actually hunting that thing now?" he poured himself a ss of wine and awaited their response.

    Lumine nodded, "Yes. Acting Grand Master Jean told us a few things about it. If Knights of Favonius agree to Fatui terms, they will take care of the Dragon."

    Venti frowned, "Kill Dvalin...That''s just..."

    Charles sighed, "Dragon''s been quite the headache for sure. Stormterror''s affected our tavern''s supply routes, so the variety of wines here has also dropped...As for Stormterror itself, I''m not too worried. I think those people who numb themselves with alcohol are just scared out of their wits. But if we do reach the point of no return then we just need to wait for night to fall. The "Knight Who Emerges At Night" will not just stand idly by..."

    Yomite raised his head, his consciousness dwindling, "Batman?"

    "Excuse me, who?"

    "..."

    "..."

    "But Paimon still wonders why Stormterror had attacked Mondstadt in the first ce...How could this happen...Wasn''t Dvalin a protector?" Paimon mused as she flew around, sniffing the various bottle caps from beverages, trying to look for something to satiate her sweet tongue.

    "Well, Little Fairydy...what''s passed has passed, I say. There is plenty of mysteries out there ready to be unraveled. Some people have suffered, but life isn''t all sweet fruit juice. It also needs some bitter alcohol. These incidents will also be part of our experience. Rather than ask how this could happen, we should look forward to the future to learn about the truth. epting the bitter with the sweet is how adults around these parts do things. Once you''re ready for the bitter, I''ll pour you a special brew." the bearded bartender chuckled. He felt as if he was talking sense to his daughter.

    The flying cutiepie could indeed leave a deep impression on people, and almost everyone could agree that she was incredibly cute.

    "No, no! Paimon dislikes bitter! Pour me only sweet things! No bitter! Paimon hates when life bes bitter!"

    Charles let out another chuckle, "No bitter drinks in the future for you then, got it."

    Lumine pulled out a crystal seemingly out of nowhere and showed it to Venti, "We found this."

    Venti gazed at the crystal wide-eyed, "Isn''t this..."

    Just then, Paimon noticed something odd and shrieked, "What!? The crystal has been purified!? When? We checked it a few minutes ago, and it was full of impurities!" she moved her small head up and down, closing and opening her eyes, yet no matter how she looked, the crystal was of pure blue color instead of the crimson red.

    "Yep, that thing was fully red, even the magician mil�� I mean...even the Librarian Lisa was injured while trying to touch it," Yomite also testified, while choking on his words a bit there.

 Chapter 30

    "Ah, Dvalin...the anguish it feels has brought it to tears...It was once such a good child...Now so full of rage and suffering..." Venti reached his hand to his pocket and pulled out a smaller version of the crimson crystal. "I also came across a Teardrop Crystal...Can you purify it for me?"

    He handed Lumine the Crystal, and she gazed at it intently. Soon enough, the red crystal resonated with something inside of her and slowly changed color, turning into a lighter shade of blue.

    "Ehhhh!? How is that possible! Paimon never knew you had such an ability!"

    Lumine shook her head and replied, "Neither did I...Something like this ispletely new to me..."

    Yomite just rubbed his palms together. He had struck gold with her.

    It seemed like Lumine had yet another protagonist cheat. He was more than happy for the addition. The more cheat abilities his teammates had, the easier time exploring and fighting monsters would be. Hail the cheats of isekai protagonists!

    Charles gazed at the weird crystal in her hands and whispered, "I believe it would be better for you to go upstairs, where no people are currently staying at." He looked around the pub, some men were sleeping soundly on their desk and some wereughing out loud whilst listening to the embarrassing tales of theirrades.

    "Things like that should be talked about in private, you never know who is listening."

    The group agreed with his suggestion and went up to the second floor. Yomite had a bit of a hard time walking up the stairs, but luckily, he managed to sessfully do it without falling over.

    "So...what now?"

    Lumine ran her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes. She knew that Acting Grand Master Jean told her to gather as much info as possible about the Stormterror. "I think you should answer a few of our questions, wouldn''t you agree?" She nced at Venti and observed his reaction.

    Venti nodded and answered, "No problem! You can ask me whatever you want while we are here!"

    "Tch." Yomite clicked his tongue, crossing his arms as he rested his back against the door leading to the balcony. "Then, are you really a guy," he said the words with his ragged voice, an aroma of alcohol leaving his mouth.

    Paimon leaned towards Lumine and whispered, "Ugh...are we sure we want this drunkard as our leader? He seems pretty unreliable. Paimon thinks the two of us will be enough,"

    She shook her head in response, resting her gaze onto him, "We are already signed up as a part of his team and besides, he might be one of the few people I could talk to about myself." she half-smiled, barely shing her pearly white teeth against her lips, betraying her usual emotionless facade.

    Yomite was a stranger to her, yet she felt like she had done the right thing by joining his party. She felt at ease.

    "Oi, I can hear you...I am right here..."

    Venti chuckled and responded, "I don''t mind, I don''t mind...Yes, I am indeed a boy. A boy''s vessel."

    Yomite sighed after his answer. As weird as Venti''s wording in that phrase seemed to be, it looked like Venti wasn''t lying.

    "Oi! Paimon wants to ask some stuff too!"

    "Go on, little one!"

    *

    **

    ***

    And so the group exchanged some info, mostly regarding Dvalin and its weaknesses or maybe some ways to convince it.

    Twenty minutester, they stood up and went downstairs.

    As they were about to leave, Charles stopped Yomite and handed him another drink, "Use this. It will refreshen your mind immediately. Thanks for helping me get rid of that bottle of cursed alcohol. This one is on the house."

    Yomite thanked Charles and took a sip of the drink. It tasted like mashed apple juice, dipped in a few cubes of extra cold ice.

    Immediately, his vision was focused, and he regained his senses. The blurriness within his mind had faded, and he couldn''t help but feel impressed at the functionality of this drink. It was simply phenomenal.

    Something like this would sell in his old world like hotcakes.

    He gazed at the title of the bottle which was currently situated on the bar counter in front of him, and it read Apple Cider. A seeminglymon title for a refreshing drink.

    Charles then further exined that it was ordered by the local tavern patrons often as thest drink of the night, as it was said to have a strong sobering effect. People call it the Fast Rebirth Drink.

    "Ah, but to think that the Cyka Vodka ended up the same disappointment asst time...how unfortunate..." Charles sighed.

    "Hm? What do you mean by that?" Yomite probed.

    "Well, in the past, there was this wine called Fire-Water. It was brought into Mondstadt by Snezhnayan merchants...but Master Diluc has halted the distribution as he passed out for three days after downing a single ss of the said alcohol, stating that the people of Mondstadt couldn''t handle this..." Charles smiled to himself as soon as he remembered the state Master Diluc was in.

    Laying on the bed, paralyzed. The maids were in uproar and everyone was panicking, thinking that the Strong, Handsome, Brave, Master Diluc was poisoned by Snezhnayan merchants. It was truly funny.

    A man of multiple identities, the guardian of the night, falling over after one ss of alcohol.

    "Interesting, I feel like I could give this piece of info to Kaeya, in exchange for something valuable..." Yomite had an evil glint in his eye. Kaeya''s personality was starting to rub off on him.

    Charles showed a small grin, "What an evil asshat you are, but remember, you didn''t hear it from me. Anyway, Master Diluc dislikes alcohol, so I thought it was just him, not being used to drinking. But oh boy, was I wrong. I, myself, was out for a while after trying out that wine...Never again am I going to taste a beverage from Snezhnaya. This one was a failure just like the Fire-Water wine..."

    The groupughed at his words, and Yomite handed him the payment for the stuff he drank.

    "If it wasn''t for the fact that the bottle of that thing cost so much I wouldn''t even require Mora from you as you helped me out, but in the future, you could order a few drinks for free."

    They said their farewells and Yomite and his group left the tavern in high spirits.

 Chapter 31

    Once outside, Venti looked around and the ce was barren of people. Aiming his hand upward, he cast a soundproof air barrier.

    The group looked around in wonder, watching as a green barrier surrounded them.

    "Forgive me for this...but the real talk begins now...I couldn''t activate the barrier inside."

    "Traveler Lumine, you really do have some wonderful abilities. Someone like you is going to end up getting written into bard''s poems. Oh, a hero so bright, should she stand in the light. Though stand in the shade and you will be met by a de..." He turned to Yomite and continued, his voice calm, "And so will you, another otherworldy traveler."

    "Huh? What was that?" Yomite unsheathed his ymore and swung it towards Venti, stopping right in front of his forehead, the gust of wind stirring his hair. "How much do you know? Bardie?"

    He knew there was something fishy about him from the start and he never really trusted him. Although he wasn''t afraid of revealing his strength and abilities, his background was a different case and now, a random bard knew about it.

    How could he not get angry?

    Lumine and Paimon were startled by his sudden attack, yet Venti didn''t even blink.

    "I know a lot and not just me...each Archon had noticed your presence the moment you stepped into this world...Some might have ulterior motives, some might not care..."

    He nced at Lumine and continued, "As for her, only I found out so far, but soon...others will know too. I don''t know what your objective is in this world, but be sure to know that there are entities beyond yourprehension and your ability to handle."

    Yomite scoffed, "Are you trying to ckmail us? If so, then you are knocking on the wrong door. We will take you on right here."

    "No...not at all...I support freedom above everything else...I am not against you living in this world. It would be unbefitting of me as an Archon."

    "Archon? As in one of the Gods mentioned before?" Lumine pondered.

    "Gods?" Yomite frowned. This little trap was a God? Were Gods just casually roaming around the city and entering taverns? "A God? You didn''t mention this back at the pub."

    "If I remember correctly, you are the God of Wind and Freedom, Barbatos, right?" Lumine concluded. She was about 80% sure that he was the one.

    During the fight against the Stormterror, she heard a voice that was very simr to his. It was a voice of a person that was helping her float in the sky, to fend off Stormterror before Yomite showed up.

    "Barbatos!? This green-clothed twerp is!? There is no way!" Paimon eximed in shock, pursuing her lips.

    "Yes, precisely. I know it''s a little bit unbelievable but trust me... Also, don''t worry, I am not mad that you borrowed my power from the Statue of the Seven! Don''t mind it!"

    Lumine clenched her fists, "I see...I am d...I was searching for you."

    She had numerous questions but currently, the biggest one was regarding her brother. Was he alive? Dead? Injured? Did he leave this world without her?

    She knew all of these options were possible, yet silently, she was hoping he was alive and well somewhere out there...

    "So what''s your n now? You decided to speak to us and reveal your identity, that means you want something." Yomite questioned as he sheathed his ymore back into its scabbard. For now, he would just observe him.

    "That''s totally true..." Venti bit his bottom lip, "Look...I personally won''t force you at all...but still...I ask you to help me...I wish to save Dvalin...And I need your help for that..."

    "Help with what exactly? If you are a God, shouldn''t you have enough power to just do anything you want to? It''s just one Dragon after all."

    Usually, Dragons were below Gods or even lesser Gods. While there certainly might have been some Dragons that were above Gods in some of the novels he read, Yomite managed to injure Stormterror rtively easily and it didn''t seem like this type of Dragon was that strong.

    "Well, the thing is...I am most likely the weakest out of all Archons out there," Venti shyly smiled, scratching his cheek, "I am not sure what to do yet...but once I have a n in mind, I would require your assistance and maybe even the assistance of Knights of Favonius as I''ve seen that some of them genuinely wish to help Dvalin, and not y him."

    He sighed and continued, "Anyway, even if Dvalin is not taken down, his life will still wither away in the breeze...He will burn himself down in the mes of anger. I need to stop this..."

    "I also feel sorry for Dvalin." Lumine stated, "I will certainly try to help...In exchange...will you promise me to find one person for me?"

    "Thank you for that, and you for purifying the Teardrop Crystal. Of course, I will help you with anything I can. Right now I have to think about the ns that are to follow, although now that I have talked to you, I have a clearer picture in mind."

    "Oh, and what might that be?" Paimon intruded.

    "Seeing this tear has brought to mind a friend so dear...Anyway, I gotta go running. I will meet you guyster. Once I had figured things out."

    "Hey! Where are you going!?"

    "To the symbol of Mondstadt''s hero. See you there the day after tomorrow night. By then, I would have a n in mind. Bye-bye!" Venti winked at them as he ran off.

    "Lumine, what do you make of that?" Yomite scowled at the figure of the running bard, disappearing in the distance.

    "This ''trap'' as you put him...we should keep an eye on him, wouldn''t you agree?" She turned towards him who was also contemting himself.

    He knew that this Venti the bard had some connection to the dragon, and since their goal was to learn something about the Stormterror, then following him would be the best course of action, in addition to that...Venti also knew their identities and proimed himself as a god...Yomite nned on researching more about him... but first...

    "God... I need a shower..."

 Chapter 32

    After Venti left, the group met up with Hu Tao, who seemed to be acting high and mighty, as if she had done something good and expected some form of praise.

    Yomite was afraid to ask what happened, but the curiosity got the best of him. Luckily, it wasn''t bad at all. It was great, in fact.

    Apparently, after fixating the contract with the Adventurers Guild, Hu Tao was bored out of her mind, so she went back to the Knights Headquarters and talked to Jean, telling her that the Inn was closed down and that they had nowhere to rest.

    Jean knew about this of course as she was the one that told them about it, but she thought Yomite and his group had already found somece to stay.

    But it appeared they didn''t.

    She stormed the Inn, trying to convince the owner to allow them to stay.

    The owner was hesitant at first, but when she mentioned that they managed to drive Stormterror away, he immediately agreed, saying he would even give them a discount for multiple people.

    Once in a while, Hu Tao actually managed to impress...in a good sense...

    After showering her with praises, the group was headed towards the Inn.

    Walking for a while, the signboard of an inn called Resin Moon came into view.

    The logo made of a crescent moon could be seen, easily recognizable.

    The building seemed to be three stories tall. It was made out of wood and bricks and looked considerably sturdy.

    When they passed through the double doors, the first floor appeared to be a bar but also resembled a dining room.

    On the right side was a counter and on the left side, a staircase leading to the second floor could be seen.

    "Wee. I''ve been informed of your arrival. We will make special arrangements for you. Is it for a meal or to stay for the night?"

    A younger girl in maid clothes, staying behind the counter cheerfully called out to them.

    ''Hmm...Maid uniform, huh...nice.''

    A pretty looking girl with blond hair tied in a ponytail. She felt like a very lively person.

    Yomite guessed her age to be around fourteen years old.

    "We would like to stay, how much does it cost per night?"

    "For one night, with a meal included in the morning and evening is two hundred Mora, oh and pay in advance, okay?"

    ''Two hundred Mora��''

    He couldn''t decide whether that was cheap or expensive.

    Well, he thought it was probably pretty cheap as Hu Tao mentioned they even gave them a discount of some sort.

    He pulled out six thousand Mora from his bag and said, "For now...we are staying for one month. This should be enough, right?"

    "Yes for a single room...but seeing as there are three of you...then, um~, what about the rooms? Although there are double and triple rooms which are quite huge..."

    The girl looked at Yomite and his party with curiosity. She was in her puberty after all and seeing that the guy in front of her had two beauties at his side, served all kinds of fantasies in her head.

    "Aa, the triple room please."

    Yomite said that without any hesitation, handing her more Mora.

    "Wa-Wait...in one triple room? All three of you?..."

    The inn''s girl, with a reddened face, looked alternatively between Yomite Hu Tao and Lumine.

    Yomite nced back at his party and asked, "Is that alright?"

    Both Hu Tao and Lumine didn''t seem to mind, but there was one person or rather, a fairy that wanted toin but couldn''t.

    It was Paimon. Lumine told her to stay hidden so that they could sneak her in with them without having to pay for an extra head, and while it might have been a good idea, she was regretting epting it now.

    Paimon felt like she should warn her friend, as their leader Ugly Dragon Tattoo was leading her to a wolf''s nest, ready to be devoured.

    ''He better not try anything while I am there! Or else I will punch him!'' She thought to herself as she huffed.

    The young girl corrected her posture, but when Yomite looked at her, her face became flushed once more,

    "...Tr-triple room in this kind of situation...I-in other words...three people...A-amazing...How...lewd..."

    The girl''s mind had gone for a trip, she took something from inside the counter that looked like a hotel register, opened it in front of him, and presented a quill pen dabbed with ink with her trembling hand.

    "Th-then, please sign here..."

    Yomite grabbed the pen from her shaking hand and signed it as Hissha.

    "W-well then... this is your room key. Don''t lose it. The location is on the third floor the innermost room. It''s the best and biggest room that faces the sun. The toilet and the magical device for showering are on the first floor, meals are here...I-If you don''t m-mind me asking...are you t-three...d-doing...that..."

    Just then, an older woman, presumably also an employee from the establishment appeared behind the young girl and dragged her away behind the double doors leading to the kitchen.

    Yomite could hear that the girl from before was being scolded by either that older woman or the owner itself.

    For a moment, Yomite felt his cheek twitch, then he assumed his calm and sat down on a seat.

    Immediately, the inn girl from before came as the waitress in a maid uniform and said with a reddened face, "I-I am sorry for before." Although she apologized, she couldn''t hide the curiosity in her eyes.

    "Want to eat breakfast?"

    "Ah, yes, we would like that, please."

    "T-Then, I''ll make something light, so wait for a little. Yo-You should check your room now and take a short break!" With that she dashed off, still feeling embarrassed and deliberating about what they could be doing during that short break.

    "Got it." Yomite helplessly sighed. He forgot how kids in puberty acted.

    The group went up the stairs once Yomite received the key.

    He opened the door of the innermost room on the third floor. The room was huge and consisted of three beds and desks, a couple of chairs, and a few closets.

    "Alright,y down for a bit and make yourselffortable. We will be eating in a few minutes."

    The group nodded, and just as Lumine was about to ce some of her things on her desk, Paimon materialized herself and began screeching at him, "Don''t you dare try something! Ugly Tattoo! Hmph! I will keep my eyes open at all times!"

    "Huh? Try something? What do you mean?" Yomite acted obliviously and felt like teasing the little cutie.

    "W-well... you know...that...when you...try to...Argh!! Just know that Paimon is watching your every move!" With that, she disappeared and both Lumine and Hu Tao questioned what she wanted to say.

    Yomite felt great after obtaining a temporary home for himself. What he wanted the most right now was to take a shower.

    Of course, he would like to justy down on the bed albeit he was too messy to do so.

    Ten or so minutes of rxing and a small chatterter, the group left the room.

    Yomite locked the door to their room, and all three of them went downstairs. On their way there, they could already smell something good.

    "H-here you go. S-sorry to keep you waiting!"

    Once they sat down on their seats in the dining room, a soup and something that looked like a sandwich and sd were carried over.

    Lumine was salivating. She hadn''t eaten since yesterday afternoon.

    Earlier, she asked Paimon whether she wanted to eat as well, but apparently, she wasn''t feeling hungry which was unusual for her.

    She concluded that Yomite must have angered her somehow.

    Hu Tao dug in before anyone else could even smell the aroma, and Yomite slowly blew on the hot soup, carefully putting it in his mouth.

    "Delicious."

 Chapter 33

    Notice for fans of Berserk. Kentaro Miura, creator of Berserk has passed away...

    A really wonderful series I''ve been reading for more than 13 years...

    His death was confirmed a few hours ago.

    I valued him a lot so I am currently not in the right state of mind to write, so this chapter might be trash.

    *Silently Cries In Guts Theme*

    https://pa treon/StickSwinger

    ***

    After the breakfast, Yomite handed the keys to their room to Lumine as she seemed more reliable than Hu Tao. She and Hu Tao went upstairs and meanwhile, Yomite went to take a shower.

    ''Finally, after fighting so much, blood and everything else sprayed on me...''

    He hadn''t showered sinceing to this world, and with the constant onught of fights, his skin was greasy and sticky and just in unpleasant to have to live in. Same could be said about his hair.

    Not as a Japanese person, but as a person overall, he couldn''ty down in bed while being dirty. He simply loathed it.

    ncing at the magical tool in front of him, Yomite wondered how it worked.

    He noticed ack of technology in this world as most things were fueled by magic.

    He turned the knob but couldn''t get the water to stay at a temperature that was just right so he settled for just a little too hot and hissed softly as it rained down on his body.

    "Ah... now that I think about it...my clothes are dirty too... I doubt there are any washing machines around...I guess I will have to do it with my own hands..."

    He breathed heavily for a few moments as he watched the water dye his darker skin pink, but soon his body adjusted to the heat and he realized that it isn''t actually that bad and that he actually kinda enjoyed the tingling feeling the water brought, figuring that the extra heat would deal better damage to the dirt and blood that covered his skin.

    "I might as well just do it now."

    He grabbed his clothes, the clothes that were granted to him by the goddess Sia together with this body, and started scrubbing. The soap was a bit weird, unlike the various soaps of his world, this one looked like a budget version where you could barely even smell a nice fragrance.

    It seemed like soap in this world was a rarity so they produced it in small bulks of scuffed versions.

    Yomite thought that might have been the case formon folks, but the royalty definitely had better soaps.

    ''I need to buy some clothester once I have time...''

    After thirty long and devastatingly boring minutes he was finished, and went back to his room in a towel he found, ignoring the look of the perverted teen behind the counter.

    His clothes had to dry up, there was nothing he could do about it. Not having another set of clothes was painful, and he wasn''t willing to stand in the bathroom until his clothes dried off, that''s for sure.

    Once he arrived in his room, he noticed Lumine, sleeping soundly on her bed and Hu Tao jolting from side to side on the bed of her own, humming a slighy familiar tune to herself.

    "Ah! Assistant-kun! I thought you have died~! I was about to rush in and perform a burial ceremony for you! I have waited for so~ lo~ng and I am very much bored, let''s go outside to venture!"

    "Don''t you see? I have no clothes to speak off we can''t go out any time soon..." He showed her his wet clothes and hung them on a stic wire near the window, right as the rays of morning sunshine weed him.

    ''Would take a few hours, but they will dry off eventually.'' He thought as he stared at the crowded street outside.

    It seemed like people were more willing to show themselves after they learned that Stormterror was badly injured and had to retreat.

    A sudden realization hit Hu Tao, "Eh!? We can''t go outside like this!"

    "That''s what I told you before...You can go by yourself if you want to, I won''t stop you..." Yomite helplessly sighed and sat down on his bed.

    He nced at the sleeping Lumine on the bed in front of him and wondered why she was so tired.

    "Eeeh...by myself? That''s just not fun~! Let''s take the flying fairy with us and prank her!"

    Hearing those words, Paimon appeared next to the sleeping Lumine and folded her small hands, "Paimon is here! Paimon can hear everything and warns you not to try something like that!"

    Yomite gave Paimon one side nce before he said, "Well, we will let Lumine sleep and once my clothes dry off, we can go to do the daily quests."

    "Amber did mention they finished two temples in a row, and they didn''t get any sleep so that would exin why she is so tired~!" Hu Tao chimed in and took a look at Yomite''s wet clothes.

    She stood up and ced her hands on them.

    ''...What is she up to now?'' He felt warning signs activate inside of him, something bad was about to happen.

    "Oi...what are you doing?"

    "Drying your clothes off!" Hu Tao cheerfully replied.

    "You can do that?"

    "Yep! My Vision is Pyro, remember~? As long as I keep on concentrating, things will go smoothly."

    "I swear...If my clothes get burned..." Yomite sighed as he stared at her. He could see that she was paying attention to what she was currently doing, so nothing bad could happen out of that...

    But he spoke too soon...

    "--But where would be the fun in that? Let''s make it more exciting!" Hu Tao picked up his clothes and put them on her bed.

    She shifted and used one of her hands as a support, feeling the ache in her wrists from holding her waist and feeling her legs wobble slightly. "Ah it''s been a long time since I did this. Hopefully I won''t fall."

    "What the..." Yomite couldn''t understand what was happening.

    In front of him stood Hu Tao, doing handstands with one arm, while drying his clothes with the other.

    "You said you need to concentrate! What the hell are you doing!?"

    "Rx! I am training my mind, body and my Vision at the same time! Aren''t I a genius?"

    "I swear if you burn my clothes I will be calling you Lolita until the day I die!"

 Chapter 34

    https://pa treon/StickSwinger

    ***

    Hu Tao had finished drying his clothes off. Luckily nothing caught on fire, and his clothes were also fine...

    Currently, they were on their way to the guild to pick up their daily quests.

    "Oi...Lolitao, move it."

    "Hey! You said you would only call me like that if I were to burn them! I did nothing wrong!"

    "I changed my mind."

    They walked as they bantered.

    The stress he felt during those dark fifteen minutes of helplessness was enough to piss him off for the rest of the day.

    Lumine was still sleeping, and Paimon didn''t want to join them, so it was just the two of them now.

    He left Paimon two thousand Mora so she could go and buy herself something if she was hungry, however, she said she wasn''t going to take the bait.

    "Luring the tiger away from its mountain! Hmpf! Paimon will be protecting Lumine so that you won''t pull a fast one on her!"

    Leaving behind their angry flyingpanion, the duo embarked on a journey.

    They had plenty of time to spare until tomorrow night.

    As they checked in the guild, Katheryne gave them their daily quests, and they left Mondstadt.

    The east forest was a distance of twenty minutes on foot from the town of Mondstadt.

    Yomite hoped they could ride a carriage if it passed through but unfortunately, not one carriage passed by.

    "Just my shitty luck. I really wanted to see horses... oh well..."

    Exactly twenty minutester, they had arrived at the east forest.

    The daily missions weren''t really that hard. Most of them were about collecting some ores and herbs.

    He could leave that to Hu Tao as he was pretty sure she saw things like Wolfhooks before. He had no idea what those were.

    ''Althoughe to think of it, Charles did mention there was a special drink called Wolfhook juice, so I guess that''s what it''s made of.''

    After collecting the necessary items, thest quest was Hilichurl extermination in one sector of a forest called Wolvendom, luckily they just picked up a few Wolfhooks on the said location and didn''t have to move anywhere.

    What he currently wanted the most was a map.

    Something he could navigate with.

    Fortunately, this forest was the same location he was transferred to a few days ago, and he had Hu Tao with him, so it wasn''t that hard to find, but a map was a must.

    He will have to buy er down the road.

    "The quest states that we should exterminate a Hilichurl camp, but which one? There are bound to be more..."

    They advanced towards the dense forest while carefully checking the surroundings, trying to find any Hilichurls.

    Both of them were startled when they suddenly heard the cry of birds and noticed the presence of small animals shaking the trees inside the forest.

    It was only vague, but Yomite knew there were signs of a presence in their surroundings.

    ''Where is it? What kind of creature was it?''

    He calmly scanned his surroundings. He could feel some kind of enmity projected towards them.

    He didn''t know if it was another perk of his new body, but he could clearly feel someone''s gaze, filled with hostility.

    "Be careful. Assistant-kun. There''s something here."

    Hu Tao noticed so as well and pulled out her polearm.

    She pointed to the depths of the forest with her gaze, shifting to abat stance.

    While waiting for any sign of movement, a ck shadow jumped out from the forest and attacked them.

    Yomite twisted his body in a hurry and evaded it, easily able to see through its movement.

    Grey hair with a dark aura was extending along its body.

    Although it was approximately the size of arge breed of a dog, it wasn''t that cute.

    "A wolf. A ferocious one at that."

    Its size was much smaller than that of the pup they found in the Domain though, so he really wondered how big will that pup be once it grows up.

    When he confronted the one wolf that jumped out, he saw a second one spring out from another direction aiming at Hu Tao.

    Hu Tao rushed to face it from the front and drove a full-body blow into the snout of the wolf.

    It ate a mouthful of her fist, and straight after, it fell to the ground just like that, with a final twitch, closing its eyes forever. Surely a one-hit kill.

    "What the hell..."

    That was an instakill. Yomite knew that Hu Tao was strong, but he only saw her weapon mastery and her Vision...Not her actual strength.

    ''What a monster...She just freaking punched it...''

    He ought to be nicer to her, or he might just one day end up being strangled by her in sleep, unable to do anything

    ''What a scary thought...''

    Punching something to death wasn''t hard and Yomite had experienced it first ss himself as brain matter sttered all over his face from the poor Hilichurl, but Hu Tao killed it without it even bleeding.

    From his understanding she must have injured the brain of the wolf by causing it an internal bleeding, or she must have severed the connection to the brain.

    Not even a drop of blood was spilled and the job was done.

    Something like that was impossible for him as his brute and uncontroble force didn''t allow that.

    The unimaginable control of her strength almost frightened him.

    Shortly after the wolf had died, the ck aura had dispersed, but Yomite had no time to notice this as he was dealing with a wolf himself.

    While he was admiring Hu Tao, aiming for this chance, the wolf in front of him bore its fangs and rushed again.

    He read the wolf''s movement calmly, matching its movement. Doing so, he unsheathed the ymore on his back.

    They crossed each other in a sh.

    At that moment, the wolf''s neck flew in the air and rolled vigorously on the ground.

    Killing an actual animal for the first time, some feeling of guilt and disgust floated in his mind.

    It wasn''t as bad as when he thought about Hilichurls being humans, but animals were still a big part of his life, and he loved them.

    "I am sorry doggie..."

    However, while he was immersed in the mourning, four new wolves appeared in a group.

    Of the mentioned four, two of them moved in his direction.

    "More of them came...Oh well...I will apologizeter..." He readied his ymore and prepared himself to draw more blood.

    Just then, he heard a voice of a girl,

    "Come forth! Oz, thy majestic beast of eternity!"

    A streak of thunderous purple lightning had befallen the ce, and what appeared to be a purple raven, flew straight through the wolves, electrocuting them to death.

    Wolves were charred ck, and it seemed that there was no longer any point in fighting.

    A woman, or rather, a blonde-haired young girl wearing bizarre, purple, web-like clothes, nced at the two of them and smiled, "I, Prinzessin der Verurteilung, descend upon thisnd by the call of fate!"

    She crossed her hands in front of her, cing one of her palms over her visible green eye, as the other one was covered with an eyepatch.

    Standing in front of them, with this intimidating pose, Hu Tao didn''t thank her for helping them, but instead was cautious, as she noticed that a purple Vision was hanging around her waist.

    Yomite felt like he recognized the pose and murmured in his mind, ''Jojo?''

    Hu Tao pointed her spear at the neer and asked, "Who are you and why are you ruining our fun?"

    Yomite turned to her and mouthed, ''How is that fun!? Poor wolves...''

    "Me? Hehehe. Remember thou this, that I, Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort am the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Sovereign of Immernachtreich, omniscient and eminent judge of all the world''s iniquity, divine being from another world and the Devil of the Rhine!" She let out a sneer.

    "From another...world?"

    Yomite''s interest was immediately piqued.

    Her familiar raven sighed and exined, "She means that she''s an investigator for the Adventurers'' Guild."

    "Oh, it could talk!" Yomite''s hands were itching as he felt the need to pet it.

    "...Ahem. Oz! That is but one of my many royal engagements." She nced their way and continued, "And I shall bring great suffering to every worm that stands in my way!"

    "...Ok?"

    A little bit baffled, Yomite let out a single word.

 Chapter 35

    Oof writing Fischl is much harder than I expected lol...

    https://pa treon/StickSwinger

    ***

    Prinzessin Der Verurteilung puffed out her chest with enough pride to make up for its modesty, "Hark, citizens! Rejoice as your savior, your Engel der Erl?sung, has beseeched your calls and hase to rid the curses that ail yournds."

    She pointed her noble finger at the Yomite, the guy who was rightfully minding his own business and only wanted to move on and finish hisst daily quest, "You there! Thou shalt have the favor of servicing me first in my devoir. Speak to me the location of my adversaries, for time is of the essence! Mine audience is required, posthaste."

    Raven wings pped monotonously. Oz wasted no time, no beat, in tranting. "She wishes to ask if you could point us in the direction of a nearby Hilichurl camps, dear sir."

    "Oh, the Hilichurls?" Yomite answered, as if talking with a bird was as normal as breathing. Well, he knew a certain flying fairy so he guessed that talking animals were pretty normal, "Are you adventurers as well?"

    He wanted to pet the raven, immediately.

    Oz nodded. "Yes, basically."

    ''From her introduction it doesn''t seem like she means any harm as she works for the guild so there is no point in starting any conflict. She just helped us out anyway. Our objective is the same so we might as well just join them.''

    "Well to tell you the truth, we are doing our daily quests and were sent here to exterminate a Hilichurl camp but from what we were told, there is a lot of them here on the hills, so why not go together?" Yomite proposed, definitely not hiding an intention to pet the animal in front of him.

    "Thank you, that would be gre�� "

    "Oz," Fischl reprimanded, taking offense at her familiar''s actions. She held out a pouch of coins for the him. "Have you forgotten your manners? This man has served his Prinzessin well with valuable information and a request that is good enough for someone as grandiose as me. It is only natural that he be rewarded greatly for his endeavors."

    Can ravens shriek? Maybe squawk would be a more appropriate term, but it sounded more like a shriek to Yomite.

    ''Poor bird.''

    "But, mein Fr?ulein! I must strongly advise you against spending any more of your Mora. The bounty we gathered from those Mitachurls is slowly running out, we cannot carelessly give away any more, and besides the man has proposed to work together, there is no need to reward him as two parties will only equally benefit from each other. Think mein Fr?ulein, think!"

    "Hush now," Fischl lifted her hand. "''Tis but a trite sum, enough to bring him sor in his time of need. What kind of majestic, gracious ruler will I be if I let such a worthy man starve without so much as a loaf of bread to feed himself? Oz, kindly remind us why I, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, had embarked on a journey and turned into the most famous adventurer, everyone is talking about in the first ce."

    "...Because we''re broke?"

    "..."

    "..."

    "D-don''t be absurd! We came here just as fates decreed us to. To share with these kind folk mine altruism true. Do you not hear it? The twisting of the knots on the lyre of destiny, the chorus of echoes as was prophesied by the ancient historians of mein Immernachtreich. ''And for where there is valor, there are riches'' so they say in this ce."

    Before she could utter thest syble, a blush crept up her cheeks. "A-And besides! My spending habits aren''t that bad!"

    "So��" Oz said, rolling the words. "We''re almost broke?"

    Foolish, her familiar was. Of course, the answer would be...

    "...Yes."

    A princess with no Mora to her name? She would rather feed her head to a Mitachurl than admit the fact that maybe, just maybe, she hadn''t been responsible with her budget that much and has been rewarding people left and right, but that was only natural for a King or rather the Prinzessin Der Verurteilung had to reward her subjects individually for their feats as Kingdom would be nothing without it''s citizens, right?

    Fischl hung her head and sighed. "Seriously, Oz. Your mouth has been running a lot moretely."

    For a moment, Yomite saw the Chuuni facade on her face crumble. "...No wait...I don''t really need money honestly, I have a lot...just...keep it..." He was seriously starting to feel sorry after witnessing their small confrontation.

    Hu Tao on the other hand just tilted her head and asked, "Assistant-kun? Whatnguage is she speaking? I don''t understand every second word."

    "...She basically said that she will join us for a while to hunt Hilichurls, if you don''t mind."

    Hearing that, Hu Tao lowered her spear and nodded, "Oh so that was the case~ Alrighty then!"

    Fischl turned her head toward him and stared at him for a while before speaking,

    "Bold of you to request such a thing to the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, but. The so called grouping up of the mortal wretches might not be so bad once in a while, we shall embark together to hunt our adversaries!"

    Yomite has met quite a few of the so called Chuuni people.

    Be it as a teenager or even as an adult when he worked with authors, some of them had this cringe Chuuni spunk to them so he got used to dealing with these weird beings.

    Well, it was true that pretty much everyone has had that one phase when they were younger, the 8th grader syndrome if you will.

    He was a bit ashamed to admit it, but he was also a bit Chuuni when he was younger. However, that was all in the past.

    It existed everywhere.

    Teenagers with self-important fantasies, knowing-it-all nerds, and kids that feel super-special.

    There was a higher tendency for escapism due to society imposing enormously high pressure to bepetitive and conformist, even on young children all around the world.

    This caused them to escape into their delusional worlds where they found happiness and could rx without having to care about their parents'' expectations.

    So things like Chuunibyou syndrome were actually real.

    However the girl in front of him seemed like a special case.

    From what he had seen so far, this so called Prinzessin had actual power to back up her delusions.

 Chapter 36

    https://pa treon/StickSwinger

    ***

    Together, the party of four, including the majestic raven, had progressed through the forest.

    The air grew colder, which was a good sign.

    Oz the raven pecked at the dead autumn leaves that the wind did not whip away.

    Not long after, he flew down from the tree and settled on Fischl''s shoulder.

    "Mein Fr?ulein, I have spotted arge encampment of thirteen Hilichurls on a nearby hill together with one Mitachurl resting nearby, shall we deal with them?"

    "As expected from my loyal familiar, the beast of immortality. We shall head out immediately!"

    Yomite and Hu Tao nodded, and as they were walking, Yomite was silently thinking about his overall party.

    He had a strong Pyro Vision user, an Isekai character with special unknown abilities together with a cute fairy, and there was, of course, him.

    Now, his party needed at least four people for the full bonus of the Mora reward thingy.

    Paimon didn''t count for a member apparently as she didn''t meet the requirements for the height from what he had asked Katheryne like twenty minutes ago.

    Which was unfortunate, so he had to find someone else to fill in the void.

    He was thinking of Kaeya for a bit, but then he remembered how irresponsible he was and that he might make himself a cup of coffee in the middle of a hard fight, and then just casually watch them suffer while he wouldugh away at their tears.

    Logically thinking, the best course of action would be to get a healer into their party, but so far, he hadn''t seen a single healer apart from that Deaconess from Mondstadt, Barbara was her name. But he kinda doubted that she would join his party out of nowhere. It made no sense for her to join some beginners.

    He nced at the Chuuni girl in front of him and then at her Raven.

    ''She has an Electro Vision, and a bow for easy long-distance picks. Her Raven can fly and is perfect for scouting out the area ahead.''

    If he could somehow get her to join them, that wouldn''t be half bad either.

    She wasn''t a healer, but long-distance attacks coupled with scouting could be very deadly, and she would most definitely be useful to him.

    Of course, they already had Paimon for scouting out ahead, at least that was his n initially, but then he noticed she was too slow.

    He perceived it when she was chasing after Hu Tao, she was flying but could barely keep up with her.

    The raven in front of him had no problem flying at a speed that was at least five times that of Paimon.

    He also doubted Paimon could fly too high into the air as from what he had observed, she only flew around the eye level of Lumine, so it must have been taxing for her to fly higher than that.

    That''s why he was seriously considering Fischl.

    She mentioned the need for money, and from what the raven talked about, they were usually traveling alone, most likely because no one could stand her Chuuni tendencies, but that didn''t bother him in the slightest.

    As long as she performed well, he would ept her into the party without a problem.

    Money won''t be a problem with the Mora party member bonus from the guild, and she will even get to talk to people at the same time.

    ''That could work, now...I need to leave an impression on her somehow so that she would be willing to join...I have an idea but it''s really embarrassing...'' As he was thinking that, Hu Tao suddenly spoke.

    "Um...Fischl, was it?"

    "I allow thou to state thus desire. The chosen child of god. Go on." She ran her hand through her blonde hair resting it at her temple.

    "Um...what do you mean by that? Also, why do you speak like that...?" Hu Tao was confused.

    This was first time Hu Tao had met someone with such weird speaking pattern other than Hilichurls and she didn''t really care enough to try and figure out what she meant by her words so she asked her instead.

    Fischl on the other hand was ted once more, it only brought her joy when other people had trouble deciphering the numerous riddles and puzzles within her sentences.

    Fischl gestured towards her familiar raven Oz with her hand and allowed him to speak.

    "Go on, Oz."

    "She means that you��"

    Oz had begun exining what she wanted to say but was interrupted by Yomite, who was a tad bit faster.

    "She means that you are a chosen person for having a Vision, just like her and that you should state what you wanted to say."

    "Ah! As expected of Assistant-kun! Then my question was why does she speak like that? Is it popr around these parts? I''ve never heard words like Verurteilung before."

    "Hmpf, I apud thou to figure out a part of Prinzessin Der Verurteilung''s abyss of the nightnguage." She turned to Hu Tao and continued, "Thou couldn''t have heard, as thenguage of gods of Olympus ist only knownth to me and the stars of the firmament are naught but rifts."

    Hu Tao was lost once again and looked at Yomite for help, "She probably meant that only she talks like that..."

    "Very well done, dear sir. It seems like you are well versed with mein Fr?ulein speaking pattern and you''ve only just met! As mentioned before, my name is Oz and mein Fr?ulein ist Fischl." Oz sat down on Yomite''s shoulder, making him initiate the petting mode.

    As he was rubbing Oz''s small head, Yomite pointed at Hu Tao and spoke, "This is Hu Tao, she is the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in Liyue."

    Hu Tao nodded at her introduction, satisfied that he had remembered every detail about her profession.

    But then, Yomite did something unexpected.

    He made a pose, imitating the one Fischl did, not too long ago when she met them with one hand ced over his eye and said, "My name is Yomite Hissha, a traveler, a challenger of universe and fate alike." He said that with a rigid voice as his cheeks turned a bit red.

    When was thest time he did this? Thirteen years ago? Roleying was hard and embarrassing.

    He didn''t want to do this but it seemed like this would be the best chance he would get to make a good first impression on her to make her join.

    What were those few seconds of embarrassmentpared to profit in the future?

    ''Kill me.''

    "Um... Assistant-kun? Does your eye hurt? Or do you have a fever perhaps?" Hu Tao wondered as she put her hand on his forehead.

    He ignored Hu Tao''s stupidment although he had to admit that the cold rings on her fingers felt quitefortable when she rested them on his forehead.

 Chapter 37

    He gazed at Fischl whose mouth was half open, unknown if it was from shock or something else.

    ''Did I fuck up? Is she gonna think I am making fun of her?'' He started panicking as she wasn''t saying anything.

    "Perfection." Oz muttered, "You and mein Fr?ulein would honestly make a pair made in heav��"

    Without warning, the twin tailed girl held the bird''s beak shutting it up, and surprising the pair.

    "Oh, do mine ears deceive me? Or didst thou properly return thus greeting in earnest supplication just now? Yomite, was it? Grandiose!" She nodded as she started pping.

    ''Great, it looks like it went well.'' He thought and his eyebrow started twitching as he gazed at the poor suffocating bird in Fischl''s grip.

    To be honest he was tempted to say that he was an otherworldly traveler or something along those lines but he didn''t want to blow his cover.

    He wouldn''t tell just anyone that he was from another world, but in this case it would have actually served well as a great cover and would have had a purpose.

    Fischl would be a great addition to his party and eventually he might end up telling his party members about it anyway.

    As for Lumine, she already figured it out herself and Paimon was probably still in the dark which was good.

    It didn''t look like Hu Tao had heard or even understood what he had just said and Fischl was a Chuuni so she was bound to believe anything that sounded cool even if it wasn''t the truth.

    Now that he thought about it, if Fischl told someone about it, no one would believe her as she was probably speaking crazy things all the time.

    And as for Hu Tao, well...even if she was to figure out the truth about him, she mentioned that people in Liyue were ignoring her so these two girls were basically the best keepers of secrets in the whole world if it ever came down to it.

    "Oh, it smells like a storm ising," Oz said, finally escaping it''s master''s choke hold, staring toward the darkened sky.

    The raven pped its wings and took off into the sky, once again, doing its job of scouting the surrounding area to protect his Fr?ulein and her newly obtained party of friends.

    A part of him also wanted to show off a few of his abilities to them.

    He was thinking that his Fr?ulein has influenced him quite a lot.

    The trees were dense here, but also more open, allowing for more sunlight, and with the party going at a quicker pace, they were able to cover the distance very quickly.

    As they reached the center of the clearing, they were able to see their destination ahead of them. To the northeast of the clearing, a wooden hut with a few holes in it could be seen with its roof covered in vines.

    The clearing was veryrge, and there was uncertainty about what the area had once been used for.

    Other than the wooden hut, there were ruins of some sort, but they were just the rudimentary remains of some variety of vige or settlement.

    While the party of four did not go closer, they did notice the presence of nearby Hilichurls.

    It seemed to be the Hilichurl camp that Oz notified them about not too long ago.

    The group didn''t see the point in waiting and straight up ran into their territory, ambushing them and starting carnage.

    Hu Tao swung her polearm, cutting off legs of three nearby Hilichurls.

    Fischl released an arrow, and another, and another one. Just in a matter of seconds.

    Each arrow brought down a Hilichurl Archer or a Hilichurl Warrior, skillfully and precisely striking through their heart by the tip of her arrow.

    Yomite cut a few Hilichurls in half himself but silently gazed at her out of the corner of his eyes as he did so.

    He was right, her bow mastery was insane. He definitely needed her in the party now, more than ever.

    Releasing so many arrows in session with such precision was physically impossible. If anyone recorded this and showed it to someone from his old world, they would think it was a sped-up clip of a robot shooting on a target practice.

    Just then, something bigger showed up, it wasn''t a regr Hilichurl although simrly to them, it had a mask and a weapon, albeit the axe in its hands was about as big as an average human being...

    "Mitachurl." Hu Tao eximed and went to fight him, but was stopped by Yomite, who wanted to see Fischl fight it.

    "Lowly creature of the abyss. Taste the wrath of the Solomon!"

    Unlike before, he could tell that Fischl was serious this time, pouring her Vision power into the arrow.

    After it was ready,

    she released the arrow, filled with purple lightning, across the overcast sky, thundering through the air, and struck the creature in its furry ck belly, making it drop its huge axe and howl in pain.

    "Ugha!"

    It was a direct hit, but the creature still moved. It made a strange noise and charged at her.

    She moved to the side, effectively dodging the attack and aimed her bow at its charging head.

    "Drachent?ter der Ewigkeit," she muttered.

    The arrow sped from the string with a roar and struck the creature''s right eye, electrocuting it and forcing it to stop due to the pain.

    The arrow became embedded in the soft eye material.

    She drew another arrow, charging it once more, and drawing back the bowstring.

    "Horizont der Morgend?mmerung,"

    The second arrow flew from the bow, striking and embedding into the other eye, and stopped there.

    For a split second, the creature stood still, before its head exploded into small fragments of brain matter and its cracked mask fell on the ground, finally shattering.

    Then, a small streak of electricity settled onto the ground next to its corpse, glistening happily as if fulfilling its purpose.

    "Holy shit..." Yomite eximed, witnessing the brutal sight.

    The head of the Mitachurl was much bigger than that of a Hilichurl and contained bigger brain coupled with more disgusting fluids...meaning it was much more gruesome than anything Yomite had seen so far sinceing to this world.

    Seeing that their leader has fallen the other Hilichurls decided to escape but Hu Tao was a tad bit faster and cut them down before they could do anything.

    "Save...me..."

    Once again, Yomite could clearly hear the voice of the dying Hilichurl, but he appeared to be the only one...

 Chapter 38

    Everything about Fischl''s appearance seemed to be designed to demand attention.

    The bangs of her yellow long hair covered one side of her face, hiding the eyepatch beneath.

    Her ck and purple leotard entuated her petite build and shapely hips, the coattails giving her an extra ir as she walked through the city streets.

    Her stockings were asymmetrical as well, one juicy thigh exposed for the world to see.

    This young girl was a natural beauty. Light skin and hourss body.

    An outfit and posture that attracted the gaze of everyone around her, be it men or women.

    At least until she started talking...

    Fischl had the voice of a young teen, while it was pleasant to listen to, the same couldn''t be said about her tone that wasden with arrogant self-satisfaction.

    And that wasn''t even mentioning her word usage...

    She had a vocabry so weird and fascinating at the same time, that the adventurers themselves have made a so called Prinzessin Dictionary they could use to roughly understand what she was saying although it wasn''t very effective as there were hundreds of thousands of words and phrases, and it would take a while to find what you were looking for.

    Fischl was aware of this fact, but merely scoffed. Such trivial thing as a Dictionary wouldn''t be enough for them to fullyprehend or contain her cryptguage of gods.

    Besides, the real deal was born powerful and wise enough to understand what she meant by her words, just like the man she met not too long ago, and his ability toprehend everything she said.

    She was indeed talking about Yomite, the one and only.

    She didn''t know whether to be happy or frustrated about him.

    On the one hand, she was almost shining with happiness when she finally found someone who clearly understood what she was saying, but on the other hand, she was tad bit frustrated that her way of speaking was decoded by him in a matter of seconds. That shouldn''t have been possible...Unless...

    ''Unless.''

    Fischl silently gazed at the back of Yomite who was currently walking in front of her with Hu Tao.

    ''Unless that gent ist a kindred soul of stars. That wouldst exin everything. A tragic being of another world from beyond the stars, just like I am.''

    They were currently in front of the gates of Mondstadt after exterminating more than six Hilichurl camps around the Wolvendom.

    Yomite remembered that he had to collect something as a proof of subjugation, so he took their broken masks with him.

    Fischl then told him he could even sell those for Mora, which was convenient.

    The moment Fischl stepped into the town''s marketce in Mondstadt, she struck a pose right in front of the Adventurer''s Guild, sweeping her hand across the za like a king addressing his subjects. Or in this case, Prinzessin addressing her loyal followers.

    And as she did so a cool breeze drifted through the town, making her blond hair and dark clothes dance in the wind.

    "Behold lowlymoners, for I, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, sessor to the grand and glorious lost kingdom of the Immernachtreich, had returned and humbly request to join thismoner''s party! Such a shame that a sovereign of my stature must stoop to walking these lowly streets of Mond yet, that is my perilous fate. Beseech me then, Katheryne!"

    "O-Oh...Wee Miss Fischl..." Katheryne had a troubled look on her face. She slowly reached her hand towards a book that was neatly ced on a small shelf right next to her and started breezing through it, trying to locate words.

    "Ehm...Immer...Immernach... something...Could mean twenty three things!? Uh...please wait for a bit..."

    ''Is she being serious right now?''

    Yomite frowned as he walked up towards the counter, "She wishes to join our party, so could you write her name down as a new member? Also we havepleted the daily quests."

    "Ah sure! Certainly!" She was visibly relieved. Dealing with Fischl was harder than expected.

    "Aha! So you do understand! Then fate does indeed bring kindred spirits together! Grandiose!" Fischl gestured towards the sky.

    "Birds of feather, flock together! My days as an interpreter are over!" Oz''s voice sounded strangely happy.

    As if a huge weight was taken off of his non-existant shoulders.

    "No, I just guessed..." Yomite denied it quickly.

    Fischl looked happier than before. After a moment of thinking she gave a small smile and crossed her arms, "Do not fret! A Prinzessin should always give praise where praise is due... Now, let us converse some more. Do not be mistaken, these are to be the foundations of our new world..."

    It was far easier than he expected, he didn''t even have to try that hard.

    Apparently the reason she was joining his party was that she was interested in conversing with him, although he could clearly see that when they defeated a Hilichurl, she would try to collect as much materials to sell as she could, so Mora might have also been the reason.

    ''Birds of feather flock together my ass, I will have to talk with that raven Oz about these allusions that weren''t true in the slightest...''

    It was only a momentary feeling of embarassment that won''t happen again.

    He just wanted to make sure he would take any chance he could to get another capable member aboard, nothing more.

    ''No more roleying. It pains me on physical, mental and spiritual level...''

    Still, Fischl said she preferred going in alone and that she might not be avable at all times, at least that was what he understood from her speech pattern, but she didn''t mind joining a party.

    Apparently, she had joined multiple parties before, but it was spontaneous choice, and the other members didn''t really reach out to her the next day and avoided her the best they could.

    That was also partially the reason she preferred being alone.

    Yomite concluded that she was being alienated by people, just like Hu Tao.

    Oz exined her whole situation to him during a bathroom break.

    ''That''s kind of sad...''

    He guessed that they probably couldn''t handle her antics and got rid of her as soon as they could, asmunication in a party was a must and she was a huge demerit when it came to speaking.

    As Katheryne reached out for documents and a oddly shaped item behind her, Yomite noticed something weird at the back of her neck but chose to ignore it.

    ''Nah...there Is no way that there is an actual keyhole there... right? My eyes are just ying tricks on me... It''s probably a birthmark or a tattoo...'' He refused to believe what he just saw.

    Katheryne then ced a card and odd item which turned out to be a ck pin In front of them while saying, "Please drop your blood on the card."

    Yomite pricked his finger with the pin as he was told, and so did Hu Tao.

    Although it was a bit hard for him to do so and he had to press the finger much harder than expected for it to even bleed.

    When he touched the card with that bloodied finger, white characters slowly begun to surface.

    Katheryne then exined, "This is a guild AR card, you are capable enough to be an adventurer now. They are given to the new adventurers the moment theyplete their first daily missions sessfully. Now the blood contract was formed, so if someone other than the original owner touches this card for ten seconds, the magic device will turn the card grey. It is for counterfeit prevention. Also, if you happen to lose the card, report it to the guild immediately. Although it costs money, we will reissue a new one."

    Katheryne took Yomite''s card, and after a short while, the ck card turned grey. When he touched the card once again, it instantly returned to ck.

    "That''s amazing."

    Yomite wondered how it worked.

    ''It just takes your blood, and it''s bound to you forever. Interesting.''

    "Hmpf. Basic mortal equipment, nothing special." Fischl sneered.

    "That finalized the registration. You are both officially AR 0, which I hope will steadily increase in the future! I wish you luck! And as for you Miss Fischl, you are already AR 28 but by joining a party, you will also be given a rank of their party, which is currently AR 0. So you may unlock a new party reward perks as you go on adventures together! Of course, your previous rank won''t be lost."

    She also handed all three of them dog tags, which would update their team adventurer rank automatically.

    "Shiny~!"

    Hu Tao yed with it in her hands.

    Yomite then asked for one more tag as there was still Lumine, but Katheryne said that Lumine had to be present and that she couldn''t give away more tags than the current number of people present.

 Chapter 39

    Had my pause, am back.

    Yomite had received a bountiful sum of 120k Mora and 60 primogems forpleting the daily quests from Katheryne.

    As mentioned previously, the Adventurer''s guild system was a bit weird. Well, at least Yomite found it really abusable.

    He was now currently in party with only Hu Tao, as Lumine wasn''t here, so they only got double the bonus from 60k to 120k Mora.

    In the uing days, if Yomite had a full party of 4, andpleted daily quests, he would earn 240k Mora each day, and almost two million Mora just within a week of the daily quests.

    And there were plenty of other quests on the Quest Board too, meaning he would get rich in no time.

    Then there was also the case of Lumine returning his money but he didn''t care about it that much.

    A great cheat character had entered his party, who would care about a few thousand Mora?

    Once he received his payment, he offered to share the primogems with Hu Tao and Fischl but neither of them knew how they operated so they both declined.

    Apparently, Fischl had about 900 primogems herself and was treasuring it if her Mora ran out by any chance, but of course, that didn''te from her mouth but from Oz.

    There was no way someone like her would admit it.

    There was a rumour around Mondstadt that powerful individuals from Liyue and Snezhnaya were buying out as many primogems as they could, but no one really knew how they worked or where they came from.

    All they knew was that you could use them to make your Vision stronger but the method wasn''t known either. Only a few chosen found out about the method.

    "Hey Hey! why don''t we go somewhere to eat to celebrate our first sess as a party!"

    Hu Tao suggested this when they left the guild. It was slightly still early for lunch, but they might as well just go.

    They decided to enter the Good Hunter in the town, as it was probably the only restaurant selling food besides the Inn in this city.

    Once they''ve sat down, Yomite offered to pay lunch for all three of them, as he had received money from his dailies.

    Hu Tao cheered and Fischl didn''t look happy or mad about it, she just epted the offer.

    He ordered himself a so-called Fisherman''s Toast, Hu Tao had a Golden Chicken Burger while Fischl had some light sd.

    ''So burger is a thing of this world as well. Interesting.''

    As he looked at Fischl eating a small piece of her sd, he mused that maybe she was ashamed to ask for something more.

    He ordered her and himself a hot sandwich and milk as that Fisherman''s Toast wasn''t enough to satiate his hunger.

    Oz said that he didn''t need to necessarily eat, but he still enjoyed the meat pie Yomite ordered for him, eating with gratitude.

    Well from his appearance, it seemed like he was a raven, and since ravens were omnivorous, they would eat anything.

    Eating meat shouldn''t pose a problem or endanger him in any way.

    Yomite was sitting on a chair outdoors and munching on his food with his party.

    His spot was pretty nice and he could see all the way up to the entrance of Mondstadt and naturally, the bridge.

    ''Ohe to think of it, that kid...what was his name again? Timmie? Wasn''t anywhere near the bridge when we''ve passed by, but maybe he is still sleeping or something.'' Yomite was thinking of apologizing in Hu Tao''s stead.

    Her behavior at the time was pretty bad, it was just a small kid after all.

    Once they were done eating, they entered the Resin Moon Inn.

    Yomite ignored the degenerate gaze of the female teen behind the counter that seemed to be saying, "H-He brought another woman with him...h-how lewd..." And walked into his room.

    He had discussed this with Fischl during their meal and apparently she also lived in Mondstadt.

    Not just that, but her house was a few meters away from the Resin Moon Inn itself.

    That was great, at least Yomite could save up money by not moving into a bigger room.

    Once they''ve entered the room, they saw Lumine braiding Paimon''s hair. She was smiling while doing so and Paimon was also enjoying it.

    "Yo." Yomite called out, catching their attention.

    "Ah, Bad Tattoo returned! Did you bring any food? Paimon is starving!" She flew from Lumine''s hands and circled around Yomite''s head.

    He handed her a small snack and she sat on the bed with gratitude.

    "Party leader, wee back." Lumine greeted him but her attention was soon however, preocupied with the new mysterious girl who was standing next to him.

    "Prinzessin Der Verurteilung greets you!"

    Fischl immediately struck her pose. First Impression was crucial and she always had to do her best to let everyone around her know what kind of grandiose person she was.

    Seeing Fischl''s weird pose, Lumine squinted her eyes, "This...is...?"

    "Our new party member! We will be in a team starting tomorrow!" Yomite joyfully replied.

    His goal of obtaining a full party for the Mora bonus was achieved, why wouldn''t he be happy?

    Fischl sneered at his reaction.

    She could just feel the happiness he radiated, for him to finally find a soulmate, someone who could understand him. He must truly be d she joined his party.

    If Yomite knew what she was thinking, he would heavily deny it. He hated roleying.

    It was probably the only thing he was too embarrassed to do.

    He never understood those roleyers on discord.

    Their minds must have been too strong to resist such an amount of cringe.

    And just like that, Fischl was heavily starting to misunderstand him and his intentions, but maybe that was for the better.

    She felt like she knew what he must have gone through as a child, just like she did.

    A long time ago in a ce far, far away, there was a tiny little girl.

    The girl''s parents were busy adventurers. She spent most of her childhood in the library, traversing the countless universes that were contained in the pages of the library books.

    She became the ruler of the Immernachtreich, summoned Thundering Retribution as a royal princess, and formed a soul bond with a Raven...

    ''Hmpf! Thinking that everything I, Fischl, Prinzessin Der Verurteilung say isn''t real! How pathetic! Worry not, for we shall show them the end of Epocrypha together.'' She bore her gaze into Yomite, giving him a mental thumbs up.

    Her childhood was hard. So she could quickly sympathize with a fellow soul.

    Unable to fit in with her peers due to her obsession for fantasy novels, she often felt lonely and sad.

    She also remembered every word of her doubters, even her parents told her to stop acting like a child at one point.

    "Dear...You are already fourteen years old... It''s time to open your eyes and face reality...world isn''t always a nice ce, but we have to bear it..." Her father told her with a frown of disapproval.

    She ran and ran away, crying, until she arrived in the library, her own world, and isted herself for a long time...

    ''All of that was in the past. Nothing of relevance.''

    Right now it was the true her, Prinzessin Der Verurteilung, a top ss investigator of the adventurer''s guild who happened to have an IQ much higher than most people, with a vocabry so vast it could dwarf the entirety of the biggest mountain in Dragonspine if it were to be converted in sheer volume, and that was not including her being able to make work of any foe in ten seconds t with either the pointed end of her arrows or fried to a crisp by her trusty Oz.

    She was simply godly and divine.

    However, Chuuni people tend to have multiple weaknesses. One of them being...

    "I''m Lumine..."

    People of a few words, such as Lumine. She could do it if she tried to, she could talk a lot, but she simply didn''t want to.

    Lumine wasn''t really in the mood to feel happy or enjoy something, as she was busy searching for her brother.

    This also led to a huge shift in her personality.

    An almost emotionless person of a few words, introduced herself with the dullest and the most uninterested voice Fischl had ever heard, squaring off against a Chuuni.

 Chapter 40

    An awkward moment of silence was broken by none other than Oz, who suddenly materialized himself in front of them.

    He sat on Fischl''s shoulder and spoke, "As mentioned previously, this is mein Fr?ulein Fischl, Prinzessin Der Verurteilung and you can just call me Oz. It''s a pleasure to meet you all." He did a deep elegant bow.

    "Ah!? Did that raven just speak!?" Paimon was so freaked out she almost dropped her snack.

    "Yes indeed, I have received this magnificent ability from none other than mein Fr?ulein."

    "That''s a bit weird...Paimon has never seen a speaking raven before..." She finished stuffing her cheeks with the snack and flew around Oz in wonder. Examining him by touching his wings.

    "Haha. Nice to meet you too, my little fairy friend. I may be weird, though I am sure you must have seen phenomena far stranger than myself before, correct?"

    "Yeah...Paimon doesn''t get it, but as long as you are not going to eat Paimon''s food, you can stay!"

    Yomite massaged his temples, was there something else on her mind other than food?

    Lumine was silently staring at Oz. It seemed like she wanted to pet him as well.

    Yomite knew that feeling very well. It was hard to resist a cute animal.

    Hu Tao''s legs were getting tired so sheid down on her bed and pulled out a book of some sort, quietly reading it and waiting for the introductions to be over.

    Seeing that they were paying attention to her, Fischlughed, intending to make her thoughts known to everyone in the room, she spread her arms, "My loyal subjects, I see your faces are filled with fear, trepidation, and confusion at the vile and viinous evils that once again seek, albeit in vain, to disturb the peace and tranquility of the world beyond stars. The world of Mondstadt, but fear not, for I, Prinzessin Der Verurteilung, The Sovereign of the Immernachtreich, omniscient and eminent judge of all the world''s iniquity is here to serve its subjects in needs. I, Fischl, have roamed the gxy and traversed countless worlds. I have learned the fate of ten thousand universes and have had revealed unto me the destiny of every living soul. I shall be joining this party and blessing it with my presence. I find the look in the eyes of people, no, heroes present here most agreeable. Dusk and dawn but fleeting shadows are. Once more, the twists of fate have led some capable individuals into my evesting night. Hopefully, we won''t need to part soon. Together with my Edelstein der Dunkelheit, a royal heirloom from Der Immernachtreich, a ceremonial ornament that disys the majesty of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung before the unworthy, we will conquer this astral ne. Even here, in this fateful world, I have been reunited with my rightful inheritance as one of royal blood and noble spirit, for the majesty of a true princess shall draw her royal heirlooms unto her wherever so she may roam, and now it''s time for it to contribute by joining in this party like a sacred virgin pact, worthy of the Prinzessin."

    "My dear Oz had already introduced himself, but I feel like itcked elegance, so I shall do that for him, once again, as the capable master and Prinzessin. Oz''s full name is Ozvaldo von Hrafnavines. Where I hail from, he holds dominion over stars and sky across three universes, and the souls of the mighty, fallen in battle, rest in the shadow of his wings. One should add that the penalty for mispronouncing his name is to have one''s tongue torn from one''s mouth. However, as I am a princess and you are my loyal subjects who have my favor, we are at liberty to simply call him, Oz. The stars of the firmament are naught but rifts, thrust open by Oz''s beak into the boundless tapestry of darkness. My left eye, the Auge der Verurteilung, which sees the threads of stars and fate, will keep everyone from harm''s way. And Oz, the raven that has witnessed the demise of countless worlds, will watch over everyone on our journey. Should this world, like a beast prowling in the night, covet our dreams, then I, Prinzessin der Verurteilung, shall fell it with my ensorcelled arrows of judgment! For one such as myself, with no choice but to ept the singrity of the oues, having but one means of observation, I''ve concluded that this party is fated for greatness, and together, we shall rule above others and change the world for the better. Let''s strip the world of delusions and falsehood. With this party, I may more fully manifest my majesty as Prinzessin der Verurteilung, and defeat that sworn enemy of fate named reality, that has been guing the world beyond. The day of judgment is nigh! Prove it to me, seal this blood contract with me, enlist my assistance, and muster the will and courage to reach your destined future...Ah, worry not. Even at thest, when I bring the lightning of retribution upon this world, you shalle to no harm, for thou art blessed by the Prinzessin. st the reality, burst into shreds, banish this world! Together!"

    Fischl announced with a loud shout, with her blonde, golden-like hair swaying and her moderate chest puffing out for oxygen, after saying all of this in one breath, she let out a satisfied smile, watching over everyone in the room.

    Sessfully making everyone''s jaw drop, her goal of an elegant and brilliant introduction was nowplete. Quickly darting her eyes across her audience, she took a good look at every person, every face, taking in their expressions of disbelief and confusion. Yet again, she achieved perfection. Yet again, she was fulfilled.

    Noticing that everyone was speechless, Yomite coughed loudly.

    "Well�� that was...something..." he barely let out some noise, "So, now that we have the introductions out of the way...why don''t we go andplete some quests together? The rewards will be... pretty nice..."

    Nobody was in a hurry to say anything, nobody was sure what to say. But they just nodded, agreeing to his suggestion almost automatically, still baffled about what just transpired a few seconds ago.

    Everyone tried to act like this didn''t happen just now.

 Chapter 41

    After the previous confrontation. The group moved out and arrived in front of the Adventurers'' Guild.

    There were various kinds of tasks in the guild from monster subjugation, collection, investigation and there were even unusual ones such as babysitting too.

    The reward for the babysitting one was surprisingly high, but Yomite didn''t know how to act around children, so he immediately dismissed this one.

    They havepleted several guild tasks today, so their guild rank went up.

    From non-existent rank to AR 0.

    They''ve basically graduated from being beginners, and their team cards held rank 0 respectively.

    While their party was he strong, they could still fail if they were careless, and if the quest was difficult, there would be some danger to their lives. They needed to brace themselves much more.

    But such was the life of an adventurer. Full of danger and excitement.

    "Hmmm...Kill the Dendro Tentacle King? Sounds pretty nice." Yomite read it out loud from an outlet that hung down the taskboard.

    The reward was 200k Mora, meaning they would get 800k from the bonus. It was a great quest.

    "Hey, I think this one could be nice..."

    """Absolutely not.""" The girls refused in unison.

    "Huh?"

    All of them had disgusted expressions on their faces.

    Upon further interrogation, Yomite understood why they were so annoyed about it.

    As it turned out, the Dendro Tentacle King was currently in a faraway country called Sumeru, and it would take them months to get there by foot.

    But that wasn''t the biggest problem they''ve had with this quest.

    Apparently, it was reported, that numerous parties of adventurers fought it and returned back buck naked while screaming. Be it guys or girls.

    The acid it produced was capable of removing clothes, yet it didn''t harm the human skin in any way.

    This kind of acid was rare, and almost nothing in this world could produce something with a simr effect.

    The boss monster waspletely harmless and didn''t have any lethal attacks. Other than spitting acid, it didn''t even touch anyone and justughed at the defeated parties loudly while having a degenerate smirk portrayed on its face.

    Their equipment and weapons fell apart during the battle and seeing their nakedpanions, the parties were too embarrassed to continue so they ran away, while cowering their private areas.

    The news of this reached every part of the world. Raising its bounty from 20k to 200k Mora.

    Even Lumine, who wasn''t an inhabitant of this world for too long, knew about it and of course, disliked it.

    So in conclusion, the girls just couldn''t stand being near sticky, slimy tentacles that could remove their clothes.

    ''Ah yeah...so even a cliche like this exists...shame, shame....'' Yomite let out a sigh as he looked over the other quests.

    "A new Cryo Regisvine sprouted near the area of the Thousand Winds Temple. A Cryo Regisvine? What''s that?"

    He read further as he noticed the description at the end.

    A monster formed from a vine that was imbued with the essence of biting frost within the ley lines.

    Some studies suggested that nts are like the organs of the world, harmonizing the turbulent energies of the ley lines.

    Concrete examples of this were Mist flowers and Whopperflowers, and the like, which brim over with elemental energy.

    In certain circumstances, some nts will turn into creatures of monstrous size and intent. Such as the Cryo Regisvine did, in the course of many years.

    The next uing Cryo Regisvine was estimated to sprout in a few years, however, it seemed that its growth sprout was sped up, and this Cryo Regisvine went out of control.

    Now, Yomite had no idea what some of those words mentioned meant, but he was sure it was a huge dangerous monster flower that needed to be exterminated.

    The reward for defeating it was 300k Mora. Meaning he would be able to get a million in one swoop.

    "I think that this one is fine. What do you guys say?"

    He nced around hispanions, and they seemed okay with it.

    The danger was, after all, part of the adventure. There was even some thrill to it.

    "How long will it take for us to get to that location?" Yomite asked his party.

    At least two people here were good enough to remember the locations around Mondstadt.

    One of them would be Hu Tao, who had apparently traversed the entire world which Yomite still didn''t believe was true.

    The other one was Fischl, who was supposedly an investigator of the Adventurers'' Guild or something like that. She must have gone on countless scouting missions to gather info, she would for sure know how long it took to get there and where it even was.

    "It would be as long as it would take thee to run away from thy destiny," Fischl replied and Oz chimed in, "Mein Fr?ulein said it''s about two hours by foot..."

    Yomite spread his hands in a gesture that was half helpless and half-amused.

    As expected, even he had no idea how to trante this one. He had to thank Ozter.

    Fischl had a small grin on her face. It seemed like this time, her words were encoded well enough. It was her win!

    Oz noticed hisdy''s triumphant smirk and continued, "From what we know, it would take about twenty minutes with a carriage, however...After the attack of Stormterror, all roads in the Mondstadt territory were closed down and no one is willing to use carriages anymore..."

    "Tch...Stormterror again...We really need to take care of it..." Yomite sighed. There were simply too many problems regarding that dragon.

    "That would not be wise...That chap could eat us and use me as the toothpick..." Oz''s post-traumatic stress disorder was acting up.

    He remembered the times his Fr?ulein ordered him to infiltrate the Stormterror''s Lair, to gather information about the huge Wind Formation that was surrounding the Lair, and the Stormterror itself.

    He was lucky he wasn''t discovered or else he might have actually been turned into a sparkly toothpick.

    "Stormterror? Why, one never would have thought that a being that one might have kept as her pet could, in this world, be capable of causing such cmity. Pitiable are the ipetents of this world..." Fischl chuckled in amusement, merely flicking her blonde hair aside.

    "Paimon doesn''t get it...How is Stormterror her pet?" Paimon held her head in her small arms, seemingly trying to understand what Fischl meant but to no avail.

    Lumine also pondered about what Fischl meant. If Stormterror was her pet, then wouldn''t that mean she was extremely powerful?

    Hu Tao was dosing off, as she could barely understand what was said.

    "Alright, we are taking this quest then," Yomite announced, trying to bring some sense to the party.

    After hearing what he said, Hu Tao immediately jumped up and cheerily ripped the request notice down from the board, taking it over to the receptionist.

    When she came back, she told them that Katheryne wished them good luck on their adventure.

 Chapter 42

    Alright. This is thest chapter for like 2 or 3 days, gotta catch up with P atreon as I got new people and I am way behind due to the previous mass release that took ce a few weeks ago. I might start posting sooner or eventer depending on my job or family matters. Peace.

    ***

    Oz was dismissed and returned to Fischl''s Vision to preserve her Vision power. Unlike Paimon who coulde and disappear whenever she wanted to, Oz could only materialize if certain requirements were met and for a shorter period of time.

    The party left Mondstadt and went to the specified location.

    After walking down the road, while chatting the boredom away, the group saw a man in armor, nervously stealing a few nces their way.

    Yomite noticed a camp that was set in an open meadow near the man.

    Broad, high grass-covered lush, green fields of tall, bright green grass with colorful, vivid flowers dotting its surface.

    A kettle of some sort and a tent were resting near his fidgeting figure.

    The man had obviously been here for a while.

    From the way he was dressed, he looked like he was a Knight of Favonius.

    ''Why would a Knight of Favonius be outside of the gates of Mondstadt? Is he a scout on a mission?''

    Either way, it didn''t matter to him. His teammates didn''t seem to care about him so neither did he.

    As they passed by him, the man finally reached out his hand towards them and choked out a few simple words, "I-I know you see me! Please don''t ignore me!"

    "Alright...what is it that you want..."

    Yomite reluctantly turned back. He could feel that that man would be nothing but trouble.

    The Knight let out a sigh of relief and patted his ted chest, "Thank the Archons you stopped by! My name is Godwin. I am from the elite squadron of the Knights of Favonius. I am currently twenty-two years old and have a wonderful girlfriend waiting for me back home. We love each other very much. That''s why I was so reluctant to join the Knights of Favonius, as I knew I would have to go on expeditions, leaving her behind... We''ve been together with Glory ever since we were little, but an ident struck and her eyes were damaged...She can no longer see anything other than silhouettes, but I won''t give up, I will find a cure for her to save her one day. I will take care of her...Anyway...I need your help in delivering this letter... The thing is, I can''t personally enter the city of Mondstadt anymore, but I see that you must be a powerful group of adventurers to have three Visions in your party so if you have time, please deliver this message to my girlfriend, Glory! I will pay you 1000 Mora!"

    Yomite''s eyebrow was jumping up and down and a small vein almost popped on his forehead, "Haaah...Is this the so-called random world quest? Are you kidding me with this paragraph-like backstory? Not even a pretty girl asking for assistance, but a dude in Knight''s armor...You might as well start talking about your eight generations of your family members first..." he turned around, intending to leave.

    "No! No, please! Wait for a bit!"

    "What is it..." Yomite turned back once more, and looking over the Knight''s flustered face, he decided to listen to him...He wasn''t a bad guy after all.

    "As I was saying...wait...where did I end up? Anyway, I get along with Glory really well despite her being blind, I swear I will��Uwaaa!"

    He was interrupted by Yomite, putting his hands on his shoulders, shaking them violently, "No more backstory, okay!? You talk too much! If you don''t summarise what you wanted to say in one short simple sentence, then we will leave! Just tell me the crucial points! Ten words no more! Why can''t you go to Mondstadt yourself to deliver it!?"

    "O-Okay...Well... Shortly huh...I am a Knight directly under themand of Grand Master Varka and we went on an expedition...but I lost the keepsake, my lover, Glory gave me...so I went back to look for it, but in the meantime, I got lost and Grand Master Varka already left without me...now I am ashamed to return back...so please, bring this letter to Glory...She has been all alone for the past two months..." The man was on the verge of tears, massaging his shoulders from the intense pain caused by Yomite''s tiger-like grip.

    Hearing this, Yomite let the thoughts in his subconsciousness settle, and there, he found the profound sentence.

    "You are a fucking idiot...What are you ashamed of!? Just go back! Your lover is literally waiting for you alone!"

    "Idiot~ Idiot~" Hu Tao stuck out her tongue.

    "Dummkopf indeed."

    Fischl also concluded that the man didn''t deserve what he had.

    "Paimon is irritated...This man is a dummy..."

    Paimon stomped her little boots in the air, her fists quivering.

    His situation really reminded Yomite of Kaeya, who also fell asleep and forgot that he was supposed to be going somewhere...

    ''For having a God in his name, he sure doesn''t win... Ah,e on...Now I am saying these stupid dry jokes too...thanks a bunch, Hu Tao.''

    Showered by insults, the Knight cringed each time he heard someone from Yomite''s party speak. Just as he was about to run away, he heard the voice of his savior.

    "��We will deliver..."

    It wasn''t an uplifting voice, neither was it a voice you could rely on, but nheless, at this point, it was nice to hear something.

    It was Lumine who spoke.

    "You must...love her a lot...afraid to hurt her..."

    Godwin began nodding. He grabbed her hands in his and shook them up and down, "Y-Yes of course!! I am d you understand. I am just ashamed to go back since all this time I was supposed to be traversing the world and sending her messages about how beautiful it is...And yet I am an utter failure and can''t go back like this..."

    Yomite nced at Lumine who had an unwavering expression on her face.

    ''She must be thinking about her own family...Well, it''s not like I would just leave without helping this man either...I just wanted to punch some sense into him.''

    Lumine grabbed the letter from Godwin''s hands and promised not to open it until they return.

    Before they left, he had one more small request.

    As Glory was blind, she couldn''t really read the letter, so he asked her or someone from the party to read it for her.

    Lumine once again agreed without hesitation and the party left for their quest.

 Chapter 43

    "Ohh! Look, Paimon can barely see Mondstadt now!" An excited and high-pitched voice could be heard near the Thousand Wind Temple.

    Surely, such an ecstatic tone could be heard even from the top of the Celestia.

    "Yes, the view is beautiful from up here..." Lumine, who was already used to herpanion''s joyful attitude agreed with her. Paimon was something she really needed in her life currently.

    She was truly d she fished her out of that pond.

    Hu Tao opened her mouth wide and started making weird sounds as the wind breezed against her mouth, "Goro goro goro goro~" she raised her arms upward as the wind crashed into her.

    The front of her ck coat was lifted up, as a result, revealing her stomach and underboobs to the world.

    Fischl was the first to notice this and immediately pulled her coat down.

    "Thank you~!'' Hu Tao appreciated it and soon enough spotted a pair of crystal flies flying around, catching her attention.

    "Shiny~!" She started running after them in an attempt to collect their gems.

    "S-Such violent wind, tormenting mypanion! Of course, I shall help, but..." Fischl nced at Yomite who was currently standing in one spot, looking around absentminded.

    "Yo-Your...b-b-breasts were almost seen! A young overlord of the deathly realm such as yourself ought to be careful around people! What if my kindred soul Yomite saw you!?" Fischl folded her arms, seemingly scolding her.

    "That''s fine, Assistant-kun said my body is that of a child so he wouldn''t care either way..." She replied with a somewhat grumpy voice.

    "Is that so..." Fischl certainly didn''t expect this kind of answer. "Still, be careful oh, divine child of god!"

    "Bad Tattoo, do we have anything to eat? Paimon is starving."

    Paimon shot Yomite a pleading look, but he was busy looking around, trying to locate the entrance where the boss fight would take ce.

    "We will eat once we defeat the Cryo Regisvine. With our partyposition it should be a piece of cake. Eating right before a fight isn''t a good idea. You shouldn''t fill up your stomach, it will slow your blood flow, dulling your movements...well in your case though... you aren''t really useful in battle..."

    "Hmph! Paimon will let you know! Paimon''s useful! Paimon has many special abilities!"

    "Special abilities? Something like being edible and tasty?"

    "Ah, geez! You are annoying Paimon on purpose, is that it? For thest time, Paimon''s not emergency food!" As if fed up with him, the pixie disappeared as she usually does, nowhere to be seen, leaving sparkly dust behind.

    "Party leader...Bully..." Lumine mumbled.

    "Frankly, true." He didn''t deny it. "I can''t really help myself when ites to teasing her. It''s just so funny to see her get angry. It heals my soul."

    "Mhm." Lumine understood what he meant. Out of all the worlds Lumine had traversed, Paimon was probably one of the cutest, if not the cutest thing she had ever seen.

    Honestly, she was the reason Lumine hadn''t lost all hope in the search of her brother, before joining Yomite''s party.

    Fischl interrupted the two of them saying, "I just received a divine revtion, as expected of myself, who has infinite knowledge and the greatest capabilities ofprehension. As a token of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, I, Fischl, hereby dere that you all are worthy of receiving titles from me!"

    The party looked at Fischl in wonder as she continued, "Yomite, the Kindred Soul of a Star yer! Lumine, the Mute Prinzessin of Fate. Hu Tao, the Demon King Of Salvation! Paimon...the...ehm...huh...well...Paimon the Strange Fae-shaped Emergency Sustenance! Together with me, Prinzessin Der Verurteilung, we form the perfect team!"

    Oz materialized into a small ball instead of his usual Raven form as he flew above her shoulders and spoke, "Mein Fr?ulein meant to say that she is giving you guys nicknames because she likes y��"

    "Oz!" Fischl shouted and forced him to dissipate, making the groupugh.

    Everyone was in high spirits. It was a good thing for morale to be high during dangerous quests.

    Small interactions like this make you forget the feeling of fear, butterflies in your stomach, and many other negative feelings.

    As the party moved along the path, they met someone who was being attacked by slimes.

    They quickly rescued him and found out his name was Reckless Pad. A ''veteran'' adventurer.

    Yomite found it funny for someone to actually be called Reckless but didn''t say it out loud.

    Pad''s parents seemed to have foreseen the future to name their child like that.

    Just from the way Pad was fidgeting, he could tell that Pad wasn''t very strong, but it seemed like he was indeed an Adventurer from his outfit.

    After a brief period of talking, Pad handed them some Mora as payment for saving him, coupled with some steaks he cooked, and left for Mondstadt.

    A little whileter, a cave of some sort was hidden in a wooded area.

    Like many ces in the woods, it was located next to a stream. The stream was pretty much dry, and there was a point from which it seemed to lose its way, almost as if it were the starting line for a race.

    It was unknown whether it was dry because of drought or if the source was frozen from the Cryo Regisvine, but that didn''t matter now.

    "It''s here." Yomite pointed towards the hidden entrance with his finger, indicating for his team to enter.

    He tore through the vines covering the entrance with his ymore and cleared it out pretty quickly.

    The cave was rather narrow, but after making their way inside, they saw that it was muchrger and wider than they originally anticipated.

    All around the wall, there were small holes providing venttion for the cave.

    Chills went down their spine owing to the freezing cold permeating inside.

 Chapter 44.1

    "This doesn''t seem like a normal cave...It''s way colder than it should be..." Yomite murmured as he tried to warm himself up with his martial arts robe, leading his party deeper into the cave.

    "Well, at least now we know it''s definitely the cave we are searching for, the Cryo Regisvine, as its name suggests, should be of Cryo element." He pointed out.

    "Yeah...cold..." Lumine affirmed, rubbing her hands in the hope to make them at least a bit warmer.

    Yomite''s body didn''t seem to be immune or particrly resistant to cold, but asking for any more benefits or any other superpowers would be quite petty of him.

    He had already gotten so many gifts and power-ups from Sia that he had no right toin about stuff like cold.

    "Assistant-kun! If youe closer, I can warm you up~," Hu Tao spread her arms open, grinning. "After all, my Vision is Pyro~! A hug will bring your temperature back to normal~, and maybe...even higher than that~."

    "No thanks. I could end up burned. My clothes were already in danger earlier today, no point in risking my life too. Sorry, maybeter," he replied, feeling rather annoyed remembering her stunt from this morning.

    Seriously, one needed extreme precision to use Pyro element without it burning anything in its path.

    Warming stuff up without turning it to a crisp was hard enough, and yet she had the audacity to do it while performing handstands, she was simply crazy.

    "Tch, you are no fun!" Hu Tao pouted, looking away.

    The moment she did, she was met with a pleading gaze of Lumine who extended her hands toward her way, in hopes to warm herself up in her fiery Vision aura.

    Hu Tao chuckled and helped her with what she wanted, earning herself a gaze of gratitude from Lumine and a nod of approval from Yomite, who seemed relieved that she extended a helping hand to others in his party.

    Knowing her now, her weird personality made him a bit afraid of what to expect once more people joined them on their adventures, but so far everything was alright and surprisingly, she seemedpanionate enough.

    He also noticed that Fischl was fidgeting and was probably having a much harder time than Lumine, as she only had a single stocking on her legs and the rest of her clothes were a simple dress, not designed for cold ces, but warm and sunny outside world.

    Her dress consisted of multiple small holes for venttion, which didn''t quite help in this situation.

    Her pride, however, or made-up persona rather, made it impossible for her to approach anyone, nor to ask for help from others.

    Hu Tao locked gaze with Yomite and he signaled towards Fischl with his eyes.

    She followed his eyes and quickly understood.

    She grasped Fischl''s hands and started warming Fischl up as well.

    "W-What ist thou doing!?"

    "Warming you up!"

    Seeing her innocent grin, Fischl shyly murmured, "I-Is that so...T-Then I-I shall allow thou to do as thou...wish..."

    It seemed like Fischl was finally at her limit of withstanding the cold and epted her help. This area truly wasn''t to her liking, but as the proud Prinzessin, she had to endure the evesting cold of eternal night. Even if it meant stepping into the hell of ice.

    Yomite had to admit Hu Tao was a really good addition to his party after ignoring all the demerits she possessed.

    After a short while, they arrived in the center of the cave.

    A huge Ice flower monster stood in the middle of it.

    It was indeed the Cryo Regisvine and it''s shape was monstrous.

    The flower was currently facing the ground, but the group could clearly see it was moving, or at least, its vines were moving.

    So it was obviously alive, most likely resting at the moment or forcing itself into cryo sleep to gain more strength.

    The creature didn''t appear to move from its original spot though, as if rooted in there.

    Its cold aura filled the cave and froze everything from the ceiling to the ground.

    Yomite took out the quest paper and read the rest of the instructions for his party.

    "The Cryo Regisvine is a giant Regisvine of absolute zero temperatures sure to freeze any unwary traveler to pure ice for ages. Weak points are a Jewel at the base of its stem and the "Eye" in the middle of its leaves.

    If struck carefully, the monster flower will fall down, deactivating it''s frozen shield that''s enveloping its body, making it easier for you to y. Use Pyro user for effective damage. That should be pretty easy to deal with. Let''s do this then."

    The party nodded, and upon hismand, entered itsir.

    When they were only a few feet away from the Cryo Regisvine, it unfurled from its resting position and stood up outright, blooming with crystal sapphire light that began scanning the surrounding area.

    It moved its vines abruptly the moment it spotted something move.

    Giant icesers shot from the Cryo Regisvine''s Eye while its two vine-like hands held a machine gun of frozen bullets, ready to freeze the intruders for all eternity to feel its pain.

    "Alright, let me have a try first." Yomite rushed forward and shed at the weak spot of the monster within its stem, unfortunately, he was rebounded back with an equal force and barely stabilized himself on his feet next to his party.

    The so-called "Weak Spot" wasn''t in any way weak...It felt as if he hit a huge metallic door.

    That core was probably the toughest thing Yomite had encountered sinceing to this world, right next to the scales of the Stormterror Dragon.

    It made him baffled that a core of ice could be this hard to prate.

    He would say his strength was insufficient but in this case, he could feel that his ymore wasn''t good enough to cut through it.

    He had to get himself a stronger weapon or else it might break apart with his strength and recklessnesster on down the road.

    "It''s he tough." hemented and took a deep breath. He wanted to test it''s durability and indeed, it was high.

    ''I might have to use that technique again, but there is too many people around me...''

    "Mhm...Tough..." Lumine nodded as she cut off the iing vines with her one-handed sword.

    Grasping the wind''s might, she then formed a vortex of vacuum in her palm, scattering away the icy projectiles flying towards her.

    "Oz! Reveal thyself." Fischl summoned Oz and provided support fire whenever the Cryo Regisvine was about to shoot icy bullets.

    The Cryo Regisvine was interrupted and confused, frantically switching between moving targets.

    It was weak against multiple opponents as it only had one eyeball that was watching over one part of the battlefield, but that didn''t necessarily mean it was weak.

    Its body stood firmly in the middle of the arena further proving Yomite''s hypothesis about it being rooted.

 Chapter 45.2

    I am disgusted by webnovel yet again.

    idk what the hell is this supposed to be.

    ***

    Fischl kept on shooting arrows precisely at that one eyeball of the Cryo Regisvine but it didn''t seem to do any damage whatsoever.

    It seemed like before the arrows were able to reach its retina, they froze up and fell apart onto the boss arena.

    As Lumine dashed forward to sh at its core, the Cryo Regisvine reached over to m its head down, quickly sweeping the outer ring of the arena. Lumine evaded nimbly and lightly, but was forced out of the arena to avoid getting hurt.

    Oz the Raven sent a bolt of purple lightning at the monster, sessfully staggering it and Yomite and Hu Tao took this as a free opening to engage.

    However, the Cryo Regisvine had quickly recovered, flinging two ice beams into an ovepping cross pattern, freezing the ground solid.

    Both of them dodged this attack by dashing to the side.

    ''This monster is dangerous, it could literally freeze you to death in a matter of seconds...I can''t afford to get hit even once or I am done for.'' Yomite thought as he observed the frozen tiles on the ground

    The Cryo Regisvine shot out icicles that followed two of them for a few seconds before losing their homing attribute and helplessly falling on the arena tiles.

    It seemed that the Cryo Regisvine wasn''t strong enough yet to control projectiles rtively far from its body for a longer period of time.

    Seeing that it''s attack had failed, it raised its body andshed upwards and a yellow eerie-like glow travelled up its stem, following which it repeatedly mmed it''s head on the ground, blue crystals dyed the floor in ice within its path.

    "Everyone, spread out, dodge to the side! To the side!" Yomite shouted and sidestepped the ground spikes of ice following him by a hair''s breadth.

    Everyone did the same and returned to safety outside of the arena, leaving Yomite as the only one standing in front of the monstrous flower.

    The Cryo Regisvine leaned its head forward towards Yomite with its buds spread, and after locking onto his location, it fired a beam of cryo from its coro for a few seconds, forcing him to dodge yet another onught of cryo spikesing his way.

    After firing the beam at the spot it locked onto, the Regisvine proceeded to slowly turn around 360 degrees, sweeping the beam along, but luckily, no one was caught in it.

    "Hu Tao! Destroy it''s shield!"

    "Okie Dokie~!"

    She ran forward with her polearm raised up and activated her Vision.

    She thrusted her polearm that was lit on fire forward and easily shed through the icy core as if she was spreading butter, destroying its weak spot and making its huge frame sessfully furl itself up andy on the ground, unmoving.

    Pyro was truly the most effective element against Cryo enemies and Hu Tao was once again proving to be very useful.

    "Nice job! Now hit it with everything you''ve got!" Yomite shouted and the group closed in on the flower, unleashing hell upon the defenseless enemy, slowly cutting away it''s parts one by one.

    Lumine unleashed a tornado, and on the way, ittched onto the fire element of Hu Tao and turned into a fire whirl, which melted the flower instantly, and finally, Yomite cut the flower in half, but the ymore in his hands had shattered, leaving him with no weapon to use.

    All of it wouldn''t be possible without a Pyro element.

    The fight would be dragging on forever, but thanks to Hu Tao who easily took care of it''s core, they finished it within a few minutes.

    "Great, it appears I need to buy a new two-handed sword...I need something stronger this time though..."

    The Cryo Regisvine was finally defeated, and a few items appeared next to it on the ground.

    "Did this just appear out of thin air or did the Cryo Regisvine have this in its possession?"

    He picked up the items from the ground and observed them.

    The first thing was an aqua gem. Although it was cracked and pretty much unusable, he knew it must have been expensive, so he decided to keep it to maybe look for a way to restore it.

    He looked at the backside of the gem and found out there was some kind of hidden message inscribed in it

    [Sorry...������������������������������������

    �������������� my bitter cold ���������������������� ������������ burn away �������� world ������������]

    The letters were in an unrecognizable state but there was indeed a message of some sort hidden within the gem.

    ''Interesting, whatever this might be...''

    He picked up another thing that looked like some sort of armor and put it over himself.

    "Oh, Assistant-kun has gotten himself an artifact! Not fair!" Hu Tao eximed, leading everyone''s gaze upon him.

    "Artifact? What''s that?" Yomite questioned.

    He knew what artifacts were from other novels he used to read, but in this world, they might be something different, that''s primarily the reason why he asked.

    "Artifacts are artifacts! Rare equipment gotten from monsters...From the way yours looks like, I would say it''s pretty high grade." Hu Tao exined.

    "So is it like a magical item? Giving me some kind of buff?" He questioned, confirming it was like in other novels.

    Just a bunch of special equipment to use if absolutely necessary during a life-threatening crisis.

    "I am not sure what you mean by buff, but artifacts make you stronger! Be it in defense or attack! I myself have an artifact!" She pointed to her hat and continued, "As I''ve talked to you about it before, this hat is capable of many things, it was left by my grandpa~!"

    "I see. I think I understand now."

    Thest thing Yomite picked up from the ground was a heart frost core of the Cryo Regisvine.

    Yomite guessed that this counted as the proof of subjugation and they could now return back to Mondstadt.

    The core was of pure cryo element, contained within it.

    Energy and thoughts that swelled deep within the earth would eventually erupt on the surface.

    Even the deathly silent frost would attach to creatures on the ground, causing even the vines and branches of vegetation to be huge and fierce, attracting the hunter''s gaze.

    But all of this, had yet to happen...

    After the group picked up everything that seemed valuable, they finally escaped from the cold cave and left for Mondstadt.

 Chapter 46

    Going back in time, roughly twenty minutes before the party of Kaeya, Yomite and Hu Tao entered the Temple of the Wolf for the first time, to destroy the source of wind power of the Stormterror.

    Yomite saw Hu Tao as he made his way up the hill, sitting atop of the highest point in the mountain in the grassy in, that cheeky smile coated her face as usual.

    And weirdly, a flicker of unknown pain passed through him as he looked at the youthful face of his teammate.

    She was holding her hat in her hands, her long, dark brown hair swaying in the wind, as she stroked the hat in a steady rhythm, gazing at the moon.

    Her smile was obviously stered on her face, yet when he looked more carefully, her expression was solemn and much darker than he had ever seen it before.

    She could sense himing from miles away, despite him trying to sneak around.

    "Assistant-kun~ you''re being very sha~dy~" she turned around as she giggled.

    "I am not trying to hide really...I just came for you..." He lied as naturally as he breathed.

    Taking a closer look at her, he felt like this might have actually been the first time he had seen her without the hat on her head.

    She didn''t even put it away when she was inside of the Knights'' Headquarters, or when she was in the room with the Acting Grand Master.

    Usually, you would put down your hat as you enter a building, those were the basics of courtesy in most countries.

    But she didn''t.

    So it was surprising she took it off now, out of all the moments she could choose.

    It wasn''t like they were that much in a hurry, and not like Yomite had something better to do either, so he sat down next to her and tried to strike up a conversation, "That hat seems to be quite precious to you."

    "Mhm. It''s my most beloved treasure." She mumbled as she stared into the distance, looking at the floating ind of Celestia, hidden within the clouds

    She opened up, slowly, telling him a story to fill up the deathly silence.

    The name of her hat was Harmony Hexagram Hat.

    This hat was somewhat on the hard side, and the insignia of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor adorned its front.

    It was said that this hat was passed down from the 75th Director to Hu Tao.

    However, that director wasrge, musclebound, and had a head at least two sizesrger than hers.

    Ultimately, Hu Tao had to spend an entire day and night modifying the hat with her own two hands such that its dimensions would fit hers.

    When she met with others, she told them, "This hat is magical, upholding good and repelling evil, and is a bringer of peace!"

    Her undertakersughed and left it at that, but they could see the 77th Director clearly did treasure that hat.

    No matter the rain or storm, or if Hu Tao returnedte covered in muck, that hat would always remain spotless and clean.

    It was an artifact of the highest grade currently known as a 5 star.

    It didn''t have any special effects, but it was a precious memento.

    The plum blossom that adorned the side of the hat was plucked from a rare plum tree that Hu Tao nted and grew herself.

    There was only one tree like that in the whole world of Teyvat, nted in her backyard.

    After she finished the story, she looked into the distance, "Tonight''s a beautiful night, doncha think?" hispanion asked as she hugged her legs, eyes of crimson focused on the night sky above.

    Yomite only gave her a grunt in response, still processing the story about her hat, but it seemed enough for his usually talkativepanion.

    "It''s a nice evening for ghostly pranks!" she giggled, eyes alight with humor. "I wonder if I should go and scare someone. Will youe with me?"

    This question left him wondering, but he shook his head, saying, "We still have the quest toplete, don''t you remember? We came here for that very reason. We need to go soon."

    Her grin faltered a bit, "Ah, that''s right..." She further curled up in a ball.

    "Jeez, how can you forget stuff like that...Hmm? What''s wrong?" He noticed the way she was sitting didn''t exactly scream happiness. Something was bothering her.

    "Hu Tao?"

    "..."

    Not getting an answer from her, Yomite asked again.

    "Hu Tao?"

    "...Earlier...you scrutinized me because I acted that way towards that little boy, Timmie. Do you hate me too?" she asked, her voice uncertain.

    This took him by surprise, he shook his head as a response, "No? Not at all...I just disagreed with you because he''s a child, and children are usually very sensitive about what you tell them. Why would you think I would hate you because of that?"

    "Because...Everyone in Liyue also hates me, but that''s alright," she told him with a straight face, "My grandpa used to be very famous. He had numerous guests visiting during his funeral, but my funeral wouldn''t have a single guest. Nobody would care if I died." she smiled wryly.

    Yomite twisted his lips at these words, "I don''t hate you." He said resolutely, making her giggle.

    "Really? I seem to be getting on your nerves though~."

    "Um..."

    He paused, words evaporating within his throat until he could formte words once again, "It''s true that you are unbelievable at times and can easily piss me off, but there is nothing to hate about you so far. If you give me a reason, I might do so, but not right now."

    His gentle words created little clouds of hope.

    "You really...mean that?" she whispered, her tone expectant.

    Yomite cleared his throat, "Listen, there is a huge difference between hate and asional annoyance, thetter I can swallow after some period of time, and as for the former...it would depend on the situation..."

    "I see...You are teaching me so much~! Thank you!" She snickered, her eyes glued at him.

    There''s little that could be said of what happened for the next twenty minutes.

    Both Yomite and Hu Tao continued talking and enjoyed watching the moon together.

    Yomite wanted to know more about his chestnut-haired friend and futurepanion, while Hu Tao wanted to do the same with him.

    She didn''t know what it was about him.

    Maybe because, unlike the rest, he didn''t hate her.

    Maybe because he didn''t run away from her in the first two minutes they''ve known each other, as most people did.

    Maybe because his eyes weren''t ostracizing her in any way, and instead, weed her for who she was and he wasn''t trying to get rid of her every few minutes.

    She was happy.

    Both learned lots of things from each other.

    Yomite learned about Hu Tao''s hobbies, one of them was reading books and writing novels, poems and songs.

    Which was to his liking, as of course, he was a massive reader himself, although now that he was in a magical world, finally ready to explore things on his own instead of reading about them, he doubted he would read that often.

    But finding a fellow reader you could always talk to was nice.

    Hu Tao said that she had always loved reading since she was a small child.

    Curiously, when Yomite asked her what her favorite book was so that he could check it out himself, Hu Tao hesitated, before replying that she had no preferences whatsoever.

    He also learned small stuff like her least favorite food, something called Qingxin Slime Condensate.

    Yomite would describe the expression on her face as "Bleugh..." when she talked about its taste.

    He found it quite funny.

    And so, the time passed and passed, both getting lost in each other until Yomite found out almost half an hour had passed and they had to go back now.

    As they were walking down the hill, Hu Tao spoke, "Hee-hee, I am so~ char~ming, aren''t I? But to think that Assistant-kun was also into reading books...well I guess the saying you can''t judge a book by it''s cover heavily applies in this context~." she covered her mouth with her palm and giggled.

    "You''re shameless, you know that? Imagine calling yourself charming...and saying it out loud even...how creepy..." he spoke as he formed a smile of his own.

    She pouted before leaning her entire weight on his shoulder, "I am charming though~! A Young and Charming Director of the Creepy Wangsheng Funeral Parlor~! Uwaaah!" She did a creepy gesture with her hands while letting her tongue dangle out of her mouth as her eyes rolled back.

    It was supposed to be creepy but he found it cute instead.

    "Disgusting, walk properly."

    "Hehehe."

    Her smug smirk didn''t leave her face as she heartilyughed all the way down.

    The night''s sky was filled with gentle sounds ofughter.

    Kaeya would definitely flip out if they didn''t return soon.

    ***

    "Great, you are finally here...I thought you would bring her after a few seconds, what took you so long? Did you get lost or something?" Kaeya asked with a frustrated tone.

    "Yep, the woods are dangerous and we got lost pretty easily." Yomite joked.

    "Sure...sounds convincing enough...Alright, folks. No one makes offerings to The Four Winds anymore, yet the old winds never truly vanished." He touched the gate with a sense of nostalgia, the three ruby crystals transforming and opening the gate upon his touch.

    "We need to clear out the temples, for The Four Winds. Let''s go in, team."

    Yomite nodded and Hu Tao also voiced her agreement.

    "Right." "Okay!~"

 Chapter 47

    I''m currently a bit busy making a one shot for the Genshin Impact Monthly Competition that takes ce in their Official Discord server.

    So yeah, that''s basically what I''ve been writing for the past 5 days. Have like 4k words at the moment for the one shot. Still finalizing it to make sure they ept me.

    The threat was taken care of.

    The Cryo Regisvine was defeated.

    Their synergy was almost wless despite this being their first battle together with all four of the members participating.

    They did a pretty good job.

    After all of the dropped loot was collected, Cryo Regisvine''s humongous corpse had seemingly turned to dust.

    Not leaving behind even a speck of it.

    It felt weird for a huge corpse to just dissipate like that, but the others confirmed that the bigger monsters just disappear and the smaller monsters like Hilichurls simply dposed.

    That was one more thing Yomite had to write down somewhere as not to forget, as it might be usefulter.

    Once they left the cave and walked for a bit, Yomite spotted something on top of a nearby hill he hadn''t noticed before.

    A strange floating device, red and spherically shaped, floated eerily in the air.

    The red glow it emitted, like a hot star set to burn, made Yomite think that the device might not be finished or activated.

    "What''s that?" He pointed at the floating device on curiosity. Stuff like that had to have been important.

    It looked like some futuristic weapon canon, facing the sky.

    Hu Tao perked up and replied, "Ehm... Isn''t that just one of those odd devices, scattered across the world? Have you never seen one~?"

    From her tone it seemed that she was teasing him about theck of his knowledge, just like before when he asked about Hilichurls, but he ignored that.

    "Nope, what does it do?"

    "No one knows. They are ancient gimmicks and people go along their daily lives without really caring about them. We have them in Liyue too. No one knows what they are for~"

    This made Yomite frown.

    ''No one knows what they do? A futuristic alien-like gadget in a fantasy world filled with swords and magic, not fitting the theme even one bit, yet no one is raising an eyebrow or two? Isn''t that a tad bit suspicious? Sounds like those things might turn into an important plot device in the future.''

    "Such is the truth, as the Demon King of Salvation had stated, the truth behind the great levitating crystals is an enigma to even me, the all-knowing Prinzessin." Fischl also exined in her own way.

    ''Even Fischl, someone who is constantly going around the region on scout missions has no idea...That''s even weirder...''

    He nced at his remaining party member, Lumine, who was seemingly fidgeting, as if wanting to say something.

    ''Oh...does Lumine know something? Maybe she just doesn''t wanna say it out loud? Well, no matter. I will ask herter once we''re alone. I have other questions I would like to ask her as well.''

    It took them two more painful hours to walk back to the city of Mondstadt.

    All this walking was getting on his nerves.

    He wasn''t tired, but saying it wasn''t boring and draining would be a lie.

    He knew there probably weren''t things like fast travel from Assassin''s Creed, teleports or something like a recall spell that would instantly transmit you home, but they would be currently greatly appreciated.

    Couldn''t there be horses or mounts or some other form of transportation at least?

    ''Damn that Stormterror and Varka...they are ruining everything...''

    Once they finally arrived, the party split up into smaller groups.

    Lumine and Paimon went to deliver Godwin''s letter to the woman called Glory as promised.

    They first had to look around for her and ask people in the city about her wherebouts though.

    Hu Tao and Fischl went to buy some snacks and headed into the Inn.

    Yomite went to check in with the guild to get the promised juicy rewards from the defeated Cryo Regisvine.

    More than a million Mora? From one boss fight? That was simply too great to be ignored.

    Katheryne was happy that the request was done so swiftly, but warned him that the next time he goes to collect the reward from amission, the other party members should be present to verify the bonus for the party of four rewards.

    She pardoned it this time as she saw that all four of them returned together, but he shouldn''t forget that for the future.

    Yomite thanked her and got his rewards, their party level had also risen to AR2 from AR0.

    He also had to go and buy a new ymore as the one he had before shattered in his hands.

    He wasn''t sure if it was because it wasn''t of a high quality, or just because the Cryo Regisvine was that durable, but either way, he had to get a new one...

    Preferably even stock up on the shitty quality one''s until he found a weapon of a better quality for himself.

    ***

    The city of Monsdstadt.

    Knight''s of Favonius Headquarters.

    "Lisa."

    Picking up the slight question-like intonation Jean used to call her name, the librarian raised her eyes from the book she waszily skimming over and stared straight at the Acting Grand Master.

    Jean shifted on her chair, ufortable, lifting her weight with one hand firmly gripping on the chair''s armrest and half a dozen paper sheets in the other. She looked rather puzzled, at best.

    However, years of friendship allowed Jean to know she would not need to wait for any sound of acknowledgment from Lisa, so she just kept talking.

    "Have you found anything about the weird Crimson Crystal? Something we can use?"

    The question itself made the librarian perk up slightly, but she soon shook her head in denial, "Unfortunately not, my dear... I''ve been skimming through hundreds of books in the past few days and couldn''t find anything yet. Don''t worry my dear, I will eventually find it."

    "I trust you, but be sure not to overexert yourself too much..." Jean whispered with her tender voice.

    Lisa nodded her head and then waved her hand in the air as if to wave away her friend''s worries.

    "Dear, it feels weird when you of all people are telling me to rest. The Stormterror issue is at hand. Do you think I can just sleep in my library as I always do?"

    "Thanks, Lisa. I''m really grateful."

    "Don''t mind me, but you should be the one getting some sleep. You haven''t had a proper rest since Grand Master Varka left half a year ago..." She mumbled but her words no longer reached her, as she was busy scanning her gaze through the stacks of paperwork on her desk.

 Chapter 48

    Oof yeah, so I am back I guess. Finished my 9k words One Shot...It was hard...

    Had to take a break after that...

    After buying two ''low quality'' ymores from the cksmith, Yomite decided to look around the city a bit to see if there was anything that could pique his interest.

    From novels, he remembered that markets were usually rich with stories and legends of the inhabitants over the years.

    And so he asked around, and people were happy to oblige.

    Over the centuries, the society of Mondstadt had be overly aggressive and violent, to the point where it was feared by everyone.

    Tyrants had taken over the city of Mondstadt in the past, iming people as their own property.

    Luckily, a light of freedom, healed the city of its corruption and thanks to the God, Barbatos, the citizens were saved.

    From then on, Mondstadt became the city of freedom.

    ''Barbatos...Hm... It''s that guy again...''

    Markets were also a great ce to get to know about rumours.

    "Have you heard? Ever since that Bard, Venti came back, Six-fingered Jos�� is crestfallen."

    "Yeah, apparently all of his fans turned their back on him and went to Venti instead!"

    "Feels bad, Venti''s voice is just so soothing though...Hard to believe that brat isn''t a girl..."

    "Well, hole is a hole, my friend."

    "That''s a dangerous way of thinking, I like it!"

    "Of course! We are in the city of Freedom after all!"

    "Now, it''s time to tend to some kitties!"

    "Yeah!''

    Both of the men cheered and entered a tavern called Cat''s Tail, leaving Yomite speechless.

    ''A hole...is a hole...''

    That was indeed a very dangerous way of thinking.

    Forgetting something like this had transpired, he resumed his journey through the streets.

    The shops weren''t exactly bustling with people, and there weren''t that many of them either. Could be because of the Stormterror''s threat but he didn''t know for sure.

    As he walked through the market he noticed the strong smell from an open flower booth, so he had to stop while he looked at the flowers nearby.

    ''What the hell are these...''

    He couldn''t recognize a single flower, meaning that all of them were unique flowers of this world.

    After exploring around for a bit, he found actual treasure chests all around the city.

    ''Can I...take these? Is it like...stealing? Did someone leave them here on purpose, or what is happening? Why are there treasure chests hidden in the city? It doesn''t make sense.''

    He decided to collect the stuff inside for now, and would probably keep it to himself unless someone cameining directly to his doorstep or something.

    ''This world is weird...''

    And soon enough, much to his surprise and dismay, he found two more of those alien-shaped devices inside of the city.

    But this time, both of the devices were generating a dark blue color instead of red, and this led him to believe they were activated.

    Straightening up his posture, he gave one of the devices a nice firm touch.

    And...

    Nothing happened...

    He frowned.

    ''I should probably ask someone like Jean to answer my questions regarding those things. Or maybe if I can find someone smart. Now that I think about it, that librarian beauty Lisa might be able to answer some of my questions. These things are likendmines in a human settlement... It''s weird for people to simply ignore them.''

    Resigned, he leaned on the device, deeply contemting. He could almost feel the device mocking him, briefly letting him lean on it before it would explode or something.

    "Ah, Ugly Tattoo is here!"

    Soon enough, he heard the excited voice of the little fairy from his party.

    Tilting his head, he was met with Lumine, who also greeted him.

    "Hello...Party leader."

    For some people, the little fairy might have been seen as a nuisance, but he had to put that aside for the end result.

    Granted, the little fairy wasn''t able to fight for him during the quests.

    But despite having nobat ability, she could presumably either turn invisible or disappear to some unknown dimension, which could be useful for many things.

    She was also very cute.

    And to top it all off, she knew how to raise the spirit of the party without much difficulty, and things like that were very important. She was something akin to a mascot in a sense.

    To him, it was like having a little pet again, and he loved pets.

    "Hey, you guys...I assume you''ve delivered the letter without a hitch then?"

    "That''s right! Paimon read it out loud for her and Glory was so happy she started crying tears of joy! See how amazing Paimon is?"

    "Yes, yes. Paimon is amazing."

    "Hehe." with a gleeful squeal, she wiggled in the air.

    Praising her definitely put her in a good mood.

    "Now that you''re here, we have some time to talk. I will ask you this..." He knocked onto the metallic surface of the alien-shaped device and continued, "I am pretty sure you have some rough idea about what this is, correct? I am a bit interested about it too, you see."

    "...I''m not so sure...about others...but I''m able to transport myself... through them."

    Yomite''s eyes lit up, "Transport? As in teleporting!?"

    "Umu."

    "..."

    "Party leader....is something...the matter?"

    "No... Just spit it out at this point...how many powers do you even have?"

    Lumine looked troubled, but now that she knew she could depend on him, and that he would help her with finding her brother, she decided it wasn''t fair to keep it only to herself.

    "...I can...warp myself between these devices and the Statues of the Seven...I have a special holographic map, where key points of the map are saved...I have a ce where I can put infinite items into and things that are put inside will never expire as they are stopped in time..."

    Silence enveloped the ce.

    It was about 4 pm, the sky was clear, and the winds were blowing steadily.

    There was nothing but the cool breeze moving through the tree branches.

    But soon, formerly loud sounds of the day had been swallowed by a hystericalughter,ing from one of the rooftops, "Seriously!? Are you joking with me!? Four hours...Four hours of wasting time, walking up the hill and carrying equipment...Couldn''t you have said that sooner, woman!? We could have done the quest within minutes! And also, what is up with those broken abilities!? Teleportation, Holographic map, and an Inventory!? Isn''t that a bit overboard!? At this point I wouldn''t be surprised if you had a Status ability of your own!"

    "Yiiiish!" Paimon''s small figure quickly disappeared out of fright, leaving Lumine alone with him.

    Lumine''s gaze was conflicted. She resolved herself and spoke yet again,

    "...About that...I actually hav��"

    "��Please...don''t say another word��" Yomite cut her off. He had enough. He truly had enough.

    "...Party leader, are you... mad? I was thinking of telling the rest of the party too..."

    A voice echoed on top of a rooftop, correctly guessing what Yomite was feeling in his heart, "No, it''s fine...at least I know now...don''t let it get to you, it was just a small and momentary outburst of mine��"

    He shook his head and sighed, "Lets just go to the inn and regroup with others. I am still wondering how they will react to this news if you were to tell them...Sheesh...Status too...I can''t even view my own��"

    "Yes."

    He wasn''t sure whether it was a good idea to tell them yet but the decision was solely on her, not him. He was just slightly jealous, that''s all.

    ''And as for me...I don''t really see the need to reveal myself for now. Although some people have seen my cube ability, no one will ever know about my Story ability or thest Observe spell that I have yet to figure out how to activate...Goodness there is so much stuff to do...Mastering the offensive cube spell, getting better with the Story ability and figuring out how to utilize the Observe.''

    He knew that he had been truly graced, to have such abilities, body and a new life for absolutely free, butpared to what Lumine had��

    ''I admit my cheats are great! But she has a cheat set deluxe edition under her belt! Unbelievable! In any case, once I am free, I will need to figure out how the Observe works...''

    ***

    Upon entering the Inn and walking into their room, Yomite saw that surprisingly, Fischl was hitting it off with Hu Tao.

    And that was a good thing. For the most part...

    "Hey! I''ve read that before!"

    "O-Oh...did thou now...magnificent. Are thou well versed in the art of poetry, then? "

    "Yep! I write poetry of my own! You also seem like you''ve read a lot of ssics!"

    "Why, yes, I am quite the avid enjoyer of ssic literature." Fischl stated, feeling proud.

    "Hooo, it seems like you are getting along pretty well." Yomite''s voice interrupted them from behind. The duo looked back and weed them.

    "Assistant-kun!" Hu Tao waved at him.

    "H-Hmph! It''s only natural for the Queen to get to know her subjects better!" Fischl covered half of her face with her hand, acting mysteriously.

    "Queen? Weren''t you a princess or something?" Yomite questioned.

    "Y-You know what I meant!"

 Chapter 49

    The afternoon had passed.

    It was currently night time. Everyone was getting ready to sleep. Fischl said her goodbyes in her natural fashion, and left.

    Hu Tao already fell asleep in her clothes like a dead log by the time Yomite had finished his shower, snoring away loudly like a middle-aged man after working a nine-to-five job, or like a drunkard after mixing drinks and ending up wasted.

    Well, it was certainly true that the hyperactive individuals fell asleep a lot quicker than others after expending all of their energy.

    Lumine and Paimon pulled out cute pajamas from somewhere��

    ''Not somewhere...it was that freaking inventory��damn it! I am not jealous!''

    The feeling of bed was heavenly. The clouds of pain and exhaustion that had clouded his head for several days were finally fading.

    The pain had subsided well into the background, and heid luxuriantly on his back. His arms were flung over his head while his legs were stretched out onto the bed.

    He closed his eyes shut, quietly departing to the dreand.

    ***

    He expected to wake up rxed, to the new day, but instead, he woke up in the middle of the night, wondering how long he had slept.

    The room should have been silent and it should bete at night.

    He turned around, to face a wall. At this moment, he heard a sounde from the corner of the room.

    "Augh��ugh."

    That sound was really loud in this quiet room.

    Hearing this sound, he shifted his gaze to a corner of the room. He let his eyes adjust to the darkness.

    In that corner of the room��was Lumine''s bed. The weird sounds wereing from there. It was as if someone was suffocating, or had trouble breathing.

    He gulped unconsciously.

    Cold sweat kept breaking out. He wasn''t scared or anything. It was just a bit weird��

    What was going on, was Lumine dying or something?

    Unwillingly, he stood up and left his warm bed, afraid hispanion might suffocate to death.

    He slowly walked to her, and that''s when he saw the source of the sound.

    It was Paimon.

    She was being squeezed by Lumine a little bit too much, having trouble breathing.

    Yomite put away the hand that was squeezing her, letting her escape.

    She gazed at him with a face that seemed to be saying, "I owe you one, Good Tattoo." and disappeared somewhere else, into another dimension.

    He sighed.

    "Jeez...I got scared for nothing��Lets just go back to bed an��"

    ''��Huh?''

    "...!"

    As soon as he turned around, in the corner of the room��stood something.

    Gazing at him with its crimson red eyes, shining in the darkness.

    He was frozen in ce, and the only words that tumbled out of his mouth were,"What the...fuck?"

    Yet the figure stood still, unmoving. Not responding. Still staring at him without blinking.

    It took him a moment to realize that the figure had a very familiar appearance of someone from his party.

    A girl, with chestnut brown hair and deep red eyes containing bright flower-shaped pupils.

    "Jesus, Hu Tao... That''s terrifying...You scared the living crap out of me...What the hell are you doing there, just silently standing...say something...Oi..Don''t be creepy, this isn''t funny...If this is one of your pranks, then there is time and ce for that shit..."

    He slowly walked up to her and hesitantly shook her shoulders.

    This was straight up like from a B-tier horror movie, and what did he learn from horror movies?

    ck people obviously died first.

    Since he was partially ck, this curse might be encoded in his DNA. But he wasn''t just gonna run away, that would be pathetic of him. He paid for this ce after all? Where would he sleep?

    After not getting any response from her, he waved his hand in front of her eyes, yet they weren''t focused one bit.

    They were open the whole time, she didn''t blink a single time.

    If that wasn''t creepy enough, she was directly turning her head, following him whenever he moved.

    "Okay...okay...listen here...If you don''t stop...You are going to have to sleep outside, I''m sorry, but I am not falling asleep with a creep in a room."

    Once again...No response.

    Looking closely, her eyes were getting wet from her, not closing her eyes for so long.

    Until finally, tears welled up in her eyes.

    ''Is she actually...sleep walking...that...might exin it I guess��? It''s really ufortable though...I need to do something about it.''

    He walked up to her again, this time, picking her up, and putting her on her bed, hoping that that would fix the issue.

    Heid back down on his bed and closed his eyes, dozing off.

    It wasn''t before long that he felt something near him. He wanted to open his eyes, but something like his 6th sense was holding him back.

    ''What the hell should I do!? I am too bothered by it. It will be scary if I open my eyes, but the same could be said if I didn''t open them!''

    After considering it for a moment, he made up his mind to open his eyes slightly��

    Just a tiny little bit.

    Still, curiosity got the best of him, and he looked.

    Curiosity killed the cat, they say.

    And he locked eyes with the figure that was staring at his face, this time dangerously close, standing right next to his bed, looking down at him as if it was the most natural thing to do during the night.

    "Aaaah! Fuck...Hu Tao! Get it together! Wake up!"

    He screamed as if he was squeezing his psyche dry.

    He was never a fan of horror or jumpscare genres and this encounter almost stopped his heart and sent him back to Goddess Sia immediately.

    For some reason Lumine was sleepingfortably, not bothered by the sudden scream, he wondered if that was another one of her cheats, ''Sleeping Soundly''.

    Ultimately, he had decided to ignore Hu Tao altogether. It couldn''t be that bad, right?

    She would eventually go to sleep, right?

    ''But she didn''t!'' He shrieked internally.

    Seconds, minutes, an hour had passed, yet he could clearly see her shadow while looking at the wall, illuminated by the moon.

    ''She''s still there!! She didn''t move an inch! At this point I''m actually getting scared...''

    He was thinking of numerous worst case scenarios.

    All of which lead to his death.

    Not being able to hold it in anymore, he stood up and tried to forcefully get her into her bed again.

    However, no matter how many times he tried putting her to sleep, she stood up and stared at him from up close once more.

    Ultimately, he spent the whole night like this, not getting any sleep.

 Chapter 50

    Mondstadt.

    The morning of another day.

    At the inn, Yomite, who had just woken up, was still wondering about what happened earlier that night...

    "That was really creepy...I couldn''t get a wink of sleep..."

    As he yawned, he nced around to see Lumine and Paimon still sleeping soundly, and the culprit behind him not getting a wink of sleep, Hu Tao was currently writing something into her book on top of her bed.

    Presumably, the novel she was talking about before, or some kind of poem.

    One day he will convince her to let him read it.

    Still, it seemed like she had finally awakened from that weird sleep-walking state.

    ''This night was horrible. The next time that happens, she is sleeping outside...''

    He hoped to whichever god there is, that this will never ever happen again!

    ''Now let''s finally sleep!''

    He feltfortable lying on the bed just like that, hugging his pillow, until he heard a weird noiseing from downstairs.

    "W-Wait! You can''t just go up! Please!"

    "One shall go wherever one shall please!"

    What the heck was happening?

    Squeaky footsteps from the wooden staircase were slowly getting closer and closer until they stopped in front of his room.

    At this moment, thumps were heard.

    Someone outside was knocking on his door.

    The knocks were quite loud and were definitely done by hammering the door with a lot of strength.

    Yomite frowned as he looked around his party, wondering if anyone was going to answer the door, but Lumine simply hugged Paimon and turned to the other side of her bed, and Hu Tao wasn''t responding at all. It was as if she was still unresponsive since the night.

    Yomite guessed who it was and pretended not to hear it.

    He also chose Lumine''s tactic as viable and decided to hug the wall instead. The bed was way toofortable to go and answer the door right now.

    After the person knocked a few more times, the clinking of the doorknob could be heard, and the door was suddenly opened!

    Yomite widened his eyes at the person who came in. He knew that it would be her, yet he didn''t expect she would be this brazen in entering the room.

    They could have been naked or something.

    Did she not care, or was she simply ignorant about stuff like that?

    Seeing Yomite''s startled face, Fischl cleared out her throat andughed with a smile, "Prinzessin Der Verurteilung has arrived! As unexpected as the morning daylight! Dusk and dawn, but fleeting shadows are. Let us embark on a journey, once more, the twists of fate have led me into your evesting night, gracing this room with...glory..." She paused as she panned across the room.

    It was clearly already 10 am, yet everyone was in their bed, and none of them looked battle-ready.

    What was going on?

    ***

    Fischl woke up at 4 am as always, feeling refreshed.

    She wanted to have some time for herself so she walked out of her house that was devoid of her parents, closed the door, and looked around.

    At this time, Yomite was still busy fighting with sleep-walking Hu Tao, hours and hours to no end, but no one bore witness to that, unfortunately.

    It was still dark, and the only person around was a tall, crimson red-haired man, sweeping the front of his tavern.

    The tavern of Angel''s Share.

    Other than that, she noticed that the Adventurer''s Guild was already fully operating.

    It was quite admirable how dedicated and responsible the administrative members of the Adventurer''s Guild were.

    Everyone seemed to be in position even before dawn broke, standing with friendly smiles that eased people into freely spilling any, and all, troubles guing them at the moment.

    Spring was close. She could feel it in the air. It was currently the winter season, yet no snow was visible.

    It''s been a long time since it snowed in Mondstadt. Maybe around twenty years.

    She had only personally seen snow in Dragonspine, which was a tall cold mountain full of snow that just simply wouldn''t melt.

    She greeted the person in front of her with her usual greatness, "Hail, mortal. Not that the illusory passage of time has any bearing on one such as I, to whom the causality of three thousand universes has been unveiled."

    However, the man only responded with an annoyed grunt and continued sweeping.

    Fischl was used to the fact that people ignored her, but she didn''t give up. One day, she shall show the world the greatness that she was.

    "Well, one such as I see that you are busy with the cliche mortal life, so I shall bid you farewell." With that, she turned around and went for a walk outside of the city gates.

    "..."

    The man''s name was Diluc, the owner of Angel''s Share.

    He was currently silently staring at her parting figure, "What was that all about? I stayed silent because I had no idea what she wanted from me...Mondstadt is bing weirder with each passing day..." He shook his head and resumed his duty.

    ***

    About six hourster.

    Present time.

    "W-What is this conspiracy!? Who poisoned you with the essence of the Medusa!? Raise up, my dear soldiers of stone, and heed my summon! Let me crack the curseid upon thy bodies!" Fischl was desperately raising her trembling hands across the people in the room but to no avail.

    *Swish*

    Hu Tao turned to another page of her book and continued writing, and Lumine put a pillow over her ears, snuggling Paimon even closer, almost squashing her again. At this point, Yomite felt bad for Paimon. Being a Mascot was hard.

    ''Do your best.'' He silently prayed within his heart.

    Of course, Fischl''s confrontation ended up a failure. Her ns were foiled once more.

    Yomite turned slightly awkward, "Good morning, Fischl, you came?"

    Fischl conveniently sat down on his bed.

    "...What in the tarnation is going on over here!? Yesterday, we seeded in taking down the evil spiritual flower of the cial god itself, the morale should be at its peak, yet now it seems as if all lives and hopes are lost! Raise up! There is a whole world outside to explore!"

    "Mein Fraulein, I believe that yourpanions are currently resting, let''se back againter." Oz materialized and greeted Yomite,

    "Hello there, sir Yomite. Good morning."

    "Good morning to you too, Oz..."

    Oz stared at him with his sharp purple pupils and quickly arrived at the conclusion that Yomite didn''t have much sleep during the night for ''some'' reason.

    His eyes had ck circles underneath. It seemed like he spent the entire night awake.

    "But Oz..." Fischl protested. Her energy was fully recharged. She was all ready to depart.

    "Well, if I may suggest something, we can maybe y some card games and rx today. What do you say, Mein Fr?ulein? Oh! I heard that there is this new game called Pharaoh, someone from Sumeru apparently came up with it, and it''s fairly popr in Liyue too. Should we try that? What do you say, Mein Fr?ulein?"

    Oz''s constant barrage of questions left Fischl in a deste state.

    Did she want to y? Nonsense. She was a highly skilled adventurer. The best scout out there.

    She did gaze somewhat longingly at the younger kids ying outside sometimes, though.

    However, the Prinzesssin had no time for such things, she mused.

    Of course she was tempted to y games with her newfound friends, as she never really socialized in her life without being mocked or experienced something like this, but currently she wanted to go on an adventure with everyone.

    "Hmph! ying games is far too childish! But I shall give it a try!"

    ***

    **

    *

    Ten hourster...

    "Hahaha! I won once more!" Fischl gave off a heartyugh as she pulled a stack of chips to her side of the table.

    This was the most fun she has ever had, forget the childishness of games, it was so much fun!

    "Not fair! You saw Paimon''s cards again! Paimon can''t hold as many cards as you can in Paimon''s small hands! This is unfair!" There were only a few chips on Paimon''s side, so she obviously wasn''t happy, nor was she winning.

    The group was rxing and only ying games throughout the whole day. They didn''t even step outside of the room, not counting the time Yomite ordered food and drinks and pee breaks.

    And just like that, it was already deep into the night, the moment seemed like it would never end, but for some reason, Yomite felt like he forgot about something.

    ''Hm...well... shouldn''t be that important in any case.'' He mused.

    "All in!" Yomite confidently dered, making the surrounding yers frown.

    "Party leader...bully...folding..."

    "Fold Fold~!"

    "This one shall fold!"

    "Ugh...Bad Tattoo...folding..."

    ***

    Amidst the branches of the most beautiful and the tallest tree the world of Teyvat had ever seen, stood a bard, staring at the moon with aplex gaze.

    "Did they...forget it was tonight? No, they are dependable people with power. I should probably wait a bit more, they may be busy."

    It wouldn''t be until two hourster that Yomite remembered a certain bard wanted to meet both him and Lumine tonight...

 Chapter 51

    Leaving Hu tao and Fischl behind, Yomite and Lumine left the room and sneakily used her teleport ability to get there faster.

    The requirement for her to activate the ability was to hold the person''s hand or to touch a part of his skin.

    Well, teleportation was a convenient little thing many isekai protagonists used.

    However, Yomite read about teleports, and they were he dangerous.

    Reading about how many times teleports failed, made him a little bit sceptical.

    And sometimes, it was truly horrifying.

    In the best case scenario, you would get transported to a different location than the one you were supposed to go to, or get stranded on some ind that''s outside of the map.

    Which was bad in itself, however there was an even worse alternative.

    In the worst case scenario...Half of your body would teleport somewhere else while the other half would reach the location you wanted...

    Sessfully cutting you in half which was pretty much guaranteed death.

    Sometimes, if you misced the coordinates, you might as well end up inside of a wall without your own volution, or your bones might get turned into a green jelly. A scary thought.

    In that way, teleporting wasn''t fun. At all.

    Venti the bard, mentioned they should meet him at the tallest tree of Teyvat.

    He had never been in that location before nor did he use teleports, Lumine, however, visited that ce a couple of times and he trusted that he won''t get dissected by the teleport half way through.

    Once she touched him, a white light enveloped them and after it faded, they appeared in front of a giant tree, right next to the teleport device, however, unlike the alien-shaped device, this one looked more like an actual statue of an important person or a figure of the past.

    "Looks like we are here." He sighed in relief that all of his body parts were still intact.

    He didn''t die yet! Great!

    It was a monumental stone statue that watched over Mondstadt for thousands of years...

    Legends say that it was sculpted in the image of the Anemo Archon, Barbatos. Its size was quiterge.

    Maybe a bit more than the full height of a fully grown man.

    It was a tall, leaves and vine-covered statue of a man with a hood perched on his head, and a pair of wings spread wide on his back, as if it was an angel, or a messenger of a god.

    It also had a feminine face that resembled that of the Bard that both of them met not too long ago, which might also make his identity more credible.

    It was deep into the night, but with some difficulty he could read the words inscribed on the statue as such, "Seeds brought by the wind will grow over time."

    The statue silently anticipated the arrival of a noble soul, while a thousand winds of time would soon unfold a new story...

    "Amazing, Party leader." Lumine suddenly spoke while he observed the Statue of the Seven.

    "Hm? What is?"

    "The first time I used the instant transportation...I...I vomited all over...It''s still a bit difficult...for me, yet you lookpletely fine." Lumine replied, somewhat shyly.

    "Paimon admits that Paimon''s head was hurting the first couple of time we used it, but Paimon got used to it as well!"

    His resistance to teleportation or rather, throwing up, might be because of the amount of rollercoaster rides he took as a kid.

    Although that might be unrted, considering his body was made anew and upgraded a whole bunch. It wouldn''t surprise him if it was like a hidden feature to prevent him from puking or something.

    But wait...

    "...Great...And you didn''t mention it to me on purpose, so that you couldugh if that happened to me? Is that it?"

    "N-No...it''s not like that!" Lumine hurriedly denied it, forming an X with her hands.

    "Haha! What a lovely bunch you are! Both of you finally came! Together with this... Flying child?" A gleeful voice from within the tree branches echoed and soon enough a green clothed figure jumped down.

    Venti the bard, the apparent God and the apparent Male, both of which Yomite still suspected were false deep inside of his mind.

    The little fairy felt insulted and immediately rebutted the bard, "Hey! Paimon will let you know that Paimon is much older than you are! Paimon''s not a child! Some respect to the elders you have! Hmph!"

    "I apologize," Venti giggled, "I''m d you finally came. I thought you forgot about me��"

    "Ahahah...No way...we were...a bit busy." He nced at Lumine, and saw she wanted to urgently ask something, so he let her speak.

    Lumine stepped forward and spoke, "Venti...or Barbatos��I am searching for my brother, have you seen anyone even remotely simr to me before?"

    Venti put his fingers on his chin and contemted for a while before replying, "...Unfortunately no. However, I have an old, grumpy acquaintance in Liyue that might be able to know something. He is a grandpa, but his knowledge is way, way beyond mine. So if you help me with Dvalin, I promise you I will let him know, and you can talk to him. How does that sound?"

    "Mhm. Thank you." Satisfied, Lumine nodded.

    She felt that it wasn''t long before her brother and her would meet.

    A happy reunion.

    "Now then! After thinking for a while, I''ve devised a n to save Dvalin! First of all, we need to��"

    *Screech*

    A weird sound, strong enough to twist the air itself, interrupted their ''negotiations'' and Venti''s exnation.

    The group of three looked up and saw arge, floating, translucent sphere in a greenish hue, hovering over the grass.

    White ancient markings were embedded in the middle of its core, swirling the wind around itself.

    Chunks of debris and other bs of rocks, formed something akin to a shield, or a skeletal structure that was protecting its core, covering it like a cocoon in a disorderly pattern giving it the image of a structured organism.

    The organism gave off a feeling of storm driven to life, as the greenish wind swirled around the orb.

    This was the first time Yomite saw a creature like this, and a second time he saw a flying enemy..

    Although he did wonder if it even was a monster, and not some sort of a golem instead.

    Venti frowned, his expression darkening, "It''s the Eye of the Storm, also known as the Restless Elemental. It seems like it sensed me and came over to gather more power...Welp, I''m a bad match up for it, so I''m gonna hide now, good luck! Laters!" With that, Venti used a gust of wind and floated away to safety of the tree where the Eye of the Storm couldn''t reach him.

    "Oi! Wait! What the...This dude just ran away!"

    "Party leader...what do we do?" Lumine asked, while pulling out her sword from its scabbard.

    Yomite cursed his luck when it came to this bard, nothing was going the way he imagine, "Aw,e on... let''s just kill it...It seems hostile, so I doubt there is any room for negotiation."

 Chapter 52

    Somewhere, near the borders of Mondstadt.

    In a huge rock formation, resembling that of a cave.

    Lumineid down on her side, staring at the rain as she began to think.

    Her brother was on her mind for the majority of the time, but after meeting Paimon and entering Yomite''s party, she began to think less of it and live more at the moment.

    Where was her brother anyways?

    Who was that god that took him away?

    Will she ever see him again?

    She hoped that she will one day know the answer to all of those questions.

    However, the current question was, was Yomite going toe back soon with food?

    And why was Paimon making weird noises?

    "Paimon...?" Lumine slowly panned her head over to Paimon.

    She saw her floating around the firece, hoping for some food to magically appear on her te, her mouth wide open, drooling.

    Paimon made strange low growls, almost like a zombie.

    "Uhhh... Paimon...? Can you stop making those noises? I know you''re hungry, I am too, but we need to wait..."

    "Paimon''s hungry..." Paimon frowned as she turned her head over to Lumine.

    She then bared her teeth at Lumine and made biting motions, "Paimon wants food!"

    Her usual cuteness was nowhere to be seen, and instead, a face of hunger and malice reced it.

    Lumine sighed. "I''m hungry as well, Paimon, but just wait until the party leaderes back. He''ll be back soon, I know it. He won''t leave us here. I trust him."

    "But Paimon wants food now!" Paimon floated over to Lumine. "Paimon can''t wait any longer!" Suddenly, two small hands grabbed Lumine''s forearm and sank her teeth into one of her fingers.

    "Argh!" Lumine yelled out in pain.

    She shook her finger around, trying to get her off, "Stop it, Paimon! I''m not food!"

    Paimon bit down harder as she tried to keep her grip. "Lumine...Emergency food!"

    Eventually, after some struggle, Paimon gave up and then floated back over to the campfire without another word, though she did give Lumine a death stare.

    Lumine let out a long sigh, shaking her finger around to ease the pain. "I''ll go check on the Party leader, stay here, and watch over the camp. We''ll have something to eat soon, okay? No Lumine emergency food!"

    She began to pack, taking her sword and some bear traps with her that she would go and ce outside in hopes of catching a wild boar.

    She had no idea what was wrong with Paimon. She never acted this way.

    While she was often hungry and she hit her hunger limit many times before, Lumine remembered her being much more patient, back when they first met, in the wilderness.

    Tonight, she was simply, as if, out of this world.

    As Lumine was about to take off, the fire went out. She could hardly see.

    "Paimon, what just happened? Are you okay?" Her voice echoed alongside the rock walls of their shelter. "Paimon? Where are you?"

    No response...

    "Paimon...?"

    She called out again.

    Then she heard her voice. "Are you scared, Lumine...? Ehehehe..." Paimon''sughter echoed throughout the cave.

    "Seriously, Paimon? Come on, stop ying around." It was much colder without the fire, adding on to that, she couldn''t see well in the dark and the rain outside didn''t help either.

    Lumine was looking around her, searching for Paimon. Her hairs stood on end. Something about this didn''t feel right.

    As she continued searching in the darkness, she felt herself get caught up in something.

    Almost immediately, her arms and legs were bound behind her body, tightly constricted with a rope that almost cut into her skin.

    Lumine squirmed. "Paimon! Help!"

    She felt only the cold and the dampness of the cave''s floor. She wanted to move her arms, but she knew that she couldn''t do so. She had lost the strength to even lift her head.

    Something or someone was holding her down.

    The fire had then magically relit itself into a dark, green color. The fire continued to lick at the edges of the bs, burning where it could.

    The glowing fire managed to leap and bounce off the cold walls of the cave. It was mostly controble, but it was definitely an energetic beast, and Lumine felt the intensity of it from afar. It wasn''t anything like a normal me.

    Paimon then, stepped forward into view, now much bigger, and taller than Lumine.

    She was the size of a Mitachurl!

    Somehow, Lumine felt that she saw this form somewhere before, but she couldn''t remember where or when.

    "Paimon! You did this!? Let me go!"

    Yet Paimon ignored her pleas and instead, held out arge butcher knife.

    It seemed to materialize out of thin air, "Paimon learned a new recipe, it''s called a chicken...mushroom... and...HUMAN skewer!"

    Everything seemed to happen in a sh.

    Lumine was picked up and tied to a spit right above a pot of boiling water and the dangerous green me that was already making it hard for her to breathe.

    Lightning crashed and roared outside as

    Paimon hungrily stared into Lumine''s eyes.

    "W-Wait, Paimon, don''t do this!"

    "Now you get to know how it feels like, to be an emergency food, Lumine!"

    Lumine gasped, "Paimon, I''m sorry about that, but it''s just a joke! I didn-"

    She wasn''t able to finish her sentence as she was interrupted by the seething pain in her stomach.

    "Ugh..."

    A sharp de dug into her abdomen.

    Piercing through her flesh, it kept going, and she knew, that if she was any slower in intercepting it, the de would just continue on until it reached her back.

    "Pai...mon..." She spoke the name of her belovedpanion, holding her gut with her tied hands.

    The sound of rapid drumming inside of her mind controlled her breathing, and it seemed no matter what she did, she couldn''t get enough air from her lungs.

    "It''s way toote now, food!" Paimon giggled. "Lumine...Emergency Food!"

    She tried to speak, but only a rasping sound emerged. It was as if she was trying tomunicate underwater, and thest of her strength was disappearing.

    With thest of it, she weakly struggled to untie herself. The hand on her shoulder, however, pushed her down, right into a sizzling pot of boiling water with ingredients inside of it.

    ***

    Deep into the night, Lumine jolted on her bed, gasping for air.

    For a moment she wondered if her heart was still beating. It was hard to think. Her whole body felt heavy as if it was being weighed down by an invisible heavy nket.

    The world inside of her mind was in pieces.

    Luckily, it was just a dream, and she woke up from it.

    Everything was fine...

    Everything was alright...

    She wasn''t going to be eaten...

    ''...What a nightmare...It felt so real...''

    She then remembered she was sleeping in one bed with Paimon, but looking around, she couldn''t locate her anywhere.

    She silently hoped that Paimon only went back into her usual dimensional space, instead of preparing boiling water with a pot...

    Just then, she heard the voice of someone, shouting.

    "Hu Tao! That''s enough! How in the hell do you even stay in that state!? Wake up!"

    Lumine cautiously gawked at the intruders of the room, but luckily, it was just her friends, Yomite and Hu Tao, who were for some reason, fighting in the middle of the night, in the middle of the room.

    Specifically, it was Yomite who was trying to get Hu Tao back into her bed.

    "I kicked you out of the room and locked the door, and you came back through the window, you creep! I kicked you out again and closed the window, yet you lock-picked the door with your spear!! Tell me! How is it possible to be sleepwalking and still lock-picking a fucking door!? What, do I gotta start putting salt lines in front of the door to ward off evil spirits!? Why do you keeping back here!?"

    "..."

    Yomite was currently in a standing arm wrestling match with Hu Tao, and it seemed like they were at it for quite a while.

    "Just go to bed already!! Aaah!"

    "..."

    Lumine felt she was still dreaming, so she took his advice andid back down, ignoring whatever was happening.

    But deep inside of her mind, she resolutely swore that she would act much nicer towards Paimon, starting tomorrow.

    Sweet dreams.

 Chapter 53

    "The wind...Paimon can''t...open her eyes��What is a creature like that doing out here in such a calm ce?"

    "We don''t really have time to find that out, now, do we!?" Yomite retorted back at her and pulled out one of his newly acquired ymores.

    Hoping it wouldn''t break so easily this time.

    ''Well, it shouldn''t, thatst boss was just too tough...''

    "Party leader, I don''t think I will be able to help much during this fight��" Lumine spoke, disappointment filling her face.

    "Why is that?"

    Yomite questioned her, there must have been some kind of logical reason she couldn''t fight.

    Maybe she was feeling sick?

    "The element that I borrowed from the Statue of the Seven was Anemo, and our enemy seems to possess the same element...So all of my spells will be nullified."

    "Ah...alright...great...just perfect��So wind spells won''t work...In that case, let me handle it ande in only if I call for you. I want to try out my ability a bit, you see."

    He nted one foot down, the pressure behind it fracturing the ground beneath him, in an instant.

    Explosivelyunching off of his legs, Yomite barreled towards the Eye of the Storm, seemingly blinking from his spot.

    The floating orb didn''t have much time to react, epting the impact from Yomite''s ymore.

    Chunks of its protective skeleton cocoon fell off, and soon, more parts followed. But it was just a shell. Behind the shellid the real thing.

    After one attack, the only thing that was remaining was the green core. The core that was very much vulnerable.

    It wasn''t a hard enemy, Yomite knew that, yet the fact that it was flying was annoying him greatly...

    Eye of the Storm wiggled around in the air furiously, and created a vacuum of wind in the area that drew him to the middle of the circle, and then, crashed down hard at the center where its target was supposed to be standing.

    At thest second, however, Yomite managed to roll away.

    "The suction of the wind is very powerful��It''s as if that Stormterror dragon attacked again..."

    He mumbled as he watched the flying construct slowly rise to the sky, and while in mid-air, it charged for a while, and then formed something akin to a small tornado that was sent at him in a straight line.

    Seeing the pattern, it wasn''t that hard to dodge, the monster or golem or whatever it was, didn''t have much intelligence when it came to it''s attacks or coordination, and probably just acted based on its instincts.

    It didn''t have any eyes, mouth or nose, so Yomite wondered how it could even locate where he was.

    "Do you best!"

    Paimon and Lumine cheered him on from behind the safety of the giant tree.

    In any case, Yomite sidestepped the small, charging tornado, and took this opening to attack it again.

    Luckily, from his observation, it seemed like the Eye of the Storm had a fixed distance, and it couldn''t fly higher that the current height, which was weird, but all the more reason it could be taken down easily.

    After another huge m of his ymore, small cracks began forming in its core, indicating it wasn''t long before it would be destroyed.

    Feeling that it''s end was near, the Eye of the Storm used it''s final thrump card.

    It flew up high and started channeling its Anemo power to the earth, creating a wind wall around Yomite, preventing him from escaping.

    "What''s this?"

    He frowned upon seeing it.

    ''A wind barrier...''

    He tried shing through it with his ymore, but it bore no results, he was stuck in this formation with the oddly shaped flying monstrosity.

    After a while, the floating orb summoned multiple pirs of wind that started chasing him, scattering rocks everywhere

    "Seriously? You are throwing rocks at me? This makes me look like some sort of criminal..."

    After a while of dodging, he found a wind current, and decided to use the glider that he got from Kaeya, to prop himself up.

    Swinging the ymore onest time, mid air, the Orb was dealt a fatal blow and fell to the ground.

    "Now then."

    Once he stabilized himself on the glider, which was quite hard for him to do, he safelynded on the ground and walked towards the Eye of the Storm, eager to try something out.

    He stopped right in front of it, trying to remember the sensation on his fingertips and slowly, a small cube of light emerged from within.

    "There we go...Now...slowly..."

    He touched the Orb with his Cube and quickly retreated, watching the beautiful spectacle unfold.

    From what he had learned so far, the cube ability was fairly simple, yet strong and dangerous weapon.

    It always began by slowly creating a smallish cube of white energy.

    Then, he had tounch it in a straight line, and If anyone or anything got caught in it, they will freeze in ce and get obliterated by the energy inside, instantly disintegrating.

    If the cube however, did note into contact with anyone or anything, it will continue for a short while before expanding and unleashing its destructive energy.

    So far he hasn''t found a way to stop or cancel it once it was activated, though, so he must look into that as well.

    As the cube expanded, the Eye of the Storm was engulfed in it, and slowly disappeared from the view.

    The violent wind had ceased and everything was once again, peaceful.

    ''Good thing I told Lumine to stay away, or else she might have gotten caught up in it too... It''s a great ability, but it''s truly a dangerous thing...I need to learn about it more...''

    "Party leader...good job!" Lumine and Paimon came up from behind the tree.

 Chapter 54

    "All of that and we didn''t even get a single reward!?" Paimon pouted her lips in disappointment. "Paimon smells that this might be a scam."

    "That''s a big word for someone like you. Where did you learn it, Paimon?" Yomite questioned, pleasantly surprised by her new vocabry.

    "Paimon''s all knowing! Paimon''s smart!"

    "So it would seem. Paimon is indeed very smart."

    Paimon''s eyes sparkled proudly when heplimented her.

    Yomite walked over and gently ced a hand on Paimon''s small head, caressing it. She responded to his touch by rubbing her temple against his palm.

    ''Truly, like a small animal.''

    Heughed heartily and then gazed up at the tree, his expression changing, "We are about done here, Venti. Come down you wimp. Stop hiding there. Some God you are..."

    "Haha! Well done, heroes! That fight was magnificent! You took it down in a blink of an eye! Good job! I have not been back in a while, and a few beings like these seem a bit unhappy with my arrival. Seems like Dvalin wasn''t the only one affected by this change in the wind��"

    "We''ve heard that the situation with Dvalin...is reaching the climax��" Lumine replied.

    "...Indeed. The conflict has reached a dangerous point, only because both sides have resorted to the use of force and violence. Dvalin''s hate, however, did not arise from the people not making the tribute to the Four Winds. Nor was it born from its own nature, but instead came about as a product of his degradation."

    "Degra...dation��"

    Paimon was having trouble pronouncing the word.

    "You can do it."

    Paimon shifted in the air, nervously, "De...De...gra...Aha! Degradation!"

    "Nice."

    Yomite gave her a thumbs up, and turned towards Venti, listening about what he had to say.

    "Simply, the ck blood flowing through his heart has been torturing Dvalin for years. From what I''ve seen, he was led astray by the lies of the Abyss Order, and the Abyss Mages��"

    Yomite put his hand on his chin and tried think. He was almost positive he heard that term before.

    "Abyss order...Abyss order...I think I''ve heard of them before in Mondstadt��Ah yes, Diluc mentioned them in some context before. Now I remember."

    "It''s an organization of non-human beings. I don''t know where theye from. All I know is that they hold deep hatred towards the human world. They despise mankind, and their goal is currently unknown, but seeing that they targeted Dvalin, they must be nning something big. Unfortunately I have not enough power to deal with them."

    ''He is a God, yet he doesn''t know where they came from, nor does he have enough power to subjugate them? Are Gods of this world that weak? Or do they have a huge backing behind them, that scares even this Bard God?...'' Yomite wondered as he thought about the Gods from fiction.

    The Deities of this world truly paled inparison to some of the legendary figures from the novels, mangas and animes he was all too familiar with...

    Someone like Beerus would just snap his finger and the problem would be solved...If the still remained in pieces, that is...

    "Many if not all Hilichurls out in the wild take orders from them and act as their weapons. Before arriving here, I too was like Dvalin, cursed and left to waste. But now, before us stands the Symbol of Mondstadt''s Hero, the ce from which Mondstadt rose." Saying that, Venti gazed up at the huge, majestic tree behind him, "The wind amongst the branches is good, I love the way it smells��"

    "Being here with you, heroes, beneath this great tree feels like when the tear was purified earlier. Like the poison is leaving my body. For this debt, I''d cut up my heart for you to wear if you wanted it."

    "Oi, don''t make it sound so romantic...It''s weird..." Yomite rebutted. That clearly sounded like some weird confession or something.

    "Heh, did that sound romantic to you? I have plenty of others if you wish to hear them from me, personally..." His pink alluring lips, that looked nothing like that of a man, were brought forward as he leaned in, his eyes closed, as if he was awaiting some sort of approval from Yomite.

    *Cough!* *Cough!*

    Yomite red at Venti, feeling a bit weirded out. It wasn''t even a few minutes, and he was already at loss for words...Speaking to this Bard was tiring...

    "...No thanks...Let''s get to the point, what is your n? How do we save that dragon before it gets killed?"

    "Let''s see. First, we should visit the Cathedral!"

    "The Mondstadt''s Cathedral? To do what exactly? Paimon''s confused..."

    "To im a certain, Holy Lyre der Himmel." Venti replied to the ever curious fairy.

    "The...what now?" Yomite could have sworn he heard Fischl talk for a second there, it almost made him look around in wonder, if she didn''t secretly teleport with them and hid somewhere.

    In any case.

    As Venti already knew about them being able to teleport, to save time, they teleported back to the city instead of walking by foot.

    On their way to the Cathedral, Venti exined that he had tried and failed to cleanse Dvalin''s curse during their previous meeting, but as Lumine had interrupted them before, he was poisoned by the curse as well, and was healing all this time.

    Lumine apologized for that, but Venti shook her off, saying it wasn''t her fault.

    Now, he was forced to rely on the so-called Holy Lyre der Himmel''s power to restore Dvalin''s heart and mind back to normal.

    But obtaining something like that...wouldn''t be simple...

    "Venti...What kind of stupid n is this??? Are you serious?"

 Chapter 55

    Early in the morning.

    It was December.

    The air was cold and disturbing.

    Three figures were running across the streets of Mondstadt together with one flying fairy.

    "So...why are we running again? Care to exin in the meantime!?"

    "Ah, right...we were about to get the lyre, but a Cicin Mage from Fatui suddenly appeared, and almost stole it from us, a fight broke out and then the guards noticed...So we quickly grabbed it and ran!"

    "A Cicin Mage? Haah...so much for the stealth missions, huh��" Yomite didn''t know what a Cicin Mage was, but hearing that it was a Mage, it must have been a troublesome opponent to some degree.

    Anyway, the fact that they have been discovered, wasn''t the best news��

    So they ran.

    ***

    Early in the morning.

    It was December.

    The air was still cold and disturbing.

    That''s not right. This description of the environment had already been written.

    Let''s see...

    It was December.

    The air was still...disturbingly cold. Right, that hadn''t been used yet.

    Two and a half of figures, gazed upon Venti as they had finally arrived in front of the Church of Favonius

    "This...Holy Lyre der Himmel...thing is��What again? Paimon''s confused..."

    "One of the most treasured items in Mondstadt! It''s the lyre that I, the Barbatos, used to y! With it, perhaps I can help draw Dvalin''s gentle nature back out of the nightmare he is going through."

    Yomite knew that Venti already had some kind of lyre on him so he asked him about it, but Venti said that the wooden lyre he owned didn''t have enough power to help Dvalin, so that idea was dismissed.

    It was then when Yomite noticed that a Vision hung on his hip.

    ''Do Gods also use the Visions? Is the Vision that great?''

    But soon, his confusion was cleared out.

    Venti exined that the Vision, which hung on his hip, was no more than a ss ball he carried around to avoid suspicion. An illusion used to deceive the citizens. He was a God after all.

    It wasn''t the real thing, as he obviously didn''t need it.

    "So, let''s enter!" Venti announced.

    The trio agreed and entered the church.

    The inside of a church was a sight to behold.

    There was a lot of borate metalwork and the like. Its walls were beautifully decorated with rows and rows of colourful stained ss windows helping to bring this church to life.

    The fresh air and light inside the church felt clean, as if it was shining on a dirt patch.

    The sunlight that spilled in from the church''s windows was drenched in moving colors, the pictured patterns on tiles and the stained ss windows vibrating in unison.

    The scent of old grass and ages old wood mingled, giving the church a certain pleasant smell that waspletely unidentifiable.

    Decoration was everywhere, in the surrounding pews and the altar. Every inch was covered, and every corner beautifully detailed.

    Yomite was here before, when they came to heal the wolf cub, yet it just dawned upon him how great this ce looked.

    A Nun was sitting on one of the nearby benches, it wasn''t the Deaconess Barbara, but a regr Nun of the church.

    Venti signaled them to wait near one of the pirs, and walked forward to the Nun.

    He announced his presence loudly, making sure he wouldn''t scare her by sneaking around, "Hey there, Sister! Can we talk for a bit?"

    The Nun finished her prayer and cautiously looked back at him, "May the Anemo God bless you, young bard. The Church is closed at a time like this. You maye back in a few hours, once it has reopened."

    "...Well, before I go, may I ask you something?"

    "...Sure. How can I help you?" The nun was still polite, despite the fact that Venti was basically intruding upon this holy ce during the closing hours.

    "Actually...I know a secret that can save Mondstadt from its current predicament!"

    The Nun cupped her hands together, "Ah! What a blessing from the God of Anemo! How great! However, you should report that to the Knights of Favonius. Why have youe to me?"

    "Because you, dear Sister, are able to help! I''d like to borrow the...Holy Lyre. With it, I''ll be able to help Stormterror��"

    "Please see yourself out."

    "...What?"

    Venti thought his speech was nice, good enough to convince anyone, but this was thest thing he would have ever expected to happen.

    For one of his few devoted followers to kick him out.

    The Nun was not having any of it.

    The Holy Lyre was a sacred item, for sure they wouldn''t hand it out for some bard to y around with.

    Yomite could barely hold back augh, "That certainly did not go as he nned...Just imagine...if only she knew who she was talking to...she would be groveling on the ground, begging for forgiveness...Rejecting a request of someone she is worshipping on a daily basis... That''s way too funny..."

    "Should we...go and help him?"

    "Nah, let''s wait. He told us to stay here after all."

    Lumine agreed and watched on.

    "Please...I''m begging you! It''s the only way to save Stormterror, or else, it will be killed��"

    The Nun folded her hands and replied, "I''m afraid not, little bard. That foolish beast betrayed the winds. Not even the God of Anemo, Barbatos would forgive it! It''s a vicious dragon, but I believe the Acting Grand Master Jean would swiftly take care of it, nothing can stand in the Knight''s way.

    Venti frowned, but replied with a resolute gaze, "Then...I guess I''m left with no other choice��"

    ***

    **

    *

    Early in the morning.

    It was December.

    The air was still cold and disturbing.

    Eh?

    Why did the narrator use this to describe the environment again?

    It wasn''t that his vocabry wascking, nor because he was toozy, nor was it because hecked literary knowledge, resulting in him knowing only a few of those descriptive phrases.

    It really wasn''t.

    No...

    Something cryptic like that was impossible for the readers to understand. Yes. Only authors shared this awareness.

    Anyway...

    In front of the Church of Favonius, a roar ofughter erupted.

    "And then he said: My disciples, rejoice! Behold, the God of Anemo, Barbatos has descended, right before your eyes! Shocked aren''t you? Don''t you just wanna cry out loud and rejoice? How does it feel to finally meet the God you''ve been serving?"

    Yomite burst outughing, holding his sides.

    His eyes started watering, and his body violently shook. He was holding it in when they were inside, but once they left, he let it all out.

    The irony of the situation was too great.

    Lumine was also holding a hand over her mouth, not to seem impolite to the God while Paimon was snickering without a care in the world.

    "I-I cant...I''m dying!!! Behold! The Anemo God! Of course she wouldn''t believe you!!" You were lucky she left you off the hook like that!"

    Tears streamed down his cheeks.

    Flushing clear crimson in embarrassment, Venti hid his face within his hands, "S-Stop it! I-I was sure it would work!!"

 Chapter 56

    So, I have decided to work on a list of curse words that get banned or rather, shadow banned by Webnovel''s auto system, I''ve been curious about that recently.

    Because I''ve received so many nicements that got deleted just because someone said "Damn" or "Shit" so it''s really pissing me off...

    I will be posting a chapter full of curses of everything that gets banned into auxiliary volume and will update it frequently so that more people will be aware, but for that, I will need your help to participate in this profanity festival, so if possible leave some ''Nice'' paragraph ments'' down below on the Chuuni remark.

    Current basic known words that are for sure banned: Damn, Shit, N word, pa treon so don''t use those as we already have them.

    Also don''t spam multiple curses into onement, as I won''t be able to determine which one of those words was the cause for the shadow ban.

    Thanks!

    ***Insult Me Here, Mortals***

    Venti resigned himself, "...Very well...Seems like we won''t be able to borrow it after all...we''re simply going to have to steal it."

    "Steal the lyre? But that''s a bit��" Lumine gazed at Venti, who only stared back without saying anything. She felt herself bristle, eyes narrowed at his apparentck of concern for the idea.

    Yomite on the other hand, didn''t really mind stealing it, heck, he was already a thief if you thought about it.

    Looting random chests around the world and even in the city of Mondstadt already made it quite apparent.

    He was already a convict in a sense and it was for a good cause.

    "Well, do you have any other ideas? I''m all ears!"

    Paimon had a thoughtful look on her face, but she couldn''te up with anything.

    Until finally, Lumine thought of a pretty good idea.

    "I know! We can go to Jean, and ask her for permission for the lyre��"

    Venti butted in. "No, we need it as soon as possible! We have no idea when Dvalin might recover and wreak havoc again...Well...it''s not a matter of ''if''. As long as Dvalin is suffering, he will not stop..."

    Yomite groaned, pressing a hand to his face in exasperation. This conversation had been going in circles for a while now, and the sun was already on the horizon.

    Even Paimon''s head had overheated from the difficult conversations and she disappeared into her pocket dimension to rest, leaving the three of them to argue back and forth on the logistics of possibly stealing the lyre.

    "Exactly, listen to the Bard, Lumine. The sooner we are done with this, the sooner you might gain some info regarding your brother from that old grandpa dude from Liyue, that Venti mentioned before." Yomite said.

    "I know I''m a great Bard. But before I am a Bard, I am a God, please don''t forget tha��"

    "Just think about it, Lumine, why bother wasting time?" Yomite cut Venti off, staring at Lumine''s unwilling expression.

    "..."

    "...Alright." Lumine mumbled, agreeing with Yomite''s train of thought.

    She decided she wouldn''t argue from now on, and would follow whatever their n was.

    Just then, the door to the church opened, and the Nun from before, walked out, locking the entrance.

    All of them hid and patiently waited till she was out of sight.

    "It seems like no one else is there. Quick! We must decide what to do!" Venti ran to the door and sent a gust of wind inside of the keyhole, somehow forcing the lock on the door to open.

    ''...Is everyone in this world so proficient at lock-picking a door? First Hu Tao, and now Venti��Better learn that skill myself. I will have to ask Hu Tao to teach me after I scold her for what she did before.'' Yomite thought.

    "In any case, you guys would be more suitable for such a task. Other than singing, I don''t really have any other talents. The entrance to the crypt where they are keeping the lyre is up ahead, but be careful, as there for sure are Knights of Favonius guarding it, so it may be a bit hard to do so."

    ''You look and sound like a girl, but I am a bit conflicted if that counts as a talent��'' Yomite internally sighed.

    He coughed and replied, "I appoint our dear Lumine, to take one for the team, no way in hell am I sneaking around, I was never good at stealth games��"

    "Stealth... games?"

    "Pay it no heed."

    Lumine''s brows shot up in surprise, "...Me?"

    She certainly didn''t expect she would be the one appointed for this.

    But now that she resolved herself that she would assist them in this no matter what they wanted from her, she had no choice but to ept.

    Taking a deep breath, she sauntered off, entering the basement of the crypt and leaving Venti and Yomite behind.

    As they saw her off, they left a few ''encouraging'' words for her.

    "Bye Bye~!" "Don''t die on us!"

    ***

    They patiently waited for her return.

    "Say... shouldn''t we wait outside? What if an rm or something goes off and everything will close down...we might get trapped here..."

    "For having such sharp and imposing presence, you sure are a scaredy-cat, my dear Yomite. Worry not, with me here, there will be no trouble!"

    "It''s more about being cautious than scared...but alright, you may interpret it any way you want..."

    Venti let out a chuckle at his remark as he sat down on a bench in the area, humming to himself, but his mood soon changed.

    "But can you believe it!? Me, A God! Was banned from my own sacred grounds!"

    His penchant for dramatics kicked in, draping a hand over his forehead. "Oh, I''m such a poor soul, a simple bard who just wants the best for Mondstadt, yet I''m unable to..."

    He cracked an eye open to look at Yomite. The man stood there, a half-hidden smile on his lips.

    He clearly rolled his eyes at Venti''s overreaction and chose to sit down on the bench next to him.

    "You should have went to steal the thing yourself. Can''t you like create some wind smokescreen or something and quickly grab it? I remember you had that soundproof barrier, so creating something like that can''t be hard."

    Venti gasped in shock, "Me? Steal? I could never do such a heinous crime!!"

    Yomite gave him a deadpan stare of ''You really just said that, didn''t you?''.

    The bard giggled at him, yfully sticking out his tongue.

    "Well, to be fair, the Hero Lumine''s the one stealing it, if you think about it! We''re just aplices!"

    "That honestly doesn''t make it any better..."

    "Come to think of it, why didn''t you go with her?" Venti pondered.

    "Just think about it...The more of us go, the higher the chance we will get discovered. Besides, I mentioned it before but I''m really bad at stealth...You want this tall guy to go sneaking around? Lumine has a much higher sess probability with her small frame."

    Venti looked intrigued, "I never thought about it that way. I thought you were just aszy as I was to go down there and sneak around through cobwebs and other things, but I guess I was wrong."

    "Oh, well of course I''mzy to do that, I just had to think of a few excuses to give to you guys, beforehand."

    Both of themughed, but in the next moment, an rm went off, scaring them out of their wits.

    "See I told you! I knew this would happen! We should have stayed outside!"

    "Yeah...But, we are not trapped, which is great!" Ventiughed.

 Chapter 57

    Few seconds after the rm rang in the church, Lumine and Paimon ran upstairs and forced the door to close behind them, pulling nearby benches to block whoever wasing after them.

    "We''ve got the lyre! But we need to run now!" Paimon announced, a bit distracted by the rm which woke her up from her sleep.

    Lumine, short of breath, handed Venti the lyre.

    It was almost stolen by somebody else, but in the end, they managed to obtain it, ironically, also by stealing.

    The lyre was beautiful, no matter which way you looked at it. The wood and string instrument was the perfect length for your arms to reach the strings or the tailpiece without straining.

    The round bowl was a deep crimson with the golden edges rounding off the corners. There were two golden armrests at the bottom and two golden arms at the top.

    The sound holes were symmetrically ced on each side of the bowl, so both the left and right-handed could use it.

    It was the view of the instrument that was most impressive.

    Purely divine.

    Looking at it from the side, you could see through some of the holes onto the strings and the holes.

    The strings were incredibly thin and pliable, allowing the yer to have control over the sound just how he pleased. The strings were dyed to match the wood of the instrument, rather than themon colors of gold or silver.

    The craftsmen and women who had made this instrument must have taken untold hours of their lives, toiling away in the great hall, making each individual string by hand, only to slowly thread the entire thing into the final product.

    "The lyre itself had been silent for as long as I was asleep. No mortal being unskilled in the arcane arts could bring forth music from it. Only me. I''m thankful for what you two did for me and Dvalin."

    They were all captivated by the magical lyre, but now, they didn''t have time to gawk at the beauty of the lyre, as they were busy running.

    They ran through the empty streets of Mondstadt.

    Their steps rang against the wet concrete, their hearts beating strong.

    Tiny droplets of water that formed on cool surfaces at night, made the ground wet as the atmospheric vapor condensed.

    The sound of their footsteps was audible to those whose ears remained open, fortunately it seemed that the Knights of Favonius had lost them, somehow.

    It seemed to be true that the capable Knights left on an expedition with Varka, and the rest was azy gue that stayed in the city.

    Lucky them.

    Soon they spotted their way out.

    Angel''s Share bar was open.

    They all swiftly entered the pub and immediately closed the door behind them.

    Out of everyone present, Paimon was the only one panting when they entered the pub, "Wooooh...haah...Paimon''s out of breath...haah...Did we...get away...?"

    "How are you even out of breath when you are floating?" Yomite''s brow creased. Something didn''t add up.

    "Hey! Flying takes its toll on Paimon as well! It''s not easy! Try flying yourself!"

    "I hope you''re well aware I can''t do that, right?"

    "Tch...what is this supposed to be?"

    A frustrated hand wiped a wine ss from behind the counter.

    The hand''s owner, a man with slicked back crimson hair, spoke with a rather hostile tone, "Who do we have here this early in the morning...Let''s see...Kaeya''s adopted brother, a minor, a flying infant and the most infamous beggar Bard...It seems like your group of troublemakers has expanded but you lost one along the way..."

    An offended gasp escaped Paimon''s small mouth.

    It seemed like this time, she really had no words to describe the ugly nickname she was given.

    Or at least it seemed like that.

    "Ah, Diluc, hey there��" Yomite greeted him while hugging Paimon.

    It turned out Yomite was muffling Paimon''s screams with his hand.

    It also turned out she had a lot to say about how Diluc called her, she just wasn''t able to.

    "We would like to order some non-alcoholic drinks and a few seats somewhere private, let''s say on the second floor." Yomite left a lot of mora on the table and the group moved upstairs.

    "...Sure, it''s indeed the least conspicuous up there."

    As they walked up the stairs, Diluc silently gazed at the growling Paimon, whose eyes were still hostile to him, because of his small remark earlier.

    The ''flying thing'' was a tad bit weird. He had never seen such creature or a friendly monster before.

    He did note the constetion-like pattern that seemed to adorn the imps movement, the sparkles themself being scarily simr to something he read in a book before.

    ''White hair, star-shaped hair pin and that cape...How strange.''

    Once on the second floor, the group seated themselves at a nearby table.

    "Paimon will get him for sure! In the future! He called Paimon an infant! Can you believe this!?" Her little stamping with her small boots was a bit less impactful when she didn''t actually hit anything other than air.

    The groupughed at the pixies strange behavior.

    "Well, you certainly do sound like that! Can''t deny that! But actually, a small correction, he called you...a flying infant!" Venti provoked her as well.

    "And you too!? That''s it! Paimon has decided! Paimon will give you an ugly nickname! Let''s see...Considering you are a bard..." She seemed to be thinking really hard this time.

    "Oh, yes, why of course, I''m the best bard in the world and my voice is the most soothing thing your ears will ever hear! I have a lot of nice fans too!"

    Yomite shivered as he recalled a weird instance from before, while he was walking around the city.

    It was then, when Venti''s ''fans'' talked about which hole was better to explore and Yomite couldn''t bring himself to say anything about that to Venti.

    ''It''s best it stays a secret... Although for some reason I kind of want to see his reaction on that...''

    "Aha! Paimon''s got it! Paimon will call you... a Tone-deaf Bard! Bu-haha!"

    Venti frowned a bit but didn''t say anything regarding the nickname.

    However, anyone present could kind of feel Paimon was starting to get on his nerves.

    Yomite couldn''t tell whether he was offended by the nickname, or if he had some other reason he didn''t wish to share.

    So he changed the subject,

    "Well, Paimon. Why not give Diluc a nickname as well then? You said you would make an assassination attempt at his head in the future." He raised his voice a bit on purpose, so that Diluc could hear them from downstairs.

    "Pa-Paimon didn''t say that! Not even close! But...Ehm...that...Paimon is irritated by him...but he is kind of...scary��"

 Chapter 58

    The stench of alcohol was everywhere.

    Specifically the fruity scent of wine. The unfamiliar smell tickled at Lumine''s nose, the girl letting out a faint sneeze before Venti nervously shot Yomite a look.

    "Alright...we somehow managed to pull through...but now we need to be careful��"

    His voice was hushed, the anxiety and adrenaline clouding his mind.

    "Hopefully, they wouldn''t try checking this pub."

    *Ring* *Ring*

    Just then, the bells on the door rang, the door to the pub flew open and two chubby Knights entered the establishment.

    ''What a great way to trigger a g...Damn you...Venti...'' Yomite sighed. It seemed that they weren''t out of danger yet.

    One of the knights stepped forward and bowed, "Ah, Master Diluc, We''re sorry to bother you this early in the morning... But have you seen two suspicious individuals around?"

    "...What happened? Why have you mobilized knights?"

    Lumine ignored Venti''s hisses of warning and peered down to look and listen to their conversation.

    "Two thieves were trying to steal the Holy Lyre! One of the suspects has an Anemo Vision, but the most defining trait we have picked up was that they have blonde hair." One of the guards eximed, as if he himself didn''t want to believe someone would be so bold to steal the legendary Holy Lyre.

    "Oh? How odd." Diluc pondered. The redhead slightly jolted, as if immediately figuring something out, but remained unfazed and returned back behind the counter to clean the remaining empty sses of wine.

    "Right? The Holy Lyre is a treasure that was yed by the God of Anemo himself! Such precious piece of cultural heritage��"

    "��Who would want to steal something they can''t sell off? Would pay better to steal from my cers..." Diluc cut him off and voiced his own opinion.

    The Knight''s were confused and weren''t sure what he meant by that but he simply waved them off.

    "Well, anyway. I''ve yet to open the tavern and the only people here are some drunkards on the second floor, but they''ve been here since yesterday, so nothing out of the ordinary, bute to think of it...When I was sweeping outside, I saw someone heading towards the city gates, it is unlikely that they will still be lurking around in the city. Try looking around the bridge, maybe you will still get them."

    "Understood, Master Diluc! Thanks for your cooperation!" The two of the knights saluted and left the pub in the pursuit of the thieves.

    Diluc nodded his head, "Off you go."

    The knights seemingly epted the fact that there was no one of their importance here, and as they left, the small group on the second floor collectively sighed in relief.

    Yomite was silently listening in on their conversation as well andughed inside of his mind, ''The only clue they have is that one of us has blonde hair and an Anemo Vision? Lumine doesn''t even have a Vision and she could still harness the Anemo element, so that makes us clear. They didn''t even mention the most important part, a flying fairy right next to one of the perpetrators that could be easily recognized and if she was...We would be in trouble...But good for us.''

    He wiped the sweat off his forehead, running his forefinger over his moist forehead, watching it drop onto the ground, and then turned to see Diluc climbing the stairs to the second floor, slowly.

    It appeared he wanted an exnation. Yomite knew that Diluc had probably figured out that they were the thieves since the very beginning��

    Venti managed to make the Lyre invisible, but the coincidental timing of their arrival and the arrival of the knights of favonius couldn''t be exined that easily...

    Moreover, who would enter a pub at around 2 am in the morning to drink? That was probably the worst time to do so...

    He turned to his group and spoke in a low whisper, "Looks like we''re in the clear. What do we do now, Venti? Diluc ising..."

    "Let''s just tell him. He doesn''t know of my true identity but he is really strong and could be of help!"

    Diluc finally climbed the stairs and nced at the group of troublemakers, "So, I warded them off. Now, would you all like to exin yourselves? What is going on?"

    ***

    **

    *

    About ten minutester...

    Yomite was surprised.

    Amidst the many threats he received from Diluc the first time they met, it seemed like his opinion about Yomite hadpletely changed.

    Most likely right after he defended Mondstadt from the attack of the Stormterror.

    Now, Diluc saw him in a much better light and no longer suspected him from being involved with Fatui or other harmful organizations that posed a threat to Mondstadt.

    Once his first impression was ignored, Diluc was surprisingly easy to talk to. While it was clear that he preserved his boundaries, both Lumine and Yomite did the same. It made for a pleasant mutual exchange.

    The group was currently on the first floor, discussing their uing n.

    As they didn''t want to be interrupted, the pub was promptly closed down by Diluc, assuring everyone present that his tavern was a moderately safe ce for information to be exchanged.

    Paimon had once again gone to rest into her small dimension.

    "So, ording to you, all we need is the Holy Lyre and we will be able to quell this Stormterror, threat, you say?" Diluc asked for confirmation, if he understood everything properly.

    "Correct, Master Diluc! I knew you were a man of great heights!" Venti chirped from his spot on the bar stool, swinging his legs up and down.

    "For the record, I like your guts for stealing the Holy Lyre der Himmel. Even if you''re fools...but we don''t often see people like you."

    From what Yomite understood, Venti was quite the regr here, doing performances in exchange for wine or apples, even asionally stealing some wine bottles.

 Chapter 59

    "Yo, thanks for diverting the Knights'' attention from us. Really helped us a lot." Yomite said.

    "Knights of Favonius... Inefficient right from the beginning to the end...If they had at least a little brain left, they would search this ce despite me, saying there were only drunkards here..." Diluc shook his head in disappointment.

    "As for the lyre...It was almost stolen by some other group though...Lumine mentioned she saw a someone called Fatui Cicin Mage in the catbs of the Cathedral." Yomite stated, happy about the fact their n was proceeding smoothly.

    "She moved fast...But she was undoubtedly from Fatui." Lumine chimed in.

    "The Fatui..." Diluc scowled at the sound of the familiar name on his tongue. "I figured they had some sort of ulterior motive with Stormterror, and I doubt it''s anything good."

    They nodded in agreement, Venti fighting back a frown at the misuse of Dvalin''s name.

    "Actually...his name is Dvalin, not Stormterror..." Venti spoke but was promptly ignored by Diluc.

    "Very well." Diluc unfolded his arms, looking at the group, "I''ll get into contact with some people who might know about the Fatui''s ulterior motives. Luckily for you three, the only description they have is ''blonde'' and an ''Anemo wielder.'' I doubt you will all be immediate suspects."

    Yomite nodded, still finding it funny, but Lumine looked a bit more skeptical.

    Since she arrived here, there wasn''t any other blonde haired stranger in Mondstadt other than her.

    She even asked around about her brother but no one knew anything.

    From the blond haired people she met,

    Jean was an Acting Grand Master that supported the whole city on her own.

    Deaconess Barbara was working for the Church.

    And Fischl, was apparently the top of the Adventurers Guild, a private investigator.

    The only other blond haired person in the whole of Mondstadt was Lumine.

    She felt like if they really tried, they could just close down the city and find her in a matter of minutes..

    Still, she didn''t voice her concerns and let Diluc continue.

    "We will meet here tonight. I''ll get in contact with some people. Also, Venti, you will have to pay for the bottle you just hid behind your back."

    The bard let out a sputtered noise, clearly surprised and embarrassed at being caught, pouting as he ced the bottle back on the bar.

    He sheepishly looked back at Diluc, giggling to himself. "Whoops, my bad! My hands slipped~! You see, I get a little bored and my hands wander around from time to time! Don''t mind me!"

    "Yeah...This reminds me...didn''t you say that you would never steal not too long ago?" Yomite wryly smiled.

    Venti remembered what he said back at the Church and giggled, "I promise, I will be a good boy from now on~!"

    "Yeah...right��" Yomite rolled his eyes and nced at Lumine who was still in deep thought.

    She never stole something before, so she was still pretty anxious that people would recognize her.

    He tapped her shoulder and gave her a few reassuring words.

    "If you''re nervous, try thinking of alibi up-front, or some other n. For example, if they wanted to interrogate you, say you do not match the description because you don''t have a Vision, also, since Jean gave us this Hero title or whatever, use this to your advantage and say something like: ''How dare you question such an important person like me!? Death sentence!'' or something like that to frighten them."

    Lumine''s eyes brightened at his words, as she held in a chuckle, "Party leader...that''s too evil��"

    Diluc scoffed a little but eyed both Venti and Yomite.

    He had no reason to trust them, yet here he was.

    Perhaps Kaeya was the reason he was agreeing and listening to what they had to say.

    He did say that his new "Adopted Li''l Bro", as he liked to call him, was pretty special and that he should trust him.

    Although it''s not like Diluc would ever admit to it if someone asked him about it.

    Oh well, such trivial matters could be confronted at ater date.

    "Well, that settles that. Now, get out of my tavern, and don''t steal anything..."

    ***

    After they were kicked out of the bar by Diluc, Venti left and said he would return tonight.

    Yomite, Lumine and Paimon went back to the Resin Moon Inn, and upon entering their room, they saw that Fischl was soundly sleeping on Yomite''s bed and Hu Tao was ying Chess by herself.

    No one knew how that was possible and he will not question how the chess pieces on the other side of the table moved by themselves either.

    Upon their intrusion however, Fischl woke up and they decided to do their dailymission, although it was still only around 3 am in the morning.

    The tasks were done under thirty minutes, thanks to Lumine''s teleportation.

    Hu Tao was surprisingly okay after the warp, rather than being okay, she was excited. This quick transport thingy could get her to Liyue in seconds, but Fischl had to find a nearby bush to hide behind as she wasn''t feeling too well...

    Upon finishing the dailies, Yomite remembered they forgot to do them yesterday because they''ve been ying games the whole day.

    ''I gotta write it on my forehead and look into the mirror the moment I wake up...how could I not remember about such an easy opportunity to earn money!''

    He despaired, much to the confusion of his party members.

    "Let''s just pick some quests and gain more money and then we can return to inn to rx as both I and Lumine have an appointment this evening."

    The group followed his orders and picked a few Hilichurl camp extermination quests and another quest called Treasure Horders extermination.

 Chapter 60

    "Seriously...Hu Tao that was a bit too much��" Yomite spoke, but didn''t find himself a response, as the girl he was talking to was currently kneeling on the ground, seemingly praying.

    She took a deep breath, calming herself, and then closed her eyes.

    She cupped her hands into a prayerful shape and held them out over a bowl of the fire.

    "Order of duality...Impermanence of fate...I raise this butterfly to guide thee."

    Terminating her speech there, Hu Tao tucked her chin down and straightened herself up, cing her hands on her chest.

    A small butterfly made of fire slowly rose from her hand and made its way across her chest. The butterfly danced across shoulders all the way up to the blue sky.

    A symbol of her power, a symbol of the strength of her resolve and dedication to her job as the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

    Dressed in her ck coat and ck shorts coated with golden ents, the charming girl stiffened her good-looking, fearless face.

    The sharp glint in her eye, and her frigid appearance gave off a solemn look, a look of someone who was deeply in grief.

    Anyone from Liyue who''d have known her for being a weirdo would have likely been extremely impressed by just seeing how professionally she conducted the departing ceremony.

    "The ceremony is nowplete. The souls have departed, so we shall do the same."

    Hu Tao announced as she stood up from the ground, dusting off her clothes, still wearing the solemn look.

    "Ah...right��" Yomite was woken up from his stupor. It almost felt like he was looking at someonepletely different.

    They led a fierce battle with the so-called Treasure Hoarders, who were actual human thieves instead of some monsters.

    They weren''t hard to beat and the group annihted them quickly.

    While most of them managed to run away after they''ve been defeated, leaving behind the treasures they''ve stolen, from those who fought with Hu Tao, all of them had died and as such she made sure to make a proper prayer ceremony before they headed out.

    Yomite felt like she went overboard, but then again, it wasn''t smart to underestimate your opponents either, as in battle, anything could happen.

    Although she didn''t even spare the ones who were already running away��

    After they returned back to Mondstadt and picked up the rewards from their quests, Fischl left saying that she saw her parents when they were entering the city.

    She was very eager to meet them again after so long and talk about her tales and new friends and Yomite didn''t have a reason to stand in her way.

    They were finished with all quests after all.

    As they were about to go to the Resin Moon Inn, the group met Amber who was just returning from her daily patrol.

    After some quick talk, Lumine and Paimon left with Amber, to hang up some missing posters around the city.

    Her brother was still missing of course, and hearing Amber''s offer to help, Lumine swiftly agreed to it.

    Only Yomite and Hu Tao remained now.

    Upon entering the inn, they went straight to their room.

    Hu Tao seemed to pull out a notebook out of nowhere and started writing something into it.

    All she said was that she didn''t wish to be disturbed, so he left her like that and silently watched her scribble into her notebook.

    It was still quite early and he had plenty of time to rx until they would meet with Diluc to proceed with the n.

    But he already knew how he was going to spend this precious time.

    All this while, Yomite hadn''t tried out hisst ability, The Tempus of the Heart.

    The problem was, he didn''t know how to activate it, but now that he had time and no one was bothering him with anything, it was the right moment to try and experiment with it.

    For the Tempus of the Story, he had to think, "What should I say?" for the ability to activate.

    For The Tempus of the Particles, he just had to think about a light sensation around his fingertips, and his ability would turn on immediately, bringing forth a cube of transparent light.

    But no matter how much he tried, he just simply couldn''t seem to activate hisst ability.

    ''Status...observe...profile...properties...Even these don''t work...''

    He had already tried hundreds of incantations from different novels he remembered, but none of them worked.

    Heid down on his bed, contemting.

    ''It shouldn''t be that hard, Yomite...Think... You''re not that dumb...You should be able to figure this out...I just need a keyword or something. A keyword...''

    ***

    **

    *

    After about a half an hour of thinking and guessing left and right, a genius idea finally popped into his small brain.

    His tongue was already dry from all the random words and sentences he tried to activate the ability with.

    "That''s it! That may work!"

    He grinned as he stood up, ''Let''s see...I am helpless about the Tempus of the Heart...''''What should I say?"

    The world stood still and immediately, a small blue window with three choices opened up in front of him.

    [1. I want to shower.]

    [2. I want to know.]

    [3. I want to have sex.]

    ''I knew it! That''s great! I can use it in a way that benefits me.''

    He looked at the three options provided and chose the second one, disregarding the first and the third option that had appeared on there immediately.

    The first one waspletely random and out of nowhere, although he was a bit sweaty after the quests, it still wasn''t that bad, and as for thest option...

    That appeared out of his hidden carnal desire, but he chose to ignore it altogether...For now.

    ''Using my second ability to figure out my third, unknown ability, not bad Yomite...not bad! The second option, of course! I want to know!''

    [1. THE AVERAGE CHOICE]

    [2. THE BEST CHOICE] ??

    [3. THE WORST CHOICE]

    "I feel offended at the sex one being the worst...likee on..."

    Anyway, all this time, instead of chanting random words, he just had to think, ''I want to know.''

    It was basic, yet so annoying and stupid he felt like strangling Sia, but he finally got it right.

    The sentence in question was a tad bit too long though, so hopefully, he will be able to shorten it a bit in the future.

    The moment he thought about that sentence, a green light appeared above nearby living beings.

    ''Hmm...The Goddess Sia did mention that I could also use it on some special items, but what''s with this...'' He noticed that his pocket was shining as well.

    He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a stone.

    ''Isn''t this...''

    He gazed at the blue jade that dropped from the Cryo Regisvine. The very stone that had a hidden message inscribed in the back of it, although it was currently unreadable due to cracks within it.

    ''I shouldn''t forget about this...I will have to find someone that can help me with thister, but for now...''

    ''I want to know.''

    And with that, a green panel containing information appeared.

    ��������������

    Name: Shivada Jade Gemstone

    Rarity: 5*

    Description: Gemstone dropped by an adult Cryo Regisvine. Could be grinded into powder and consumed to increase the potency of a Cryo Vision Avatar.

    Also contains a message on the back of the Jade - Sorry...������������������������������������

    �������������� my bitter cold ���������������������� ������������ burn away �������� world ������������

    ��������������

    ''A five star rarity? Jackpot. Although unfortunately, we don''t have a Cryo Vision user in our party...The closest person I know is Kaeya...Well then...I gotta train this to maximum level or something...Next up is...''

    He nced around the room, his gaze falling onto the defenseless Hu Tao who was as if in trance, writing her poem into what appeared to be a diary of some sort.

    ''I want to know.''

    ��������������

    Name: Hu Tao

    Age: 19

    Title: Versemonger of the Darkest Alleys

    upation: Director of The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor

    Hobby: Reading, writing novels, writing poems

    Likes: Herte grandfather''s hat, moon-gazing, Qiqi

    Dislikes: How people treat her, Boredom, Baizhu, People who try to extend their life instead of dying naturally.

    Dream: For everyone to pass away peacefully. For people to realize funeral isn''t a sad affair.

    Current mood: Concentrating, Happy

    Rtionship Level: 7/10 - Fondness

    State of Rtionship: Close Friend

    ��������������

    ''Goodness...There are a lot of things to unpack here...'' Yomite viewed her status with an intrigued expression.

    ''19 years old!? Sure doesn''t act as such.''

    Now that he thought about it, things like statuses were really inappropriate as he could basically know most information about an individual with just a single nce.

    Took him a while to figure out that one.

    ''Breaching privacy...Let''s go~!''

    Looking over the written stuff, he understood most things, but there was one thing he wasn''t sure about, and it was the Rtionship Level value.

    Upon closer inspection however, he noticed a small button near the Rtionship Level. He clicked on it, and it revealed another series of text.

    ��������������

    1. Hate

    2. Disgust

    3. Hostility

    4. Dislike

    5. Acquaintance

    6. Value

    7. Fondness ?

    8. Intimacy

    9. Love

    10. Soulmate

    ��������������

 Chapter 61

    ***

    ��������������

    1. Hate

    2. Disgust

    3. Hostility

    4. Dislike

    5. Acquaintance

    6. Value

    7. Fondness

    8. Intimacy

    9. Love

    10. Soulmate

    ��������������

    ''So these are the levels, huh. It seems pretty basic. I expected something more diverse. Frankly it feels like cheating to know how everyone around me feels, but at least I can''t read their thoughts, cuz that would be way too overboard.''

    Hu Tao seemed to be busy writing so he went outside to explore the city a bit more, maybe he will be able to find more chests and more people to experiment this ability on.

    He has been thinking for a while, but ultimately decided he would take Hu Tao and Fischl on that expedition with him as well.

    They didn''t know what was happening yet, but he would exin it to them along the way.

    If by any chance the n was foiled, and they were forced to kill the Dragon, more firepower would be necessary.

    From what Venti said, Stormterror was basically immune to Anemo element so Venti will be useless in battle once again...

    ''Better resolve this peacefully...''

    As he took a walk outside to refresh his mind from all the terrible thinking he had to go through just to figure out how his ability worked, he saw two silhouettes of very familiar people in the distance.

    "She is trying so hard. Her brother must be really important to her, huh..."

    It was Lumine and Paimon.

    After they put posters all around the city with the help of Amber, they thanked her and went to directly ask people they would meet on the streets.

    "Excuse me, sir...My twin, named Aether, has disappeared...Have you seen this face, sir?" Lumine asked, her words feeble as she said this.

    She pointed towards the rough sketch of his brother she held within her arms.

    She was pretty good when it came to drawing, so the sketch looked exactly like how her brother did, which would definitely help her to find him one day.

    The man looked in her direction, but did not bother to ask her name neither did he particrly care about her missing brother.

    He did not even look Lumine straight in the face, but instead, he cast his eyes elsewhere.

    He seemed to be irritated, and perhaps even annoyed by her questioning.

    Such behavior was prettymon, as who would want to be bothered while they were taking a stroll outside, but the words that left his mouth made Yomite frown.

    "Dog, learn some manners when speaking to royalty, lower your head! Why should I care if a plebian lost its way around the world? Don''t bother someone like me with petty formalities! There are plenty of dogs out there to make up for him! I swear Mondstadt became a dog''s breeding ground after our n lost its power, hmph!" The man grunted, pping away the flyers she was working so hard on from her hands.

    "Ah!" She started picking them up from the ground, but unfortunately most of them floated away in the wind and ended up in the nearby fountain, water ruining her work.

    "Hey! How could you do something like that!? Apologize now, or Paimon will smack you!" Paimon groaned, the starlit material from her wings shimmering back out of view. A pout adorning her face.

    "Hmph! it''s better for her to kneel like this. Commoners truly believe they are on the same level as royalty after the times had changed!? Foolish!"

    Sending one more disgusted nce her way, the man turned around and left.

    At least, he tried to leave.

    "Oho, not so fast, don''t you think about running away..."

    Yomite closed the distance between them in an instant, and just as he was about to punch the man, a huge ymore blocked his attack, sending the perpetrator flying.

    The woman''s hand looked like it was iling in the air, her arm extended to her side as her fingers holding her sword retracted.

    The swift movement as she stabilized herself, a beautiful turn, graceful and decisive made her look as if she were dancing.

    "...That was...powerful...but should you really attack someone like that in the middle of the city? This is not the right example of knightly conduct. Moreover, you''ve forced me to intercept you. For this, you wont get out easily. Mark my words, vengeance will be mine!"

    "Unfortunately, I am no Knight, but an Adventurer, we are all savage apes and wet horny dogs."

    The woman snarled and readied her ymore for round two, "So it would seem."

    Yomite was triggered badly.

    He actually couldn''t believe someone would just shove Lumine like that in the broad daylight and no one said anything.

    What he didn''t understand though, was why she didn''t fight back. She was strong enough to take on multiple monsters by herself, why was she not doing anything?

    If it was him and someone shoved him on purpose, he would shove him back of course.

    So why was she kneeling pointlessly while collecting those posters?

    The man almost got away!

    But the thing that bothered him the most was, ''What was up with this Chinese young master dogshit speech? I thought I heard wrong until he actually dared to speak like that. I thought I had managed to escape from those kinds of novels to another world, so why is it like this here as well!? Is this hell!? Is he some young master? Looks kinda old to be one...''

    Switching his gaze from the hateful man over to the person who received his attack, a tall and elegant woman with pale skin and purple-yellow eyes was the culprit.

    Her light blue hair was covered under a ck hairband and a hairpin.

    She wore a daring ck leotard over a Knight''s uniform, and as she stood there, she gracefully rested her hand on the left shoulder, while the other held arge ymore without any difficulty.

    Looking closely, a Cryo Vision was pinned on her cape.

    ''She''s fast, tough...and has a Vision too. This might be a problem...''

    Even after he punched that ymore with all his might, it didn''t make a scratch. That weapon was surely an artifact of a high grade.

    ''I want to know.''

    A green light shone above every person around him, the woman in front of him, and even her weapon.

    ��������������

    Name: Song of Broken Pines

    Rarity: 5* Artifact

    Weapon Type: ymore

    Description: A greatsword as light as the sigh of grass in the breeze, yet as merciless to the corrupt as a typhoon.

    ��������������

    ��������������

    Name: E Lawrence

    Age: 22

    Title: The Dancer Of The Shimmering Wave, Spindrift Knight, Captain of the Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Company

    upation: Knights of Favonius

    Hobby: Sipping Cold Drinks, Sitting in a canyon feeling the biting wind howl past her face

    Likes: Chilled tomato, ice-cold ss of Berry & Mint Punch

    Dislikes: Life, Rich Broth, Lawrence n

    Dream: To feel alive. To stop being hated.

    Current mood: Tired/Annoyed

    Rtionship Level: 3/10 - Hostility

    State of Rtionship: None - Burned bridge

    ��������������

    ''Tch...Her ymore is much better than mine, not to mention it''s an artifact...But she''s a Knight of Favonius, then for sure she should have stepped in when that man attacked us first? So why did she stop me?''

 Chapter 62

    Okay so I''mma try using

    (This.)

    Instead of

    ''This.''

    For the thoughts of characters as I feel it would be more clear to use () than '' ''

    I want to experiment a bit.

    We will see. I will try it out for a few chapters, maybe I will switch it into something else idk.

    Anyway, a chill chapter with some character development.

    ***

    As Yomite was getting himself worked up, Lumine ced her hand on his shoulder, reassuring him, "It''s fine��Let it be..."

    Yomite gritted his mrs in frustration at the bad feeling he got from her request.

    Was she afraid of trouble?

    Why not fight back?

    The man was clearly at fault.

    "Ah..."

    And then, it hit him.

    (I''m an idiot. I should have thought of this sooner.)

    The Knights of Favonius were still in search of the people who stole the Lyre, after all!

    That''s why Lumine was afraid to act or do anything at all.

    She was afraid that the conflict would escte further and they would be found out sooner orter.

    "Tch��" He clicked his tongue and was forced to let the matter go.

    Simrly, E also appeased to the man who started all of this, "Uncle...That''s enough. Let''s return."

    "What do you mean, let''s return!? This plebeian dared to attack a high ranking Aristocrat of the Lawrence n in broad daylight ! Punishment by death all the way!"

    "Worry not, uncle, he is already on my list of targets. Let''s just go."

    "Hmph! He better be!"

    As they were leaving, E looked back at the group, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, she just scoffed and left with her uncle.

    "This bitch��Of course she would stand for him when he is her family..." Yomite frowned and his face scrunched up.

    "Paimon is spoofed! Those people were suuuper rude! Especially that older man! Paimon was this close to unleashing hell upon them!" Paimon huffed, barely able to contain the amount of frustration within her small being.

    Lumine picked up thest poster that was still usable and let out a deep sigh.

    It didn''t take her long to draw these sketches, but she still spent quite a bit of time drawing them by hand.

    "Why are you all just standing here? Do they give away free food here?"

    Suddenly, there was a sweet voice behind Yomite. He froze for a second.

    Although he had figured out who that voice belonged to, it still caught him off guard to just hear it right next to his ear.

    With just a cursory nce out of the corner of his eye, he nodded at the girl in question.

    "You finished writing your poem, Hu Tao?" He asked.

    Hu Tao nodded happily, "Yep! But I am not going to show you!" She stuck out her tongue in a childish manner.

    Well that was certainly one way to break through this dismal atmosphere.

    The party was almost back together and they were pretty hungry so they stopped at the Good Hunter''s restaurant and bought a few Fisherman''s Toasts.

    As they were walking back to the inn, in the distance, they saw Fischl with who they assumed to be her parents, holding hands while walking through the streets.

    She seemed really happy that she could spend time with her parents who weren''t home that often.

    It was a nice family moment.

    Until it wasn''t.

    The moment Fischl seemed to have spotted her party members, she hurriedly withdrew her hands from the hands of her parents and acted aloof, "Ah, such grand weather greeted us today, truly a divine revtion!"

    Her parents were confused until she reached out to them and whispered, "Please...call me...Fischl, F-Fischl! Don''t forget that please! Fischl!!! Not that other abomination of a name!"

    Her face was somewhere in the middle of both embarrassment and despair.

    There were millions of ways this could go wrong but she knew it would be embarrassing no matter what.

    (Just why now of all times did my parents have to run into them...)

    She internally screamed and regretted bringing them outside at a time like this.

    But of course, her exterior persona was still rock solid.

    No one could see through her.

    "Hey, Fischl." Yomite waved at her and then greeted her parents as well, "Good day to you too."

    "W-Well...fate brought us back together...if it isn''t...The legen��" Fischl stopped midway as she looked back towards her parents, "...M-my dear party members! Fancy meeting you all here! What a good day we''re having! Are you all up for a quest? I would love to go with you all~!"

    Yomite could feel she had some ''difficulties'' going on.

    (Do your best Fischl.) He cheered for her within his mind.

    "Eh? Is it just Paimon or why is it that she''s speaking more normally than she usually does?"

    (Read the mood you Notfallnahrung sustenance!!! Ich werde dich lebendig kochen und dich als mein Abendessen essen!!)

    Fischl was fuming and sending a death re towards the emergency sustenance, but she had no other choice but to keep that feeling of anger and embarassment rest deep within her.

    "Hello there, fine young man!" Fischl''s father interjected and shook hands with Yomite.

    He turned to look at his daughter when he spoke, "So these are your new friends that you''ve mentioned! I''m so d that my little princess...Fischl...finally found herself some friends other than that talking Raven, I was so afraid she wouldn''t know how to socialize well!"

    Feeling emotional, her father suddenly started crying.

    "My, my...My little Fischl knows a boy her age...my little girl has grown up...how touching."

    Her mom also started crying for whatever reason.

    "S-Stop it you two! I will have you know I''m a very social person!!" She knew that wasn''t the case but admitting to it was impossible.

    She was happy they called her Fischl and not ''that'', but they didn''t have to say something so embarrassing!

    Another person who couldn''t read the mood entered the conversation, "Fischl! We just had a meal and Assistant-kun was thinking of visiting the Knights of Favonius headquarters. Will you go with us?" Hu Tao wondered.

    On the outside, Fischl waspletely fine, "Of course~! I would love to~!"

    On the inside, however...

    (Kill me...End my miserable existence...)

    She wished for a painful death.

    Right now!

    Her parents of course, ended up embarrassing her in front of her friends, and she was mortified.

    There was nothing she could do, just watch on in horror.

    Her soul was crushed. Every fiber of her Chuuni being was filled with shame.

    Not the usual kind of shame but the worst kind of shame...

    You wouldn''t get it.

    She''d hoped that they''d cut it out already, but here they were,pletely bursting her pleasant experience with her friends, for half an hour!

    Half an hour!

    ""Take care of ''Fischl'' for us! Bye-bye!""

    After they''ve had enough of their teasings, her parents went back home.

    As they were leaving, Yomite noticed that they were grinning, so he knew for sure they were doing it on purpose.

    "Fischl...Your parents truly are, interesting... to say the least..." Not getting a response he called out again, "Fischl? Fischl???"

    He looked around to see her copsed on a staircase of a nearby house.

    "Fischl!?"

 Chapter 63

    ***

    The party was on their way to the Knights of Favonius Headquarters but the mood was a bit...let''s say not that great.

    Fischl was devastated after what happened earlier.

    Such an embarrassing and distressing incident will forever be marked in her mind.

    The worst day of her life.

    She will never let her parents meet with any of her acquaintances or friends ever again.

    Yomite knew she would be gloomy for the rest of the day.

    Lumine on the other hand was slightly depressed, as during the whole meeting with Fischl''s parents, she kept on thinking about her own family and while she felt happy for Fischl, she didn''t speak once and kept quiet the whole time, only lightly nodding towards Fischl''s parents whenever they would send a question her way.

    Talk about antisocial.

    Paimon was hungry, yet again..Chirping into Yomite''s ear like an annoying mosquito in the middle of the night of a hot summer.

    Despite the fact that she ate six Fisherman''s Toasts and a couple of sweets.

    Was her stomach endless?

    He swore to himself that he will abuse the shit out of Lumine''s Inventory ability as a payback for Paimon''s constant rants in the future.

    And as for Hu Tao...

    She was running around, scaring passers-by from behind, which wasn''t all that bad in itself, but one of the people she scared dropped quite an expensive ''Artifact'' of some kind, and by his bad luck, the artifact cracked and he was forced to pay 30k Mora for it.

    While he did have more than enough money from abusing the full party system.

    Having to pay for something he didn''t want got on his nerves.

    Especially since he didn''t have a grasp of Mora yet, and about how everything around him cost.

    They could be swindling him out of Mora and he wouldn''t even know, although luckily he did have teammates to help with that.

    The sooner he could get to that promised Library in the Knights of Favonius Headquarters the better...

    Yet another thing he had to mark down to not forget, (First, a dangerous sleepwalking with weird stalking tendencies, and now scaring people into breaking their stuff...What''s next? Is she actually gonna kidnap someone like in Liyue and bury them alive or what...I will have to address that with herter...)

    (Ahhh...I just wanna save this dragon already and gain a full ess to that library...)

    In all honesty, his whole party was a disaster.

    It felt like he was a teacher, taking his problem children out to a disastrous field trip, having to watch their every move to make sure they behaved and didn''t set the ce on fire.

    When it came to fighting, his party was the best it could possibly be, but as for everything else��

    ***

    **

    *

    They finally arrived at their destination.

    The Favonius Headquarters.

    The Knights guarding outside let them in, as they still vaguely remembered Yomite who had ''contributed'' in shunning away the Stormterror.

    After they knocked onto the door which led to Jean''s main office, they let themselves in and met with a figure, standing inside of the room, right next to the opened door.

    The figure of a young girl in a maid outfit gazed at the guests and deeply bowed.

    Her form in her bow was so beautifully refined, that anyone receiving it would be intimidated into naturally straightening their backs.

    "Wee, esteemed guests. The Acting Grand Master is currently discussing something in private, so please wait for her arrival. My name is Noelle and for the time being, I will tend to your needs."

    (It''s another maid...this time a really cute one too! Strike!)

    Yomite internally cheered. He didn''t see her face before. Was she someone new?

    Her short, neck-lengthvender hair with lopsided bangs framed her oval face perfectly.

    She had long, dark eyshes that caught the light every time she blinked.

    She was wearing a typical maid ensemble with the exception of a small priestess hat, and the only other difference being the two gilded white armor tes that adorned her arms, making her seem more like a battle maid than just an average servant.

    She also wore ck tights that showed off her small tomboyish figure.

    Yomite also noted yet another Vision, this time a Geo Vision, that hung from one of her hips.

    (Chosen by a God my ass...there are way too many Vision bearers in this freaking city! Is it like that in every territory?)

    (I want to know.)

    ��������������

    Name: Noelle

    Age: 15

    Title: Chivalric Blossom

    upation: Maid of Knights of Favonius

    Hobby: Reading forbidden love books, washing and cleaning

    Likes: Satisfying Sd

    Dislikes: Banquets

    Dream: To be a fully fledged Knight

    Current mood: Happy

    Rtionship Level: 5/10 - Acquaintance - Met not too long ago.

    State of Rtionship: Basically strangers

    ��������������

    (...Reading forbidden love books...Wait is that what I think it is...?)

    In any case, despite her saying that Jean was busy, they didn''t have time for that, "Look, Noelle. We came here to deliver Jean a message regarding some super secret operation. It would be best for her to know about it as soon as possible so that she can prepare for it. So if you don''t wanna let us through, then please ry the message for us."

    "A super secret operation?!!" Noelle covered her mouth with her fingers while voicing out her surprise in the most discreet manner possible, "S-Such a thing...I-I am afraid I cannot ry such a thing...I am too low ranked to know secrets of the higher-ups...Awawawa...What should I do��"

    She fidgeted around, feeling conflicted. The air of the serious maid was long gone and all that was left was a confused and anxious girl.

    Her job was to keep anyone from disturbing the Acting Grand Master Jean, but on the other hand, she didn''t have the right to know about secrets like that and rying a message meant that she would have to know of its content��

    "C-Can you...write it in a letter instead? So that I can deliver it?" She pointed at Jean''s worktable where a stack of papersid.

    One of them could surely be used to ry the message, right?

    "...Please just let us talk to her...it won''t be even two minutes��I promise." Lumine urged her.

    "Mou��" Noelle pouted her lips.

    Then, she noticed that one of her acquaintances, Fischl, was also a part of the group, albeit she didn''t seem in the best spirits.

    (Even the legendary Miss Fischl from another world wants to talk to the Acting Grand Master Jean? Judging by her crestfallen expression, It must truly be something serious then!!)

    "...Alright...Acting Grand Master Jean is currently in the library, discussing some private matters with The Honorary Librarian Lisa, but you didn''t hear this from me..."

    "Great, thanks, Noelle!"

    Noelle naturally bowed, watching the group leave.

    She let out a sigh of disappointment as the door to the office closed.

    On one hand, she was happy to help them as the all-purposeful maid, but on the other hand she was disappointed in herself that she wavered and told them the location...

    Pretty much immediately...

    It was in her maid nature to help in any way possible, and seeing that so many people needed her help made her change her mind immediately.

    (As expected, I''ve a long road before me until I can be a fully fledged Knight!)

    She sat down on one of the chairs and as she did, she noticed a book that was seemingly well hidden in between a flower vase and the wall of the office.

    (I shouldn''t...but...)

    Curiosity got the best of her and she reached out for it.

    Unexpectedly, there were more books stacked underneath the one she took.

    She read the titles of each book and yelped out in surprise.

    [The Princess and The Prince, Deep Sensual Bonding and Sweet Talking.]

    [For The Taste Of Your Lips, I Shall Bet My Life!]

    [I Took Your First Kiss...Now I Shall Take The Second!]

    [My Brother''s Youger Cousin''s Friend Started A New Business In Liyue After He was Kidnapped And Striped Of His Own Rights! He Found Sess and Now I Fight For His Love! My CEO Can''t Be This Cute!]

    [A Foot Fetish Massage Turned Into A Beautiful Art Of Coption Sparking A Taboo Love Between The Knight and The Princess.]

    [The Taste Of Your Sweat On My Tongue.]

    At first she thought they were books of the ever beautiful librarian Lisa, but then she noticed that there were plenty of markings and paper slips with Acting Grand Master Jean''s handwriting.

    (A-Are these...romance fantasy novels? Wow. I never would have thought that the Acting Grand Master Jean would be into that...B-But maybe it contains some profound secrets on how to be a Knight!) A light blush crept on her face.

    Noelle will do her best.

 Chapter 64

    Sorry for not uploading for almost a week, I have been hospitalized due to worsened flu and fatigue. I put this announcement on my discord but i kinda forgot to put it here as well. I thought it was corona again but I guess I was wrong?

    I will be released tomorrow and the chapters will resume to normal.

    "Jean, dear, from what I''ve discovered, these Crimson Crystals could very well end everyone in Mondstadt. So far the casualties from Stormterror were minimal, however, if it were to utilize this poison, it could truly be the end for all of us."

    Jean shook her head, her blonde curls followed the movement, "Look, Lisa...As I was just saying...we can''t y one of the Four Winds...I understand your concern and I respect you and your wisdom, but just...give me some time. I will surely think of something..."

    There was no way Jean would ept such a cruel way of dealing with things.

    She was the Acting Grand Master. There had to have been something she could do.

    A n where everything would work out well without Stormterror dying.

    Fatui were already putting pressure on Mondstadt, and if they were to lose even their guardian, it would be over for them.

    As long as Stormterror was alive, the Fatui wouldn''t wage war against Mondstadt, and right now, war was something Jean wanted to avoid at all cost.

    The Grand Master Varka left on an expedition with his elite army half a year ago, so if someone dered war on them, they would be decimated.

    "... Alright, if that''s what you wish, then I won''t interfere. However, bear in mind that it could be a fatal decision." Lisa left her with those words and went to make herself a herbal tea.

    "..."

    Jean let her friend''s words sink in.

    Still, she decided she would save the dragon, somehow...

    Stormterror was currently injured and they still had some time before it might start attacking again.

    She will have to formte a wless n, but before that...

    "Um...Lisa..." Jean slowly walked towards her.

    "What is it, dear?"

    Lisa noticed her shy expression and immediately knew what she wanted.

    "Y-You know...are ''those'' books ready?"

    "Ah you mean ''those''? Of course! [The Feel Of Your Hair In My Embrace] and [I''m In Love With My Scary Secretary''s Divine Body] arrived a few days ago from Fontaine. They were quite expensive. I was truly surprised." Lisa gave her a knowing smile and went ahead to package them for her.

    "L-Lisa!! Not so loud!" Jean urgently looked around the library, but luckily no one was nearby so she let out a sigh of relief, "I will give you Mora for thatter...But please don''t talk about this in public..."

    "You''re way too afraid, my dear. It''s just a piece of fiction anyway. While most people would look at you as if you were rabble, scum or a vermin, and their opinion on the Acting Grand Master would considerably change for the worse, I will always treat my friends with respect, no matter what weird and disgusting fetish they might have." Lisa covered her mouth to stifle herughter.

    Her words hurt, but there was nothing Jean could do.

    "...Is it... really that bad? Am I a lost cause?"

    Lisa shot her a sad look that said ''Yes''.

    "..."

    Last few weeks, Jean wanted some kind of distraction.

    She heard about the fact that if you work endlessly, without a hobby or without rxing, the quality of your working ability will heavily decline.

    That''s why she chose her new hobby. Reading.

    Seemingly a standard hobby for quite a lot of people. At least it used to be like that in the past.

    Currently, only Lisa and the researcher named E Musk spent their time reading in the library so the hobby was pretty much dying.

    As such, she decided to try it out but even she had to agree that reading through [An Algorithm Of Magical Interference] and [Magical Circuits In Theory] was not fun.

    There were plenty of books like that in the library.

    No wonder many people didn''t read, as they were tooplicated to understand and not enjoyable.

    Not to mention almost no one had ess to the library. At one point she considered opening the library to the public, but it held way too much private information and it would take too much work to filter out which books was safe to read and which was not.

    That was when she met with the beauty called novels.

    She looked for copper and she found gold...

    Romantic novels, which then turned into a hot, steamy and fantasy love. Super romantic.

    Apletely new experience for the inexperienced Jean.

    But there were millions of books and it was way too hard to search for those kinds of novels herself, so she asked her dearest friend, Lisa, to help her.

    "Frankly, the city of Mondstadt is the city of freedom. You know that the best out of everyone, Jean... However...with some of these titles... I''m sorry, even the Archon Barbatos might vomit."

    Hearing her friend''s honest opinion, Jean copsed on a nearby shelf full of books.

    Just then, the door to the library was kicked open and Fischl entered the library with high spirits.

    ***

    "So this is the library."

    The room leading to the library was right in front of Jean''s office, which made things easier for them.

    At least they didn''t need to search for it in this hugeplex.

    One of the Knights who was guarding the entrance gave them a suspicious stare, but then he saw a certain girl within the group and let them in.

    Upon witnessing the entrance to the holynd, Fisch''splexion somehow turned for the better, "Ah��Library��Mein...sweet home��"

    It turned out that Fischl was actually one of the regrs there.

    Her high rank from Adventurer''s Guild gave her permission to peek inside and take whatever she wanted at any time.

    Of course, she had to return it within the specified time just like anybody else.

    (Might as well ask her to steal some books for me to read, although it would still be better if I got ess to the library myself. That''s for sure.) Yomite thought.

    "Mein dear acquaintance Lisa, the bewitching terminator awaits in the next quarters! We have no time to lose! Let''s enter the sacred kingdom!"

    "You do know we are going there for Jean and not Lisa, right?"

    Ignoring Yomite''sst remark, she opened the door with a tter and slipped past Yomite before he could stop her.

    "Hail, Lisa! I''vee forth to confabte with you!" She announced as she entered the library.

    The group followed her inside.

 Chapter 65

    The first thing Yomite saw upon entering was an antique sofa, the kind you might expect to find in an old-fashioned Western house.

    The library looked rather small from the doorway, but it seemed to extend quite far inside, and even had a basement-like floor underneath it.

    It was vast and full of books. Its long winding corridors expanded throughout the wholeplex.

    For Knights of Favonius and Lisa herself, it was a beacon of knowledge.

    It was circr and epassed a broad area.

    There was arge courtyard in its centre.

    A small chandelier dangling from a rather high ceiling. A hefty pendulum clock hanging on the wall.

    The roof of the library was made of a special material that let in light but reflected all the colours of the spectrum so that the building appeared white from any angle and in any weather.

    As he looked around, he saw Jean leaning on one of the shelves, with a face that screamed, "Kill me." for whatever the reason.

    There was also Lisa, who was enjoying her afternoon tea while patting Jean''s back with her other free hand.

    The brte librarian heard the door open and when she found out who entered, her eyes shined bright.

    She waved at Fischl with a warm smile, "Wee. I certainly didn''t expect to see you after so long! Fischl, it''s been a while, hasn''t it?"

    "Lisa, ah yes indeed, the librarian of the infinite cosmos of knowledge," She said, the wooden nostalgic smell of the books gave her a sense of familiarity and safety. "Sorry for intruding upon thy equilibrium of boundless knowledge."

    "It''s alright, dear." Lisa answered as if she understood what she meant and noticed more people behind her, "Oh, if it isn''t Handsome and the other Cuties, wee. I''m so d my little Cutiepie Fischl had finally found herself a nice party."

    "L-Lisa, I forbid you from calling me like that��"

    "It suits you though."

    Fischl shrugged her shoulders at Lisa''s brazenness.

    "By the dark stars, It does not...I''m no longer a little naive child..." Fischl answered with some difficulty and as if to prove her point, she stood up on her heels to make herself taller.

    Her petite chest stuck out like it should, only a little bit, but she couldn''t help but push it out even farther to assert dominance over the overpowered, huge, milk gallon tits demon in front of her.

    Lisa''s breasts were just way too huge, and Fischl knew that until her own breasts grew, Lisa would keep on teasing her and wouldn''t stop giving her nicknames like, "Child, Cutie, Cutiepie, Adorable." and so on.

    It was frustrating to look at her teasing and mocking smile.

    In a sense, rather than a friend, Lisa was like a rival to her, a being that she needed to conquer to develop special abilities and get more powerful.

    On the other hand, Fischl noticed that she got along well with girls with a simr figure to hers, like Hu Tao or Lumine.

    Although she didn''t speak with Lumine much, she was willing to make friends just because she adorned the same figure.

    (I shall relinquish from this battle, Lisa the Omega Whale...But one day, we shall conquer and remove big breasts from this world...they are disgusting and unfair��)

    While Fischl and Lisa were leading a fierce, staring contest, Yomite and Lumine went after the soulless Jean.

    ***

    Hu Tao was bored out of her mind, so she started walking around the library in hopes of finding something fun to do.

    "Ah, they have my books here! Good! Spread my greatness, fufufu." Her face gleamed once she spotted her ever famous titles...

    Meanwhile,

    Fischl sat down on one of the chairs and summoned Oz, who immediately perched on the back of her chair.

    Lisa poured tea for her and prepared some light snacks.

    She knew that Fischl usually preferred light food like sd to preserve her petite figure, so she didn''t bring too many crackers.

    "Thanks," Fischl said as she epted the tea cup, blowing along the surface and taking in the tea''s earthy scent before taking a sip.

    As she did so, she watched on as the Emergency Sustenance in front of her eyes munched on crackers.

    The crackers were prepared for the tea, but Paimon obviously didn''t care about it.

    (Cute.)

    Paimon was stuffing her cheeks like a hamster, without knowing that she was being watched.

    Fischl nced at Yomite, who was approaching Jean.

    (Oh, that''s right.)

    Without wasting any time, she picked up a few crackers and fed Oz for his services.

    "Thank you, Mein Fr?ulein."

    "No need to thank me, my dear Ozzy..."

    "..."

    "..."

    "...A nickname, is it...? Something''s the matter... isn''t it... Something is wrong. I can feel the force in the wind, I can feel it!!"

    He could feel it in his feathers. She was about to ask for something outrageous again.

    "Why would it be? I just want to reward my perfect servant." Fischl acted cluelessly.

    "Mein Fr?ulein doesn''t usually use a nickname unless she wants something..."

    "...You know...for a bird...you are way too sharp sometimes..." Fischl frowned and pulled on his beak.

    "I...I get it...Mein Fr?ulein... please don''t pull on it!! What do you require...?" He resigned himself.

    Fischlbed her hand through her hair and whispered so that Lisa who was reading a book nearby wouldn''t overhear, "You shall...spy...no...''follow'' the Starlord Yomite who just went after the Acting Grand Master!"

    If Oz could roll his eyes, he would surely do so at this very moment, however, if he did, he would be risking being strangled by her.

    (Me, a proud scouting raven, is going to surveil our own party leader...What is Mein Fr?ulein thinking...)

 Chapter 66

    Yomite and Lumine approached the copsed Jean.

    "Yo, Acting Grand Master. Are you alive?" He curiously poked her exposed, muscr back with his finger.

    (Squishy yet so firm. Very nice.)

    "Eeep!!"

    Feeling that someone poked her, she turned around and looked at him with an angry, yet restrained expression, befitting of the Acting Grand Master.

    (...Did she just say...Eeep? Cute��)

    Her expression rxed when she found out who it was.

    She put a long tailcoat over her exposed back to cover it up and soon enough, a smile adorned her face, "If it isn''t Honorary Knights Yomite and Lumine. I''m d to see you''re doing fine. Is the Resin Moon Inn hospitality good? I sure hope so."

    "Umu." Lumine let out a single sound of acknowledgment.

    The food was great, especiallypared to things that Lumine was forced to eat before meeting with Yomite.

    Those were scary times.

    Hundreds of times, she restrained herself from actually eating Paimon or some random nts and mushrooms, but now she was d that she didn''t do it.

    And she had decided she would act nicer towards Paimon.

    That thought had nothing to do with that scary nightmare that she dreamed of not too long ago.

    Totally not!

    She was just being a good friend.

    "It''s pretty great honestly, we got a huge room and the food is delicious. I would like to thank you for that myself."

    "I''m d, so why have youe here then?" She asked.

    And so Yomite began exining all the way from the beginning.

    From meeting the Bard who turned out to be a guy and not a girl, to agreeing to help Dvalin, to stealing the lyre and then Diluc''s cooperation.

    "So it was you... Frankly, I''m d that we know where the lyre is located now...you should have said something...we would have given it away to you immediately if it could save the dragon...And as for the cooperation... Diluc...actually agreed to go with Knights of Favonius?"

    Jean stared at him, wide-eyed.

    Something like that was unprecedented. She knew the best out of everyone in Mondstadt that he would never team up with Knights ever again.

    "Um...to bepletely honest, I don''t think he knows about that..."

    Jean put her hand on her forehead and sighed.

    "Is something the matter?"

    Yomite tilted his head at her reaction.

    "Diluc is a bit...Let''s say he usually refuses to help the Knights and protects Mondstadt in his own way...If he hears we''re going with him...He might abandon the whole operation��"

    (Well, he did say Knights of Favonius were inefficient so I knew that he wouldn''t be happy...That could be troubling.)

    "In that case, I feel like if you mobilized a small force of individuals you trust, we can convince him."

    "I see. That''s a wonderful idea. Lisa''s elemental power was non-stop exhausted for a week straight so I don''t want to bring her with us...Let''s just find Kaeya for now."

    "Sounds good."

    "Alright, wait for me here, I will go prepare my sword and then we can go and search for him."

    As she was leaving the library, Yomite saw that Jean sneakily grabbed some kind of package along the way.

    "Party leader, where are you going?" Lumine asked.

    Yomite put a finger to his mouth and whispered, "My horny senses are tingling."

    "...Your...What...?" Lumine hoped she had heard wrong.

    Without giving her an exnation, he followed closely behind Jean and so did a certain raven who changed his form into a small floating ball.

    ***

    As Jean reached her office, she saw Noelle reading some kind of book with apletely flushed face.

    Not realizing it was a book from her secret stash.

    Inadvertently, when Noelle read, she usually murmured under her breath, and just as Jean entered, she heard her say, "With a slight force...he pulled his manhood out...amidst her convulsing body...he painted her white, followed by a string of cu��"

    "��Noelle! Don''t read that!!! Stop reading!!" A shout of agony and embarrassment escaped from Jean''s mouth as she finally realized what Noelle was actually reading.

    Noelle was so scared by the sudden shout, she dropped all the books that were stacked on top of her thighs onto the floor.

    Some of the books slid across the floor right next to the doorframe and before Jean could pick them up, Yomite swiped some of them for himself.

    (...Ah...So these kinds of books exist in this world as well...Pure smut...Interesting.)

    She watched on in horror, watching his expression change from confusion to a grin.

    "Acting Grand Master...You. Are. Pretty. Lewd." He spelled it out for her with a whisper.

    "Ple...ase��I-I swear it''s not like that!" Jean''s voice squeaked.

    Her heart raced immensely. The feeling of shame she was experiencing right now, could not be described by words.

    She had never been in such a humiliating situation before.

    The expression on the woman''s face was iparable to the image of the perfect and dignified Knight she usually looked like.

    Despite wanting to keep her hobby a secret, not only one, but two people found out in just one afternoon!

    One of them was even a guy��A person she called an Honorary Knight.

    (My life is over.)

 Chapter 67

    Seeing Jean out on the streets of Mond was always worthy of attention.

    The citizens were fervently loyal to the blonde woman, and revered her enough to mostly let her confident stride uninterrupted, assuming she was straight down to business, even though most times whatever little problem they had in their lives and every small request was sent straight to her desk without a second consideration for her health.

    This time she pretty much strode into Angel''s Share without anyone getting in her way together with a rather huge group of individuals all possessing Visions, and what appeared to be the young Visionless man who drove the Stormterror away a few days ago.

    Those who wanted to go for a drink immediately turned around and went to the Cat''s Tail tavern instead, as not to bother them, and those who were dead drunk inside of the tavern also left, afraid there would be consequences if they didn''t...

    Anyone could tell something big was about to go down, even the Fatui were silently gazing from afar and wondering what was happening.

    The biggest problem the group was facing currently, was that they didn''t have enough people.

    Lisa was too tired to be useful. Not to mention, she refused to go outside unless she had to pick up books from poor souls who forgot to return them during the deadline.

    She hated people and would only asionally go out, which was also like once per four months. Aplete shut-in.

    Amber was busy patrolling the borders of Mondstadt and Liyue. It would take them ages to contact her and Jean felt like Amber wasn''t ready to face danger of that caliber yet.

    If things were to go south, they would be forced to fight with Stormterror and Amber was the kind of person who would freeze in fear during a battle against such a terrifying opponent.

    Same for Noelle.

    That only left the Daredevil, Kaeya, who was currently nowhere to be found...

    The only clue they had was that he might be in the Angel''s Share pub with Diluc, but the chances were pretty low, so asking Diluc was also in motion.

    "Wee to the Angel''s...Ugh...Jean... and...Kaeya''s brother..." The familiar and ever-so irritated voice greeted them dully from behind the counter. "I thought my day couldn''t get any worse."

    Yomite let out a sigh, "Why are you still calling me Kaeya''s brother... shouldn''t I be your brother in that sense too?"

    "Absolutely not. I have nothing to do with him and his games. He can even adopt three more sisters and twenty brothers for all I care. I am a single child and I always was."

    Muffling a chuckle, Jean sat atop of one of the stools in front of the counter. "Hard day, sir?"

    Her group followed her and sat down on the empty stools. Wondering what this ''sir'' thing was all about.

    Half smiling, the tavern owner shot a sharp stare straight to her eyes and kept cleaning sses.

    "Stop calling me sir...That was a long time ago. No need to bring it up. It''s ufortable. We are no longer colleagues. I don''t work for those incapable Knights of Favonius anymore..."

    "Oh, right...I''m sorry, Diluc." She smiled, looking at the floor tiles, admitting that the term was probably still going to linger for a little while longer in her vocabry, and not by her choice.

    The name Diluc, was known to every Knight.

    He used to be an indispensable force in the Knight ranks.

    A young genius Knight that got a Vision which burned full of passion.

    Everything was going smoothly, until that tragedy happened.

    On Diluc''s eighteenth birthday, he and his father, Crepus, were returning from Angel''s Share to Dawn Winery, which was where their mansion was located, when they were suddenly attacked by a dragonic creature that gued Mondstadt for over thousand years, named Ursa the Drake.

    Even Diluc with his Vision was unable tond a scratch on it, but his father, Crepus managed to drive it away, unfortunately losing his life in the process.

    With a heavy heart, Diluc returned to the Knights'' Headquarters in Mondstadt only to receive an unthinkable order from an inspector: "Conceal the truth."

    Higher-ups insisted that the incident must be portrayed as an unfortunate ident in order to maintain the reputation of the Knights of Favonius in the eyes of the public.

    Such was the sheer outrageousness of this request that Diluc did not think it was even worth trying to argue.

    Diluc''s father had once said to him that the world would never turn its back on the faithful.

    But now, the Knights of Favonius trampled on his faith like it was nothing.

    So much for the city of freedom.

    Following this, he resigned from the Knights that day and left everything behind, including his heart.

    An unknown time after Crepus'' tragic death, the Fatui somehow managed to y the cmity called Ursa.

    This incident indebted Mondstadt to Snezhnaya and forced them into a less favorable position with the Fatui.

    Now, if Mond were to lose Stormterror, or worse, If Jean was forced to ask the Fatui for help to deal with the Stormterror, she would have practically given away full control of the city to them.

    Which would be uneptable.

    Losing her train of thought, she then remembered why they hade here in the first ce.

    She looked around and simply stated, "Kaeya isn''t here," making it sound more like an assertion than a question in itself.

    She had just noticed.

    But this expedition needed him. He was a powerful individual.

    One of the best Knights currently residing in the city.

    Hearing his name however, the stance of the red haired guy shifted dramatically. He turned his back on her and reached for another ss.

    "What makes you think he would be here?" He turned again, but wasn''t exactly facing her.

    "You''re his boss. If the guy isn''t at his office during working hours then you might consider it as a discipline problem."

    Jean sighed, tilting her head and staring back at him with a grave tone in her voice. "How long are you two going to keep up with this nonsense?"

    Dryly, Diluc only answered, "Don''t know what you''re talking about."

    "Seriously?" She shifted on the stool and faced away from him. "Mond has been sitting on edge since you guys stopped calling each other ''brothers'' and we all just--"

    "Mondstadt sits on the edge practically whenever something just happens," He interrupted, "This is why everyone drinks so much. There is nothing else to do. It''s a very boring city."

    "Stop changing the subject..."

    "I didn''t know there was a subject. You came here looking for Kaeya. He''s not here. That''s about it. You can leave now, if you are not ordering anything. You have a ratherrge group sitting next to you, blocking stools for potential customers."

 Chapter 68

    Defeated, Jean only sighed. "Fine, then I will buy a non-alcoholic beverage...Are you happy? Now, have you seen him?"

    Diluc put up an apple cider on the bar desk and received her Mora.

    "I did. Earlier. What''s all this deal about?" He finally nced over the group of powerful individuals next to her.

    To him it seemed like something was definitely going on.

    He actually figured it out the moment he saw Yomite, but somehow, deep within his mind he denied the possibility. He did not believe that Yomite was that close with Jean for her to believe him and he even actually nned on contacting her tonight.

    "Are you finally going to deal with the Fatui in the city? Or the Abyss Order, perhaps? Maybe...Treasure Hoarders?"

    "None of that sort...No...We are..." It pained her to say this, "We are going to try to convince Stormterror to stop attacking our city and if that goes wrong...then ying it might be our only option..."

    "...For real? I never would have thought this came out of your mouth, Jean, but now it makes sense." Diluc nced at Yomite and his group, "So you told her, I presume."

    "Well, yeah, she told us to contact her if we found out something that could save the Stormterrror, so we did." Yomite nonchntly replied.

    "It''s as The Honorary Knight Yomite said...But we are currently missing Kaeya and he had been acting strange ever since he returned from the Temple Of the Wolf...He forgot to put up the daily report two days in a row now, and I am not sur��"

    The sharp stare Diluc gave her made her swallow the rest of the sentence down.

    She took a sip of her drink, watching the engines of Diluc''s mind turn as clear as if his forehead was transparent.

    "He would... never forget to turn in something. Never."

    "So there was something today with him, I assume?" Jean asked.

    Diluc''s hands continued moving mechanically, cleaning ss after ss.

    "He...was behaving odd, now I see."

    Jean knew Diluc was the type of person that needed to be doing something repetitive for his mind to work better than usual.

    So doing all the arrangements for the night at the tavern woulde handy whenever he needed to ponder about something.

    She knew she had hit the nail when the sole mention of Kaeya made Diluc throw a fit.

    It just gave him more data to think about.

    Sometimes she found herself very surprised at how they really seemed two sides of the same coin.

    All the jokes about ditching the work aside,

    Kaeya would usuallye up with a conclusion to a problem long before they both had, even though he seemed for the most part unbothered and uninterested with whatever issue was on the table.

    No matter what activity he might be carrying out, Kaeya''s mind would simply never stop.

    He might have beenzy, uninterested, bored out of his mind, but when it came to work, he was clever, sharp, active, initiative, and unstoppable.

    You would never bring yourself to think someone who thought even of the smallest details would make a mistake of this nature. Twice in a row.

    "I know where we might find him...Follow me." Diluc stated and put a sign that read "Closed" on his pub window. "He mentioned something about meeting up with someone at the town square in about an hour or so."

    ***

    As the sun continued to set on the horizon, there was an unusual amount of people gathering on the streets or casually leisuring at their windows, which made Jean all the more bashful to be sitting on a crate in a narrow alleyway where they could see the Good Hunter''s restaurant all the while being sufficiently covered themselves.

    "So, remind me again...What the hell are we doing here?" Yomite let out a perfectly normal question due to the weird situation he found himself in.

    He was currently crammed inside one of the alleyways, sandwiched right in between Hu Tao and Fischl, with Lumine closely behind him.

    As Lumine was way shorter than he was, she put her chin on his right shoulder to see more clearly all the while she was standing on her heels.

    Yomite felt bad for her.

    He would switch with her immediately if he could, but he was pretty much stuck there unless others decided to move out.

    "We''re observing," Jean tly replied, trying not to invade Yomite''s personal space.

    The position she was in couldn''t exactly be calledfortable, as she couldn''t even stretch out her long legs without the fear of kicking into Yomite''s back.

    "Here hees," Diluc pointed at Kaeya who just arrived at the za.

    "We have eyes." Jean let out an unexpected snarky remark.

    But as most things, this also had an exnation behind it.

    Everyone present was currently pissed off at Diluc, as he took the best spot for himself.

    He had enough space for himself, while five of them had to cram into an alley.

    Just then, an elegant pair of ck shoes made the cobblestone crack when the wearer stopped dead in his tracks.

    There was then Kaeya Alberich, with a big bouquet of fiery red silk flowers.

    Silk flowers were something akin to a rose from Yomite''s original world.

    Wearing casual clothing consisting of a tight ck t-shirt which showed off his chiseled chest and a pair of brown pants.

    They were skeptical at first, but now it was clear that he was actually going on a date!

    Diluc acknowledged his efforts, "He looks decent. Still...I never would have thought he would go out of his way for something like this��It does not suit him in the slightest..."

    "This is the first time I''ve seen him like this and it''s weird��" Yomite pointed out.

    Jean squinted her eyes and muffled herugh, "That indeed confirms it...He is super nervous! Look!"

    Kaeya fidgeted in ce, while scratching his hands and asionally the back of his neck. His whole body felt itchy for some reason and he kept on opening and closing his palms as they were getting too sweaty.

 Chapter 69

    "I don''t get it. What''s happening?" Hu Tao asked.

    Yomite was about to exin but Fischl interjected, "Kaeya, the pirate overlord, found himself a person he likes and admires, so now he is getting ready and is super nervous! This is an important step!"

    "Getting ready? Can''t he just say that he likes her when he likes her?" Hu Tao didn''t understand.

    Fischl and the group almost fell t on the ground.

    If only love was that simple. The worst she can say is no, they said.

    Try it, it might be your only chance in life, they said.

    Yomite knew one of his old colleagues from his world that said he wasughed at by his crush right in front of her friends, and the girl even posted a status on a socialwork with his picture, only for more people to banish him.

    Something like love was never simple, no matter in what world.

    "It''s a bit...different��" Jean mumbled, unable to think of an exnation for the girl.

    "I mean, I very much like Assistant-kun and Fischl. I don''t know what''s so hard to say about that?" She dropped a bombshell out of nowhere.

    Yomite almost choked on his own saliva.

    (What is this weirdo saying now of all times!!?)

    Fischl also staggered in ce, blushing, "No you misunderstand...it...doesn''t work like that...It''s not that kind of like...You should be going out, holding hands, p-physical contact...a-and so on��D-Don''t make a Prinzessin say stuff like that..."

    Hu Tao tilted her head, "We are going out on quests together though? Assistant-kun also held me by my neck a few times so I would say that there was a lot of physical contact, but I have yet to do anything like that with you, Fischl."

    Hearing her logic, Fischl gave up and so did the others.

    There was no point in exining romance to her, just as well as there was no point in arguing with the little confusing entity called the Director.

    However, that one remark she mentioned about, "Holding her by her neck." disturbed them a bit.

    Yomite noticed the disproving gazes of the group and tried to exin himself, "W-Wait! That''s taken out of context! She was being a brat to a little kid! Stop looking at me like that!"

    While he was exining himself, Paimon noticed that Lumine had a sad look on her face.

    "What''s the matter? Paimon is here for you if you need anything!"

    "Thank you...Paimon... it''s fine."

    Lumine was just thinking, (Hu Tao mentioned she liked Party Leader and Fischl...but not me...)

    So that was how it felt like to be a third wheel in a group of friends.

    Not a nice feeling.

    ***

    Soon enough, a figure of a young woman approached.

    "Isn''t that...Vile?" Jean widened her eyes in surprise.

    She knew Vile basically since childhood and she was surprised that she gave Kaeya a chance despite already denying so many proposals from other men.

    Vile was an informant of Mondstadt

    She had a huge source of scandalous stories and rumors and she was one of the best when it came to trading information.

    However, Jean thought Vile hated yboy looking types.

    She really wondered what changed her mind.

    Azure eyes stared at Kaeya, the woman beaming with a very pretty smile which could have lit up the entire sky.

    Kaeya was instantly enchanted by her.

    Diluc frowned at his reaction, "Something is wrong with him...Just say your usual lines you reject...Usually, he would have said some cheesy lines like ''Do you have a name? Because I want to call you mine.'' or something along those lines, but he is acting really weird..."

    Indeed, right now, the situation seemed to bepletely different.

    "Uhm...You��" Kaeya started speaking, surprised at how raspy his own voice sounded, "...you look, um��" He only let out a few incoherent words.

    "Poor Kaeya", Paimon said, with a strange mix of sympathy and unconceited smugness in her voice.

    Lumine nodded and agreed with Paimon, "He looks very embarrassed..."

    However, him, screwing up their first greeting made an opposite effect to what they have expected.

    Seeing him so anxious, Vile''s opinion about him has changed considerably.

    At first she thought he just wanted to have a one night stand with her and she was nning on rejecting him at the end of their date, but now she grew quite curious about him.

    For the yboy looking Cavalry Captain to be so meek and awkward towards her already made her feel something.

    She gave him a sweet smile, "How about we go and eat something?" She hugged his hand, pointing towards the Good Hunter restaurant.

    Kaeya didn''t expect her to be so bold. He pinched the bridge of his nose, while mumbling, "Right��"

    And so the duo of love birds left the town square and the group stalking them also decided it was time for them to leave.

    "I guess we''ll just have to go without him, he will be busy and out of it for a few days." Yomite grinned, giving Diluc a look.

    Diluc nodded and replied, "We will be more than enough, we don''t need a loser to slow us down."

    "Wow, calling someone that found himself a potential lover, a loser...Paimon has no words for this loner..."

    ***

    A couple of hourster, they met up with the bard at the pub, and went on the quest to save the Dragon to the Starsnatch Cliff.

    They traveled as quite therge group, maybe even a bit toorge.

    Yomite decided that Lumine shouldn''t disclose her abilities in front of Diluc and Jean, precisely because they weren''t their party members.

    So they didn''t teleport and were currently on their way to the Starsnatch Cliff by foot.

    Yomite also noted that with so many powerful individuals and Vision bearers in his current group, monsters didn''t even dare toe close and while they''ve been attacked by a group of Treasure Hoarders once, the moment they saw that they''ve attacked the whole assembled elite force of Mondstadt, they quickly ran away, leaving behind some Mora and weird coins.

    "I''m hungry...Assistant-kun��give me something to eat!" Hu Tao yawned as if trying to consume air to cease her hunger.

    "Alright, fine...Wait a bit..." Spying some berries along the side of the road, Yomite reached out to grab a handful, looking at Paimon for confirmation.

    "Paimon, are these good to eat?" Abusing Paimon''s wisdom was always a good way to verify most information.

    Before the imp could respond though, Lumine cut in. "Party leader...Paimon literally eats slime..."

    "Hey!! Just cause Paimon eats stuff you guys don''t, doesn''t mean that Paimon doesn''t know what humans can eat! Those berries are called valberies and they''re perfectly safe to eat! Hmph!"

    Reassured with that fact, Yomite tossed the fruit into his mouth, relishing in the sour-sweet taste on his tongue. "This stuff is pretty good!"

    Tossing another one to Hu Tao, he gestured for her to eat it.

    "Thanks, Assistant-kun!" She appreciated it and he could tell she liked the taste too.

    "Valberry? Lisa likes them a lot, we should grab some along the way for her. She has been working without a rest these past few days, after all. Let''s bring her some," Jean noted and picked some as well.

    Diluc scoffed, "Working without rest? Funnying from someone like you, a person that drinks so much coffee to stay awake, that it no longer has any effect on you."

    "Ah..." She didn''t know what to say as he was totally right.

 Chapter 70

    Yomite Hissha felt that his life was wonderful.

    Last week, he married his 30th lover.

    The world was polyamorous so stuff like that was more than eptable.

    Just a few days ago, trustworthy people that he hired personally, finished building a mansion in the outskirts of Mondstadt, where all of his wives could stay with him as a huge and loving family.

    Yesterday, he spent the whole day giving love to fifteen of his wives, while the other half would receive his love the following day.

    He had the power, he had the money, he had the authority, he had a family, he truly had everything his heart desired.

    Not to mention his handsome face.

    As such a perfect being, Yomite Hissha had mixed feelings.

    Did he have any regrets in life? No, his life was perfect.

    If he was to mention a w in his life, uh, it would probably be his bad habit of making up fantasies in his head.

    But maybe that was a side effect of reading so many different kinds of genres that he was already corrupted and it was way toote to return back to normal.

    Whatever was mentioned previously was just pure nonsense, of course.

    And currently...The man known as Yomite Hissha, was running for his life together with a few other just as unlucky individuals, as a giant fucking flying tank was locked onto him.

    "Venti!!! You useless bard!!" His voice echoed in the air, echoing around the mountains and the Starsnatch Cliff, even while he drew his next breath��"This idiot isn''t a god, never was! I swear!"

    He jumped around, desperately avoiding the Dragon''s wind breath that tore apart nearby trees to shreds.

    As another wave of wind energy swept past them, Paimon who was only barely clutching onto Lumine''s hair shouted frantically, "Pa-Paimon was almost blown away just now! That stupid Tone-Deaf Bard!!! I knew we shouldn''t have trusted him!"

    Lumine who ran next to him had to agree with both of them.

    This was a disaster.

    Not only did the n failpletely, they were also forced to run into Stormterror''s Lair, as fighting near their current location was disadvantageous to a maximum degree.

    One wrong step and you might find yourself falling down the cliff.

    They would have teleported away if they could, but the group has separated and Lumine also didn''t have any Teleport Waypoints activated nearby.

    So if they were to teleport back to Mondstadt, the whole journey would have been for naught.

    Never trust a bard ever again...

    ***

    Roughly 20 minutes before everything went downhill...

    After they finally walked up the steep cliff, the party readied their equipment.

    Fischl checked the tension of her bowstring without batting an eye and saved up some Elemental Energy to summon Oz forter.

    Diluc and Yomite wereparing their ymores.

    Diluc''s ymore was apparently a 4 star artifact rarity, while Yomite''s...was of course, just an everyday normal ymore, nothing special.

    Diluc seemed friendly enough. He even told him that after this Stormterror issue was dealt with, he would give away a 4 star ymore to Yomite as a gift, as apparently, his whole mansion had a secret stash, full of things no one used.

    This was wonderful news for him.

    As, who wouldn''t want a much sturdier weapon that wouldn''t break in just a few hits?

    Jean looked up at the dark sky, bathing in the star glitter.

    This mission was a necessary step to bring Mondstadt back to its glory and to free it from its never ending grasp.

    From Fatui.

    She was nervous, but she believed they could do it.

    If they failed here��

    She heaved a heavy sigh, still cing her gaze upon the stars and the slight fog, coating the forest underneath the cliff, like frothy milk.

    Lumine was feeding Paimon, while patting her, as a form of an abreaction.

    She was also feeling slightly on the edge, but knowing that Yomite managed to defeat Stormterror previously, without much effort, calmed her down.

    Hu Tao was ying hide-and-seek with the little ghostly figure, hiding in her hair.

    And as for the star of this y, Venti pulled out the Holy Lyre.

    "...Holy Lyre der Himmel...The pattern of flowing wind carved on the rosewood...and the strings still feel cool to touch too....Oh...the memories��"

    Jean overheard him but didn''t understand what he meant by that.

    The lyre was more than a thousand years old, and he looked no older than fifteen, so how could he have any memories with it?

    "What do you think, Venti? Can you summon Dvalin? I would say we are pretty much done with preparations." She nced and Diluc and others and everyone seemed to be ready.

    More than ever.

    "Well, I doubt it''s going to work."

    A single sentence like that, was more than enough to rile up almost everyone present.

    ""What!?""

    The group shouted in unison.

    What was he saying now!?

    Why have theye here if it wouldn''t even work?

    "What do you mean you doubt it''s going to work? Venti...exin yourself." Yomite was losing his patience.

    He knew there might have been someplications along the way, but not this early.

    This was way too early��

    "...Bard...I hope you''re not serious." Diluc red over his shoulder at the stupid grin of the bard. "This isn''t fun and games. Take this seriously. The future of Mondstadt is at stake. What did you mean by those words?"

    "Well, as you can see...this lyre went through a thousand years of history. The Anemo power within has run out. In this condition, I doubt you could even y music fit for Master Diluc''s tavern with it..."

    Diluc scoffed upon hearing his words, "Bards fight to get on the stage of my tavern. Don''t make assumptions!"

    "Is that really important right now, Master Diluc? Aren''t we about to face the scary dragon?"

    Paimon''s little stamps were a bit less impactful when she didn''t actually hit anything other than air, Venti letting out a giggle at the pixie''s strange behavior. "Oi! And you! Stop giggling! Did we put our necks on the line to steal the Holy Lyre to y music for drunkards to hear!?"

    "Hehe."

    "What do you mean ''hehe'' !!? If it''s a fight that you want, Paimon will dly take you on!" She folded her hands below her small chest as a frown spoiled her cute face.

    "Dont mind dont mind! We luckily have everything we need to fix it! The lyre itself is in pretty okay condition, but the strings...uff...Welp! That''s where our dear ounder stepps in!"

 Chapter 71

    Some foreign and unknown words will be exined in the Author''s Notice.

    Yomite and Lumine looked at each other and did not speak another word.

    Both were starting to doubt whether Venti was a god...

    Actually, they were pretty sure he was a failure since a long time ago.

    What kind of God wouldn''t mention something so serious beforehand!?

    "Dont mind dont mind! We luckily have everything we need to fix it! The lyre itself is in pretty okay condition, but the strings...uff...Welp! That''s where our dear ounder stepps in!"

    (An ounder?)

    None of them knew who Venti actually had in mind.

    Seeing that Venti was looking at Lumine, Yomite sighed in relief.

    He had no idea how to repair instruments, so he was d that Venti didn''t pick him to repair it.

    "I... Don''t know how to repair instruments��Sorry."

    To his surprise, Lumine was on the same page as him.

    Much less cooking, she couldn''t even sew��

    When she was traveling worlds with her brother, he was usually the one that did everything and she was like a spoiled and azy brat. Now she deeply regretted it, as she could have picked up so much from him.

    There was no doubt that she had absolutely no experience with repairing instruments.

    "It''s not that hard, look, Traveler, do you still have Dvalin''s Teardrop Crystal with you?"

    Lumine nodded and put her hand into her pocket, activating her Inventory ability to sneakily pull out the purified teardrop.

    "Great! Now ce it onto the strings."

    She did as she was told and ced the moderately sized crystal onto the Lyre, and soon enough, the lighting from it, lit up the dark sky.

    Afterward, a green glow erupted from within the Lyre, indicating that the power from within had been recharged.

    Lumine sighed in relief as it was just a simple process.

    "This youthful glow��" Jean couldn''t help but admire the now, fixed Lyre. "How beautiful��"

    Paimon rolled her eyes, "Praising yourself? Really?"

    "Wha-!? No! I-I meant the Lyre! Not myself!"

    Venti held the Lyre in his hands and happily nodded, "Mhm! This is it! The power was fully replenished! I was afraid for a second that we would be forced to get more of the tears, but it seems like one was enough for the instrument to be filled to the brim!"

    Yomite waved his hand to catch Venti''s attention and then spoke, "Say, wouldn''t Dvalin be mad if he saw me? I think I should just go and hide somewhere so that he doesn''t see me, right? I injured him greatly, after all."

    Venti thought for a while before answering, "Nah, its fine! Don''t worry! Dvalin is a good friend! Dvalin wouldn''t attack you out of nowhere!" He reassured him.

    "...Is that so? Alright..."

    ***

    In the distant past, many mighty Dragons roamed Teyvat.

    Noble and intelligent beings that rivaled Archons and Gods in strength in a subtle way.

    Most dragons have either disappeared without a trace, or perished.

    All but one.

    One of The Four Winds of Mondstadt: Dvalin, the Dragon of the East, the Protector.

    Dvalin was said to be one of the weakest of its kind.

    However, that didn''t mean it was powerless.

    Although none of the estimations were perfect, Its power was roughly above that of the current Wind God, Venti, and could evenpete with some of the other Archons.

    With the passages of long years and amid boundless darkness, even the purest gem became dulled by dust, and even the noble dragon was corrupted and cankered by hatred.

    But people shouldn''t forget, that dust could be wiped away, and the power of doubt and poison could be shattered. If only you gave it a little push....

    ***

    The moon''s bright smile, which had been on for most of the day before drifting away, slowly died. The stars started losing their brightness as the sun sank down the face of the earth.

    It was midnight.

    And Venti began his performance.

    While he was busy singing and ying on the Holy Lyre, the rest of the party enjoyed his songs and rxed, as if they were on a family pic.

    "Hey, Diluc. I heard that the Fatui have recently proimed you as ''Persona non grata''." Jean pointed out.

    "Hmph. What an honor. Nobody was ever proimed as ''Persona grata'' by the Fatui anyway��" Diluc scowled, crossing his arms.

    "The Fatui? The diplomatic delegation from Snezhnaya? What have they got against Master Diluc?" Paimon was curious about a new source of knowledge.

    "Well...The Fatui are a problem not only for the Knights, they also present a real threat to the whole of Mondstadt...And when ites to threats of Mondstadt, Diluc is especia��"

    "��That''s enough, Jean." Diluc cut in and didn''t let her finish, "You knights are subject to too many restrictions. You can''t directly confront this so-called ''diplomatic'' scum...Personally, I despise them. And will get rid of them eventually. I''m already in the process of doing so anyway...If I were to choose between ''eating a Cryo Slime alive'' or ''joining the Fatui''��I''d prefer to be crushed to death by a meteorite."

    "Geez...so dramatic��As expected from an edgy loner..." Paimon silently mouthed under her breath.

    ***

    Fischl went up to Hu Tao, to vent her feelings of nervousness, "Say, my eternal rival, Demon King of Salvation, heed my call! Are you perchance scared of the uing Ragnarok?"

    Hu Tao thought for a while and then replied, "I think I was a bit scared the first time I saw the Dragon, but I''m strangely calm now. Maybe because the Dragon is wounded and doesn''t look that strong to me anymore? Anyway, once I thought about it, the worst thing that can happen is that we die, but that''s just a normal progression of life. There is no need to be scared, and I came to my senses immediately."

    "...Is that so?"

    Unbeknownst to Hu Tao, her words strangelyforted Fischl greatly.

    Hu Tao then spotted Yomite who was quietly sitting and listening to Ventis'' song.

    She sneaked up on him and pped him on his back a few times, "Uwaaah! Did I scare you?"

    "Not really, but you can continue with the massage if you feel like it." He replied, uninterested in what she was doing.

    "Me? A Director should massage her Assistant? Shouldn''t it be the other way around? Oh, by the way! I think I finally came up with a name for our party!"

    Yomite rolled his eyes but decided to listen, "So? What is it?"

    The name of their party was put on hold for now, and it''s just called ''The Yomite''s party'', although it would definitely not stay that way forever. They just couldn''t think of a good name yet.

    "Demon King of Salvation and her coffin operators!" She announced, feeling proud of the finished product.

    "Huh? You? A Demon King of Salvation��?" Yomite let out a wry smile.

    "Yep! Fischl named me as such. And I quite like the title! Maybe I could rename a part of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor..." She was already thinking of a new brand she could use the title for.

    "It''s cool...yeah...Sounds like you will die a lot��" Yomite murmured under his breath.

    "Huh?"

    "It''s...nothing��" He dropped the issue.

    Hu Tao didn''t understand what he wanted to say, but Fischl on the other hand, squealed with girlish delight, startling everyone present.

    "Ehm��Fischl? Are you okay??"

    Yomite just stared at her in confusion, and so did everyone else.

    (I would like to think of myself as pretty bright, and not a clueless or dense protagonist, but even I don''t get what the hell just happened to trigger a g��)

    "I��*cough!* The Prinzessin is fine and ready to punish all sin! Don''t mind the battle cries of the ancient!" She yed it off somehow but deep down she was happier than ever.

    (He knows the boooooook!)

 Chapter 72

    Yomite had nothing else to do, so he believed it was time to train his ability some more, until the Dragon arrived.

    (I want to know.)

    His first victim of privacy breach was Jean.

    ��������������

    Name: Jean Gunnhildr

    Age: 21

    Title: Dandelion Knight

    upation: Acting Grand Master Of Knight Of Favonius

    Hobby: Reading steamy romance novels, Working

    Likes: Pizza

    Dislikes: The fact that she can''t work non-stop without sleeping

    Dream: to reach the power of Vanessa to protect her people.

    Current mood: Anxious

    Rtionship Level: 6/10 - Value

    State of Rtionship: Friend

    ��������������

    (Thinking back, she was so embarrassed when I found out about that...) He snickered.

    Jean almost died of embarassment in her office.

    He could feel the pain. It would be simr to being caught by your parents while doing your ''business''.

    Just a shameful experience.

    He read on further and frowned, (She is a workaholic to the core...imagine that ''Working'' is your hobby...A terryfing thought...It''s like a neverending spiral of death and suffering...)

    He then looked ahead at Venti, who was adjusting his Lyre and was preparing himself to sing another song.

    ��������������

    Name: Venti

    Age: 16 (2654)

    Title: Windborne Bard, Barbatos

    upation: Archon - God Of Wind

    Hobby: Poems, Singing

    Likes: Mondstadt''s Wine, Wind

    Dislikes: Cheese and anything sticky

    Dream: Unknown

    Rtionship Level: 6/10 - Value

    State of Rtionship: Friend

    ��������������

    Yomite widened his eyes in surprise.

    He knew that since Venti was a God, he was probably old, but for some reason he expected him to be older than hundreds of thousands of years or something.

    This greatly betrayed his expectations.

    (He is still useless...)

    That fact didn''t change and probably never would.

    The next on the list was Fischl, the girl who was currently closely paying attention to him, ever since he mentioned a book reference.

    He didn''t know how it was possible that she read the same book as him when she wasn''t from Earth, but from her behavior, it looked like she really did read it...

    ��������������

    Name: Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort (Amy)

    Age: 17

    Title: Prinzessin Der Verurteilung

    Hobby: Reading fantasy books

    Likes: Mitternachtsbrot des Sommernachtgartens, Oz, Han Sooyoung, Yomite Hissha

    Dislikes: When people don''t realize her magnificent identity, Sweet Madame Dish

    Dream: To be the Demon King.

    Current mood: Excited/ Happy to be alive

    Rtionship Level: 8/10 - Intimacy

    State of Rtionship: Crushing

    ��������������

    (Eh...well...this is awkward...and I certainly didn''t expect that...) Yomite let out a dry cough.

    Having peered into another one of hisrades'' profiles, revealed that he was being crushed on.

    Lucky him.

    It obviously couldn''t have been from this very moment, and he wondered when she actually started to feel that way, when they weren''t even together for that long.

    (Well, she is pretty young, it wouldn''t be out of character to have a crush during puberty...Wait now that I think about it, my body is less than a week old...If she actually confessed, I can''t really consent, now can I!?)

    All the jokes aside, that was the least of his worries, considering thews and consent system was probably way, way different in this fantasy world than on Earth.

    He was all up for the milf route, but the first girl that fell for him was a teenager...

    Moral dilemma ensued.

    (While milfs are certainly great, having a young girl crushing on you isn''t bad at all either...)

    He closed his eyes and turned 100% of his brain stem power on.

    Not literally though.

    (Of course, as a man of culure, I cannot ignore the allure of a virgin teen.

    It is only with such a form that you can truly appreciate the blooming of the woman you hold dear.)

    (However...

    Milfs alsoe with their own allure. While teenagers would be a bud that is yet to bloom, Milfs are in full bloom.)

    (To be engulfed in them and receive their nectar is one of the greatest desires of man.

    Both are extremes in their own right.

    Both are sacred fruits, and both are beautiful.

    So then is it not better to receive both?)

    And that ended the tribunal discussion deep within his mind.

    (Both are great, end of discussion.)

    He would resolve this little ''crush''ter.

    He panned his gaze at the next target and snickered, (Show me something interesting, Diluc...There has to be something dirty.)

    ��������������

    Name: Diluc Ragnvindr

    Age: 22

    Title: Darknight Hero, The Uncrowned King of Mondstadt

    Hobby: Chess

    Likes: Grape Juice, Hawks, Kaeya

    Dislikes: Alcohol, Kaeya''s constant bber

    Dream: To turn Mondstadt into a better ce.

    Current mood: Neutral

    Rtionship Level: 5/10 - Acquaintance

    State of Rtionship: Neutral

    ��������������

    (Batman indeed...So he doesn''t particrly dislike Kaeya, huh...Is it a Tsundere I spot?)

    This was a good ckmail material if he ever needed more than just a ymore from him...

    He just had to think of a way to utilize this information...

    Although Yomite didn''t really think of himself as the kind of person who would try to ckmail someone he knew.

    His enemies though...silent prayers to them...

    ��������������

    Name: Lumine

    Age: 9???

    Title: Ounder of ???????

    upation: Honorary Knight

    Hobby: Sleeping, ying with Paimon, Stargazing

    Likes: Paimon, Her brother, Any food that she doesn''t make

    Dislikes: Cooking, Sewing, Jogging

    Dream: To find her brother and leave the world.

    Current mood: Restless

    Rtionship Level: 7/10 - Fondness

    State of Rtionship: Close Friend

    ��������������

    (...Why does it feel like she is much, much older than Venti??? Is it like over 9000 or something?)

    He also noted that she nned on leaving this world after she would find her brother.

    He nced at herp and a curious idea popped into his mind.

    Curiosity got the best of him...

    (Would it work?)

    He intently stared at the little fairy in Lumine''sp that was currently munching on snacks, and for thest time thought, (I want to know.)

    ��������������

    Name: Paimon

    Age: 1?M?

    ����Ommited����

    upation: King ?????

    ����Ommited����

    ����Ommited����

    ����Ommited����

    ����Ommited����

    ����Ommited����

    ����Ommited����

    ����Ommited����

    ������������

    *Crack" *Crack*

    Something never before seen happened, and the blue screen forcefully closed itself down right in front of him.

    Rather than closed down, it would be more urate to say the screen crumbled into tiny pieces.

    As if she could feel something, Paimon tilted her head to look his way, but he managed to avert his gaze just in time to not seem suspicious.

    She stared at him for quite a while before she resumed snacking on the crackers from Lumine''s hand.

    "Is something the matter?" Lumine asked her, seeing that she looked away for a good while

    "...Paimon felt weird for a second there...As if something or someone was about to eat Paimon..."

    Lumine followed her line of sight and giggled, "Just to remind you, Paimon, Party Leader is a pretty good chef..."

    "Hey! What does that have to do with Paimon!? Why would you even wanna eat Paimon when there are so many great dishes out there...Even Paimon wouldn''t eat Paimon, if Paimon was hungry..."

    While the duo of friends bantered, Yomite broke out into cold sweat.

    (What the hell was that!!? That was scary! She looked here for sure!!)

    Observe was truly amazing...But...

    But this instance with Paimon genuinely concerned him about the usage of it.

    He might reconsider using it carelessly like that in the future.

    Who knew who could sense, or protect themselves from this ability.

    This really took him by a surprise...

 Chapter 73.1

    While he was still digestingrge amounts of knowledge from the various things he learned about other people, Venti yed a couple of mournful songs that seemed to go on forever.

    His fingers were like running water over a great river.

    His voice filled the void and the shadows of the night, and a fire ignited within him.

    His heart was beating with each note, each word.

    His body shimmered and danced on the very edge of the Starsnatch Cliff.

    His sheer talent overshadowed anyone that would try topete with him. He sang of the being that was his only friend: hispanion, his only family, the proof of his identity. The Dragon that was with him for so long.

    The Mist on the mountains was now as if a living being. It flew round the Bard, mixing with his emotions.

    The Mist was no longer a wild creature, but had be a part of him.

    The Bard''s fingers moved on the Lyre, the ck strings singing a tale of freedom and despair.

    His fingers also yed amenting song, the unhappy history of a young spirit and his first destination.

    He felt a tear slide down his cheek, one after another, until the song came to an end, and with it ended the tale of the Boy and the Dragon, the duo of old friends that prevailed through the worst of humanity. Together.

    After a performance that took several minutes, there was a far-off swish in the ckness that crowded the cliff''s edge.

    The group noticed great swirls of wind forming at the hillside ahead.

    A distant screech reached them from out of the dark, like a hundred ws on a thousand ckboards.

    Whirlwinds carried themselves through the dark sky.

    With his eyes hurting from the pressure of the wind, Yomite could only barely see arge silhouette, flying in the sky.

    Out of the dark swooped the dragon.

    As it approached out of the void, leathery wings creaking, eyes narrowed to a pair of burning slits. The dragon opened its fearsome jaws, gazing down at the group of individuals.

    "He came. Stormterror, the Dragon. Everyone, get ready!" Diluc readied his ymore.

    He knew that their initial n was to talk it out with it, but if it came to worst he wouldn''t hesitate to cut it down.

    "Dvalin..." Venti gazed at Dvalin''s back that was still missing quite a few of its scales, albeit no longer bleeding as much as before.

    There was also one final poisoned blood clot which they had to remove, but it would be hard to do so without Dvalin''s permission.

    Yomite''s initial attack from a couple of days ago must have hurt it quite a bit and now it''s more restless than ever before.

    "Ah, The Divine Dragon of Banishment, my pet. It''s been an eternity since I saw youst��" Despite not losing her persona, her shaking legs betrayed her words.

    Venti looked at Fischl in confusion.

    (Her pet? Does she know Dvalin? I must ask her about thister...)

    The dragon flew inrge circles above the cliff. It was huge, at least as big as three wagons being lined up one to the other.

    Then the flying lizard dove straight at a very high speed.

    "Everyone, get under cover!" Diluc shouted as he lifted his ymore to shoulder the impact.

    Yet it never came.

    Instead, the Dragon settled itself on the very edge of the cliff.

    Venti noticed Dvalin''s eye right in front of him.

    It directly red at him, the pupil taking up about half of his body.

    He was suddenly paralysed by fear.

    This wasn''t the friend he knew. It seemed to be almost fully under the control of the Abyss Order now...

    "Why have you havee...What has been done...cannot be undone..." Dvalin growled.

    "Then why do I see sadness in your eyes! Sadness that speaks for your yearning for this song...just like mine..." Venti tried to appease his lifelong friend, but Dvalin simply ignored him.

    The Dragon slid its gaze across the party and it''s irises widened as it spotted the reason for a huge portion of its pain.

    Of course, it immediately locked onto Yomite, staring at him with pure hatred.

    (I fucking knew that I should have hidden myself!!) Yomite screamed internally, (Damn you. Venti!)

    "Why is that human here!?" Dvalin shrieked, and the party almost felt their eardrums rupture.

    "You...You were nning this all along!? To have me in by him!? You bring these humans here to trap me!? I see you''ve changed quite a lot, Barbatos!!"

    With that, Venti''s real identity that only Lumine and Yomite knew of was just ryed to the rest of the party, but Venti didn''t have time to worry about that.

    "Damn it! I knew it wouldn''t go well If he saw me...It looks like he leaves us no choice, we will fight him, Hu Tao, get ready!" Yomite urgently said, still standing on the cliff, his de still held.

    "Okie Dokie~!" She lit her polearm on fire and was ready to proceed with the n.

    "No, you must not fight Dvalin!" Venti tried to convince him. "I...don''t want any more blood shed..."

    "There''s indeed no need for that," Jean nodded, "The situation looks dire, however, we need to find a way for him to believe us."

    "Alright..." Yomite also agreed. "Venti can you at least use the Lyre on this dude, to calm him down!? Do it fast! I feel like he wants to swallow me whole...It''s not like I''m scared or anything!"

    "I will give it a try! Oh, by the way, Dvalin actually has no gender, so words like ''Dude'' do not apply to it. Although many people believe he is male, due to its authoritative voice, I followed suit and also called him a ''he''. Funny right? Oh, I almost forgot...I''m still a boy by the way~"

    "Stop...fucking...reminding me! Now is not the time!"

    "Te-he."

    Venti started ying another song, only to be interrupted by Dvalin once more, "No point...Leave here! I will no longer believe anything you say." It pped it''s ginormous wings as it nned to take off.

    "Wait! Dval��" Venti tried to exin himself, but arge chunk of ice blew him away, Diluc catching him in his arms.

    "��Do not be fooled by him, dear Dragon��" The sneak attack was conducted by a Cryo Abyss Mage that was hiding behind Dvalin''s back.

    "He left you to rot alone...For hundreds of years! Now he attempts to deceive you once more...Let your wrath fester! Mondstadt has already turned its back on you!"

    The abyss mage climbed Dvalin''s back and started chanting his magic, "It''s time for you to server a true master!"

 Chapter 74.2

    They retreated back towards the hill with the Dragon right behind their tail.

    "We need to get to the Stormterror''s Lair! There is an ancient spatial magic formation! It''s our best chance at fighting some sense into Dvalin and removing its poisoned blood clot!" Venti announced and immediately ditched everyone afterwards.

    "Oh? So now we want to fight Dvalin!? We could have done so a long time ago!" Yomiteined to no one, as the bard was long gone, shouting something along the lines of, "Good luck and see you in front of the barrier! Te-he!"

    (Little bastard��)

    Yomite nced at the Dragon who was still following them.

    Dvalin''s scales were scraggly and rough, with chunks of blue and green scales.

    The force of the Dragon''s breath crushed the budding flowers in the forest surrounding it.

    Smaller animals and monsters were being coaxed from their homes, with the sight of the Stormterror, roaming the skies.

    Thebination attacks from Cryo Abyss Mage and the Stormterror, consisting of ice and wind attributes, didn''t make it at all easy for the party that was running away.

    Most of them were skilled enough to dodge the onught, or had the awareness of spells being shot at them.

    Most of them��

    Unfortunately, or, fortunately, if you wish to see the world burn...

    While Paimon was boasting that she didn''t need to run like them, but could float instead, she was hit by one of the Cryo Attacks from the Cryo Abyss Mage, and turned into a popsicle.

    "Paimon!!"

    With Hu Tao''s helpful Pyro Vision, they eventually managed to get her out of it, but they lost a lot of valuable time and Paimon was scarred for life, wet like a dog and shivering all the while.

    "Pa-Pa-Paimon��I-I-Is..."

    She wanted to say something but the sheer cold she was currently subjected to, didn''t allow her to do so.

    Lumine put her into one of her pockets while keeping her hands inside, warming her up.

    That ought to help!

    Yomite didn''t know where the Stormterror''s Lair was located, so he followed Hu Tao who was currently leading them, and after a few minutes, the Dragon let them off hook and flew into hisir all the whilepletely ignoring them.

    "Finally some peace and quiet��" Yomite let out a sigh of relief.

    He was currently with Hu Tao, Lumine and Paimon, as the group split up, but that was about to change.

    Up ahead, he saw the Bard and the rest of their party standing in front of an erected barrier that covered the entirety of the Lair.

    Venti was busy, trying to force himself into the firstyer of the barrier so that they could enter, while the others cautiously watched the skies to make sure Stormterror wouldn''t surprise attack them, once they let their guard down.

    "Yo!" Yomite called out at them from a distance.

    Jean nodded at them, "I''m d you''re safe."

    "So, what are we doing here?"

    "Venti is trying to force open the barrier, so that we can intercept Stormterror directly in itsir."

    "So, how is it going?"

    "Welp, it is hard...Time for a short break! Te-he!"

    "No break! Move your ass!"

    "Alright, alright! Fine...You don''t have to shout at me, Master Diluc..."

    Venti''s words, coupled with his indecisiveness and rxed attitude made Diluc clench his teeth in dismay.

    (I still can''t believe that he is...tch...)

    Diluc decided to let go of the thought and focused on surveiling the area.

    The true identity of the Bard made him recall all the escapades he was a witness to, when the so called ''Barbatos'' started taking off his clothes inside of Angel''s Share pub, after drinking more than ten bottles of Diluc''s dandelion wine.

    It was hard.

    Hard to believe that this "thing" was the Archon of Mondstadt.

    Venti understood Diluc''s point, but he wanted all of the people present to appreciate how beautiful the barrier and the area around them looked.

    After all, this was once...the city of Mondstadt...

    ***

    The Stormterror''s Lair was once the capital of Old Mondstadt, ruled by the God of Storms, Decarabian.

    After he was in in an uprising hundreds of years ago, Barbatos took his ce and reshaped thend.

    The citizens then moved the capital to an ind in the middle of Cider Lake, where the City of Mondstadt remained till this day.

    All that was left here were the ruins of an ancient city filled with magical mechanisms and painful memories.

    It was currently used as air by the ''dangerous dragon'', Stormterror.

    Despite the danger, many audacious adventurers seeked the treasures hidden in this ce.

    But to no avail, as no one was ever able to enter the center of the location due to the barrier.

    The most they could harvest were the minerals around the Lair, which were hardly any treasures.

    In reality, the story about Dvalin was anything but the truth��

    ***

    Venti used his powers to send shockwaves into the barrier, as if trying to overwrite some sort of code, and during that, he exined what truly happened back then...

    Five hundred years ago, victorious but grievously injured by the corrupted dragon Durin, the Dragon of the East, Dvalin, fell into a deep slumber in the ruins of the former capital.

    However, hundreds of years have passed, and the people of Mondstadt forgot about the existence of their Protector.

    When Dvalin reawakened and went to find its people with its injured body, shunned it away, they feared it and called it "Stormterror" giving the region its current infamous name.

    This, along with the pain from the never stopping poisonous blood clots inflicted by Durin, allowed Dvalin to be manipted by the Abyss Order.

    In reality, the whole thing was just a huge misunderstanding��

    As long as people were notified about its existence, nothing of this would have ever happened.

    But they weren''t...

    "Indeed... It''s awful��" Jean muttered, taking in the view of the old, ruined Mondstadt.

    Once everything was over, she would make sure to ry the truth to the public, even if Grand Master Varka reprimanded her.

    Dvalin didn''t deserve this.

    Fischl ran her hand through her blonde air and scoffed, "To think that my pet was subjected to such tyranny! Vengeance will be mine!"

    Yomite flinched at thest part of Fischl''s sentence.

    He felt like he heard that somewhere recently, but he couldn''t quite put the finger on it.

    For some reason, it pissed him off greatly��

    But back to the history...

    "That Durin part is interesting. What kind of dragon was it?" Yomite asked.

    Dragon tales were always interesting to listen to, especially about those that actually roamed the world in the past, and weren''t just fiction.

    Venti frowned when he heard his question, but decided to answer it to the best of his abilities in a shortened version.

    "Durin... was a shadow Dragon, corrupted by an Alchemist named Gold. Its appearance...Durin took on a monstrous form of a disfigured skeletal dragon...Despite that, its wings were still intact, with long veins running along the folds. It was honestly hard to look at��and people were scared of it just because it was a cursed entity.... I''m sorry, I don''t want to talk about it..."

 Chapter 75.3

    The towering but broken spire told of its tragic story silently. Its chambers and halls with crumbled tforms were filled with memories and longing, as well as howling winds.

    The one who once dwelt in that lonely tower was no more. The murmuring winds that shrouded the deste city told the most ancient of stories, which no mortal now remembered.

    They told of their erstwhile master, the nameless wind sprite, and the chorus that caused the tower to quail��

    ***

    *Crack*

    The wind barrier erratically shattered against Venti''s slender frame into tiny little pieces.

    With some difficulty, Venti managed to open up the first part.

    The silent night sky loomed over as the dark masses of clouds blew fiercely through the grove.

    Its old trees released an eerie green glow, looming high over them, as the darkness of night was illuminated by the glowing green, which came from the multitude of leaves falling upon his arms.

    Barbatos shook the leaves off of him and gave hispanions a reassuring smile.

    "Done!"

    "Wow! It actually opened! You aren''t entirely useless, Tone-deaf Bard!" Paimon spoke from within Lumine''s clothes, still warming herself up, only a tiny head peeking out of her pocket.

    The party could now, indeed enter their.

    But they were far from finished.

    There were still a few steps remaining.

    In order for them to get into the heart of their, where the trounce domain was located, they first had to break three seals.

    This was a disaster served on too many shocking realizations.

    Each seal was broken by collecting several constetion pieces called Guiding Light Piecares which would then be used on the so-called Light Actuator altars, which would then in turn give them full permission and control of the area.

    There was one seal to the east, one to the north, and one to the west.

    The seal to the east had two Guiding Light pieces on the top of coliseum-like ruined pirs, which required them to make use of their gliders.

    Yomite was hesitant at first, because he wasn''t really that great with utilizing the fake wings, but it turned out to be fairly simple.

    They just had to find an upwards gust of air to be able to fly onto the pirs.

    The two pieces of Guiding Lights were located near the central pir.

    After that, they headed to the northern seal and collected three Guiding Lights this time around.

    Thest one was the West Seal which also needed two pieces of the Guiding Lights in order to function.

    Along the way, they picked up a few treasure chests, and Lumine stealthily left the group on several asions and approached a few of the teleporters to activate them forter use.

    And just like that, they were finally done.

    In the distance, they saw a staircase.

    They climbed the staircase leading to what appeared to be a tower. Their footsteps echoed within the structure that was long abandoned.

    Walking up, the group was met with a startling sight.

    Remains of arge robot were leaning onto one of the pirs supporting the tower. It was half-kneeling, half-lying on one of the edges of the stone support, with its back to the opening.

    There was a wide, metallic splinter of a catapulted stone stuck in the back of its head, which reassured the party of it''s functionality.

    The robot wouldn''t move for sure.

    "A Ruin Guard? So deep into the Stormterror''sir? Weird��" Jean mumbled.

    While others certainly did not expect this sight, Yomite was the only person truly confused on what this thing even was.

    He had yet to see something like this roaming the outside world.

    (I want to know.)

    ��������������

    Name: Ruin Guard

    Title: The First Field Tiller

    upation: Field Tiller

    Description: An ancient humanoid war machine containing the Eye of the First Field Tiller. Thend is not to be tilled with farming tools, but rather is to be fought for with steel and blood of its invaders.

    ��������������

    Jean noticed that Yomite was staring at the machine absentmindedly and called out to him, "Is something the matter?"

    "Ah, no it''s nothing. I just haven''t seen something like this before..."

    His answer, however, left her stumped.

    "Is that so...I thought there were sightings of them in every part of the world, but I guess I was wrong. Legend has it that these machines werebat automatons created by a long-destroyed nation... They now wander ruins and ancient detritus, attacking adventurers, but nobody really knows what they truly are��"

    "I see...Thanks for the input, Jean."

    "No problem." Jean smiled. She was always d to help.

    Venti''s gaze lingered on the robot for a few moments before he followed the group upstairs.

    (Deep wounds, ought to be forgotten.)

    As they reached the top, they looked out to the horizon. The wind above blew with violent force, making it hard to see further than ten meters.

    They could see no shadows of any birds in the sky. The same air rushed past them, ruffling their hair and clothing. It was hot, dense and acrid.

    "Huddle up. We are about to enter...The real Stormterror''s Lair."

    Venti called out to them and they all stepped forward, forming a small circle.

    Soon after Venti touched the device, a white light enveloped them all, followed by an almost immediate sh of horrible stinging pain that made them all wretch.

    Simultaneously, the white light which had arrived moments ago, vanished and was reced by a blue glow that covered the dark skies.

    They have sessfully entered the Trounce Domain, The True Lair where Dvalin rested.

    Yomite heard ringing in his ears and his head felt woozy.

    He didn''t know why, but this teleport wasn''t asfortable as Lumine''s instant transportation.

    Others seemed out of it as well, but Fischl and Lumine were the one''s struggling to keep a straight face the most.

    The teleportation machine made them pretty sick and they had to sit on the cold floor for a while to make sure their dinner wouldn''te out.

    Rain dripped onto Yomite''s face as flock of crows flew overhead.

    He heard a loud swooshing of giant wingsing from the distance, keeping time with the pattering drops.

    He could smell the foul breath of the dragon even from afar.

    It was time for the final showdown.

 Chapter 76

    Opening his eyes, Yomite took in the sight surrounding him and it absolutely baffled him to his core.

    (Jeez, this truly looks like some battle boss arena from Dark Souls... Unfortunately, there aren''t unlimited retries. We only have one shot...)

    They were in the midst of a towering spire that was broken in equal segments, as weird as that notion was it was still true, resulting in nine equal segments being created and they were assembled in a circr fashion.

    The tforms themselves were supported by four pirs each, carvings of ancient, esoteric and mystifying origins adorning said pirs giving off a sense of ancient, untold mystery.

    Each tform used to be made of white bricks stered together in an orderly fashion, sadly it was not the case now; the tforms were now a broken mess, missing pieces of bricks here and there, some being broken, now forming a whole tform on uneven ground.

    "Ah yes, a battlefield befitting for the Prinzessin indeed. The Prinzessin Der Verurteilung is very satisfied with this cosmic wind array that my pet has preconditioned for me!" Fischl said, summoning Oz afterward.

    Once Oz appeared, he looked around in confusion, "Mein Fr?ulein...do tell what this ce is...this does not appear to be our usual Hilichurl routine..."

    "Why of course, Ozvaldo! It''s my pet''s personalir!"

    Oz staggered mid-air.

    He knew about five of her so called ''pets'', he was one of them, of course.

    However...

    Most of them were made up characters from a book...

    Even he was named after a character in one of her favorite books...

    But there was one certain ''pet'' that was real and existed...

    "...Do tell...Mein Fr?ulein...which ''pet'' of yours...are you... referring to? It can''t possibly be..."

    Oz had a bad feeling. This location seemed way too unusual looking to be normal.

    Something fishy was going on...

    "It''s the Stormterror''s Lair! We are about to face Stormterror, head on in battle! Aren''t you excited!?" She held her chin up high and struck her usual pose.

    "..."

    "What''s the matter, my dear Oz?"

    "Great... so we''re all dead meat...How could you not even tell me beforehand!? I didn''t even have a chance to prepare my heart! How could you do this to me, mein Fr?ulein!?"

    And so, a familiar pet raven scolded its master...

    Yomite wryly smiled at Oz''s words

    (Way to ruin the morale...)

    As he surveyed his surroundings, he could see faint traces of moss and other forms of grass growing in between the gaps of the bricks and on the sides of the tform making it a bit slippery at some parts.

    A storm was spinning in between the towering tforms, it was as if the towering structure was held in ce in the skies, touching the infiniteness of the void and clouds, by the storm itself making everyone who saw this phenomenon awestruck.

    Howling winds echoed in the surroundings, dirt, rabble, stones, bricks were flying with the wind and the storm.

    Yet, they always spun and flew in a circr fashion never leaving the area of the tform, it was as if some strange form of energy was keeping them in ce not letting them leave and be lost in the throes of wind and time.

    Looking at the ce surrounding him, a sense of mystery enveloped his being.

    The domain itself gave off the feeling as if it was alive, trying to tell it''s story.

    Before he even knew it, Yomite had walked to the edge of the tform. He was just too engrossed by the scenery to notice his surroundings.

    So was the case for the rest of the party as they were scattered throughout the tform, each wielding a different kind of expression stered on their faces, yet sorrow and a feeling of being lost was prevalent in everyone.

    With the exception of Venti of course. The archon of wind and freedom had an expression of deep nostalgia, of reminiscence and of longing and pain stered on that girlish face of his.

    A lone tear trickled down his left eye before he closed both of them and hung his head low.

    The storm was spiralling in its own gentle rhythm, without a care for its surroundings.

    Abruptly, it sped up. A bad premonition rose in Yomite''s heart as he witnessed the scene, so he took a step back.

    The speeding storm kept picking up pace, the howling wind now echoed far more loudly than it had ever done before.

    The wind picked up pace too, making everyone present cover their eyes to protect themselves from the dirt and rubble which apanied the wind.

    The wind, the storm picked up pace relentlessly, the sounds of howling wind drowning any and every voice there could be.

    And just when the storm reached its crescendo, it stopped in ce, as if time hade to a halt, confusing everyone present.

    Before anyone could say anything however, it started spinning again and this time it was with so much intensity that keeping their footing became difficult.

    As if that wasn''t enough, a secondary storm�� greenish blue in color, like the color of the Anemo element�� was generated from right between the eye of the first storm rotating far more rapidly than the first.

    The dual rotation of the storms made all the tforms shake and quake.

    It was bing increasingly difficult to keep themselves from being swept up by the wind, their clothes fluttering without stopping.

    All of a sudden, a deep draconic roar reverberated in the surroundings making existence itself tremble.

    From the midst of the secondary storm came out a dragon, its roar informing everyone of its arrival, informing everyone of the might, the being held.

    And with its arrival, the wind and the storm all lost their intensity, all lost their ferocity, bing docile and gathered around it.

    The storm, the wind, the breeze all of them spun gently around the dragon as if bowing in front of their God, the deity they worship.

    Erstwhile King of the Skies.

    The Dragon Ruling the Wind.

    Had arrived.

    "Dvalin is here...And it looks like we don''t have a choice but to fight it! But worry not! With the help of the best bard in the world, we are on par with Dvalin! The grandest bard is here to help!"

    "Yeah, yeah...Just don''t get eaten." Yomite mumbled while pulling out his ymore from its scabbard.

    "I''m so d my dear Yomite is greatly concerned about my well-being! But worry not! Oh, by the way, let me be clear...Even after hundreds of years without use, Dvalin''s ws and teeth are still very sharp and dangerous!"

 Chapter 77

    Dvalin''s breath glowed greenish blue, the color representing the anemo element, as it struck the tform with mighty force.

    As a response to its breath attack, fiery mes ignited within two of the members of Yomite''s party.

    The bewitching, scarlet colored mes of Diluc''s ymore zed even higher, as colorless energy balls of wind�� swirling with the power of anemo and the might of the storm�� shed against it with wanton abandon and... the world was plunged into explosively blistering mes of all epassing destruction.

    Meanwhile, the wind of Dvalin was also epted by Hu Tao''s eerie dark red mes, acting as if she had poured gallons of oil onto it�� the force of the mes increased exponentially as it transformed into a pir of zing fire and scathing heat.

    The wind split the fire apart, making said fire swirl along, and scattering it in all directions, which only further spread its destructive reach.

    The violent me was absorbed by the wind, transforming into a snake of fire that crawled across the deformed floor, causing havoc and wanton destruction in its wake, decimating anything and everything thatid in its path.

    In that one instant, shock waves spread across the tforms, making them quake and rumble, and a macabre dance began between Vision users, the God of Wind, Two Ounders and the Dragon Ruling the Skies��

    ***

    The stars adorning the midnight sky swirled and rippled in the great void of darkness. There wasn''t even the sense of the void, only the gloomy canvass of ever stretching darkness adorning the infiniteness of the skies.

    They were over two hundred billion light years apart from each other but at this very moment, they seemed to be in attendance, bearing witness to what was about to happen.

    It was as though they were somehow grouped together by an unknown force and their presence added something even greater to the murkiness, watching the fight that was about to begin.

    Though the sight was indeed spectacr it was also insignificant.

    Other than some insight into the immensity of the universe, there was no other significance to their presence.

    Just another thing to be ignored like most of the other senses that could have made themselves known, but didn''t��

    One thing, however, kept the Dragon in a state of shock.

    For a human, facing the wind breath of an actual Dragon was a feat to admire.

    Yomitepletely blocked Dvalin''s attack with his ymore, blocked the ever epassing might of the swirling storm and the zing mes and redirected all of it towards the sky; putting an end to the state of wanton destruction that thebination of wind and mes tried toy bare upon them.

    Feeling a few cracks forming on his weapon, however, made his face wince in annoyance.

    (I really need a better ymore...this one is also trash��)

    "Not bad, Kaeya''s brother. Not bad." Diluc praised and used this chance, that Yomite created for them, to inflict considerable damage to Dvalin''s shield.

    Yomite rolled his eyes in response, "Lay off, asshole."

    Diluc let out a small chuckle of amusement, which was quite unusual for him.

    He himself was surprised to see that he got along with Yomite so well.

    It''s been quite a while since he enjoyed someone''spany so much.

    Unlike the constant annoying provocations from Kaeya, Yomite seemed much more mature and calm, maybe that''s why he fancied him so much or perhaps�� there was something else...

    Energy bombs swirled and exploded��

    This was no longer just a fight, it was now a ce of annihtion for any lesser creatures who may have fancied the thoughts of intervening in between.

    The unending shocks and tremors, reverberating throughout the domain they were now fighting upon, had a lesser effect on the structures beneath their feet than Yomite had previously thought it would.

    They were quite sturdy, far more than their ruined exterior put them out to be, and didn''t even crumble after a few energy bombs from the Dragon exploded above them, but he still didn''t fully trust these tforms.

    They could disintegrate at any moment, making them all fall directly into the whirling storm thaty underneath stretching further into the abyss he could see no end to, and he doubted that there was any way out of that.

    Once they fell, it was game over for them.

    Yomite stared at the Dragon in front of him and whispered in his mind the words that allowed him to see beyond.

    (I want to know.)

    ������������

    Name: Dvalin (Stormterror)

    Age: 2190

    Title: Erstwhile Sovereign of the Skies, Dragon of the East, Ruler of The Wind

    Current mood: Furious

    Rtionship Level: 0/10 - Hatred

    State of Rtionship: Target to kill

    ��������������

    (This didn''t help me at all...At this moment...I would kill for it to show my enemy''s weaknesses or stats or something that could help me out of this apocalyptic situation...this is so fucking useless...)

    Endless curses were spewed in his mind, yet the reality was that they did nothing to alleviate the situation they were now in.

    Suddenly, with a loud piercing screech, a tornado of wind, billowing with considerable might, was created by Dvalin and was let loose at its targets.

    The barely visible attack bore down on its intended targets with enough force to slice apart the strongest of metals and enough might to crush the sturdiest of stones.

    Dvalin had deliberately casted the spell out of sync with its gaze and breathing, even adding a feint attack, something akin to an air mine imbued with anemo, embedded with it for good measure.

    These attacks were...

    "Careful!"

    With great ease, seen through by the veteran senses of Jean and Diluc.

    Dvalin felt the pressure they were generating and finally realized that it was against opponents of equal standing, opponents that had the power necessary to defeat it.

    Its enemies stopped the invisible attack with a few swings of their weapons, but if their actions were scrutinized carefully, their attacks all pinpointed the weak points embedded in the spell and skillfully dissipated it.

    Even the hidden attack Dvalin had nted behind the actual spell was taken care of with great expertise and ease.

    Seeing the phenomenon happen and realizing the level of skill and power that was required to make it possible to not only see through its trap, but also disarm it so swiftly�� in just a matter of seconds�� and with such deadly precision, made the Dragon more cautious than ever of the opponents it was facing against.

    "How...hateful!" Dvalin breathed out, rage and hatred running rampant in its genderless ethereal tone.

    The assassins that Venti sent to ''y'' it, were indeed very powerful, much more than it had anticipated them to be.

    Despite what the dramatic disy of shy colors may have implied, the conflict unfolding currently was a disy of highly advanced, and impossibly deadly, magical prowess against the precision of the duo of skilled Vision users.

    Dispelling magic by simply shing through the ws of the spell was a feat far easier said than done.

    With the tip of her de, boosted by the power of Anemo her vision coated it with, Jean had rewritten theposition of Dvalin''s spell almost instantly nullifying the spell in its entirety.

    Meanwhile, Diluc in a disy of utmost precision and power disarmed the trap lurking behind it with the fiery properties of his Pyro Vision, making the air bomb detonate and dissipate before it could even reach them.

    It could be said that no sane person would even think of doing such deeds when it came to a battle where they could easily lose their lives with the slightest of mistakes.

    Yet, here they were, doing things of impossibility with such ease as though they were taking a walk in the park, instead of facing the sovereign of the skies.

    Their teamwork was absolutely wless, however, making sure none of theirpanions were hurt.

    When it came to fighting, Diluc and Jean were the apex of what Mondstadt had to offer.

    It could also be said that the Fatui, or rather, the country of Snezhnaya in general, had yet to dere war on Mondstadt precisely because of the existence of these two individuals.

    Of course, there were others in the mix who were equally as skilled and respected.

    Knights like Kaeya Alberich or E Lawrence who excelled in speed, power and skill.

    But the Ex-Cavalry Captain Diluc, and The Acting Grand Master Jean had the most battle experience out of everyone currently present in Mondstadt.

    Even the Grand Master Varka who went on an expedition might have fallen a bit short whenpared to the Dandelion Knight and the Darknight Hero.

 Chapter 78

    Hu Tao vaulted over the intense ming pir�� created due to the elemental reaction with Dvalin''s breath attack consisting of anemo element�� and evaded the curtain of wind pressure generated by Dvalin''s wings, by simply leaping backwards andnding a considerable distance away, in the tform, safe from the ongoing rampage.

    "Cross over! Te-he~!"

    Shemanded her little ghost familiar�� a zing spirit that she often yed hide and seek with that also happened to be her onlypanion until recently�� to decimate the opponent in front of her.

    The little ghostly entity answered hermand; doing a spin around the tip of the weapon, it then embedded itself onto her polearm bing one with it.

    The polearm was instantly lit aze in a dark reddish aura, yet no mes were created, and with a single swing...

    Cut off three of its ws in one circr motion,pletely ignoring Dvalin''s armor as though it never even existed.

    Dvalin simply couldn''t believe it, even as it felt the burning spear, d in that mysterious eerie aura, of hers cut through its ws that were stronger than steel.

    The Sovereign of Skies, brought so low�� Three of its ws flung in the air, and heavily fell into the stormy rift of void that was under the tforms, leading to a ce that the eyes couldn''t see nor could they determine.

    The ws of a dragon took more than hundreds of years to growpletely.

    Losing its ws was akin to losing its fingers.

    (Why am I...subjected to this...)

    The Dragon of the East groaned in pain as its mind was overridden with intense surges of hatred, anger and indignation�� an amalgam ofplex negative emotions.

    Dvalin had been betrayed at every turn in its existence in this world of Teyvat.

    Its friend, Barbatos�� the God said to represent wind and freedom�� had abandoned it, and now was trying to strip the dragon of its strength and finally end its life.

    The people who were under its protection�� for whom it had fought selflessly for as long as it knew, for as long as it could even recall�� banished it, calling it Stormterror just because it existed, despite protecting them for so long�� despite upholding its duty tirelessly without anyints.

    Life was truly unfair�� such was the truth everyone discovered at the end of their journey in this ne of existence.

    ***

    While Hu Tao was the one who had dealt the most damage to Dvalin so far, the most annoying human out of them all, that bothered Dvalin to no end, was none other than a certain blonde haired archer�� Fischl.

    Her pet familiar raven kept on electrocuting it, imbuing its body with electro, slowing down its movements momentarily, and her precise sniping skills that aimed at its eye whenever she saw the slightest bit of an opening, forced Dvalin to move and sway its head out of harm''s way multiple times throughout this battle, making it even more awkward for it to cast spells or attack its enemies.

    This was also the reason Dvalin couldn''t properly use its powers as most of the times it had to be distracted and couldn''t concentrate properly on the spells, decreasing the power they held significantly.

    (Annoying bug��)

    The Sovereign of the Skies cursed inwardly, reaching the limit of its anger.

    Something produced a change to Dvalin''s distant looking eyes, making its eyes sh momentarily.

    In Dvalin''s azure eyes, the change that urred was dramatic, yet almost unnoticeable to onlookers if not given the utmost attention.

    The Dragon''s head swayed a bit towards the area where Fischl was currently standing upon, narrowing its gaze at her.

    She was busy shooting her arrows at Dvalin''s weak points, at those she could spot momentarily, so she wasn''t aware of the danger that lurked behind its gaze.

    Hu Tao, however, who was right next to her, noticed the change right as it happened, her flower shaped pupil shing in an eerie light as if seeing through the intention of the Dragon.

    Her hair stood up on end as her mind was buzzing like a siren, telling her to move from her spot�� At once.

    Following her gut instinct, Hu Tao jumped backwards without wasting even a millisecond�� but not before grabbing Fischl into a princess carry�� the jumpnding them both a considerable amount of distance away from their initial spot.

    Jean and Diluc also seemed to have noticed it and wanted to warn her, but as Hu Tao pulled Fischl out of harm''s way, they refocused on destroying Dvalin''s shield instead.

    "W-What are thou doing!?" Fischl screamed in shock, she didn''t expect to be kidnapped so suddenly like this, she almost dropped her bow out of fright.

    "Mein Fr?ulein?"

    Oz also looked back in concern, not understanding the reason behind the action of its teammate.

    However, it was the correct decision.

    *BOOM!*

    Instantly, the air in front of them exploded thenpressed into a whirling of storm imbued with the pure power of anemo, making the ce a literal death zone.

    It wasn''t an exaggeration or anything, it was literally apression of space�� more specifically thepression of air in a singr location�� and immediately afterwards, it swelled like a balloon and exploded out creating a literal storm of pure anemo power imbued with the intention slicing apart anything near it in innumerable pieces�� vanquishing said person''s existence.

    The phenomenon was strange, as if space itself had been twisted around��pressed, shifted and folded, before exploding outwards�� and if one were to be caught up in it, any and all protections would be discarded and they would surely lose their lives.

    An invisible minefield that doubled as a swirling storm of wind des.

    And it urred right where Fischl''s head had been just a moment ago.

    Be it the air bomb or the swirling storm of invisible des that followed afterwards, both were incredibly deadly.

    If Hu Tao had even been a secondte in moving her away from that spot, Fischl would have died in that very instant.

    "T-That...what was that��"

    Still shaken with fear�� the reality of her almost dying settling in ever so slightly making her legs weak�� Fischl asked in an uncertain tone.

    Despite having great eyesight, she didn''t even notice a thing!

    In reality, the ''thing'' that exploded was another barely visible wind trap set by Dvalin, the same kind which Diluc and Jean disarmed not long before.

    They were seasoned veterans so something like that was extremely easy for them to spot.

    And while Fischl had plenty of experience with scouting, she relied on her Vision and Sniping skills way too much, and wasn''t good in closebat, which heavily relied on reading your opponents movement most of the time, leading to the situation that had happened.

    This could have been fatal.

    If Hu Tao didn''t pull her away...That might have been the end of her journey in the world of Teyvat...

    Ever since she became a scout for the Adventurer''s Guild, she had been put in many dangerous situations before, more than once.

    However, this may have been the first time she had ever been in such a life-threatening position.

    Facing such danger showed her the cruel reality, that life simply wasn''t just fantasies, books and adventuring with leisure, but actual hidden danger was prevalent in every corner that could have ended her story right there, and she would have no say in it.

    "Bugs!!" The Dragon of the East cursed in an angry tone.

    Dvalin, who had now spread its wings, was directing a look of hostility towards her, as it failed its attempt to get rid of the most troublesome opponent in this fight.

    "Hoohoo!! Are you okie dokie, Fischl?"

    Hu Tao''s voice brought her back to reality.

    "Y-Yeah��thanks..."

    They were still in the middle of the battle, and she didn''t have the leisure of rxing, nor did she have the luxury of breaking down at the reality she became privy to.

    She motioned to Hu Tao to put her down and resumed her shooting.

    She had to do her part. Just like everybody else in this fight.

    Or else people might get injured, or worse, lose their life.

    The made up persona of Prinzessin Der Verurteilung, slowly fell apart, in the face of a true battlefield, and disappeared, for just this one moment.

    Right now, she was herself, doing her very best to help as much as she could, to do anything she could to ascertain victory for themselves. As she understood the ugly undeniable reality that the cost of failure would be the life of herself and everyone else in her party.

    "Are you alright, Fischl?" The worried voice of Yomite broke her out from the mncholic trance that she was experiencing.

    She nced at the young man, her party leader, who gave her a concerned look and waved at him with a slight smile, reassuring him that she was fine.

    Her gaze lingered on him for the slightest bit longer, tender emotions shing in them, before she drew another arrow, once again, at the creature''s eyes.

    Her arm, straining to hold the bow in ce, still shaking ever so slightly, she fired.

    Her psyche was slowly returning, her gaze sharpening and her concentration and determination to win greater than ever.

    She won''t let anything happen to her friends, but foremost, to him as she realized something she never felt before...at the impasse between life and death�� she can lose everything, yet it seemed, she can''t lose him.

    ***

    After he made sure Fischl was okay, Yomite resumed chunking away the shield of Stormterror. It seemed like an eternity had passed, yet they still couldn''t get past its shield, although somehow, Hu Tao was able to deal massive damage to it for an instant...

    He had to rely on the trashy and feeble ymore of his, as the moment he even thought of using his cube ability, it was as if Dvalin immediately read his mind and interrupted him whenever it came to it, either by sweeping at him with its ws or leaning its neck forward to bite his head off.

    That was simply ridiculous.

    It truly seemed like Yomite''s attack from a week ago bore fear into the roots of its being, making it extra cautious of his movements.

    Jean turned to her party members and signalled them toe closer and once they did,

    "Dandelion Breeze!"

    Closing her eyes, holding her de in front of her in parallel to her body, she invoked the wind''s protection. Her vision lit up in the greenish blue hue of the anemo element. Words gained power, power imposed on reality as a swirling of gentle wind covered all the party members.

    The stones on the tform lit up as a circle epassing the entirety of the party was etched in it�� glowing with the power of anemo. And in that circle, a Dandelion Field filled with constructs of Dandelions made up entirely of the anemo element bloomed gently, a breeze swirling around making them sway in their gentle rhythm.

    The petals of the constructs slowly separated, blown away by the breeze and gently engulfed everyone. The next moment small injuries, scratches and cuts anyone standing within the greenlit circle experienced was instantly healed and the refreshing breeze regenerated quite a bit of the stamina they exhausted making them refreshed and renewed for theing battle.

    As for this battle�� it was far from being over.

 Chapter 79

    Lumine was disgruntled. An utter feeling of helplessness had washed over her mind. It felt like her existence in this battlefield waspletely meaningless; utterly useless.

    Nonexistent�� perfect word to describe her significance in this battlefield.

    Her role was simply unfulfilled. Or rather, there was no role she could fulfill.

    She kept chanting her wind elemental magic�� imbuing all the anemo power she could muster�� in a desperate attempt to contribute to the fight, however, it was simply to no avail.

    Her attempts did nothing to alleviate the burden of her teammates and in some cases, burdened them further, making her feel more and more useless as time trickled by.

    She wasn''t physically strong enough to try and chip away at Dvalin''s shield, in fact, she was the weakest among all the closebat fighters present in her party; a fact she was aware of.

    Moreover, the godly powers, that she had umted over the length of hundreds of years of her travels, had been sealed by the Unknown Goddess�� that was also the perpetrator that kidnapped her brother, making her undertake this journey in the world of Teyvat�� which made it impossible for her to use them.

    Even now, whenever she tried to invoke those powers, that were so familiar to her once, she could feel nothing, as if her powers were a lie all along.

    Presently, the most she could do was to use the borrowed powers of the wind, the anemo element, but even with that, she couldn''t damage Dvalin directly as the Dragon of the East was of the same element.

    In thend of Teyvat, it was an irond rule that beings endowed and governing over a particr element were immune to said element, which led to using that element against them utterly impossible andpletely meaningless.

    Looking around, taking in the sights and actions of her teammates, she noted that everyone was doing their very best��

    Except for the useless God Venti, of course, who shot arrows at it once in a while in a carefree manner; all of which either bounced off of its shield or scales.

    He must have noticed her gaze as he grinned at her, the impish smile stered on his girlish face was rather cute, but it only made her want to punch him in annoyance.

    It was kind of obvious he simply did not want to hurt his friend, Dvalin, and only boosted the speed of his teammates with his wind, imbuing the anemo element on their limbs and buffing their movements.

    asionally, he would make sure that no one was swept away by the shockwaves resulting in them falling off the tform.

    And if anyone was unfortunate enough, to get caught in the shockwaves and fall, he would simply use the power of the wind to gently bring them back up and they would return on their onught against the Sovereign of the Skies.

    Seeing this disy�� of a useless God, who didn''t even fight seriously and still be of help to her teammates�� made her feel even more useless.

    Diluc and Jean were battling, disarming and destroying numerous wind formations and traps that continuously formed on the tforms helping the others to not get caught up in them and get severely injured.

    Moreover, Diluc, with his superior strength, used his ymore�� adjacent to his pyro vision, coating it with his scarlet mes of destruction�� and inflicted massive amounts of damage to Dvalin''s shield whenever he spotted a hole in its defense.

    Hu Tao on the other hand was fending off attacks that aimed towards Fischl, who was persistently drawing arrows, shooting them at the creature, annoying it to no end.

    The Party Leader, Yomite, was currently focusing on avoiding Dvalin''s attacks, to the best of his abilities, as the Dragon put all of its attention on him for some reason...

    She could sense that it was hard for him, that he wasn''t used to fighting, yet, he was doing his best to distract it so that the others could chip away at its shield and injure the dragon.

    Everyone had their role.

    Everyone did a good job fulfilling it.

    Everyone did their best.

    Everyone, except for her.

    She was just standing there, unsure of what to do. Afraid of being in their way.

    She couldn''t even act as bait and lure its line of sight as most of its attention remained on Yomite.

    Despair was settling inside her heart. The reality of being useless to her friends, of being unable to help them was gnawing away at her psyche.

    She didn''t want to be alone again.

    She didn''t want to be abandoned by her friends for being useless.

    She wanted to pull her weight.

    (What do I do? What should I do? What can I do....?)

    She chanted away, desperately searching through her memories, hoping that she could find something, anything she could do in this situation.

    As she watched on, restlessly trying to find a way to help, a sudden memory sparked within her mind.

    ***

    **

    *

    It was a memory from way back, right after she and her party were returning home from defeating the Cryo Regisvine.

    Yomite was very interested in her ability, the one she borrowed from the statue of the seven.

    "That''s so cool! Imagine how many things you can do with the wind!" He excitedly pointed out to her.

    "...Is it? Before, I just used it to throw away enemies that were nearby��It doesn''t seem that effective or strong to me..." Lumine cast her gaze down as she muttered, her low voice lowering further during the end...

    Yomite frowned at that and shook his head in disapproval, "No, no! I believe there are many great applications for it! Like, a lot of them."

    "...Do you have anything in mind?" She asked, still not believing in him fully.

    "Hmm...let''s see��"

    He thought for a moment before replying, "For example, if you remember that tornado that you generated, it sucked in the nearby fire from Hu Tao''s Vision and turned into a fire tornado, right?"

    She nodded, still unsure where he was trying to go with the question.

    "Then...How about you do the same thing with the small ball of wind you summoned on your palm? It''s pretty simple, yet I feel like the power would be great! If you could focus the output to a single point, it could be very deadly. I wonder what a fire bullet propelled by the wind of yours could do..."

    "...A bullet? What''s that?" She asked, confused by that word. In all her travels she had never heard of it which confused her further.

    "Ah��Nevermind, forget it...I will exin it to youter..." Yomite gave up on exining to her the concept of guns and bullets, for the time being.

    Lumine furrowed her shapely eyebrows, exasperated, unable to grasp the meaning of his words.

    Yomite wore a wry smile as he endured Lumine''s sharp gaze.

    "Don''t look at me like that...I''m way toozy to exin��Maybeter..."

    ***

    **

    *

    Alone, she was nothing, she understood that painful fact clearly. However, she could still help them with elemental reactions that could bring forth great results.

    She decided to try it out. At least, it was better than doing nothing and being a useless burden to the team.

    Not wanting to waste a single second, she unleashed every bit of her own magical power with unyielding resolve to assist them.

    Grasping the wind''s might, she formed a vortex of vacuum in her hand, the vortex swirling in a white spiral of uneven circlets.

    Just like the Party Leader in her memory told her, she aimed the vacuum at the towering mes, sucking them in and forming a ball of fire that rotated swiftly around the edge of her palm, the white spinning spirals turning dark orange-ish red adorning the color of the mes.

    (It...worked��) She thought, as she gazed in disbelief at the spinning fireball in her hand, scathing heat permeated in her surroundings, being emmited from the swirling ball of destructive fire.

    The ming ball quivered violently, and she could feel her control over the wind slipping by the second, it could go out of control at any moment.

    She looked up at the Dragon and noticed that it was still preupied with Yomite who was desperately blocking its ws with his chipped ymore; it was evident that the ymore would get destroyed any second now, and with it, Yomite would be in danger.

    Understanding that she had to hurry, she started concentrating, imbuing more and more Anemo power into the swirling fireball.

    Her golden colored eyes shone in the light of the anemo element and the swirling ball of destruction started spinning faster and faster slowly gaining an unimaginable speed.

    She didn''t stop there, recalling more of the party leader''s words, she startedpressing the fireball to a singr point.

    It was hard, harder than anything she had tried on thisnd, her control tried to slip multiple times but she gritted through and slowly but surelypressed it to the size of her palms.

    The fireball throbbed and vibrated in a rapid unstable pace, she understood that she needed to throw it now or else it would explode on her face.

    (This will do...Now is my chance��) She thought, satisfied at the end product.

    Not wasting even a second longer, she ran towards the dragon, and with a small cute yell, thrusted her palm forward, twisting it at the end of her motion making the vacuum�� separating the circling vortex of fireball from her palm�� explode with might, shooting it towards Dvalin like a bullet.

    Releasing it, the ''fire bullet'' sped off at a tremendous speed, far faster than any bullet could ever go.

    Anything and everything in its path even the air itself was disintegrated by its power, even slicing through Dvalin''s wind barrier, surrounding its body, with ease.

    It struck right through to the Dragon''s wed hand, once again, bypassing its shieldpletely, drawing fresh blood.

    The color of death and the smell of decayed burnt flesh filled the air around them, making their noses twinge in disgust.

    It seemed like fire was a huge weakness to its shield, or rather, maybe it was just an instability which the shield couldn''t detect and let through instead.

    *Sizzle*

    A huge gaping hole in its draconic paw made Dvalin lose bnce from the tform it was leaning against, forcing it to use its wings to fly above it.

    *Screeeeeeech!*

    Lumine felt its angry pained roar vibrate through her body and mind, making her almost feint. Thunder roared. Hellfire burned. Space itself trembled.

    She ducked back instinctively, rolling awkwardly as a result, the dragon''s wind des erupted in the ce she''d just been, slicing everything around the area to countless pieces�� Her hunch had been right.

    A sharp piece of rock�� propelled towards her due to the aftermath of the exploding wind des�� scraped across her forearm, but she gritted her teeth against the pain and held onto her weapon, blood trickled down dripping slowly from her fingers along the hilt of her weapon.

    But she did it.

    She was of help.

    All of a sudden, pping its wings rapidly, Dvalin disappeared from view, into the clouds.

    And in the next moment, It swooped through the center of the tform with its ws outstretched and its mouth opened, flying back up the next second.

    It forced everyone to dodge the sweeping attack by dashing towards the sides of the tforms in an awkward fashion.

    Everyone focused on Dvalin, circling the tforms high up.

    Looking at its agitated gait and screeches of pain��they understood...that the final phase of their apocalyptic fight was about to descend upon them.

 Chapter 80

    Yomite felt the weapon in his hand breaking apart, a few more hits and he was sure it would crumble into pieces.

    Hence, he simply threw it away and quickly switched to his secondary ymore he had bought just in case something happened to his disposable one.

    (Thank the lord I did...or else I would be fighting barehanded now...)

    Yomite thought and sighed in relief for thinking of possible contingencies. It saved him in this situation.

    Lumine''s elemental resonance attack had managed to injure Dvalin greatly, and now, Dvalin flew in the sky, silently observing its opponents while hissing in unimaginable pain.

    They couldn''t exactly get to it, and even Fischl didn''t have enough strength in her arms to shoot the arrow that far into the air, without it slowing and falling down.

    Even coating her arrows with her electro vision was useless. Not to mention, her arsenal of arrows was slowly running out.

    So, for a while now, everyone rxed as a few minutes of truce took ce between them and the Sovereign of the Skies.

    However, their peaceful time of recuperation was soon interrupted by an ambient singing of a female voice and the sound of violins reverberating in the air, throughout the trounce domain.

    The group looked up, towards the infiniteness of the star-filled sky, so did the Dragon.

    It seemed as though the entire sky was singing, glowing and pulsing�� the melody of the ancients flowed in the tunes of ovepping notes produced by different violins and wasbined by the mncholic echoes of the soft yet harrowing tones of the female voice�� amidst the confused gazes of the party.

    It was all a magnificent melody, a symphony of songs, an orchestra of instruments, all tied beautifully by the ethereality of the female voice.

    From the vast membrane of the infinitely dark, star-filled, sky, the moon was singing�� introducing a contrast to the ongoing performance�� producing a vast spectrum of multicolored bright lights.

    There were so many shades and colours, so many varieties and contrasts, that no one would ever imagine that they were all adhering to the same tune,bining in a gentle harmony toplement the symphony of sounds, echoing throughout the entirety of the domain.

    It was a great concert; a concert full of righteousness and of great enthusiasm, of mncholy and of serenity, of nostalgia and of reminiscence, of longing and of eptance.

    The stars twinkled in all of their glorious colors, strutting across the darkness of space without being anchored to the bottom of theher, as the melody filled their beings.

    The songs gave tension to their surroundings, enthusiasm to their spirits, a sense of mystery to their psyches and a feeling of emptiness to their souls.

    The tunes picked up notes, the pitch turning higher and higher until it reached its crescendo and the soft humming of the female tone rose in volume, echoing strongly, filling the minds of everyone present, as though indicating to them that the finale of their glorious fight was about to begin.

    "Wait...What!? Music!? This is seriously turning into a Dark Souls boss fight!! That Dragon even got himself a freaking soundtrack!" Yomite uttered in shock, disbelief echoing in his tone.

    He couldn''t fathom why out of nowhere a song started ying like in the final fights of video games, which had dedicated soundtracks to increase the immersion of the games.

    "Oh, how lovely, that''s the bad of the wind and stars! How beautiful!" Ventimented from the sides as though the phenomenon happening was apletely normal urrence.

    "Oi, Venti, exin to me how the wind can even sing like this!? This is clearly a g for the next phase or something!! Attack Dvalin now before it transforms into the next stage!"

    Surely, Venti was lying! There was no way wind and stars could sing like this, it was an unbelievable notion.

    "Ah, I honestly have no idea where it''sing from...Maybe...The sacred ce of Celestia is enjoying the battle and they decided to spice things up a little? Who knows. But it sounds great and that''s all that matters! I almost want to join in with my lyre!" The useless God spewed out some more useless things which answered nothing and made way for even more questions to be asked.

    "Whatever even is Celestia!? It sounds like something divine..." Yomite muttered, surprised at the new term he just heard.

    Venti didn''t answer him and instead, motionlessly stared towards a smaser that wasing his way.

    "What are you standing around for! Damn you!"

    Yomite cursed and simultaneously rammed into Venti with his whole body, saving him from theser st, which further extended and exploded behind them, finally chipping away some of the stones embedded in the tform.

    "Holy shit��.that was way too close..."

    Yomite muttered with a sigh, relieved that they had dodged that disintegration st. He could almost feel the sma beam touching his hair for a moment, making him shiver in fright.

    "Holy...shit...?" Venti was confused by the string of absurd words he hadn''t heard before.

    "Huh? What is it?" Yomite asked, his eyes still locked on Dvalin, cautiously scrutinizing the slightest of its movements for any signs of potential attacks.

    "Oh, it''s nothing...I''ve been thinking about this for a while now, I''m just surprised at the weird vocabry you speak of...For example, a ''trap'', ''next stage'', ''second phase'' and so on...But this one simply takes the cake! I''m so curious...Please do tell...how can excrements be holy? It doesn''t really make sense to me no matter how much I think about it..." He put a finger to his lips and contemted, his eyebrows scrunching as he did so, making him look cute rather than the intellectual look he was trying to go for.

    "So that''s what you''ve been thinking this whole time!!? Focus on the fight!! Jackass!" Yomite spat out in anger and pulled away from him, while swiftly lifting Venti to his feet.

    "Thanks for worrying about me! Te-he~."

    "Paimon keeps on telling you, but saying ''Te-he~'' isn''t funny, you tone-deaf bard!!!"

    The little fairyined in anger, but soon enough, hid into Lumine''s pocket again, as she sensed a huge amount of energying from Dvalin''s location.

 Chapter 81

    Just then, Dvalin lifted its enormous head towards the sky, the energy gathered in the air soared to unimaginable heights along with it, twisting space itself with its power.

    Something terrible was about to happen.

    They could feel it in their bones.

    It opened its mouth wide�� gathering all the energy in the air and its surroundings, focusing all of them around its beak-esque jaws��and then unleashed it towards the sky in a torrent of thin needle-like Energy Pulse Bombs.

    The scene was almost as if droplets of rain were pouring, only inverted as it was going from the ground towards the skies.

    The sky lit up�� as the torrent reached the darkened clouds�� and numerous energy bombs started falling onto the tform, from the sky, they were currently staying at, almost akin to meteorites falling from space.

    Its goal was obvious, to destroy the tform they were standing on, with unimaginable destructive power.

    The Energy Pulses hurtled downwards with unimaginable speed, randomly smashing into the tform and in the area surrounding them.

    The dragon''s wind breath was almost silentpared to the loud sounds generated by the pulsing energy

    It continued to breathe out wind and roar at the top of its lungs as it made its violent entrance.

    The ground was hot, like a furnace, cracks formed like the webs of a spider throughout the tform as torrents of greenish blue colored mes of energy rained down from the sky.

    The air was so unbearably hot that it was searing the lungs of those who dared to try and breathe it.

    Despite it being a Dragon of Wind, the heated wind bombs it was hurling at them, felt like scorching fireballs, that could melt and disintegrate a human in a matter of seconds.

    Yomite''s eyes narrowed in confusion, restlessness settling inside his heart, as the explosions around him began to grow more frequent, and showed no signs of stopping.

    (Is it ever going to stop?)

    He thought in worry, droplets of sweat dripped down his face in an ever flowing torrent. The heat was making his vision blurry.

    Venti was more than happy to exin the ongoing events.

    "A-ha! This is Dvalin''s ace in the hole! Caelestinum Finale Termini!"

    "..."

    "Paimon feels like Dvalin has a strange taste when ites to naming things..."

    The group agreed with her while Venti justughed, "Not really! I named it for him just now!"

    """Seriously!?"""

    Literally everyone voiced out in disbelief.

    "Yep! But anyway, the energy flooding out of the fissures is hot. We need to fly towards other tforms with the wind gliders, or the foothold which we are standing on currently, might crumble within a few seconds. Be sure to watch your step!"

    The party agreed with him and used the gusts of wind created by Venti to fly to another tform, and soon enough, the one they were standing on, crumbled into nothingness.

    They sighed in relief that they made it, however, they still didn''t have time to rx.

    Dvalinnded on the side of the tform, on the one they were currently situated, charging every ounce of its strength for the final attack.

    Its long neck filled with stripes of gxy-like designs, glowed and pulsed with energy indicating that it was going all out.

    It unleashed a powerful breath�� consisting of a beam made of concentrated pure anemo power and sma energy that could disintegrate everything on its path�� onto a part of the tform, slowly moving towards the party from left to right, cornering them as the tform next to it had already been destroyed in Dvalin''s previous attack.

    "We need to stop him! Kaeya''s brother, now!"

    Dilucmanded, chanting in a mysterious tune while simultaneously igniting everyst bit of his power he had left in him.

    "Dawn."

    He exhaled in a tone filled with all of his power. His voice activated his vision to its maximum capacity. In the next moment, an explosion of scarlet colored mes were generated from the vision, all of them concentrating towards the tip of his ymore.

    The mes coalesced to create the shape of a bird�� a phoenix; the being of immortality and destruction. The construct as if alive pped its wings, a screech resounding from its me adorned beak and Diluc not wasting any more time hurled his ymore, shing it towards Dvalin''s mouth.

    This action led to the phoenix to fly directly into Dvalin''s breath, the me-made construct striking precisely at its mouth, wrestling with the dragon with its me adorned ws, blocking the attack for a few seconds.

    A chance was created. A chance to finally grasp victory.

    "Jeez, could you stop calling me that? How annoying..."

    Yomite berated, grasping his ymore tightly, and noticed a spot just under the dragon''s neck, where the barrier seemed to be barely holding on.

    With a diagonal swing, he bore the ymore down into its neck with all the might of his body, the tattoo of the fallen shing red for a second.

    Victory or defeat. All will be decided in the next sh.

 Chapter 82

    Yomite, using his spare ymore, shed through its barrier and scales, drawing fresh blood.

    In a sh, the Dragon opened its mouth wide, the death beam vanishing from its jaws, and fell forward towards the tform.

    It drew out thest bit of air-foam within its chest, squeezing it into a ball, rolling it up tightly with its long neck.

    The Dragon inhaled, quivering as it did so, struggling to remain towards the edge of the tform.

    Its body was utterly exhausted and injured, its shieldpletely destroyed, making it an easy and vulnerable target.

    It was over.

    Dvalin knew it. Death wasing. It could no longer do anything but pitifully groan in pain.

    At least, all of its sufferings could finallye to an end.

    It was at the mercy of its enemies.

    Soon, peace would finally shine upon it.

    Its enemies, however, had other thoughts in mind for it.

    "Now''s our chance! Honorary Knight Yomite! Remove the tainted blood clot on its neck, quickly!"

    Jean spoke out in a hurry while cautiously eyeing the fallen Dragon.

    Meanwhile, the rest of the group created a circle around it, their weapons drawn, ready to pounce upon the fallen beast at the slightest hints of any anomalies.

    Yomite flew up to its back, using his wind glider, with the help of Venti''s gust of yful wind and aimed his hands at the blood clot, which was the very core of Dvalin''s pain and hatred.

    (The whole fight, Dvalin prevented me from using it, while fending off multiple opponents...I''ve always said this, but while they are overrated and clich��, Dragons are still so cool and badass...)

    Aiming his hands, invoking the power of the Tempus of The Particles, Yomite felt a sudden rush of energy course throughout his body, through his arms, traveling up to the tips of his fingers.

    "Oh well, here we go again..." He muttered and focused on the sensation of power.

    After about ten seconds or so, the cube was finally formed, in all of its beauty.

    (I''ll have to decrease its time...ten seconds is way too much...Enemies like Dvalin wouldn''t give me as much as two seconds to breathe, much less focus on maintaining the cube.)

    The ability was near godlike, yet so ineffective and inefficient in battle against intelligent opponents, it was almost unbelievable.

    It really adhered to the notion of strong abilities having equally staggering repercussions.

    His body was strong, but his equipment was severelycking.

    His skills were powerful, yet there was a tremendous space to improve and learn how to use them well and efficiently.

    He had to find a way to implement everything in his arsenal andbine it harmoniously.

    A good equipment, a smooth battle sense, a way for him to utilize his body to the fullest and its abilities to its utmost capacity and potential would be enough to deal with pretty much any obstacle he would be facing in the future, in thisnd of Teyvat, and that too with rtive ease.

    But then again, it hadn''t even been a week since he came to this world, and it was only recently that he got to use his abilities for the first time, so that would fix itself with time and training, naturally.

    He just needed to put the appropriate amount of effort and concentration into his training and utilization of his abilities.

    Having decided about his future course of actions, without thinking any further, he projected the cube forward towards the blood clot, travelling a bit, it soon entered inside the clot bypassing its surpass as if it didn''t even exist.

    A blinding spectrum of multicolored lights red into existence in front of him, making him squint his eyes to concentrate on the scenery in front of him.

    The clot shined brightly, illuminated in the said spectrum of innumerable shades of light, glowing and pulsing for a few seconds then an iridescent glow encapsted the whole clot in white.

    Once the glow died and the light faded, the blood clot was gone, disintegrated from existence and in its ce remained Dvalin''s azure colored scales slightly charred and bloodied, due to the expulsion of the ursed clot.

    (Mission finally fucking aplished.) Yomite thought with triumph, a grin etching on his tired face. They had finally done it.

    There was no longer anything, that was chaining Dvalin down.

    It was finally free, from the pain, from the control of others.

    However, once the blood clot was removed, something unthinkable happened...

    Cracks started forming and spreading all over its body.

    One by one, each and every scale on Dvalin''s body started cracking, multiple fissures rippling throughout its whole body.

    Everyone stared in wonder and confusion at the phenomena transpiring before their eyes.

    Venti, the useless God, was afraid something bad was about to happen to Dvalin, his oldest friend, however, just as he was about to panic, he realized that might have not necessarily been the case.

    He had heard about it from legends, in the olden days long before he had be the Archon of Wind, but despite being as much as two millennia old and even more, this was the first time he saw it happen with his own eyes.

    A dragon shedding its scales and its external flesh, leaving its husk behind.

    Leaving its mortal body and finally ascending to divinity.

    Yomite frowned at the sight before him and slowly stepped away from Dvalin''s back, jumping down from its back he returned to his group, "So...is everything alright? Venti? Are we done here? This...surely isn''t another stage or something, right? Like some secret ghost form??? We...won, right?"

    Still hesitant and confused about the changes the Sovereign of the Skies was going through, he decided to ask Venti about it, hoping that the God, even though useless, would be knowledgeable enough to at least gleam on what was now transpiring.

    However, he didn''t get a direct answer. In fact, it wasn''t even a answer remotely close to his queries.

    "It''s beautiful."

 Chapter 83

    "It''s beautiful."

    Was the only sentence Venti could currently muster. He was in a trance, looking absentmindedly at Dvalin''s changing form.

    He never would have thought in a million years that Dvalin would ever manage to reach Godhood, yet miraculously it did, it was able to achieve the unachievable.

    "Barba...tos."

    Dvalin''s ethereal voice, hoarse in tone, now calm and finally at peace, echoed in the surroundings.

    "I''m d you''re alright, Dvalin. Wee back."

    The bard wished to his friend with a smile etched on his beautiful face. And finally started exining everything from the beginning to the end, careful not to miss any detail, so that his old friend could finally know the truth about the string of events that took ce in its absence

    ***

    **

    *

    A huge pile of different shades of azure colored scales was discarded a few meters away from the party.

    Pain, stress and desperation managed to fuel Dvalin into breaking through its limit, right into the state of Godhood.

    Sadly, It wasn''t the actual state of Godhood yet, it could only be termed as a premature form of a Godhood.

    Right now, however, Dvalin entered a so called ethereal state, where it could pass through objects and people as if it was a ghost, but just like any opportunity at life, there were always tons of risks involved with it.

    For one, when ascending to Godhood, your body was bound to break, as the first condition was to discard the mortal husk to ascend to their ethereal form.

    Hence, a suitable body was needed to be prepared beforehand, so that they could take refuge in it, which Dvalin could have never ounted for.

    In the first ce it had not even prepared for its ascension and the current state was one forced by desperation.

    If Dvalin couldn''t find a vessel to put itself into, there was a huge risk that its soul might wander off into the soul stream, being mistaken as a dead being that wanted to pass on...

    Therefore...

    "My mind is clear now. Thank you, Barbatos, my dear friend...And the heroes...It seems I''ve been in the wrong this whole time. Please, state mine own name and I shall bind to you, as the debt umted from your heroic actions, far overshadows the value of my life." Dvalin requested in its ethereal almost ephemeral tone.

    Venti was confused at its words, "Bind? No, no...You are one of the Four Winds! No one shall bind you anymore! You''re a free spirit! You''re free!"

    "That''s no longer the case anymore."

    "..."

    Silence permeated and settled among the band of people; an awkward one.

    That only left out one option. An option that went against the very code of the Archon of Wind, governing over freedom.

    "As you can see, my body is presently fully ethereal, and I n to use my remains to form a new body as I broke through the bottleneck."

    If the individual didn''t have a vessel to put a soul into, they were forced to make one themselves.

    However, there was a simple but important catch.

    The soul couldn''t sustain the new body alone.

    They needed an anchor.

    And just like Venti, who was projecting his power through a divine ce called Celestia, Dvalin would have to use someone as a catalyst that would allow it to do the same.

    But, that would mean Dvalin would need external help of a strong entity that could help sustain it and basically help to nourish it into the state of Godhood.

    "Barbatos, for that, I ask of your help. Just like you were partially bound by Celestia, I must be bound to someone worthy. Receiving a name would be enough for it to work."

    Venti was conflicted, severely so and spoke in a solemn tone, "I understand what you mean, and I want the best for you...But I can''t form a pact with you...My ideal is that of freedom...forming a contract...is like very, theplete opposite of all that I entail...I would be going against my own values��I''m sorry, my friend...I can''t help you...Please go and find Morax. I''m sure he''ll be more than willing to help you..."

    "I don''t have much time, my soul will soon crumble into the wind...I doubt we will able to find Morax in that time..." Dvalin responded, its ethereal tone was tinged with sadness as it informed his best friend of its cumbersome situation.

    Venti had to agree with it.

    Finding Morax would be far harder than the actual fight against Dvalin itself.

    But he knew that he couldn''t be the one to do so. As a God, as an Archon governing over certain ideals, they were unable to go against them, or else�� consequences awaited them.

    Unwillingly, he bit his lips as he looked around him.

    It had to be someone from here.

    The group here helped him, they saved and freed Dvalin, his dear friend, when all odds were against it.

    They were all good people with the right judgement and kind hearts.

    However, almost everyone around him was bound by a Vision...

    The all seeing eyes of God that seemed to be harmless, silently nurtured the chosen individuals, but it was far more sinister than it seemed, it held a ring truth that was too shocking to be revealed.

    It was all a lie. A hoax. A cob. A binding that revealed its fangs when the time was ripe.

    Which could prove to be troublesome for Dvalin in the future, in its journey to attain Godhood and may even strip it of its life.

    So the ''master'' of the contract couldn''t have been any of the Vision bearers.

 Chapter 84

    Finally, Venti''s gazended on Yomite and Lumine.

    "Ounders...please...Save Dvalin." The useless God, pleaded in despair, begging for its best friend''s life.

    At his words, Lumine looked away to the side and started whistling, while walking behind Yomite, trying to hide her small childish frame, behind his tall muscr stature.

    (Oi...)

    Yomite frowned at her unusual behavior.

    This was very much unlike the Lumine he knew, who was the first to present herself in case of any adversity or pleading of help.

    They were putting him up on the spot again, for something he didn''t want to do...

    "Please.... Party Leader, give it a name, I would be a poor choice. I know that myself." Lumine whispered to him, sadnesscing her tone.

    In Lumine''s mind, she had trouble taking care of herself and Paimon, she couldn''t adopt a Dragon under any circumstances.

    As much as she wanted to help, and she very much wanted to, she knew that reality was different from what she desired.

    She didn''t have much money and neither did she have the patience or skill to care for a dragon.

    Which only left the remaining unfortunate soul, said soul being Yomite himself.

    (Isn''t it a bit too clich��!? Why me?? Why do I gotta give it a name!?) Yomite whined in his mind, indignant at the burden he was being imposed upon.

    Looking over at the floating soul that was now, almost see through, that was seemingly looking at him with hope and expectations, as if it was about to disappear any second now, he sighed in a dejected manner.

    (Hmm...but then again, having a dragon pet might be great. I will get to fly whenever I want and leaving it to die would be just way too anticlimactic after everything we did...let''s just...do it...) Consoling himself with those words he looked towards Dvalin with determination.

    He pointed his finger at the Ex-Dragon of the East and dered, "Your name shall be...ehm...Iris...yeah...Iris...The name symbolizes royalty, wisdom and valor...A perfect fit for a Dragon."

    Dvalin''s, now named Iris, ethereal form seemingly bowed in mid-air.

    "As youmand, milord. Name Iris epted. Generating..."

    "Huh? Generating...what now?" He thought he heard wrong.

    The ethereal form of Iris swirled andbined together with the remains of its azure colored scales.

    Its flesh hazed in ck; its see through eyes were casted in a purplish haze. Its long ethereal form swam through the air, drawing the scraps of its scales with it as it passed by.

    All of itbined into one spot. The haze and smoke blocked the sight of whaty inside.

    Once the smoke cleared out, a tall and voluptuous naked beauty could be seen kneeling on the ground.

    Iris had an angr oval shaped face, a thin and cute nose wasplemented by thin yet plump dark white colored lips. Her eyebrows were of a greenish blue shade, contrasting with her eyshes which were azure in color.

    When it came to the matter of her eyes, it could only be described as abyssal ck.

    Different from humans the entirety of her eyes were of a dark ck color, darker than the darkness of the abyss and only the pupils were a contrast to it.

    A spiralling pattern akin to that of a swirling storm adorned her eyes as the shape of her pupils.

    She had long greenish blue hair tinged with streaks of azure at the tips. Two dark blue horns were sticking out from the sides of her head through the locks of her hair.

    Her skin was of a pure milky white color, a contrast that separated her from humans indicating her identity as a humanoid creature.

    While both her hands and legs were covered in multiple shades of azure colored scales, the insides being darker while the outsides were of a brighter shade.

    A long line akin to a thick vein was lodged in the outside part of her hands starting from her shoulders and ending in the back of her hand and connecting to a diamond shaped crystal lodged in both hands.

    Dark azure colored scales could also be seen in her voluptuous breasts covering her nipple and are, while a ''V'' shaped scale hid herher regions and thick butt.

    The scales covered her private parts making the impression of her being naked a bit skewed.

    (...It''s a jackpot! Hell yeah!! This is so much better than flying!! A dragon girl!!!)

    Yomite almost shouted out in excitement, his eyes eagerly taking in the sight of the draconic busty beauty, but before he could fully relish in her beautiful form, his eyes were covered by Fischl''s hands.

    "D-don''t you dare look at that fette Kuh!! T-Those jugs are just lumps of fat!! Nothing more!"

    Yomite wryly smiled at her remarks, (Girl, you''re not even the one that''s naked...and you''re still covering my eyes...)

    Jean was the first one to recover from her trance and quickly covered Iris'' body with her cape.

    She wasn''t actually naked as her private parts were covered, but her skin was still showing a bit too much to be calledfortable. So, covering her was a necessity.

    "Tw''rk''d. Thanketh thee, mast''r. I shall nev''r f''rget this debt." Her voice was raspy, as if she ate sand on a regr basis, the raspiness of her tone almost making their ears bleed.

    Her vocal cords were created just now, so it was a miracle she could even produce any sound at all. She''d need some time to get used to talking with those new sound producing organs.

    (What is up with her throat...Dear god...I almost understood nothing...)

 Chapter 85

    Iris inspected her body. The body of a female.

    It was a new feeling for her who previously didn''t have a gender.

    She put her hand on her chest and jiggled it up and down. She looked up at Yomite and frowned, "Mast''r, i''m w''rri''d I might be a bit big in the chest area," she said in her grating raspy tone.

    "I''m asham''d as thy ve to be so bacon-fed. Once the timetheth, I shall changeth into a bett''r body that fittest your needs!" She promised in a solemn tone,pletely unaware of the effect of her words on a certain prinzessin.

    "��!!"

    Upon hearing that, something in Fischl snapped.

    "You fette Kuh! Fette Kuh! Ich werde deine Br��ste abschneiden und sie dann essen, du fette Kuh!"

    She grumbled under her breath with some hostility, gritting her teeth as she did so.

    Yomite put a hand on Fischl''s head, stroking it, calming her down.

    Or rather, making her expression switch from a frown into that of shy embarrassment and slight satisfaction.

    He immediately found Iris attractive, not only was she tall, her curves and breasts were also big. She really fit all his fetishes to a T, especially the milf aura oozing out of her was absolutely to his liking.

    He nodded politely and suppressed a smile. "No, you look great. Honestly, couldn''t be better!

    After everything was said and done, Venti went on to exin that he heard in legends that depending on the name sounding feminine or masculine, the body of a dragon, undergoing Godhood, would change its shape and since Iris was more of a name for females, it turned out Dvalin turned into one as well��

    ***

    **

    *

    Now that the Stormterror crisis had passed, the skies above Mondstadt were clear once more. The gloomy aura of storms was reced by the sunny aura of blue skies.

    However, the memory of facing Dvalin in the sky amidst the domain standing on the swirling of storms was ever so vivid in his mind...

    He would have to get much stronger and more skilled with both his weapon and his abilities for the uing future...

    Iris, the Ex-Sovereign of the Skies was really knowledgeable and taught him a lot about Teyvat and the general lore of the world.

    Although, unfortunately, it was still quite hard to understand her words, as she wasn''t used to speaking or using her vocal chords properly yet. Sometimes it was so harsh he thought he''d really bleed from his ears.

    Not to mention, there was the fact that being a millennial old dragon made her unable to understand themon sense of humans.

    She refused to wear clothes as she hated how it felt on her skin, as if there was an extra weight shackling her body, and ran around the room buck naked.

    The girls in his team had to teach her how to dress, use toilet and act in public...

    And so on�� The list was incredibly long...

    There were many issues, but they would get fixed with time...

    Hopefully...

    Anyway, even as she had trouble speaking, it didn''t stop Yomite from asking her a few questions.

    Even though he had to always take into ount the danger of being induced with brain damage because of her raspy tone.

    And somehow, jumping from one topic to another, they got to a subject regarding living beings.

    Apparently, a living being''s lifespan was determined by the distribution percentage of twoponentsposing its existence.

    The Physical body and the Ethereal body.

    The higher the percentage of the ethereal body, the closer the organism was to be termed as a holy spirit, and thus, their lifespans were far longer and so was their chance of attaining the state of Godhood in the future.

    There were even those that restricted their bodies to contain more ether within themselves, in order to extend their lifespans, but Iris only met such a crazy alchemist once in the entirety of her long lifetime...

    From what she exined...

    All Humans had about 50% Physical body and 50% Ethereal body.

    Gods like Venti had 5% Physical body and 95% Ethereal body and they could shapeshift at will, changing forms, genders, species was but a matter of willingness for them.

    Although Venti had stated that he didn''t feel the need to change his appearance, so he stayed the same throughout the millennia.

    Usually, Dragons had about 20% Physical body and 80% Ethereal body, but with the case of Iris, she managed to break through the bottleneck to unleash her true form and her Ethereal percentage rose all the way up to 95% which meant she was basically immortal when it came to aging.

    The thing she found fascinating, however, was the fact that Yomite also had the same percentage as she currently held, despite being just a human.

    Which was simply weird and iprehensible to her.

    There was no doubt he was human, at least he smelled like a human, but hisposition was akin to that of a God, making her more and more interested in this master of hers.

    That was also the reason she chose him as her master, rather than someone like Diluc or most of the girls who were nearby, as they were only normal humans, more so they were Vision holders which also would be detrimental to her in the future.

    He was the best chance out of everyone to nurture her to her ideal goal and that too in the shortest possible time.

    Lumine and Venti were also one of the choices, but they declined.

 Chapter 86

    However, there was a certain thing about

    Lumine that truly fascinated Iris.

    She couldn''t smell what kind of race Lumine was.

    A Dragon''s nose was very sensitive and could basically identify a being through their smell alone, yet, Lumine''s smell was unlike anything she had ever smelled before which begged the question if she was really human or not.

    As if that wasn''t enough, Iris couldn''t see through her.

    Attaining Godhood, although iplete, had given her the power to see theposition of lifeforms.

    Yet, whenever she gazed at Lumine, she would draw aplete nk. It was as if she didn''t exist at all, or herpositions were different from all other beings of this world, which againpletely baffled her.

    All that was previously mentioned could also be said about the floating thing they called ''Paimon''.

    Both of them were very weird.

    Iris didn''t inform Yomite of this matter, she wanted to be absolutely sure before informing her master.

    Or else, a discord could form between their group and she didn''t want that to happen, so she kept silently observing Lumine and Paimon in hopes of being able to find out what they were, or at the very least confirm their origins.

    After the issue of Stormterror was dealt with Yomite was awarded the permit to enter the library, but he was starting to think that the trip to the library was no longer necessary, as Iris was just like a portable library to him.

    The knowledge she had gathered throughout her life was in some cases more vast than any library of the world could offer.

    Although he would still go and visit the actual library once in a blue moon, to check on the ever beautiful and voluptuous milf beauty and librarian Lisa.

    Yomite and his party were treated as heroes.

    The heroes of the city of wind and freedom called Mondstadt.

    Jean made sure to exin everything regarding Stormterror to the public, minus the end regarding its transformation into a girl...

    She just said that even now, even after all the atrocities against it, Dvalin�� the Erstwhile Sovereign of the Skies and one of the Four Winds�� was silently protecting this city and its inhabitants, selflessly maintaining its lifelong duty...

    Currently, Yomite went to the Resin Moon Inn to quickly relieve himself.

    It had been some days since he had saved the city of Mondstadt and was crowned as a hero, and so crowds of citizens, children and elderly alike, would flock to him, making it hard to do most tasks, including ones that required him to respond to the call of nature.

    Everyone greeted him wherever he went, it felt a bit weird, although strangely fulfilling.

    He could now understand the heroplex some main characters had a bit, but as he had expected, it became annoying after a while so he felt that he was really not fit to be one. To be a hero.

    As he had finished his business, he was about to rejoin his party members who were currently seated in front of the Good Hunter''s restaurant, but a waitress suddenly came up to him.

    He took this chance to order some food for himself.

    "Ah, hello. I would like to order a sandwich wit-"

    "Sir, that would be 200k Mora~!"

    "...Pardon?"

    200k?

    For what?

    A sandwich!?

    He did not even get to tell her his order!

    What kind of daylight robbery was this!?

    Yomite could almost feel the earth beneath him slipping from this string of short events.

    "Here is your receipt, dear customer!"

    She handed him the receipt.

    "...A receipt?"

    He studied the piece of paper in his hands, and as a result, his eyes widened in disbelief, making him dizzy.

    (50 Sweet Madames!? 400 Fisherman''s toasts!? 400k Mora in total!?) He thought, as the total amount was almost making him faint.

    "As you''ve done huge service to our country, Mr. Hero, we gave you a discount of 200k Mora!"

    "Wait, hold on, like, seriously, please wait a second��There has to be some kind of mistake...I didn''t order this...What''s with these numbers!?" Yomite desperately tried to reason with her, there had to be some mistake, he was sure of it.

    The woman''s face was full of smiles, but Yomite''s mind couldn''t keep up.

    Calm. He needed to be calm. Think. Think. He went out for ten minutes.

    Ten minutes!

    Then came back. Now, he was billed 200k Mora...for food...What the hell!?

    (Fischl and Hu Tao barely eat anything...Lumine and Paimon are both gluttons, I''m aware...but this still doesn''t make sense! It''s way too much!)

    He panned over his party members one by one, and each of them refused to meet his gaze.

    (Something is definitely up!)

    Finally, his gazended onto Iris, the Ex-Dragon now turned into a beautiful humanoid girl, that joined his party a few days ago, and now called him ''Master'' for the best of reasons.

    On the table in front of her, were numerous stacked tes, forming a small tower.

    *Burp*

    Iris let out a satisfied burp after devouring who knows how much food.

    Her stomach was slightly bloated, but it quickly shrank back to her usual toned tummy which was slightly covered in a line of faded azure green colored scales.

    This action, however, didn''t go unnoticed by him.

    "Oi...Iris...just...how much did you eat!?"

    "Not enough, mast''r! prithee giveth me anoth''r s''rving!"

    She licked her lips while saying so, keeping her slits focused on his face, expectantly.

    When she was a Dragon, she didn''t feel the need of hunger.

    She could live for hundreds of years without touching as much as a single berry in the forest...

    However, after her transformation to the humanoid form, it was as if she became the sin of gluttony herself.

    Human food was just too good...

    She couldn''t resist...

    She needed more��

    And she wanted it now...

    "Like hell I will! You''re going on a diet! My wallet can''t take this! I''m on the road to bing rich! This is way too much just for one freaking lunch!!!" Yomite screamed hysterically, pain and rage reverberating in his tone.

    And so, just like that, yet another troublesome member was added to his ever growing party of troublemakers and freaks.

    He could only pray to the Goddess Sia to watch over his tired soul.

    End of Volume 1��

 Chapter 87

    Not another chapter.

    No No!

    I''m a disappointment since birth, I know!

    Nothing new.

    I know most of you will probably ignore this monologue of mine, so I will keep my announcement short.

    About a week off, is what I need, as I''m nning on remaking P atreon website and adding chapters in there, as I feel like people there deserve to get what they need.

    (I''m way behind schedule as per usual...)

    Changing P atreon tiers to hold more chapters for lower price.

    Hence, the following week I will be busy doing that kind of stuff, which was also the reason why I spammed today just to end this arc because trust me.

    (It got on my nerves as well.)

    You can leave now.

    You really can.

    There is only bber remaining...

    ...

    ..

    .

    As for those who are still present, I shall continue on with my rant.

    Trying to bnce out characters, their skills, Dvalin, its skills, lore, making sure the battle it''s not too easy or too short, making sure the battle isn''t too hard as it wouldn''t make sense as in game many characters can just instakill it, although this isn''t a game, but lore which is very much different.

    Making sure each character got to shine at least somewhat, while also taking logic into ount, was very hard for my small brain.

    Now then, a lot of you might have missed how Iris, aka Ex-Dvalin looks like, so I will leave her picture in this paragraph.

    The picture is from Meikyuu ckpany manga.

    One of my talented acquaintances colored it for me, for you guys as well.

    I would really like to express my gratitude to everyone who has followed me up to this point.

    Especially to my part time editor Paradox that made my past 15 or so chapters look more epic than they could ever be.

    Not to mention he also proofread through pretty much all chapters pointing out mistakes here and there and making my life easier overall.

    He worked hard.

    Here is his p atreon link.

    https://.p atreon/LonelyParadox

    If you''re an author and need to make your chapters look more epic, maybe strike a deal with him and I guarantee it will be great.

    Anyway...

    This story is not particrly great.

    It is and will be full of cliches all around the board, especially in the second volume, but I''m hoping you at least got a fewughs out of it while reading it.

    If so you did, then my goal was aplished.

    Next arc wouldn''t immediately be Liyue, we will still be in Mondstadt and will take care of things there for a while...

    Romance had started with two of the characters already. I n on continuing that and further establishing rtionship.

    For the smut and ero lovers, I have written the smuts ages ago, I just need to get there without it feeling iffy.

    Your time will cum...soon..badum tss

    While you are waiting and have nothing to do, I rmend reading two of the one shots I wrote for a Genshinpetition on their official discord.

    Both of them are on Webnovel

    And both for them are of no rtion to this exact fanfic I''ve been writing.

    1st one is called:

    Genshin impact one shot Dystopia

    2nd one is called

    Genshin Impact One shot The ever forgiving humankind.

    You can also just immediately find them by checking on my profile.

    I guess that would be far easier.

    And so, the Volume one is now sessfully over.

    Once again, stay tuned, I will love to see you guys hang around again, after a week.

    Peace out.

 Chapter 88

    The city of Liyue.

    One of the seven nations of Teyvat

    A bountiful harbor that lied in the east of Teyvat.

    It was the city-state that worshipped God Morax, the Geo Archon who sometimes took on a form of a dragon.

    Just how many gifts from the Geo Gody in wait amongst the rocks of Liyue''s mountains?

    Unlike in Mondstadt, where the God of Wind Barbatos didn''t show his presence at all, Morax on the other hand, showed itself at least once per year as a tradition, to bless his country and make all mortals bow to his excellence.

    Towering mountains stood tall and proud alongside the stone forest, that, together with the open ins and lively rivers, made up Liyue''s bountifulndscape, showing off its unique beauty through each of the four seasons.

    The establishment of the harbor kicked off Liyue''s seafaring trade.

    As the Teyvat''srgest market harbor, the sheer amount of goods that flew into and from it was simply iparable for other ports.

    "We''re here!"

    Hu Tao cheerfully announced.

    She was finally back in her hometown.

    "Yeah, yeah...just don''t run off too far..."

    As they arrived into the grand city called Liyue, Yomite looked around in awe and took in the view.

    The ce was truly beautiful...

    While the weather was quite hot and unpleasant, he was d he came to Hu Tao''s hometown to finally witness it in its full glory...

    Everything was going great...

    Until...

    "You dare question my integrity!? Scram!"

    "Hmph! My father shall hear of this! Prepare to have your limbs broken!"

    Two young men were shouting curses at each other in the middle of the street, and looking at how locals didn''t care about the conflict unfolding, only meant that this was a daily urrence in the city of Liyue.

    Hearing their words, Yomite stopped in his tracks.

    "Oh...no..."

    There was no way...

    "Your father shall drink my piss instead!"

    "Fuck your nine generations! Just wait till he hears of this! You will be kowtowing before us!"

    "Oh, no no no..."

    Yomite''s face darkened as he unconsciously took a step back, his party gazing at him curiously.

    "Assistant-kun? Is something the matter?"

    "Party leader?"

    "...I-I wanna leave...I wanna go back to Mond...Can we go back??? Please...I''m begging you..."

    "Leave? But we just came!" Hu Tao frowned, "I wanna show you around!"

    "No! We aren''t entering this city! I''m going back! This is full of Young Masters, I can already tell!!"

    "What are you talking about, Stupid Tattoo!?"

    Hu Tao climbed his back while, Lumine and Paimon pulled on his hand to make sure he wouldn''t leave.

    Iris on the other hand just stared at all of them curiously, and since it looked like it would take a while, shey on the ground and sunbathed.

    (Sun is good. Praise the sun...)

    And so began...

    One hell of a journey...

    In a newnd...

 Chapter 89

    It warmed his heart to look at the gentle mes in the firece.

    Wearing afy cotton robe, he sunk into the couch and gazed at the fire. Somehow hecked strength to move. It was like he was glued to the couch. He took a deep breath of the firece''s warm air. The pleasant crackle of logs provided a rxing atmosphere. The amber mes cast flickering shadows on the walls of the mansion.

    Someone gracefully offered a ss of wine to him.

    "This is the wine of the highest quality from Diluc''s tavern, Party Leader, the Dandelion Wine."

    Lumine who passed the wine to him said as she sat beside him with a wine ss of her own.

    He took a sip of the wine swirling in his ss. A smirk appeared on his face, "It''s delicious. I''m starting to like him more than Kaeya, not that I liked him to begin with."

    Lumine also couldn''t withstand the temptation and followed suit, "...Delicious."

    "You know, someone like you shouldn''t be drinking alcohol, being so young."

    He teased her, fully knowing she was way, way older than him by a long mile.

    The Tempus of the Heart couldn''t exactly identify her age, but the first number was 9 and there were still at least two or three more digits after it...

    "Party leader...not you too..." She pulled the wine ss closer to her, protecting it, "It just tastes so great...You''re like my brother in this regard...He also never allowed me to drink, saying I was too young, when in reality he is only five seconds older. Five seconds! Can you believe that! Not fair..."

    Yomite let out a wry smile.

    Lumine was indeed a woman of few words, at least she usually was, but once she took even a single sip of some beverage, it was as if her personality hadpletely reversed.

    Her extroverted switch was turned on and once it was, there was no stopping her.

    "You should have seen me when I was with my brother. I was such an annoying leech of a little sister...I should have learned some skills from him..."

    Her true nature was that of a dissatisfied auntie that loved toin about the simplest of things andpare herself to everyone around here.

    "Ah...I saw a good looking girl with a nice butt today...why do I have to look so average..."

    Sheined and drank the whole ss in one go, pouring herself another one, and raising it up high, "Cheers!!"

    She once again chugged down another ss of wine before Yomite could even finish half of his.

    (No, no, no...this girl isn''t average at all...)

    If he didn''t already know she was a traveler from another world, he would have thought she was a princess or something if he met her for the first time.

    Those kinds of princesses who summoned heroes that would sooner orter defeat the Demon King for them.

    Her personality didn''t reflect that though.

    But her alluring lips were full in the middle and petite at the bottom.

    Her curly blonde hair was down and shimmering in the light of the firece.

    Her yellow eyes shone like gold when she gazed at him from the side.

    Truly, like a princess.

    She didn''t talk about herself that much, all he knew was that she was a being close to a God and that she was stripped away of her powers by some unknown and presumably much stronger entity.

    That much was known, even from the story told by the Goddess Sia.

    "Party leader?"

    Waking up from his stupor, Yomite grabbed the bottle of wine and stood up.

    "No! don''t take it!" She reached out for the bottle, but slipped and fell face first onto the ground, the empty ss in her hands fell with her, but luckily dropped on top of the carpet and didn''t break.

    Once sheid on thefortable cold floor, her vision slowly turned hazy and soon enough, she started snoring away.

    "I believe you''ve had enough..." He sighed and put a nket over the now, dozing off Lumine.

    He thought life in the mansion would be better, but that wasn''t exactly the case...

    At all...

    ***

    Three months had passed ever since he came to this world, and Yomite was finally livingfortably in his newly built vi which was stationed in the vicinity of Mondstadt.

    Together with Hu Tao, Lumine, Iris and of course, Paimon.

    And even Fischl had decided to pack her things up and pick a room in the mansion as her own.

    Back at home she was alone, as her parents were usually out adventuring around the world, and her old room was small, so being able to move into the mansion where her friends resided was quite great.

    Although she did stay with them in the Inn for a while but that was a whole other thing...

    All of this nning about a mansion and a new ce to move into happened because of a few things.

    After Iris joined their party, there were some... let''s just say... inconveniences...

    The first one being that the Inn only provided them with a triple room, so Iris had nowhere to sleep.

    Yomite proposed a good idea though, saying she could sleep ''safely'' and ''soundly'' in his bed together with him.

    He would undoubtedly protect her and take care of her as he was her dear master, however, that idea was soon scrapped as both Paimon and Fischlshed out at him.

    Even Lumine was showing signs of disapproval, and only Hu Tao didn''t understand what was wrong with it.

    As always.

    Sometimes she was so bold that he thought that she was turning into a thirsty beast, but sometimes she was just so clueless...

    It was as if she had a personality disorder, but once asked about it, she denied the im and called him silly.

    As for the issue with Iris, Hu Tao proposed that they could let Iris sleep on the floor like a cute puppy but for Yomite that was uneptable.

    (So, my idea was scrapped, but leaving my busty dragon girl cutie sleep on the cold floor is alright? Insolence!!)

 Chapter 90

    Later on, it was proposed that they should reserve another room, solely for her, but Iris exined she needed to be as close to Yomite as possible at all times to receive the best effect of nourishment through the soul pact.

    "Sure! I understand, Iris. As I mentioned previously, we can sleep together, in one bed. That way you can be as close as you want!"

    Yomite was, of course, more than happy to oblige, although he was just joking this time...kinda...

    However, Iris resolutely nodded without understanding the meaning behind his words.

    "Under the heavenly stars shall this not ur!"

    "Paimon will p you!"

    Again, he was being abused.

    When will he ever get nice and gentlepanions that could understand him...

    He just wanted to cuddle a busty dragon girl, what was so wrong about it...

    Well...maybe he would have done a bit more...but everything within the range of consent of course!

    Only head patting!

    After contemting for a bit, it was decided that they would reserve another room.

    However, they would have to rearrange the personnel a bit.

    At first, they decided the rooms like this:

    Yomite, Iris and Hu Tao. All three of them would be sleeping in their old room.

    Fischl, Lumine and Paimon would take the new one.

    They concluded that it was an alright division.

    But.

    It..

    was...

    Not!!

    Five dayster, Yomite was asking to switch Hu Tao out with Lumine or Fischl.

    She had been sleepwalking again and he couldn''t sleep for a whole week.

    So with that, Yomite finally had enough of her, and Fischl dly switched with Hu Tao.

    The group stayed like that until Yomite''s mansion was built and after that, each of them were assigned a room of their own, the only exception being Yomite''s room, which also had a bed on the other side of the spacious room for Iris as they couldn''t stay far from each other.

    He didn''t know the exact range of the nourishment pact, but from Iris''ints, it was about five to six meters.

    Maybe that was also why she hated showering, because she had to be separated from him.

    After countless reprimands and warnings from his party members, they let Iris sleep on the other bed in his room.

    The mansion in question took about a month to finish, but he was more than happy with the result.

    Nevertheless, he was a healthy young man full of vigor, so it was obvious he had his needs, and living together with four attractive girls didn''t make it any better.

    Not to mention, the hottest one was sleeping in the same room as him...

    It took a lot of resolve to hold himself back...

    But that wasn''t even the worst part...

    The worst part was that in this world almost no one wore bras because a lot of people saw it as a hassle, which made Yomite even more ufortable.

    The breasts of all the girls from his party were pretty much visible during their morning exercises and spars.

    Little buds were usually poking through their clothes, and their sweaty, lustrous bodies generated way too much sex appeal.

    Even someone like him had a hard time not to stare, which also resulted in him getting pped in most spars.

    The person who proposed these daily training spars was surprisingly, Lumine.

    She felt her skills werecking and wanted to improve as much as possible.

    In order to find her brother, she needed as much strength as she could get and she felt like this was the way to increase her skills exponentially.

    Lumine''s clothes during their spar were conservative, so you would think that it wouldn''t be a problem, and yet, he could still clearly see the shape of ''them''...

    Fischl was, as always, an eye candy...No matter which part of her body he looked at...

    Gorgeous face.

    Perfect thighs.

    Unbelievably huggable butt.

    Great figure.

    And the way she dressed was, in his words, simply amazing.

    Her clothes left little to the imagination...

    She was simply an exotic, cute and alluring looking girl.

    It made him happy that such a gem of a woman was silently crushing on him.

    At first, when Fischl said she wanted to join the training spars, the group was confused.

    They didn''t understand why.

    She was a support archer, after all. She could just train shooting next to them, while they sparred.

    Why did she feel the need to participate in hand to handbat, or melee weapon battles?

    It turned out that she had a bone to pick with the Ex-Dvalin that almost blew her head off during the Dragon fight.

    And it was time for her revenge.

    She said this, but it was evident that she simply felt like shecked actualbat experience and wanted to improve her weakest side, which was closebat, to be of some help as well.

    However, she was utterly demolished by Iris, whom she had challenged.

    The first time they sparred...if it could even be called a spar, was so painful to watch, you could define it as her being ''pped''.

    Iris simply swatted Fischl away like a fly and Fischl didn''t get back up, only groaning on the ground in pain for a few minutes while waving at her friends, saying she was alright...

    That was their first bout...

    Iris was reprimanded and Yomite told her to hold her strength back, as this was just friendlypetition and training.

    From then on, she sparred with Iris on a daily basis, getting her ass kicked. Multiple times throughout the day.

    In the case of Iris, she was usually sparring ''naked'', meaning she didn''t put any kind of clothes on herself, and the only thing covering her private parts were her scales.

    They were actually retractable, meaning that she could freely control all scales on her body, to even form a helmet or an armor of some sorts to cover herself up fully, which was also proposed as an interesting idea by Yomite.

    Anyhow, out of all of his party members, Hu Tao was the biggest issue for him.

    Fights with her were ''hard'', in multiple ways...

    Her mastery of the spear and hand to handbat level was way beyond anyone in their group.

    Yomite concluded that she was currently the strongest person in his party, when it came to high damage output, strength, speed and precision.

 Chapter 91

    Yomite even dared to say Hu Tao could probably beat most people from Mondstadt in a fair match, then again, he didn''t meet that many strong Vision users of Mondstadt, so he wouldn''t know, he just got the feeling.

    It wasn''t just her speed, the strength behind her attacks was terrific too. Each swing of her spear had a devastating amount of power behind it.

    Not to mention her weapon mastery technique...

    She wasn''t just proficient with a spear, she could use other weapons just as well, yet she preferred the spear as it was taught to her since childhood.

    She even used his ymore and showed him multiple stances he was currently trying out and he could tell each of his swings were much faster and much more stable than before.

    He had never sparred with any of his teammates before, so Hu Tao was the first one.

    And let''s say...

    It did not go well...

    He found himself lying on the grass before he could even blink.

    It was that bad the first time...

    Now, he could generally put up a fight, but it still wasn''t enough to beat her at all...

    (Freaking monster...What is up with the power levels in this world!? They make no sense!)

    How was a God like Venti so much weaker than any Vision user he met!?

    Speaking of Venti, he disappeared a few months ago, and no one had seen him...

    Thest memory of him was...let''s just say... weird....

    ***

    Roughly two and a half months ago, about a week after the Dvalin''s fight.

    Yomite was in the Church of Favonius, asking around about Gods of this world.

    "Ah, Hero, so you''re interested in multiple religions?"

    "...Yeah, you can say that..."

    Replying to the nun, he scratched the back of his neck.

    It was still quite ufortable to be called a hero.

    The nun in front of him basically covered all seven Archons for him, but that was about it.

    She didn''t know any other Gods.

    Sia wasn''t among them and neither were any other Gods mentioned.

    The Seven Archons were the seven Gods who presided over the seven nations of Teyvat.

    Each Archon was associated with an element and an ideal, by which they formed their territories'' environment and determined their method of governance over their nations.

    The God of Wind''s ideal was Freedom, and his territory was the city of Mondstadt.

    Rex Lapis, or Morax''s ideal were Contracts, and his territory was the city of Liyue, the ce where Hu Tao came from.

    The God of Eternity''s ideal was Eternity, and her territory was the city of Inazuma, on a farawaynd, which was currently under a lockdown due to reasons unknown. The nun mentioned something about a Vision hunt decree and from the name it wasn''t anything nice.

    The God of Wisdom''s ideal was unsurprisingly, Wisdom itself, and his territory was the city of Sumeru, which was also where Lisa attended an academy in the past. This news was ryed to him by Jean who identally mentioned it during one of their talks.

    The God of Justice''s ideal was the Justice of the courtroom, and her territory was the city of Fontaine, the country which was capable ofing up with tons of new ideas, such as a camera and so on.

    Still, Jean showed the so-called "Camera" to him, as Lisa was sent one as a gift, but it was nowhere as special as the ones in his old world. Jean on the other hand, praised it, saying it could be useful for many things.

    The Lady of Fire, who was also known as the God of War, had an ideal of War, and her territory was the city of Nan, a fiery country of winners and losers.

    And finally, the one shrouded in mystery the most, the Tsaritsa herself, the Cryo Archon.

    Her territory was the city of Snezhnaya, which was heavily popted by the suspicious Fatui who were currently roaming the streets of Mondstadt, waiting for the right opportunity to tear it apart and make it their own.

    Yet it seemed that no one knew her ideal, but it was evident that behind the scenes, something was happening that barely anyone had knowledge of.

    "Thanks!"

    Some of the things she mentioned, Yomite recalled from Venti, but it was always nice to recap and refresh his memory.

    "May Archon Barbatos bless you, Hero of the city of Freedom!"

    Smiling wryly at the part where she called him a Hero again, he decided he would head towards the Angel''s Share, as Kaeya told him he wanted to ask him a few things.

    (It must be something important. He wouldn''t contact me otherwise.)

    On his way out, he overheard a child, no older than five years old, sitting on one of the benches inside of the church, together with his father

    "Daddy? What''s Mommy doing?" The child asked as he pointed at his mother who was kneeling in front of a small Statue of Barbatos.

    "Mommy is a sister, she believes in Barbatos, and she helps and guides all other people who believe in Barbatos, too." His father replied to him.

    "Papa Toes? Daddy, who is that? Is he a magic man?"

    "No, sweetie," His father corrected him, "it''s Barbatos...He is the God of Wind. A very magical man. The reason all of us have such a happy life is because Lord Barbatos is a very nice man and looks after us."

    (Hmm, looks like Venti used to be useful in the past. People still love him...Maybe I will reconsider my opinion about him.)

    He left the cathedral and headed directly towards Diluc''s pub to meet up with Kaeya.

    Once he stepped inside the pub, however, chaos ensued.

    The inside of the bar was messy, even messier than the street outside.

    For some reason, the floor was sticky.

    Yomite hoped to God that the thing that he stepped into was a puddle of alcohol and not something else...

 Chapter 92

    This had never happened before.

    The establishment was usually a very clean ce.

    Diluc and Charles paid extra attention to the image of the pub, but it seemed like Charles wasn''t currently here, and Diluc had his hands full with...something...

    The bar counter was smeared with milk, wine, and other beverages.

    All along the bar top were bottles of beer and whiskey, as well as numerous empty bottles of Diluc''s most famous Dandelion wine, and the culprit who sucked them all dry seemed to be none other than Venti...

    Broken bar chairs wereying on the ground and the floor was littered with shattered ss.

    He looked to the back of the pub and there were even more broken chairs and tables scattered around.

    (Why didn''t Diluc stop them? They are destroying his property...)

    The wooden floor, which had seen better days, had been ripped open, the walls too, exposing the ceiling of the pub.

    "What the hell...happened here!? What are you all doing!?"

    He frowned at the sight, his eyes soon, however, widened in disbelief.

    Kaeya and Diluc could be seen struggling with something in front of the bar table.

    The ''thing'' both of them were struggling with, turned out to be a half stripped Venti, whose shirt was already crumpled beneath his bare feet together with his white tights, and he was currently trying to take off his green shorts as well...

    Venti''s face softened the moment he saw Yomite.

    "Ah~ Traveler from afa~r, my best friend''s savior, and the Hero of the city! Wee! It''s so ho~t in here... I want to strip off these clo~thes but they won''t let me! Can you help me, my dear beloved? I love you~" Venti blew a couple of invisible kisses his way with his hand, simultaneously pointing towards his shorts and winking.

    "Try stripping one moreyer of clothing and I will kick you out. Either drink or leave....Get dressed as soon as possible!...because the nearby customers are...weirdly focusing their attention here...as if they wanted to see you naked...it''s weird... Just stop." Diluc mumbled in confusion.

    People of Mondstadt were truly weird to enjoy watching something like this...

    The bar was a mess...drunkards got into fights for the stupidest of reasons.

    """Hell yeah! Strip! Strip! Strip! Goddess Venti!"""

    Arge group of people, consisting of more than fifteen members were currently happily chanting their inner desires. Most of them were adults with wives and girlfriends, yet they cheered on, to see a guy strip.

    What was wrong with this society?

    "You do realize it''s a guy, right? Why do you want him to strip!?" A young man asked in disbelief from the second floor.

    """..."""

    "Heretic! Kill him!"

    "Yeah!"

    "Kill!"

    "Wa-Wait! No! Argh!"

    The crowd was cheering Venti on, and at the slightest sign of disagreement from other people, they ''eliminated'' the heretics.

    It was a mess.

    Yomite gazed at the ongoing fight in the back of the pub with disgust.

    (I shouldn''t havee...)

    "Now now, little Bardie is of age to drink and strip! Probably...Anyway, my girlfriend will being here soon and I don''t want her to feel weirded out, so I''m forced to stop him." Kaeyaughed, he obviously didn''t care as much about his escapades as Diluc did.

    This was funny to him. A nice way to spend time while he waited for his dear woman.

    The more destroyed his brother''s pub would be the more happy he would be, teasing him about itter on.

    Venti managed to free himself from the grasp of the two brothers and staggered towards Yomite, ramming into him with his whole body.

    He stood up on his heels and leaned his head towards Yomite''s ear, blowing hot air onto his neck.

    "Aw~ Yomite~ Strip me...Please... It''s so hot...I can''t stand it any longer...You can have me! Take me! Give it to me~!! Deep inside! Traveler~!"

    Questionable words, sounds and moans left the bard''s mouth, garnering the attention of the public

    "Hell Yeah! That''s an invitation! Go for it, Young one!"

    "Good luck, Hero!"

    "We''re counting on you! Enjoy it!"

    "No thanks!" He pushed Venti away from him, and Venti immediately started sulking, "Not fair! Dvalin gets to be with you, but I can''t! Meanie~! Meanie~! Maybe...I should change my form as well?" The little bard felt like a genius idea had urred to him.

    (Yep, my opinion about him will not be changed for the better. Ever. It''s simply impossible!!!) Yomite sighed deeply.

    Diluc finally got hold of Venti again and nced towards Yomite, greeting him, "Hey... What you see here, is the result of fifty or so bottles of dandelion wine...that jackass...I still can''t believe that he is...Nevermind... I''m tired..."

    Venti''s true identity was leaked to his party members and both Jean and Diluc.

    Venti said he didn''t care as much about it, but who really knew what was on his mind.

    As for his party members, Hu Tao was intrigued and asked Venti a couple questions while Fischl said that she knew he was a God all along, which was obviously a lie...

    After a while, Venti calmed down and fell asleep on the counter, Diluc used this chance to teach the fighting drunkards a lesson they would never forget and it was finally peaceful.

    As for the thing Kaeya wanted from Yomite, it was regarding his new girl.

    He exined the situation with his new girlfriend to Yomite in detail, and that he nned on turning it into a serious rtionship.

    Kaeya even said he wanted advice from Diluc, but he was aplete stuck up virgin loner, so there was nothing he could help him with.

    Yomite on the other hand, seemed to be handling a full female party really well and even caught Lisa''s and Jean''s eyes, who knew if he hadn''t already put all of them into his bed, right?

    The answer was as clear as day.

    (No��)

    Regarding some things, Yomite gave him a few tips and roughly told him some ideas on what to do and what to avoid doing.

    After all, it was hard to gauge a woman he hadn''t met before. Every woman was different, although most of them could have a simr goal in mind.

    From what Kaeya told him, she wanted a serious rtionship, so it would probably end up going well if he wanted the same thing.

    He told him to rx a little, and to enjoy whatever came along.

    That was about it, after that, he left the pub and went back home.

    Maybe... if he stuck around for a bit longer...things would have been different...

 Chapter 93

    No, I don''t have trap fetish. Stop. It''s just foredy relief.

    Thank you.

    ***

    Twenty minutes after Yomite left the tavern...

    It was finally quiet.

    The bar was almostpletely empty, leaving Diluc and Venti the only people inside.

    As Diluc nned on closing down, he shunned Venti away, but not without asking whether he could walk back home without dying.

    He was the God of Mondstadt. Even if his behavior was creepy and disgusting, he still had to make sure he was fine. The city needed him.

    "Fol surw! U''mm alrogjt!" Venti replied incoherently and left the pub.

    "Don''t die." Diluc saw him off and returned inside.

    Venti waved back at him and walked down a dark path.

    He didn''t remember thest time he was this drunk.

    He was a monster when it came to downing bottles of wine, yet it seemed he had finally hit his limit.

    His steps were tipsy, and he was about to fall over any time now.

    He was simply too happy.

    Everything was going so well.

    The city was saved.

    His friend Dvalin was rescued, and even managed to partially attain Godhood, soon to be a fully-fledged godlike entity.

    New heroes that would protect the city in the uing years have appeared.

    All of his worries were quelled.

    All of this made him unable to stop drinking out of happiness.

    As he staggered across the empty streets of Mondstadt, barely illuminated by the moonlight, he leaned against a nearby fence and vomited all over a group of flower pots in front of him.

    (Oops...Wasn''t this the ce where the little girl Flora sold her flowers? How unfortunate...Archon Barbatos blesses you with his greatness, dear child...)

    Just as he was about to leave, a group of people with masks and hoods blocked his way, the masks they wore were identical to the Fatui, who were roaming the streets of Mondstadt on a daily basis.

    "Ehe?" Venti let out a sound full of confusion.

    What did they want from him?

    Were they his fans?

    Did they want his autograph or something?

    Gaining new followers was always a great feeling!

    Soon, a tall woman with pale skin, tinum-blonde hair, and light grey eyes walked from behind her henchmen, power and authority embodied within her steps.

    A ck Fatui mask adorned her face, covering her right eye.

    She was gorgeous, her figure was that of a goddess, her beauty and perfection shone through her eyes.

    Her rich, blonde hair flowed down her curves, emphasising her body; she filled every inch of her clothing, without being too revealing.

    The woman stepped closer, the sound of her heels resonating across the smooth floor to press a slow rhythm of enticement upon the men around her.

    She stopped a few meters away from him and said, "You know why we''re here today, right?" in a determined tone. "I''m d you finally decided to show yourself...The waste of an Archon, in flesh. Right before my eyes."

    Venti let out a heartfeltughter at her remark.

    She wasn''t wrong.

    "What''s so funny? Archon of the Wind? Or should I say, the weakest out of all Archons. So weak, he even needed help from regr humans to beat his own pet dragon, truly pathetic. You should have let Fatui take care of the Dragon...yet you simply had toplicate things for us even further and save it..."

    She snickered, feeling confident that she shamed him in front of her subordinates and sessfully made him angry, yet the bard was only smirking.

    "Say something, you pitiful creature."

    She called out once more, losing her patience.

    "Nho...is judst...You''re suuuuuper ugly looking...So funny...Like, ugly ugly...Is thjt why you cover half of your facE eith a mask?"

    Venti giggled without a care in the world, the alcohol in his veins still affecting his speech pattern.

    Her face scrunched up with disgust as she marched towards him. The words of the drunkard had obviously triggered her.

    "I don''t have time to waste on your pathetic struggles."

    In a single motion, she plunged her hand deeply into Venti''s chest, wrapping her digits around his heart. She dug her nails deep, as hard as possible, to inflict as much pain to him as she could, as a payback for his unfiltered words.

    She could feel his heart beating fast against her hand, it was pounding, struggling as much as it could, but she held tight, refusing to let go.

    It glowed brightly in her slender palm, illuminating the darkness around them. She saw her underlings watching intently, their eyes never left the disy.

    "We have what we came here for."

    She clutched his heart tight in her hand, using all of her strength to twist and tear it.

    She heard the screams immediately, a high-pitched sound that emanated from the streets.

    Venti fell to his knees, he ced his hands in the air as he screamed, and as he did, she pulled out something out of his chest, whose physical appearance was reminiscent of a glowing chess piece.

    "I will be taking your Gnosis now, Bardie. You were barely as strong as a Vision user before, but now you''re as weak as a little child. Without the power from Celestia, you are nothing. Even the wind you bragged so much about could blow you away! Of course, we Fatui are gentle and understanding negotiators, so I won''t kill you. Be grateful."

    "I thhink I saw you somewhere...before...welp, yoar still ugly..." He mumbled under his breath, while kneeling on the ground in pain.

    The woman in heels clicked her tongue and walked towards him once more, grasping his chin in her hand.

    "Does Mondstadt call this a God? A resident rodent...Look how impotent you have be! A pretty boy is all you are...why does your image not reflect your attitude?"

    Sobering up a bit after what just transpired, Venti stuck out his tongue.

    "...Yours does... you''re ugly both inside and at the exterior!"

    She frowned and kicked him in the face. Her footnded squarely on his jaw, sending him sprawling.

    He was bleeding from the mouth, fresh from the kick he had taken to the jaw.

    Venti rolled on the ground a bit, and with that, lost consciousness.

    She slowly walked forward and stepped on his chest with her heel, boring it deep in his ribcage, but soon, grit her teeth and lifted her foot.

    She wanted to finish that annoying runt, but her orders were absolute.

    She scoffed and left with her underlings, together with Venti''s Gnosis, which was a Heart of God.

    Archons used it to channel their powers with.

    Venti was now, powerless. More than he had ever been before.

    No one had heard or seen what happened that night, despite the screams of the fallen Bard.

    No one knew where the Bard disappeared to.

    He was once again, alone.

 Chapter 94

    ***

    Training with Hu Tao was tough.

    Of course, they were only sparring with fists and with weapons, not with actual Visions and abilities.

    However, the biggest problem he had while facing her was...

    Her shirt and short leggings were really, really tight...

    You wouldn''t normally be able to tell she hid away such an attractive figure as it stayed hidden underneath the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Director''s coat that usually covered her up fully from top to bottom.

    During her spars, however, she always took the coat off, which revealed her toned body, and all of the rich angles.

    The shape of her bubble butt, toned stomach and her small buds kept on bothering him during the fight on a daily basis.

    (Why does she have to take off her robe whenever we fight...She doesn''t do so when we kill monsters or Treasure Hoarders...She can beat my ass even without this kind of advantage!!)

    ***

    A young man could be seen repeatedly swinging arge sword in his backyard.

    ����It was a very thick sword, made out of White Iron and one of the strongest minerals called Crystal Ore, which he got as a gift from Diluc after they saved Dvalin.

    He promised him a good sword, and he truly delivered!

    ��������������

    Name: Prototype Archaic

    Rarity: 4* Artifact

    Weapon Type: ymore

    Description: This de is endowed with the elegance of antiquity. It is of equal value both as a weapon and an ornament. Such a fine creation possessed of both scale and subtlety is worthy of a name like no other. May it be known as Archaic.

    ��������������

    Apparently, Diluc was sent this as a gift from an acquaintance in Liyue that he helped on multiple asions.

    This was his gift, yet he gave it away to Yomite, as he had many other weapons he didn''t use.

    The weapon wasn''t like any of his previous, disposable ymores.

    It was far heavier, sturdier and much more powerful than anything he held in his hands before. There were no scratches after he used it multiple times to spar with Hu Tao, and it didn''t break even after using his full strength.

    It was a great weapon.

    The weapon truly looked like a magical artifact, even exploding and pulsing asionally when he hit monsters with it, dealing damage to multiple enemies at once.

    It was shaped to the point that it would at least look like a sword in shape, but it was so thick that if a grown man were to hold it, he wouldn''t be able to touch his thumb and index fingers together.

    Yomite had been swinging that huge ymore around continuously for about two hours.

    The strength of his grip had already been long gone for quite some time.

    Right now, he was barely holding onto the sword using only the strength of his fingers.

    He mustered thest bits of his remaining strength and swung the sword down powerfully, and then he fell down on the ground, facing the sky.

    He finally finished his daily training. 3000 practice swings with his ymore.

    "I-I''m dying..."

    Those words slipped out of his mouth. He didn''t know how many times he''d said those words up until this point.

    He looked up at the sky, hoping to find some kind of meaning in his life as he gasped for breath.

    "I see, Assistant-kun, you''re dying. You really had a short life...stay in good health in the other world too. I will send you off now."

    "... Hu Tao... don''t even...joke..about that... I''m beat..."

    A spear descended from the sky like an arrow. Yomite twisted and barely dodged it.

    There was a piercing sound. The ground where he was lying on just now was pierced by the spear''s tip.

    Seeing that, Yomite''s survival instinctmanded him to stand up.

    That attack would surely give him a lethal wound if he didn''t dodge.

    Yomite grit his teeth and gave an angry shout as he felt cold sweat on his back.

    "Are you trying to kill me!?"

    "What''s this, you can actually still move. That''s great! My dear Assistant! You aren''t dead yet! It''s not good to ck off~ We''re training now!"

    "I would''ve died if I didn''t move back there! You''re a monster!"

    Hu Taoughed off her assistant''s outrage as if it were just a breeze.

    She brushed her trademark brown hair that was the same color as a walnut and stuck out her tongue.

    "You need to try harder! Maybe try doing handstands!"

    "I''m telling you... I''m not gonna be doing handstands with one hand while swinging my ymore with the other, it''s simply not possible for me!"

    Hu Tao stroked her chin and murmured, "I suppose that''s true... Assistant-kun isn''t a genius like I am... he''s just a dummy."

    "You know I can hear everything, right?"

    "Oh well, what''s missing with talent, will be experienced the hard way."

    She grasped her spear and dashed towards him.

    It was a sharp weapon that could kill a human if it hit the wrong ce...scratch that...with Hu Tao''s strength, any spot she hit would kill him for sure.

    He waspletely exhausted. They already sparred thrice this morning and then he did the practice swings.

    Now, she wanted to fight him again. He was starting to think she enjoyed beating him down into the ground.

    Yomite felt like he wanted to cry. He was subjected to this torture for the past two months.

    Thest time he cried was when his father passed away in his old world...

    For the sake of that memory, he will not allow himself to let loose on something as emotionally insignificant as training.

    Even so, for the sake of his survival, he had to keep handling the consecutive attacks of Hu Tao, which were extremely hard to predict.

    Without any strength in his grip remaining, the ymore was hard to use.

    He couldn''t grip the sword firmly. If he lost focus, the sword would immediately slip from his hands.

    But if that happened, then Hu Tao''s attack would hit his body directly.

    The attack was merciless even though this was just training.

    Yomite had experienced getting hit or having his bones fractured many times until now.

    Thinking back, it was thanks to Sia, giving him a strong enough body to survive in this world.

    Still, he was forced to frequently visit Jean''s office to get healing from her.

    He tried going to the Church of Favonius but Deaconess Barbara told him that her healing wasn''t as effective and only worked on things like scratches or bruises, so he had to bother the ever busy Acting Grand Master...

    Still, he noticed Barbara seemed really down when she was of no help, but he thanked her nheless, as hepletely forgot Jean used a healing spell during the Dvalin fight.

 Chapter 95

    ***

    If he shed with Hu Tao in a contest of strength, right now, when he was so exhausted, his sword would immediately be sent flying.

    Yomite understood that, so he didn''t exert any more strength than necessary and took great pains to parry the attacks with the suitable amount of strength.

    If he made any blunders here, a blow that held nothing back wouldnd on him and he might potentially bleed to death and they didn''t have a healer nearby.

    "That''s right, Assistant-kun. Using your pinky as the base, transform your grip strength itself into the strength for your parry. That way you don''t have to receive my attacks when you''re tired. Also, try going for the stance I told you about, you''re not using it."

    "I don''t have any strength left to use it! Besides, there isn''t any persuasiveness in it if you''re looking that joyful while talking and beating the hell out of me!"

    "Ayaya! Now, don''t say that. If you have strength to shout, then you''re still surely full of vigor! Besides, this is just a joyful skinship between a Director and her Assistant! We''re so close, our hearts are almost touching!"

    "In what world is skinship something where my heart is an inch away from getting pierced!?"

    Just an instant of carelessness might be deadly.

    Despite what he was thinking, he had to admit, Hu Tao was truly a genius.

    Not only could she point out his mistakes during spar with a single nce, she also taught him some breathing techniques that helped him recover quickly...

    It was as if her mind worked on a whole different scalepared to his.

    It was as if she knew how to do everything well...

    Jack of all trades...in this case, however, master of all��Although he wouldn''t admit that as she would for sure gloat about it till the day he dies.

    The biggest problem was...she was a ve driver to the core, that wouldn''t let him rest until he was fully spent and she was satisfied...

    She was terrifying.

    Such dangerous training, constantly throughout the two painful months, constantly apanied by the spectre of death, was just morning scenery that had be custom in the Yomite''s mansion.

    In the distance, spectators were...well... spectating...

    "Do you think...he''ll be alright?"

    Lumine worriedly spoke. She felt like Hu Tao was going overboard the past few days, it was as if she fueled her own sadistic tendencies by beating him up.

    "Paimon thinks he brought it upon himself! If he asked Paimon for training, we would be eating sweets and rxing every day! Choosing that Fire Runt as a partner for training was the biggest mistake he could ever make��Speaking of sweets...Paimon has heard that a new recipe called Honey Bitter Roast was released!"

    Paimon jittered excitedly, sparkles following her trail as she floated around the head of Lumine, as she salivated.

    "Yomite is the Star Lord, he''ll obviously be fine...I think��"

    Fischl''sment wasn''t reassuring in the slightest, but they were allrades, they surely wouldn''t kill each other��

    They sparred for ten more minutes and finally, Yomite couldn''t even put any more strength in his fingertips, which were just barely holding onto the sword.

    It was only then that the training was finally over.

    "Ah, being alive is wonderful...I survived once again..."

    Today too, he managed to get out of training alive somehow. Yomite looked up to the sky as he felt emotionally moved from that.

    "Here is your drink, Party Leader." Lumine walked up to him.

    "Thank you, Lumine. Is everyone done with their training?"

    "Yes, we ended a long time ago and enjoyed the show before us." she giggled and held out a cold sunsettia refreshment juice towards him.

    "You''re merciless...you know that? Hu Tao is a ve driver...One of these days I will seriously lose my life..."

    He lost himself drinking it in big gulps.

    The refreshing sweetness of the chilled sunsettia was permeating into his extremely exhausted body.

    He handed her the empty cup and thanked her, he then sat down on the ground and rxed.

    The best thing to do after such a battle, was to exercise some light stretches and flex out all that tension.

    He put his hands on his hips and broadened his shoulders then pushed against his hips and stretched his spine left and right.

    *Crack* *Crack* *Crack*

    Each segment in his spine from the neck to the sacrum made a crack as all of his residual energy was released.

    "Boy, oh boy...that was amazing..."

    Yomite took a deep breath then started to twist, flex and stretch again.

    Each time he released the tension, it was akin to a thunderous orgasming from his tired body and bones. Simply divine.

    "I''m d to be alive..."

    After he took a shower, hey down on the couch to rx for a while.

    His body was tired from all this daily training and quests.

    He just wanted to rest for now��

    "God I want to have sex so badly...Why is there no brothel in Mondstadt? I am seriously at my limit here..." Yomite groaned.

    Still, the whorehouse might not be the best idea as he might contract some unknown and known diseases, so after seriously thinking it through, he decided to just let it go.

    His mansion was pretty vast and Yomite was more than happy to finally enjoy his privacy, although Iris was still there, she was either sleeping or eating at all times, so it was as if she wasn''t even in his room.

    Although the Mansion was huge, it was still easy to bump into each other in awkward situations.

    A cliche like this had already happened to him twice.

    Except for the fact that it was a reversed scenario.

    The first time around, he was minding his own business in his room when Hu Tao waltzed in on him without knocking, wanting to discuss a new poem she wrote overnight, only to see him beat his meat.

    She stared there dazed for a second and apologized, "...Sorry for intruding, I wille backter~"

    She slowly closed the door behind her and left.

    (Can''t you just knock..e on...)

    He thought that she would be acting abnormally after such an incident, but to his surprise she didn''t seem like she cared about it at all.

    It looked like she was mature enough in that regard.

    The second time an awkward thing happened, was when he was taking a shower and he forgot to bring his towel with him, so he walked back to his room to grab one.

    Unfortunately, he encountered Lumine, who was also getting ready for her bath, and as she heard the bathroom door swing open, she thought Yomite had obviously finished showering, only to witness something she would never forget in her life...

 Chapter 96

    ***

    Speaking of the bath, their new bath was spacious and as many as ten people could easily take bath at the same time, as Yomite purchased ten magical shower devices for his party.

    The reason why he purchased so many, was because the whole room was ginormous and so extensive, that it would look horrible with so much free space.

    The magical device had a specific name, yet he didn''t really pay attention and just called it like he would a normal shower.

    It almost felt like he had his personal hot spring, even though he didn''t.

    At least not yet.

    Making a hot spring in his backyard might be a great idea.

    He also began building an area, which he nned to use as a farm and then another area for slimes, but both of them were nowhere near finished.

    All of this, of course, cost him quite a lot.

    Speaking of money, his current bnce from normal quests, daily quests, personal requests, treasure chest finding, mob farming, and the reward as a hero for the past three months, was 97 million Mora and 8k primogems.

    He was quite loaded from abusing the party system, just as he nned.

    And he loved every single bit of it.

    He would even have much more, If it weren''t for Iris, whose expenses ranged from 200k Mora to 500k Mora a DAY.

    She just ate way too much and he had to do something about that...

    Of course, part of the profit was the money of his party members, but all of them had agreed it would be better for him to safekeep or else there might be chaos with their finances.

    He gave them all a monthly paycheck of 2 million Mora and if that wasn''t enough, he would give them even more.

    They deserved it, as it''s thanks to them he was so rich right now.

    He had yet to understand what the primogems were used for though.

    He asked Iris but even she didn''t know.

    Or more like, she wasn''t interested in such insignificant things when she was a Dragon, so she didn''t pay attention to them.

    Other than basically swimming in money, after they''ve saved Iris, there were still hundreds upon hundreds of scales left over from the ve and master pact of Iris and Yomite where she shed her husk and formed a new body for herself.

    Yomite ordered Lumine to collect every single one and put it into her inventory as maybe they could sell the scalester and get even more money.

    While Lumine was painfully storing away all of the scales one by one...After half an hour of doing so, she noticed some weird things floating near the scales.

    ��������������

    Name: Dvalin''s Sigh

    Rarity: 5* Material

    Description: A bit of power taken from the whirlwinds evoked by the Dragon of the East. Beautiful and transparent, both trade winds and tornadoes will work in its name. The winds move as itspanion, its voice, and its freedom. Its enemies are the thousands who stand against its wind.

    ��������������

    As the name implied, the bundle of wind that was connected to the scales was called Dvalin''s Sigh.

    Lumine grabbed some bottles from her inventory and quickly stored them away.

    They managed to obtain six of them, although they didn''t know their use, Iris mentioned they might prove to be really useful in the future for alchemists.

    ***

    **

    *

    Currently, at Yomite''s mansion.

    "What are these lumps of fat!? This isn''t feasible! It''s cheating! Cheating!" Fischl''s voice of outrage echoed throughout the building.

    "Doth not toucheth mine divine body without mine own mast''r''s p''rmission." Iris coldly replied.

    She was certainly not enjoying the shower, but as it was her master''s wish, she had no choice but to oblige.

    Fischl switched her gaze to Lumine and almost choked on her saliva, "L-Lumine!? I-I thought you were one of us! Inconceivable! You were hiding that huge pair of Schnitzers this whole time!?"

    "N-No...I wasn''t trying to hide anything...They always looked like this...My clothes were just designed that way...Please don''t stare so much..."

    "Retribution!"

    "N-No! Wait! Ahn~"

    He heard the voices of the girls, getting ready to take a bath together.

    (Ah...happy thoughts...happy thoughts...happy thoughts...don''t get hard...don''t get hard...don''t get hard...)

    Yomite chose to turn his brain off momentarily...

    When it was shower time, someone had to go with Iris as otherwise, she wouldn''t take her shower willingly.

    Iris hated showering and was very much against it.

    When they asked her why she hated it, she said something about losing essential oils that nurtured her body and hair.

    None of the girls understood what she meant and Yomite also wasn''t knowledgeable enough about the subject, although he heard that term before...

    He was more than willing to shower with Iris, but...

    "Thou shall imply anything venereal like that once more, and this Prinzessin Der Verurteilung shall bestow a divine punishment upon your majestic Archaeopteryx lithographica and cut it off!"

    (Cut...it...off...)

    Yomite gulped down and backed away quickly.

    This was more dangerous than he thought...

    ***

    About a half an hourter, his peaceful break was interrupted by an overly energetic girl.

    "Heya!"

    Hu Tao smirked before sitting next to him on the sofa.

    "What is it now...are you so energetic that you want to fight again...? You already beat me down 4 times today...let me rest...I''m begging you..." The tone of his voice was low, and very much tired.

    "No, no! Quite the opposite! I know today must have been truly tiring for you~. And you were doing your best!" She started with a smug tone, "So let me reward you personally, Assistant-kun."

    Yomite looked at her in confusion, wondering what kind of escapade she wanted now, until she pointed at her thighs.

    He froze, a look of surprise appeared on his face while his femalepanion smirked.

    Hu Tao patted the milky skin on her exposed legs and invited him again. With a sly smile, she watched as he tried to say anything.

    "Come on, Hu Tao. No need to tease me like this."

    Past months he was subjected to hundreds upon hundreds of pranks, dry and cringe dad jokes and teasing...

 Chapter 97

    ***

    He knew she wasn''t serious about this.

    She would soon say something along the lines of, (So you wanted to touch them that badly, huh? What a perv~)

    He tried tough her ''invitation'' off, but she seemed to be serious.

    "No pranks! I will let you know, I''m a business woman, my dear assistant! You should know better! After all, you are the one who managed to stay with me the longest and I''m grateful for that! Think of it as a reward for being a good boy...or you can think of it as something else If your heart desires so~"

    "Sure, let me dig in then."

    Yomite widened his eyes, without hesitating, he made a shameless expression and slowly made his way towards her legs.

    There was no time to waste.

    If it was an actual invitation, even if the chances were slim, he would never hesitate.

    He said nothing as he lowered his head, face first onto herp.

    The aroma of her natural smell, and the smell of her shower gel filled his nose.

    "So?" She asked with a teasing tone, while gently stroking his hair.

    He bore his nose down the gap in between the two of her thighs and took a deep whiff.

    He could livefortably like this forever.

    (Ah...I''m getting hard...)

    Luckily, the sofa proved to be a good cover so she had no idea what kind of reaction happened to his lower part, as she was facing his back.

    Soon after, he grasped her thighs with both of his hands, squeezing them, and chuckled, "Hu Tao...I must admit...You smell nice."

    "Thanks! I work around dead people!"

    "..."

    "Not funny? Aw shucks...I was betting on that too...One day I will make youugh! My assistant! Mark my words!" She dered and one day, it might truly happen.

    Yomite closed his eyes before answering, his face rxing.

    "Yeah, sure...whatever your heart desires...But I have to admit, this is great..."

    He affirmed, earning himself a pretty giggle from her.

    "I knew you would like it~! Assistant-kun is a pe~rv after all!"

    (Well, of course...She was pulling my leg again...As expected...)

    Hearing her remark, Yomite frowned and decided to act a little bolder.

    "Of course I am! I have a proposition though. We should do this more often, like every hour or so. Or maybe after every training session! And who needs clothes, am I right? Directly touching skin is a much more pleasing sensation. What do you say?"

    He pressed his lips against one of her thighs and nted a gentle kiss on top.

    Hu Tao''s body fidgeted in return.

    He couldn''t see her face, but he was sure hisment had some effect on her.

    The corners of her ears turned a little red, but she couldn''t back down here, she was supposed to be the one pranking and teasing people, not the other way around!

    "We~ll If you truly insist...We...could do it more oft��"

    *Boom*

    The door to the living room was flung open by Fischl!

    "What in the damnation is going on here!? I smell heresy!" She surveyed the room and found out two heretics doing heretical stuff.

    "Ah, Fischl, perfect timing. I''m giving my dear assistant myp to relieve his stress. Want to join in?"

    "J-Join in!?"

    Fischl seemed a little abashed, albeit he could see she was struggling and hesitating on what to do.

    "No, Fischl, it''s fine, I''m already getting up. She was just teasing me anyway." Yomite was about to stand up, when he heard her continue,

    "I-I will...do it."

    "Huh? Seriously?"

    He couldn''t believe his ears.

    She actually managed to force herself through her embarrassment!?

    ***

    Yomite''s legs rested on the couch, while his torso and heady on Hu Tao''s and Fischl''sp respectively.

    A doublep pillow! A dreame true!

    Hu Tao started gently boxing into his chest, as if she was trying to massage him, while Fischl was panicking, ruffling through his hair in a hurry.

    Yomite''s hair was flying around as if a hurricane went through.

    "Rx." He patted Fischl''s single exposed thigh, "It''s fine."

    At his words, she turned red and slowed down her movement.

    And as she did, she started caressing his head again. This time softly.

    He could feel the soft silk of one of her gloves brush past his hair in a gentle motion as it calmed him, while her other hand which didn''t have a glove on, reached out to his shoulder and massaged it, in an attempt topete with Hu Tao.

    He felt like a king, being tended to by his lovers.

    His heart and mind were in harmony and bliss.

    He closed his eyes and rxed his body.

    Slowly falling asleep, he let out a satisfied smile.

    This was what he wanted. Gentlerades that would show their care for him.

    (Maybe...a reward like this after such hard training...was worth it...)

    His inner peace was attained.

    ***

    **

    *

    Much, muchter...

    Yomite was woken up by something.

    He opened his eyes, but all that he was met with was darkness.

    (This cliche scenario...Where am I? Could it be that I''ve been summoned somewhere again? It can''t be...right?)

    He could feel something holding him in ce, he felt like he could move his arms and legs, yet his eyesight was gone.

    Just pure ck.

    His head was also bound and he could barely turn his neck, scratch that, he couldn''t move it even an inch.

    His nose, however, was pressed into a warm and squishy thing, and he could smell an aroma of something very sweet.

    It filled his nostrils and was stronger and more permanent than a scent of flowers or a shampoo.

    It made him feel excited.

    Suddenly, he heard a loud scream.

    "Du wertloser, verrotteter Sack Fleisch!!! Get off of him! At once!"

    "I''m charging backeth the en''rgy I hath lost from being too far hence from mast''r during his spar and the showe''r. Leaveth me be��"

    "Act not unintelligent! You''re doing this with hidden intentions! This Prinzessin can tell!"

    Despite the fact that he didn''t have the full context of the situation, he pieced the puzzle together and found out that he was still lying on the couch with Fischl and Hu Tao.

    The only difference being, there was something on top of his face.

    That something was...Iris, who currently happily upied his face with her butt cheeks...refusing to leave��

    (...I would rather pretend I''m still asleep and enjoy it a bit further...yes...that''s what I will do. Even if my oxygen runs dry...I wish I died like this��)

    He waspletely still, afraid to move even a muscle, despite the fact that one of his hands was badly itching to be scratched.

    This was a dangerous moment.

    Anything could blow his cover��

    He waspletely still, the only sound in the room was the voice of the wind.

    The wind, entering through the open window, blowing onto his neck indicated that there was a breeze outside.

    Yet for some reason...it was way too quiet...

    (Come to think of it...why are they quiet...shouldn''t they be shouting at each other right now? Where are the curses? Why can''t I hear any of them anymore?)

    They couldn''t have left, as he still felt thep of both Hu Tao and Fischl under him, not to mention the huge thing on his face.

    Something was up...

    He could tell...

    Little did he know that everyone stopped talking due to one reason, and one reason only.

    All of them turned their attention, facing one direction, their mouths agape.

    """..."""

    Unable to withstand thebination of the massage, thescivious smell that filled his nostrils, and a huge butt that pressed against his face, Yomite popped a boner��in his ''sleep''.

    (Ah...now I get it...No...I can feel it...let''s just continue pretending like I''m asleep so that they think it''s just my sleeping reaction or something��)

    But like...why would she even sit on top of his face!?

    Did she do that on purpose or had no idea what she just did?

    Was this the beginning of an unseen seduction?

    No one knew...

    Either way, the fact that everyone from his party had seen his erection through his clothes was a bit embarrassing...

    But there was nothing he could do!

    After all, it wasn''t his fault to begin with!

    And from all tons of shitty isekai novels he read, he was bound to end up being the one at fault for all of this!

    He was definitely not waking up to receive a beating! That''s for sure!

 Chapter 98

    ***

    A week had passed since the ''boner incident''.

    None of them seemed to mention it to him at any point in time, so he took it as granted that his acting skills of being asleep worked, and they just kept it to themselves.

    (Good job me, no need to get smacked by tsunderes!)

    He heard from Hu Tao, that the Adventurer''s Guild had an urgent mission, as a new type of monster had appeared.

    The reward for it wasn''t mentioned.

    It was only stated that they should kill the monster, bring information about it, find out its whereabouts and so on, and based on that, they would be rewarded.

    The monster wasst seen by a lumberjack near the borders of Mondstadt and Liyue, and as their morning spar was over, the group decided to join in on the quest and search for the monster as well.

    After leaving Mondstadt, Yomite and his party walked along a smooth road towards thest location where the new special monster was sighted.

    "To be frank, camping in a ce full of dangerous monsters is annoying."

    Yomite hoped to find the monster as quickly as possible during the day and exterminate it without having to sleep under the sky.

    Unfortunately, the ce where the monster was sighted had no activated teleports nearby, so they were forced to go by foot.

    Well, in the worst case scenario, they might just teleport home and sleep there, but first they had to find at least one teleport nearby to ''save'' their progress.

    "Don''t worry, leave it to me, Assistant-kun. I shall send all monsters flying with a mere movement of my staff! I will protect my Assistant-kun! Oh and the rest of the party too..."

    "Hey! What was that supposed to mean!?"

    Hu Tao promptly ignored Paimon who seemed to have raised an eyebrow.

    After three months of being in the same party, she still hadn''t forgiven Hu Tao for stealing her food that one time and held a grudge against her.

    (I should probably buy Paimon some sweets forter to make her like Hu Tao more.)

    The formation of their party was Yomite taking the vanguard, followed by Lumine, Hu Tao, and Iris, while Paimon was flying above them, scouting ahead, as their important scout member was currently missing.

    Fischl went on a solo quest all the way to a country called Sumeru a few days ago, so unfortunately, she currently wasn''t present.

    She was regrly contacting them via Oz, who was more than happy to deliver the message.

    "I managed to give away a lot of coupons for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor services and it appears that Assistant-kun is thest person remaining on my list to take some from me~! Now~! Don''t be shy and take some!"

    "Hey, don''t sh your stupid coupons in front of me or I''ll strip you of all of them and throw them away. I don''t n to die any time soon."

    "Strip me!? No way!! Just kidding~! Go ahead~! No need to be embarrassed about it!"

    "There is nothing much to see anyway, so I might do so if you piss me off any further."

    He lied as naturally as he breathed.

    Hu Tao frowned at hisst sentence but didn''t say anything.

    After their daily spars, he was more than convinced her figure was irresistible...

    He just didn''t want her to be even more cocky than she already was.

    Ever since they began living in the new mansion, Hu Tao''s behavior towards him has very much changed and turned to...Worse? Better? He couldn''t really decide...

    As mentioned previously, she started bothering him with everything, trying to tease him on a daily basis.

    She visited his room frequently,ying on his bed without his permission, hiding under it as well while trying to scare him, and so on.

    She could stay hidden under his bed for hours on end and once he started getting worried that something might have happened to her after she disappeared, she would scare the crap out of him.

    It was tiring... So many issues...

    The list went on...endlessly...

    It was getting beyond the point of annoying.

    Yomite felt that Hu Tao had warmed up to him a little bit too much.

    It was probably just because no one could stand her antics for more than two hours in the past.

    People used to run away from her or avoid her, yet he stuck together with her all day for three months so she was naturally warming up to him.

    He knew they were currently at a crucial point where if he actually asked her out she would probably not decline.

    (If she even knows what it means, that is. She probably doesn''t understand the concept of love and takes likeness to another level as a form of teasing...a very troublesome situation...)

    He could feel her feelings, even without checking their Rtionship Level status.

    It was pretty apparent that her teasing was a form of Hu Tao showing her affection and he had to admit it was pretty childish albeit really cute sometimes.

    He was also d she was making progress with other people and slowly learned what she should and shouldn''t say out loud...

    Hu Tao and Fischl were besties and got along really well.

    They hung out a lot in the living room, ying card games or reading books, while Yomite usuallyy on the couch, silently watching over them, joining them once in a while.

    Her rtionship with Lumine and Iris was kind of neutral, but that was alright.

    It would surely get better with time.

    Hu Tao was a bit sad when Fischl left on the solo quest and didn''t speak much for a few days.

    So he was d she was back to her usual self.

    After walking for some time, the party had reached a forest.

    Yomite, who was in front, suddenly stopped.

    "��Hmm, someone''s there... a little girl?"

    When the group heard Yomite, they all gazed in that direction��

    At the entrance to the forest, a green haired girl sitting on a boulder seemed to have spotted them, and started waving.

    (What is she doing all alone in the middle of nowhere?)

    Yomite had a bad feeling. This already seemed like a trap.

    He gazed around his surroundings but didn''t see anyone in the vicinity.

    (That''s weird...Are they hiding somewhere in the high grass?)

    They dealt with traps like these pretty often.

    Usually, treasure hoarders would hire some young ''actors'' who would then in turn, lure in innocent people, so that they could easily rob them.

    This might have been one of such actors.

    He shifted his gaze to the girl''s leg.

    "..."

    On her right ankle were blood-stained bandages.

    She nced at her right foot from time-to-time with a pained expression.

    She then lifted her head and looked their way again.

    When she did, Iris walked up to Yomite and whispered, "Mast''r. That''s a monst''r. Not human. Can I consume it?"

    He looked back at her in shock, was she being serious right now?

    Did that mean that they actually found the thing they were looking for so quickly?

    Or was it a different monster altogether?

 Chapter 99

    If you vote power stones something nice might happen~

    ***

    (I want to know)

    Following his thought, a blue screen popped into existence up in front of him.

    Despite trying really hard, he wasn''t able to shorten the sentence to a single word as he nned...

    Just thinking about words like Observe or Properties would be so much faster and easier than an entire sentence...

    How unfortunate.

    ��������������

    Species: Dendro Slime Mutation

    Status: Not Hostile, Not Friendly.

    Dropps - Slime concentrate

    ��������������

    The blue window in front of him looked way more hollow than it usually did.

    (Indeed...That''s a monster....Come to think of it, I never really used it on monsters before...they kind of just die before I can even use the ability...The fact that it shows the materials it can drop is astounding, I should use it more often.)

    "Aren''t you hurt...Are you alright?"

    Yomite grabbed the shoulder of Lumine who was carelessly approaching the girl.

    When they noticed his actions, not just Lumine, even Hu Tao and Paimon turned to look at him.

    Seeing his serious gaze, they knew something was wrong.

    "Iris warned me just now...And I''ve also confirmed it. That''s a monster in disguise."

    """Huh!?"""

    The group eximed.

    He ignored the gaze of the little girl who was looking his way with a sad expression.

    He knew her expression was fake, yet it came from a monster that mimicked an appearance of cute, injured, crying Loli...

    He kept his guard up while taking out the map of Teyvat which he had gotten as a present from the Adventurer''s guild after reaching AR 20.

    He finally had a map of his own, albeit inferior to Lumine''s, but it was still pretty good.

    The current rank of their party was AR 36 and he could tell that the leveling up was getting harder and harder...

    There were barely any queststely, so they had no choice but to do some dailies and a few random requests from the people of Mondstadt.

    Information about monsters found along the road was also published on the map and this seemed to fit the description pretty well.

    (A Dendro Slime in disguise.)

    That''s what it was after all.

    Lumine said to him while he was reading through the details, "Party Leader..I think she''s hurt...I am going to help her..."

    Yomite kept on holding the shoulder of Lumine who was saying that.

    [A Dendro Slime in disguise. A new Slime variation of slime that changes shape into cute things...We don''t know much info as it''s a new variation, however from what we know, it''ll give travelers a strong urge to protect it, luring them to its side. The temptation is hard to resist, and if you be emotionally attached, you''ll be trapped until death.]

    [Kill count of adventurers by this rumored type of slime is about eight. It is said that it releases some kind of pheromones that activate motherly instincts within nearby females as an urge to protect itself. Doesn''t seem to be affecting males. It''s rumored that this monster possesses high intelligence, but that''s still inconclusive. It might sound cruel, but any adventurer party that encounters this monster must immediately exterminate it.]

    "Assistant-kun, she looks like she''s about to cry. Is that really a monster?"

    It was uncharacteristic of Hu Tao to sound so worried.

    (Was she already affected by the pheromones from the monster girl?)

    "Since when do you care about people who cry? What about the poor Timmie you scarred forever with your sadistic jokes a few months ago?" Letting out a chuckle, his gaze turned serious, "Iris is without a doubt able to correctly identify entities around us. I also checked. It''s a monster for sure."

    He read further and frowned.

    [As the monster will smile with relief when travelers stay by its side, it''s hard to leave her. It''ll show a crying face if you want to leave. The kinder you are, the more likely you''ll be trapped by this monster, so please proceed with caution.]

    [Once you''re trapped, it''ll cling on to you, making it hard to get away. Also, when the traveler tries to leave because of hunger, the most dangerous thing this monster will do is pick the fruit it bears and offer it to the traveler. It tastes delicious and gives those who eat it a sense of being full�� However, the fruit contains no nutrients, so whoever eats it will slowly wither away no matter how much they eat. The traveler will be stricken by their conscience when they see the girl cutting and offering the fruits it bore itself. In the end, they won''t even eat, and will die of malnourishment.]

    "Ugh��! Even if she''s a monster, ignoring a casualty is��" Lumine bit her lip, she couldn''t bear it any longer and approached the Dendro Slime.

    She believed Yomite that it was a monster as she herself had activated her Elemental Sight and it showed up as a Dendro Slime monster, but something within her forced her to act like this.

    It was simply in her nature to help others, be it an injured monster or a trap set by the treasure hoarders, she didn''t hesitate and jumped straight in.

    As the map stated that the monster was most likely not going to attack physically, Yomite didn''t stop Lumine this time around and continued reading.

    [Eating the fruits of the Dendro Slime for prolonged periods of time will result in the danger signals sent by your body for hunger, fatigue, and pain being cut off. The fruits might contain something that affects the central nervous system or the brain in general. The fruits weren''t actually fruits but a dangerous toxic slime gel. Hence, travelers will stay close to the girl and grow frail in a dream-like state. No other information was provided so far.]

    "..."

    Yomite stopped after reading up to that part.

    Everyone was hesitant about touching it after learning it was a monster and they all showed an uneasy expression, other than Iris, who was silently gazing at it from the distance, thinking whether she could finally eat the monster as a snack or not.

    The Dendro Slime Girl in disguise seemed to be asking, ''Are you going to stay by my side? Please help me. Don''t leave me.'', looking at the three of them with eyes filled with expectation.

    The protective instincts of those three were probably already stimted by her pheromones and her innocent gaze, as their hands kept opening and closing.

    Lumine was the type that helped everyone, Paimon didn''t mind helping people and Hu Tao who was slowly opening up and learning about what emotions were, was also a bit conflicted.

    He was surprised that Iris had no problems. It might have been that her divinity was protecting her.

 Chapter 100

    "It''s a type of vegetation monster that won''t deal physical damage, but it''ll stop travelers by stimting their protective instincts, starving them to death, and enrooting them forever. It''s pretty nasty, I''m not going to lie. We should just kill it."

    When they heard what Yomite said, they seemed relieved, and walked to the girl''s side.

    (Oi�� Didn''t they hear the part about starving travelers to death?)

    Yomite went closer as well and inspected the girl.

    The Dendro Slime girl was wearing clothes that weremon for girls in town.

    The clothes looked roughly like something a citizen from Mond would wear.

    She was bare footed and was smiling happily as they surrounded her.

    Looking carefully, the boulder under her butt was also a part of her body.

    Behind the boulder was something like a branch. A few small fruits were growing on it.

    Those were probably the toxic gtin substances she would offer to her hungry prey.

    (The whole idea of this monster is haunting...)

    Be it the clothes she was wearing or the blood-stained bandages, all of these were mimics to draw the attention of people.

    All of them were fake.

    (Disguising herself as a Loli who couldn''t move due to her injury�� How evil. It''s intelligence must be rtively high. I do wonder how a slime could evolve like that though. Maybe in the future, I will be able to get myself a slime girl hehehe...)

    The three of them didn''t care about what he was thinking and started doting on the girl.

    Lumine gently reached her hand out and the girl showed a hesitant face that seemed to be saying, ''Can I hold your hand?'', and took Lumine''s hand.

    After holding Lumine''s hand tightly, her expression changed to that of happiness from the bottom of her heart.

    ''...''

    The three of them werepletely taken in by that expression.

    Yomite stood before the Dendro Slime girl and drew out his ymore.

    This monster was too dangerous.

    Its effects were almost like a full blown hypnosis��

    And if it worked even on someone like Hu Tao...there might be huge issues if left alone.

    He had to take care of it.

    He was about to strike, however, Lumine got in his way, stretching out her hands in a protective manner, defending the girl.

    "Lumine are you crazy!? I almost cut you in half!"

    "You can''t kill it." She pouted as she embraced the mimic girl, squashing her cheeks against her.

    (No, hold it, that is monster! A new found monster that killed people! Besides, Lumine has Paimon, why is she embracing this cute Loli...Ah...even Paimon is...hugging the Loli tightly...)

    Lumine held the hand of Dendro Girl and looked up at him with pleading eyes.

    Just like a kid pleading to her parents not to send away a kitten she picked up off to an animal control or a kid pleading for new monthly Xbox Gold Live so that she could y online with her friends.

    Lumine''s face was indeed dangerously cute, nothing like her usual emotionless expression.

    (The pheromones must have gotten her good...)

    "U-Ugly Tattoo...P-Paimon doesn''t usually ask you for a favor, but now is the time to do so. Leave this girl be!"

    Paimon seemed very hesitant just now, despite knowing that it was a dangerous monster, she still decided to protect it.

    Hu Tao stood up, "��No. If my dear assistant decided to exterminate it, then it should be done. We are on a quest after all! I just came here because I thought it was injured, but it wasn''t hurt at all. Judging from this, this monster must be a very cunning mimic. If we leave it alone, there''ll be more victims in the future."

    For once, Hu Tao said something incredibly smart.

    Yomite had noticed this, that Hu Tao sometimes had these moments where she was smart, and would act mature.

    Luckily one of these moments just happened, hopefully changing the flow of this situation.

    She drew out her long polearm while saying this, and took a stance against the Dendron Slime Girl.

    Her polearm was coated by the fire from her Vision.

    Dendro and Pyro element was a dangerousbination.

    One spark of mes and the Loli in front of them would burn to cinders.

    Her Vision had ignited and she was ready to strike but at that moment, the Dendro Girl said, with a lisp like a child, and a voice that was soft and vague, as if it wasn''t yet sure how to speak:

    "��Want kill�� Me��?"

    The Dendron Slime Girl held onto Lumine''s hand like a drowning woman grasping at a lifebuoy as she raised her head and looked up at Hu Tao.

    Tears filled her eyes as she quivered nonstop.

    (So, it could speak��?)

    Yomite frowned. It was even more dangerous than he thought.

    The polearm in Hu Tao''s hands started shaking intensely, and she looked back at Yomite with an expressionpletely identical to the little girl.

    (Even you!? Hu Tao! Looking at me with such eyes. What the hell! When was yourpassion three months ago when a child ran away from you, crying after one of your jokes!)

    He held it in and took a deep breath.

    He pushed the immobile Hu Tao aside and walked forth with his unsheathed ymore.

    (This monster needs to die. It''s a quest after all...)

    The pheromones were too strong, the girls couldn''t possibly kill it.

    It was his responsibility alone.

    Paimon flew in front of the little girl to block his way, waving her fists in the air as if she was a boxer.

    "Don''t you dare Bad Tattoo! Paimon will fight it out with you!"

    The Loli looked at Lumine, who was holding her hand, then said to Yomite timidly,

    "��Want kill�� Me��?"

    Seeing the teary-eyed little girl tilting her head to express her doubt, it felt like a knife was tearing away at his insides.

    (Come on! Not me too! There are no pheromones affecting me, she''s cute, that''s for sure...but it only affects women!! Get a grip, Yomite!)

    The two people, a fairy and one monster stared at him.

    (Pull yourself together, this monster will kill people again. If I leave it alone, someone else might fall victim to it. Just kill it like you do with any other monster or Treasure Horders...no big deal... You''ve seen death and blood many times now...I didn''t want to say anything grandiose, but leaving a monster alone would be wrong, right? Or was exterminating it wrong!?)

    "Tch damn it all!"

    Seeing him stab the ymore into the grass and scratching his head from this dilemma, Lumine said, "See? I knew party leader wasn''t a bad person...Thank you!"

    "What illogical thinking, just like that of a bum." Yomite scoffed.

    The three of them looked at Yomite withplicated expressions.

    Iris on the other handid down on the grass near them, as she sunbathed and didn''t care about the girl whatsoever.

    (Sun feels good, Sun feels nice. Praise the Sun.)

    The mimic girl also had a face of unease.

    Yomite had a proper reason to do this.

    If he didn''t exterminate this monster, there might be victims in the future.

    (Tch��Ahhh, damn it, it can''t be helped, so please forgive me! That''s right, even though its appearance was a human Loli, my only weakness, it was still a monster on the inside, a monster, monster��Get a hold of yourself, Yomite! The pheromones she generates are taking over your mind even when they shouldn''t!)

    "��"

    Seeing how conflicted he was, the mimic girl said in a soft voice,

    "Is it painful��Sorry because I live��"

    The mimic girl said as she showed a fragile smile.

    "Because, I, we, monsters live��Will cause trouble��"

    Specks of tears appeared in her eyes...

    "Since born, first time, talk with humans��I''m sorry..."

    It sped its hand before its petite chest as if in prayer.

    "Meeting with you... beautiful...if next time...I born human...we meet again...Would be wonderful..."

    After saying its piece, it closed its eyes in resignation.

    "..."

    ...

    ..

    .

    There was no way he could do it...

 Chapter 101

    They let the Dendro Girl off and carried on, walking back home.

    Today''s quest wasn''t finished but they at least confirmed the existence and the location of the new monster, and that it borrowed an appearance of a little girl, so that already guaranteed them some rewards from the Guild.

    He didn''t want to care about that anymore.

    Someone might fall victim to it in the future, but he would not kill a monster with an appearance of a crying Loli...

    Call him selfish but he is in no way turning his ymore towards children.

    (��That Mimic girl would definitely charm someone who was going to pass through there. Fuck, I am stupid, I should have just killed it...)

    His indecisiveness might prove to be fatal.

    After all, even after they agreed to spare it, everyone was still reluctant to leave.

    Specifically, Paimon and Lumine were hesitant to leave, making him spend a lot of time and effort to herd them forth.

    (Ahhh, how annoying. Be it kill or spare, both options leave a bad taste in the mouth. This monster was really evil.)

    However, she said this was the first time she spoke with a human, so no one had fallen into its hands yet...

    Did that mean there were multiple mutated species around?

    So, sparing it would be��

    Fine��?

    "��But I am so d that Party leader showed some sympathy...He usually just ughters monsters and bandits left and right. It was nice to see a change of pace..." Lumine gave him a rare smile.

    "I think there is a need to talk with you about how you normally see me. All of you should know very well that I wouldn''t do something like that, right?"

    Yomite said as he looked towards Lumine and Hu Tao��

    "..."

    The two of them averted their eyes in silence.

    He truly wanted to strangle them right here and rightfully so.

    He wanted some gentlerades.

    But all he had right now were:

    An emotionless Isekai Character that turned her extroverted switch on once drunk.

    Angsty Emergency Food, whose purpose was to eat andin.

    A Chuuni.

    A Confused and Hyperactive Joke of a Character, that teased, annoyed and scared the shit out of him every day.

    And then a Gluttonous Dragon that made him throw his money out of the window on a daily basis.

    His party wasn''t shaping the way he wanted at all.

    (...Eh?)

    Yomite suddenly stopped.

    "Hey, wait. Isn''t it bad if there is a mimic girl on this path?"

    He spoke to his party, quite concerned.

    Speaking of gentlerades, he remembered a certain girl who was usually patrolling these borders daily.

    If that energetic person who felt sorry for everyone and acted like a little kid, scolding her enemies instead of eliminating them, who had morepassion than the entirety of Teyvatbined...

    If she were to pass that way��

    (Amber...)

    The mimic girl said that they were the first humans whom she spoke to, meaning that Amber had yet to patrol this area.

    In that case, Amber was definitely behind them.

    "Assistant-kun, your face is the same shade of color as the wall in our mansion, what''s the matter? Does your stomach hurt? Do you need to poo~? There''s some trees there, we will keep away so go there and settle it quick~!" Hu Tao noticed his expression and teased him.

    "That''s not it! Hey, you girls go first! I''m going back to the Dendr-...You know what, yeah I''m going to settle it quickly, I''ll be right back!"

    "Party leader?"

    "Huh, wait, wait Assistant-kun? Are you serious? I was just joking."

    He ignored the confused voices of Lumine and Hu Tao and charged back the way they came.

    It hadn''t been ten minutes since they parted with the mimic girl.

    (I''ll reach her soon if I run there.)

    It might be a bit thick-faced of him, but he will ask that girl a few questions.

    He will ask it to not smile or wave at a girl with red rabbit like eared ribbon and a pair of godlike killer thighs.

    The girl with short tight shorts that covered her bubble butt might be passing by the Dendro Slime Girl at any minute now.

    He had to protect those thighs and butt at all cost.

    He thought about it as he ran.

    He arrived at the ce a few momentster, noticing that someone was talking to the mimic girl, but luckily, it wasn''t Amber.

    He immediately hid behind a tree and observed the situation.

    The one talking to the mimic girl was a lumberjack of some sort.

    (Someone from Liyue? No, probably from Mondstadt or from a nearby vige judging by his clothes.)

    The lumberjack approached the Loli with an axe.

    (Was he nning to exterminate that child��? Better for me then...At least I don''t have to go through with it...)

    He brought the axe up high and was ready to kill it.

    Moving slowly, he crouched and creeped closer to eavesdrop.

    And so, he managed to overhear the man''s voice.

    "Ahh�� Damn, why must it be so��? Sorry, I''m sorry! Forgive me!"

    The lumberjack was on the verge of tears.

    Yomite could sympathize with him.

    Raising his hand towards a Loli or even a child-like mimic was hard...unless his life wasn''t in danger, Yomite wouldn''t be able to do it.

    "Because, I, we, monsters live��Will cause trouble��"

    Just then...

    "Since born, first time, talk with humans��I''m sorry..."

    Word for word...

    "Meeting with you... beautiful...if next time...I born human...we meet again... Would be wonderful..."

    The mimic girl said the exact same lines as before...

    The exact same words she told to Yomite...

    "Ah�� Ahhh�� I can''t do it. Damn, I can''t do it!"

    The lumberjack screamed as he turned and ran away in tears.

    Yomite didn''t move and just stood in the shade of the trees, speechless.

    "..."

    (I thought it said to me that I was the first one it talked to...What the hell is up with that!?)

    "Ahhh~ failed again. That lumberjack looked quite meaty and would''ve been great fertilizer��Getting new meat is so much work...What a pain..."

    "..."

    After the lumberjack was out of sight, he heard the voice of the mimic girl, speak smoothly without any stutters, as she wiped away her fake tears into her hand.

    He sneaked to the back of the mimic girl and unsheathed his ymore.

    But the mimic girl didn''t notice that he was behind her.

    "Uwaaahhh�� Damn it, no fertilizer''sing�� It''s a bit cloudy, but whatever, let''s photosynthesize a little��*Sigh*...What a pain..."

    It mumbled and stretched itself to expose its entire body to the sunlight��

    Leaning back, it locked its eyes with Yomite standing behind it.

    "..."

    After staring at each other wordlessly for a moment that felt like eternity, the mimic girl finally said softly,

    "Just now, those words, could you pretend you, didn''t hear them��?"

    "So, you could speak fluently, you little shit!!!"

    ***

    **

    *

    After a nice exercise and a release of pent up anger, Yomite caught up with Hu Tao and the others and found them taking a break at the same spot, waiting for him.

    Seeing his face as he ran over, Hu Tao smiled.

    "You look refreshed, what happened~? Did you really poo~? We~ll?"

    In response to Hu Tao, Yomite smirked and replied, "Yep! I had this terrible pent up feeling in my stomach since earlier, but I am all good now! Let''s head back to Mondstadt, my dearest team!"

 Chapter 102

    ***

    Many, many years ago.

    "Amy, what books did you read today?"

    Her parents asked her on one of the rare asions that they were home between their adventures, when she was younger.

    She proceeded to tell them the story she had read from her favorite series.

    "...And then he said, Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort, you are the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, my proud daughter. You shall never surrender your nobility and dreams."

    "Oh, that''s a lovely story. Since you like it so much, Amy, how about I call you "Fischl" too?" Her father smiled, put his hand on her head, and repeated the words from the story to her.

    "Fischl, you are my wonderful princess and my proud daughter. You shall never surrender your nobility and dreams."

    These kind and loving words lit up her world.

    However, the time with her busy parents was always fleeting.

    At these times, she would remind herself, "I am Fischl, a Prinzessin. It''s true, because mommy and daddy said so..."

    "Never will I surrender my nobility and dreams, for they are... a princess'' rite of passage."

    Just like in the universe of [Flowers for Princess Fischl], the story she loved so dearly, the entropy begot destruction. In other words, the girl who loved to dream grew up.

    On her fourteenth birthday, those of her peers who refused to amodate her quirks belittled her once again. She was essentially a victim of bullying.

    (Tis but a minor setback for the noble Prinzessin. My parents will understand,) She thought to herself.

    For if she knew one thing, it was that as a princess she could never surrender her nobility and dreams.

    But when she threw herself into her parents'' arms in need offort, she was met instead with gentle words of exasperation.

    "Amy...dear...you are fourteen years old now. You''re a fully fledged adult now... It''s fun to make-believe, but eventually you need to grow up and put your childish dreams behind you..."

    And with that, the same voice that had once lit up her world now tore it apart.

    That day at midnight, she found herself sobbing in the library she knew so well.

    She had a strange feeling that she was being watched... Suddenly, she heard an otherworldly pping of wings.

    Sure enough, she looked up and her red, swollen eyes met with those of a night raven from another world.

    What transpired afterwards was another story...

    Fischl didn''t like this story that much...

    Thinking about it caused her to feel suffocating pain and soul-devouring loneliness.

    Maybe one day, this story would be written.

    But that would be Amy''s story, not Fischl''s.

    Fischl had but one identity: she was the Prinzessin.

    As long as she remembered this simple and perfect logic, with a little bit of nobility and a touch of kindness from others, nothing could ever hurt her.

    Things were looking well for Prinzessin Fischl these days.

    Not only did she have Oz and now a best friend in the little Director called Hu Tao, but she had finally met a person, just like her, who she believed was from a different world...

    When she was young, she couldn''t help but believe that, deep down, nothing was real, that the reality she was living in was but a simtion, an illusion, a dream.

    She was in her own little world��

    This thought had always been her fear��

    This thought had always made her paranoid...

    This thought...had always been a part of her life��

    And now, she was afraid of it more than ever.

    Afraid that none of the friends she met, were real.

    That ''He'', wasn''t real, and was just a made up person from her sad imagination thatcked human interaction.

    Ever since she received her Vision, she had these weird lucid dreams.

    It almost felt, as if she could see snippets of worlds from other realities, but it was too hazy.

    Things she thought were normal for the residents of Mondstadt, turned out to be theplete opposite, yet she remembered deep within her memory, that it used to be the case before.

    She had started to question the people around her��The people she knew��she had started to question her own existence��

    And now, that new people stepped into her life.

    She was afraid they would sooner orter disappear.

    Hu Tao''s pranks, andughs.

    Iris'' spars that left her on the ground, panting for breath every day.

    Lumine''s silent, yetpetitive side.

    Paimon''s constant rants.

    And his existence.

    He probably didn''t notice, but she was paying a close attention to him, ever since they met.

    She was smart enough to know, that when they met for the first time, he wanted to recruit her into his party, with the goal of profit in mind.

    And she didn''t mind that. As long as she was no longer alone, and would get to participate with other people in their quests.

    She wouldn''t mind even if they only used her as a luggage carrier.

    But that didn''t happen. All of them were kind, and she very much enjoyed theirpany.

    Slowly, she could feel the boy had opened up and started caring for them all, despite the fact he was using them just for money in the beginning.

    Now, they were all great friends and allies alike!

    If all of that disappeared, what would she do?

    ***

    As mentioned previously, the girl''s parents were busy adventurers.

    She spent most of her childhood in the library, traversing the countless universes that were contained in the pages of the library books.

    She became the ruler of the Immernachtreich, summoned Thundering Retribution as a royal princess, and formed a soul bond with a Raven...

    Oz and Princess Fischl were not only close friends but also servant and master, with a shared soul and fate.

    And so, today, once more, she stepped into the beautiful library.

    ***

    Her parents were pretty famous adventurers, she earned the right to enter the Favonius Library, ever since she was a little child.

    It had also been a while since she herself has had time to read...due to a certain someone.

    She let out a short sigh.

    "Now, why dear, do I hear the sigh of someone madly in love?~" Fischl jumped at the yful remark.

    "L-Love?! No, I was just thinking--" she cut off when her hand mmed unexpectedly hard onto the table.

    "Yes, Miss Lisa, mein Fr?ulein has been having some boy problemstely." Oz interjected, flying off to one of the bookcases when Fischl turned around in surprise.

    She missed her chance to smack him.

    "Oz!"

    "Haha! I was faster! You''re too slow to hit me, mein dear Fr?ulein! It''s over, I have the high ground now!"

    "O-Oz! You!!" Fischl stuttered, helplessly sinking back into her chair.

    Lisa''s lips curled into a devious smile.

    "Boy problem? Why, you''vee to the right ce! Love potions, I can do, memory alteration too, or my personal favorite, mind control,"

    Lisa rambled on, counting each of the ideas with her fingers, before lowering her voice, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Or perhaps you would prefer me to kidnap him and torture him with my Electro Vision till he submits as your dog for personal use?"

    Fischl shook her head profusely, "N-No! That''s way too violent!! Way too violent! I would not force him like that!"

    Lisa''s face softened, although Fischl knew she still wore a deceiving look, judging from the slight smirk she still withheld. "Oh! My dear! How pure-minded, now that is true love." She said dramatically, cing a hand over her chest.

    It would seem that today, she entered the library as Amy, and not as the Prinzessin Der Verurteilung.

    Maybe she wanted some kind of answer, or words of encouragement.

    "Don''t tease me!"

    "Rx, I was just kidding about that torture...kind of...So, who''s the luckyd, to have our Electro Princess blushing?" She inquired, backing Fischl into a corner.

    "I...I-It''s my ever perfectpanion and the leader of my party, Yomite, of course!"

    "Yomite, huh?" Lisa''s eyes dropped a bit, "I see..."

    With a slight frown she squinted her eyes, "Well, let''s start then. I have free time today, so I will help you make up your mind! What do you see in him? Is it just a kid''s crush or are you serious about him? There has to be a reason all of this started."

    "I''m not sure... I think it was not long after we''ve met...he was the first one to ept me for who I am...he is also very kind...he reads books and I feel a special connection with him...and his...butt is nice..." She shyly muttered.

    Lisa let out a giggle at thest part. She had to agree that part was true for sure.

    After listening to her this closely, she could tell it wasn''t just kid''s crush. She was serious.

    "Yesterday."

    "Hm?"

    "Yesterday, I saw him...Laying on thep of another woman, Hu Tao, from our party... She''s also my best friend..."

    (...Unfortunate, poor child. From the books and reality...romance can hurt...)

    Lisa inwardly sighed at the misfortunate girl.

    "My chest hurt so much, that even if it was embarrassing for me to do...I joined in and also gave him myp..."

    "Really? Good for you! That''s a great step for you!"

    Lise nodded. It turned out that the little shy girl could be aggressive and very much possessive at times, when her ''position'' was ''threatened''.

    "Yeah...he said he liked it a lot...my thighs..."

    "That''s even better, that might mean he is very much interested."

    "No. I know him. He''s very flirty and likes topliment everything, but It still feels like...I didn''t seem to pick his eye...I don''t know what to do at all...I guess I''m way too young to be actually attractive in his eyes...If only my chest was bigger..."

    Fischl deeply sighed, her gaze pointed at Lisa''s ample, monstrous bossom.

    "I know I''m always teasing you about it, but chest isn''t everything..." Lisa replied. "Besides, the back pain can get on my nerves. That''s why I developed a potion that would stop the pain immediately for a few months!"

    Fischl slumped onto the desk and muttered, "Once you develop a potion to make breasts bigger...I will visit you once more..."

    The chances of Yomite liking her romantically were slim!

    Very much so!

    Yet she wouldn''t give up on him!

    She knew that someone like him, would only appear once in her lifetime, and she wanted to reach out to him...

    To grab his hand...

    A?n?d? ?h?i?s? ?b?u?t?t?.?.?.?

    And so on...

    The Prinzessin will do her best!

    ***

    "Ah Miss Fischl, good morning. Sorry we called you in so early in the morning, but there is a quest for you ready!"

    "It''s fine, this Prinzessin wakes up way earlier than the sun. Such is my excellence, outperforming the very existence of the beginning of mankind."

    Oz chimmed in and tranted, "Mein Fr?ulein said she wakes up at 4 am in the morning, so she doesn''t mind."

    Katheryne appreciated the trantion and handed Fischl her quest details, "Miss Fischl, you''ll be going to a faraway country called Sumeru. It might take you a while, but I believe that with your capabilities, you can do it!"

    "S-Sumeru!?"

    Fischl almost staggered in ce.

    (Wasn''t that where the ever erotic librarian was from!? But that''s so far away!)

    "The journey back and forth would be about...two weeks I believe!"

    (Two weeks!? I won''t be able to see anyone for that long!? Curse you! Fate!)

    This Prinzessin will...do her...best...?

    After she returns home!

 Chapter 103

    ***

    Three months ago��

    After they sessfully saved Dvalin, the group returned to Mondstadt, the very same day.

    However, there was a small...problem...

    During the battle with Dvalin, the Holy Lyre der Himmel which they stole from��

    *Cough* *Cough*

    ''Borrowed'' from the Church itself, was damaged, and there was no repairing it��

    Apparently, Venti dropped it by ident and the whole thing fell apart.

    They walked inside of the Church of Favonius and were greeted by Jean, and the Deaconess Barbara.

    Jean informed her sister Barbara that they found the stolen Lyre and were nning on returning it.

    Unbeknownst to her, the Lyre was badly damaged, and Venti only mentioned that part when Jean was already on her way back to Mondstadt.

    Barbara was as happy as she could get.

    She panicked when the Lyre was stolen. They couldn''t find the perpetrators no matter how hard they looked, and just when it seemed that all hope was lost, her sister, Jean, came back, bearing great news.

    "I believe some of you might have already met with her, but this is Barbara, the Deaconess of the Church. She''s here to retrieve the Holy Lyre der Himmel."

    Her hairstyle was interesting.

    A pair of pigtails, which was a rare sight in his old world, but this was a fantasy world, after all...Anything was possible...

    "May the Anemo Archon protect you."

    At her words, Venti winked at Yomite who rolled his eyes.

    Despite doing absolutely nothing during the fight, he was acting like a big shot, not to mention he destroyed his own instrument. How clumsy can he be?

    (I will smack himter.)

    "I''m not really in a position to speakpared to our Acting Grand Master, but I still want to thank you all on behalf of all of Mondstadt for your assistance! Fortunately, everything was resolved rtively peacefully...I can''t even begin to imagine how an all out war between the military and the dragon would have ended...Thank you!"

    She deeply bowed before them and her body stirred in response to her gratitude.

    Her face held a humble, grateful expression, her hazel eyes fixed in a downward gaze.

    Her gratitude was so genuine, Yomite and their party felt as if their insides were tearing themselves apart from guilt.

    Even Venti smiled wryly, telling her it was fine and that there was no need to feel indebted by the fact that they retrieved the Lyre for her. He was also feeling a bit weird.

    "Will there be a reward?"

    And then...there was Hu Tao, who just shamelessly asked for money...

    Barbara giggled and replied, "Of course, Acting Grand Master will for sure reward you all!"

    Hu Tao cheered while ignoring the stares of disbelief from her party members.

    (This little runt��)

    "Perfect. Now the Fatui will have no choice but to keep their mouths shut...They must surely be annoyed that things didn''t turn out as nned for them. They finally lost their best excuse to pressure the Knights of Favonius." Jean said, happy that things turned out the way they did.

    Diplomatically speaking, Fatui gained nothing, and on the contrary simply proved just how vexatious they could be to deal with. They were like parasites, or a tumor.

    "So, have you brought the lyre? We cannot ask you to keep defending the lyre forever." Barbara inquired.

    The Seneschal had been pressing her for a while now.

    Seneschal was essentially an agent in charge of Lord Barbatos'' estate.

    "Umm...well...we did bring it with us...It''s just...it''s a little��" Paimon held her head in her small hands, refusing to meet Barbara''s gaze.

    Venti hesitantly showed her the lyre...or at least...the pieces that were left...

    "No!"

    Barbara let out an ear piercing scream and fell on her knees after witnessing what happened to it.

    "Oh, Lord Barbatos...even if I atoned for these sins for the rest of my life...It would still not be enough!!"

    She wailed on the ground, praying and asking for forgiveness��

    (Please stop...the God you are praying to is right before your eyes...He was also the one who broke it...why is she crying��)

    Yomite shot Venti a look, and thetter sighed.

    "Give it here." He took the Lyre back and soon, his Anemo power ignited in the surroundings.

    A green light entered the instrument and easily fixed it''s ruined shape.

    It assimted its pieces back together. The dusty white skin turned yellow and the crooked steel strings rxed themselves.

    The first string vibrated out of the broken strut of the neck, dancing easily as it recognized its owner.

    The light radiated off of it turned from green to white. It seemed to dance with the air, and once it was gone, the Lyre was repaired, and it didn''t even have a scratch on it.

    Apletely brand new Lyre!

    "The Holy Lyre!? But how!?"

    Venti handed the lyre to her and she hugged it, as if afraid someone would break it again.

    "Heh? Tone-Deaf-Bard could do something like that? Let Paimon see!" The ever curious fairy wanted to check out how he did it.

    "No!"

    A resolute answer escaped the nun''s mouth. She didn''t want to sound rude...But...

    No one, other than her, would touch it ever again...For safety reasons...

    "I will keep it safe!"

    Saying that, she quickly ran into the underground safe while tightly clutching the lyre.

    "Well...she certainly was...energetic, to say the least��"

    Yomite said with a small smile.

    The group parted and as they were leaving the church, Yomite was curious on how Venti actually fixed it. He couldn''t do so before...so how was it that he could fix it now?

    "I agree with Paimon...since when did you have powers like that?"

    As a response to that, Venti put a finger to his mouth and winked, "Camouge, remember? She will find out any second now, we gotta run!"

    "Huh!?"

    After saying his piece, Venti ran as if a demon was on his heels.

    "No! Why did the lyre break again!? I swear it wasn''t me! It''s not my fault...Lord Barbatos!"

    Yet another wail resounded inside of the Church.

    "Venti!!! Stop running and go exin the situation to her!!"

    And so, the winds changed their course and someday, they would blow towards a brighter future.

 Chapter 104

    ***

    Present time.

    After Yomite relieved his anger by taking care of the Dendro Bitch, the group was about to teleport back to Mondstadt.

    Suddenly, he heard something.

    His face instantly changed for the worse, thinking that there might be a monster on their way.

    It was then, when a lone figure on a lizard mount approached them at high speed. It was apanied by a wild screeching noise.

    The one who appeared before them was unexpectedly Jean.

    (Jean? What is she doing here? Isn''t she usually busy in her office?)

    He called out to her with a smile, "Jean, long time no see. Are you alright?"

    Herplexion looked terrible, and she was on the verge of crying.

    "Please...help me..."

    Jean''s voice was trembling. She looked like she was going to burst into tears at any moment now.

    She had the atmosphere of a lost child that wasn''t sure what to do.

    Yomite had known Jean for quite a while now, and he had never seen her act like this before.

    Something bad must have happened.

    "I''m sorry...but for safety reasons, I can only take two people with me..."

    The group was as confused as they could be...

    "Jean..e on...calm down, and exin what happened."

    Being dignified and graceful should have been her trademark, but right now Jean looked as pale as a corpse.

    Yomite was convinced that something really serious must have happened.

    "..."

    Jean herself must have been aware that she was asking for something unreasonable here.

    Her lips twisted in self-derision and she lowered her head powerlessly.

    If it was her own life that was needed, Jean would give it away without the slightest hesitation.

    However, Jean waspletely powerless against the current situation.

    It was as if her whole life of training was for naught.

    She couldn''t save the one she loved the most.

    Even so, hoping for Yomite to do something about it was something that was very selfish of her.

    She understood that logically. She understood, but����

    "...This morning, we found that Barbara had suddenly copsed after she returned from the vige of Springvale...Our Favonius physician said...that it''s a malignant disease and only a miracle can save her. She also said that so the disease doesn''t spread and infect all of us, we should at least ease Barbara''s suffering...and burn her...to death..."

    Jean''s expression was grieving as though it was she herself who was going to be burned.

    Yomite silently made his decision seeing her like that.

    He didn''t know if he would be of help though. He was, after all, a novel reviewer, not a doctor.

    Hu Tao, who understood what was going on inside Yomite''s mind, frowned and grabbed Yomite''s sleeve.

    "We''re not going."

    Her resolute words made the group widen their eyes.

    "I know that I''m asking for something unreasonable...but no matter how much I racked my head, I can only rely on your group, Honorary Knights and the Heroes who saved us before... Someone like you, so different from the rest of the popce I''ve ever met, capable of scolding an actual Archon without a problem...someone who is looking at the world differently from the rest of us... please save her..."

    Because Visions and magic was spread around the world, the medical technology in this world wasn''t advanced by any meanspared to his old world...

    What''s more, from what she said, this was a contagious disease, it could be said that research regarding pathogens of the virus type was almost nonexistent here...

    "There is no need for us to go. Those who are fated to pass on, shall do so. We don''t need to put ourselves in danger as well."

    Hu Tao''s words were harsh, but from the teachings of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, those who were fated to pass on, shall do so without any resistance.

    Same went for her grandfather.

    If Barbara''s condition was that bad, then she would perform the ceremony after she passed away and her soul would be at peace.

    Wangsheng Funeral Parlor strictly forbade any kind of ''Interruption'' of fate.

    "Hu Tao, we need to go and try to see if we can help...don''t be like that..."

    "I''m not going, and neither should you...Yomite. I''m not a Hero, nor am I medically skilled enough to save someone and from what I''ve seen...neither are you. We will be putting our lives on the line for naught."

    Yomite knew she was mad when she called him by his actual name and not the annoying nickname he grew so fond of.

    He frowned at her words, she was right, but her twisted logic was the thing that made him angry more than ever.

    "Can''t you at least have somepassion towards her!? Her sister is about to die! We need to do something! Anything! It''s better than doing nothing!"

    This seemed to tick Hu Tao off...

    "Rather, it would seem your small brain isn''t capable ofprehending the current situation. So let me exin again. We''re medically inefficient, we aren''t heroes that would step into danger for no reason, we''re adventurers, not medical practitioners... Once you try and help, you''ll be infected as well! Not to mention, that if we try to do something, her condition might worsen and she would suffer even more...So I''m asking the Acting Grand Master now, are you sending us to our death?"

    Jean lowered her gaze.

    Everything Hu Tao said was the cold truth.

    "Fuck! I hate your logic!"

    He stabbed his ymore into the soil of the ground in anger.

    He wasn''t stupid, he knew and could understand her facts.

    Yet he believed that maybe with Lumine''s cheat abilities and his quick wit, they might be able to do something about it.

    Still, the risk of getting infected was way too high.

    He knew she was painfully right, but was it really okay to just let someone die like this...

    He only met her a couple of times, but still...

    Meeting someone who was such a kind person, only for them to die the next month��

    How were the Gods of this world choosing people?

    At least take someone who deserved death.

    Forget it, it was the same back at Earth.

    Innocent people died, disgusting animals in the form of human beings lived.

    Lumine and Paimon also had a reluctant gaze.

    They wanted to help, yet their medical skills were also non-existent...

 Chapter 105

    ***

    A day ago.

    Barbara was headed to the Vige of Springvale to carry out a task set by the Vige Head.

    The request was to send in a healer so naturally, Barbara as the Deaconess had to take part as she was a part of the support ss from the Church of Favonius.

    Her eyes sparkled with determination when she thought about the people who needed her help.

    Unfortunately, she was of no help to the vigers, as Barbara could only heal minor injuries and skin issues, not actual illnesses.

    No one in this world could heal illnesses with magic or spells. It was simply impossible.

    The only way to help them would be to make medicine or be skilled enough in alchemy.

    But alchemy masters were rare, and the Chief Alchemist Albedo, the Alchemist prodigy was currently unavable as he went on an excursion to Dragonspine, and they weren''t notified of his location.

    As for making the medicine, no one knew what to do or how prepare it. It appeared to be a new illness never before seen.

    There were no instructions that would save them.

    They were...left for dead.

    The request didn''t specify what the vigers needed so Barbara dejectedly returned back to Mondstadt, ming herself for being useless once again.

    The Acting Grand Master Jean, her sister, told her not to worry about it, but her words weren''t taken as encouragement, but discouragement instead.

    They always were.

    Once again, the inferior sister was unable to prove herself.

    Unable to help anyone.

    Locked in her own shell of depression, while everyone depended on her older sister instead.

    Her older sister was stronger than her.

    Better at swordy than her.

    Taller than her.

    She was everything Barbara wasn''t, and everything she strived to be.

    She was...

    More beautiful than her.

    More dependable than her.

    More charismatic than her.

    More famous than her.

    More.

    More..

    More...

    ...

    ..

    .

    What did she have that her sister didn''t? What was it that she needed to do in order to feel like she was still alive?

    To feel like she was actually worth something?

    Even if youpared their Visions, Jean''s Vision could heal a whole area of Knights in seconds while Barbara could only heal about four people at the same time, and she was supposed to be the healer, the supportive ss.

    She had nothing. Not a single thing she was superior at. Even if it came to simple things like spreading butter over a loaf of bread, she wasn''t better.

    (Pathetic, useless, inferior version.)

    Barbara repeated those words in her mind whenever she went to sleep, whenever she woke up early in the morning, whenever she didn''t manage to aplish something...

    Boiling with hateful emotions, every day when she woke up, Barbara was putting on a happy expression as a facade.

    She swore to herself that she would only feel depressed for about thirty seconds before switching back to her happy persona, but that n was already failing.

    She stared at the mirror, trying to adjust her mouth and cheeks to form a smile, or a happy expression with her fingers as if she was an emotionless machine.

    She was an "Idol" after all... She had to smile!

    It was only natural! If people saw her with an emotionless expression, she would lose the only thing she had going for her, the whole "Idol" thing she read about ages ago.

    (Disgusting. I hate you. I hope you die soon.)

    She cursed in her mind as she looked at her pathetic reflection in the mirror.

    And the day after she returned home yesterday, her terrible wish might have been fulfilled...

    Not long after she woke up, Barbara suddenly copsed...

    ***

    "...I was the one talking to her yesterday. She seemed healthy, although she was obviously disappointed as she was not able to help those vigers, and yet��"

    Jean looked down while biting her lip. Tears slowly welling up in her eyes.

    "She copsed..."

    Jean knew that as the youngest child, Barbara had it the worst.

    Their parents divorced when they were young and each of them took an heir for themselves.

    One for the Knights of Favonius and one for the Church.

    At that age, especially that young, it was really stressful to see your parents hate each other and then separate.

    She wanted to take care of her little sister better, but they barely met each other when they were younger, and now, loads of work and other things were hindering Jean from even approaching her.

    Not to mention that Barbara was actively avoiding hertely and always used excuses to make sure the two of them wouldn''t be able to meet up.

    Both of them lived in apletely different world.

    One had dedicated her entire life to protecting Mondstadt, the other dedicated herself to praying to Archon Barbatos as his current followers were rapidly decreasing and so did his power.

    Soon he might be even forgotten...

    Right now, Jean hoped her little sister would be cured.

    She ced all of her hopes on Lumine and Yomite, maybe even on Barbatos, who recently went missing.

    If her sister was to sumb to this disease, she would be without a doubt stricken with terrible grief.

    Unfortunately, although Jean was holding such high hopes towards Yomite, despite having memory of previous life, his knowledge of Illnesses was fundamentally shallow despite how vast it was when it came to novels and plenty of other things.

    (I am not a doctor... But seeing her pleading eyes...I will do my best...)

    It waspletely unknown just how useful he would be.

    Maybe he could use his Tempus of the Story ability to know the answer, or see her status with Tempus of the Heart...

    There was still a chance.

    (It''ll be disappointing if I won''t be able to help...But then again, maybe Lumine would be able to do something about it instead. She has plenty of cheats after all.)

    Yomite was shaken by the running of the lizard-like creature he was sitting on, with his hands clinging onto Jean''s sides, while Lumine whom they took with them, sat behind him.

    It was a bit cramped, and it wasn''t a horse but he still enjoyed the ride a lot.

    (This is a new world...there might be different kinds of illnesses, bacteria, viruses... I honestly don''t know if I can be of help...)

    If Barbara was really infected with a contagious disease, Yomite would be unable to meet with Hu Tao, Iris, Fischl and the others until the disease''s incubation period had passed.

    That time would take more than a week.

    Hu Tao would be alone for quite a while...

    (Heck, why am I thinking of her at times like these... It''s not like she didn''t do her business while staying alone for the past who knows how many years. She pisses me off...Why did she have to act so stuck up...)

    Despite what he was thinking, Yomite spent the most time with her out of everyone in this world and was concerned about her well-being.

    He really valued this connection but wasn''t yet sure if he wanted to expand it into something more... Something like being lovers.

 Chapter 106

    ***

    He dated a few women before and he didn''t share that many good experiences with them, so from then on he just decided on one night stands, but he couldn''t really do that here, as he had known Hu Tao for a long time already and they were in the same party, so that thought was gone immediately.

    (It would be he awkward if we just had a one night stand and the next day we would eat together in my mansion and then do quests, acting as if nothing had happened...)

    He was supposed to be conducting one night stands with people he didn''t know and didn''t have a high chance of meeting ever again in the future.

    Not with someone who he enjoyed spending his every day, hour and minute with...

    Thest option would be to try dating, but...

    If she said no, he felt like everything they built up would be burned down from scratch and their rtionship would be quite awkward.

    Maybe not as much for her, than for him.

    He doubted she understood the concept of dating anyway.

    (It''s funny how I never really cared about rtionships, but now that I may have a chance to get into asting one, I''m panicking almost like Kaeya...Still, I should calm down...this is an isekai where harems are a normal thing, concubines, mistresses, main wives, polygamy, etc, everything is real. Mondstadt is the city of Freedom. Harems, same sex marriages and so on are also allowed.)

    Yomite''s head hurt just by thinking of something like this.

    Then there was the issue with Fischl, who also seemed to have shown a great interest in him which he would also have to resolveter.

    (Haah...everything is soplicated. Almost no isekai character has to face what I have to face...Usually, the world they are reincarnated into has no enemies that are stronger than the main character, it''s also where every girl would fall in love with the main character on first sight and he has the harem of more than nine girls...Yet, reality is often disappointing��)

    (Here I am, in the world of Teyvat that has so many Archons that can whoop my ass in a few seconds and only Sia knows how many other hidden Gods I have yet to worry about...and despite being handso-...Rtively good looking, there hasn''t been a single girl that would fall in love with me on first sight. How tragic.)

    There was Fischl, but then again, she probably wasn''t interested in him because of his looks, but because of something entirely different that only she knew.

    ***

    Yomite and Hu Tao had an argument before separating.

    Hu Tao didn''t want to go with them, and neither did she want him to go and risk his life.

    It wasn''t logical. It waspletely stupid.

    He had no way of helping, why wouldn''t he just ignore it and stay away as far as possible from Mondstadt until the pandemic came to a close?

    Those were her true thoughts.

    But relying on cold and logical calction wasn''t Yomite''s style.

    He was looking at the bigger picture.

    If the city of Mondstadt lost to the pandemic...

    Where would they go?

    Escape to another country?

    The mansion they so painstakingly bought and built, their memories with it, would be gone and they would have to leave it here...

    If the disease spread, nowhere would be safe.

    Even other countries would be in danger.

    For a peaceful life and the peace of his mind, he had to try and fix the issue, even if it was out of his reach.

    That was how he always acted on Earth.

    Fixing things, someone''s mistakes, helping to expand their stories and help develop the authors as much as he could.

    That was his old job. The job he loved.

    He was happy when someone managed to strike it rich with his partial effort on the line.

    A secondhand joy they would call it.

    Or maybe those were just human emotions.

    Still, he had decided on what to do, and he went for it, despite the warnings of Hu Tao who became even more frustrated and angry once he told her his decision.

    "You are just so... unbelievably...stupid... Assistant-kun...Fine..do as you wish..."

    She wouldn''t bother beating some sense into him anymore. He was simply as stubborn as a mule.

    Yomite nced at Lumine and she immediately knew what he wanted but she shook her head in denial.

    To not lose any more time, Yomite wanted to use the teleport, but then Jean would find out that they had a personal teleport...

    Scratch that, Jean could keep a secret so they weren''t afraid she would tell it to anyone, but the problem was that from what she said, the Knights of Favonius were currently stationed everywhere around the town, making sure no one would leave their homes.

    To stay safe and prevent the disease from spreading.

    This would be problematic for one main reason, being that they were bound to be seen teleporting by regr Knights, as in Mondstadt, there were only two teleports.

    One of the teleports was in the middle of the town square, they never used that one as they would immediately be found out by everyone...

    The second teleport was on top of the Favonius Watchtower that wasn''t normally used, but there was a high chance there would be Knights on the standby, checking whether no one snuck out of their homes, now that there was an emergency...

    As for the other teleports that were outside the Mondstadt and it''s vicinity...It wasn''t worth a mention as they were probably equally as close as the party was from Mondstadt, currently.

    But there was another problem...

    The lizard mount couldn''t carry more than three people, and Jean needed both Lumine and Yomite to go with her.

    However, Iris had to stay close to him at all times.

    As he was contemting and Jean was anxiously wondering what''s taking him such a long time to decide, Iris suddenly said that if she gets to their Vi, there should be enough residual energy for her to consume in Yomite''s room for about a week.

    So she would be fine either way, even after they would separate for a short time.

    (That''s great...problem solved.)

    He sighed in relief

    And so, Lumine, Paimon and Yomite joined Jean on her mount and went to Mondstadt as fast as they could, while Hu Tao and Iris went back by foot.

    They still had to cash in on the Dendro Slime Mutant reward, after all.

 Chapter 107

    I reached rank 3 highest rank this week and I''m happy for that even if I couldn''t stay at that rank due to the reasons of many huge monsters up there like Einlion or Fiction reader.

    Will release 3 chapters today.

    ***

    He looked behind his back and saw Lumine with Paimon sitting on her shoulder. Both of them seemed restless. Either afraid of getting infected or worried for their friend Barbara.

    As for the illness...it wouldn''t stop there. Not only Yomite and Lumine, but everyone who hade into contact with Barbara would need to be isted regardless of their status and their contact with the outside world severed. Same for the vigers.

    (We need to quarantine the vigers. We can''t let it spread...That should be our number one priority.)

    "..."

    *Drip*

    Yomite felt a cold drop of water hitting his cheek. He looked up to the sky.

    The evening sky had be dark before he even realized it. ck clouds were rapidly approaching from the west.

    It was like the representation of Jean''s worries and anger towards herself, unable to do anything but watch her poor sister lose the will to live.

    It might be bad but even so, Yomite didn''t have the slightest intention of turning his back from this battle.

    What kind of main character would he be, if he let hisrades and their families die without a care in the world?

    (Yun Che...)

    ***

    Ten minutester, Jean returned with her party of ''saviors'' and stormed into the Knight Of Favonius Headquarters.

    The Knights of Favonius were looking at the intruders with confusion.

    While the people she brought with them were indeed known as the ''Heroes of Mondstadt'' they assumed their strengthy only in fighting, not in alchemy or anything medical rted.

    How would they be of help?

    Even if it was by request or order from the Acting Grand Master of Knights of Favonius, it was illogical and irresponsible to let some amateur people wander in and examine Barbara the Deaconess of the Church of Favonius, as her situation might even worsen that way.

    It was only natural to receive a close questioning beforehand, about their abilities and skills, although Jean seemed to just ignore that and just dragged them towards her sister.

    They shouldn''t waste time on pointless formalities.

    "There isn''t any time to take it slow like this! Let the Honorary Knights, Yomite and Lumine, examine my little sister right away!"

    But the Knights were hesitant, "With all due respect Acting Grand Master...We can''t let some strangers in..."

    What kind of behavior was this!?

    "What did you say?! Strangers? They are the Heroes of Mondstadt and they are here to save my sister, so with all due respect, Knight, get out of my way or else I will force my way through!"

    The sword in her scabbard lightened up with a green light and so did her Vision, indicating she was serious and wouldn''t take a ''no'' for an answer.

    "But...we can''t just..."

    She red at the knights with an unyielding expression, stopping them from saying anything.

    Either they let her in, or she would pave the way herself.

    The Knights felt intimidated by her gesture. It looked as if she was about to pounce on them any second now, so they had no other choice.

    After seeing their leader act like this, they understood that she wouldn''t back down, and reluctantly let them in.

    Running up the stairs, she looked back at Yomite and asked, "...Tell me without concealing anything. What do you think about my sister...Barbara''s sickness."

    On their way here, she briefly exined the symptoms and Barbara''s condition to them.

    So Yomite already had a picture in his mind, but he still had no idea if it was the thing he was thinking about.

    "The symptoms that I heard from you...I heard that it is an intense stomach ache that is apanied by diarrhea but...can I ask if Barbara was also attacked by a fever?"

    "A fever? Now that you mention it, no. There was no fever or anything. She is just...slowly withering away...I feel like if we wait even a few hours she might..." Jean clutched the Vision amulet in her hands to feel at least a bit offort.

    She looked through a window at the silent city of Mondstadt and softly spoke, "I am not used to this kind of thing...But Barbatos-sama...please help my sister...she devoted her whole life to you...praying...it would be unfair for her to end like this...Please..."

    She put up her hands for a prayer and prayed for the best of her sister.

    She prayed for the first time after many years.

    She knew his real identity was Venti, but he was nowhere to be found and she was hoping that nothing happened to him.

    She respected the Archon of the Wind, but she didn''t partake in praying ceremonies.

    Mostly because she had no time for that...

    However, she was startled when Yomite put his hand on top of her own, "Don''t pray to Gods. There is a saying from my hometown, ''Help yourself, and God will also help you.'' So do something that might help her condition even a little, and God will also do his part to help. Together, we will do it, so just smile, and everything will be alright. Leave everything to us!"

    Yomite closed one eye with the corner of his lips curled up.

    (Spoken as the true protagonist.)

    A choked sob escaped Jean''s throat at his words, "...Y-Yes...thank you..." After that, she turned her face aside so that Yomite would not see the look on it.

    She unconsciously clenched his hand and held it, seemingly needing some sort of pir of support to hold onto.

    Yomite didn''t know why but he had the urge to hug her. He felt like this woman was too precious.

    She also fitted the description of his ideal woman up to almost every fetish he had.

    Blonde hair, blue eyes, a woman in armor, abs and those heavenly legs and perfect butt.

    The woman in front of him was simply too perfect.

    (The only problem is that she is the workaholic type, but I could do something about that...Anyway! Yomite you pig, now is not the time!! We gotta save a woman!! Get a hold of yourself!!)

    He shook his head to get rid of pointless fantasies.

    They were about to head up the stairs when Yomite noticed that Jean was still holding his hand.

    "Ehm...Jean? You think you forgot about something? Well it''s not like I mind."

    Jean looked at him bewildered and unsure of what he meant, but when she realized, she quickly pulled her hand back, distanced herself a few meters away from him, and rapidly started bowing.

    "I-I am so terribly sorry...I-I..." She was so embarrassed she couldn''t find words.

    (Cute...)

    "Paimon thinks you two should stop flirting!"

    Lumine nodded and agreed with Paimon for once.

    "There is no time, hurry."

    "F-Flirting!? I-I was not..." She looked down on the ground, feeling ashamed to meet anyone''s gaze.

    Why did it have to be Yomite again?

    First, he saw her secret stash of romance books and now something like this happened...

    She felt like it was destined for her to embarrass herself all the time in front of this man...

    (Very cute.)

    The corners of Yomite''s lips formed a thin smile, "It''s alright, no worries. Let''s just go up, your little sis is waiting for rescue. So let us finally do our part."

    Jean immediately recovered and nodded.

 Chapter 108

    ***

    They passed through the corridor and headed up the stairs. The east wing of the second floor of the Headquarters was for the servants'' bedrooms.

    Barbara was currently staying there.

    Yomite was not 100% sure yet, but there was a chance he might be of some help. Barbara didn''t have a fever, which was a good sign to figure out the diagnosis.

    Fundamentally, fever was the body''s instinctual defense in order to oppose the toxins inside the body.

    That much he knew, and so did anyone else.

    Which was to say, for the body temperature to not rise for fighting the disease''s toxin, it either meant that the body refused to recover or the body function to resist itself wasn''t working.

    (If her body temperature is falling...Coupled with every symptom that was mentioned to me earlier, then the highest known possibility about an illness I have knowledge of...would be that Barbara is suffering from...Cholera. The same illness...my mother sumbed to. What are the odds...)

    He wryly smiled.

    Cholera.

    It was a disease most people have heard of. It was also a disease even more people probably didn''t understand.

    At this point, Yomite was just guessing. It could be a new, never-before-seen illness, but it could also be Cholera, and if it was thetter, then she still had a chance of survival.

    But if it was the former...there was no way to treat something you don''t know how to treat...

    He turned to Jean and said, "I was thinking about which illness it is and I think I know. It might be Cholera."

    "...And, what''s this... Cholera?"

    Jean tilted her head at the disease name that she had never heard about. For Jean, it was only natural she would know all kinds of things.

    She was studying about everything ever since she was little so that she could be the perfect leader of Knights of Favonius and protect Mondstadt from any obstacles, so naturally, she had to learn about viruses and Illnesses too.

    Something like this wasn''tpletely new territory to her, but the name didn''t ring a bell no matter how hard she tried to remember.

    In South Africa, Cholera was one of the main reasons the poption had declined back in the days.

    Over hundreds of thousands of people have died from it, including his mother.

    Well, it was normal Jean didn''t recognize it, as, in the end, Cholera was the name of the disease from South Africa. From Earth. It wasn''t the name circting in this world.

    At least, not yet...

    "It''s a powerful contagious disease. Due to it causing fierce diarrhea to the patient, many people died from the dehydration that it caused. Because the body loses a lot of water so abruptly, even a young person will dry uppletely, looking like an old person with wrinkled skin."

    "So it''s that...That is exactly her condition...Please...can Barbara be saved? I will do anything..." Jean pleaded.

    "It''s hard to tell if I can help...There are various types of this disease. I don''t know which of them Barbara''s Cholera falls under. Even so, the chance for her to be saved shouldn''t be low, but I am not sure..."

    Jean''s blood almost froze in her veins, "...I see... It''s fine...If you aren''t able to help... it''s not your fault..."

    Yomite sighed and flicked her forehead.

    "Ah..." Jean didn''t expect the sudden attack as she was too distracted by her negative thoughts.

    "I didn''t say I would give up on her. You said you would do anything, right? Then how about a date? If I manage to save your sister?"

    Yomite proposed as he winked at her. His voice was calm and soothing, trying tofort her and make her rx as much as possible.

    All of this was of course, just to make her think about something else.

    "A...Date...? Alright...I...I can do that much...If you save my sister then I will take a day off for you, no...even a week..." She epted the confusing request without hesitation.

    "Wait...week is a bit too much...maybe a couple of days...No...A day should be enough, right? I am sorry but there is still so much work for me to do and it''s piling up..." She was fidgeting while thinking about her schedule.

    (Workaholic to the core, huh.)

    He wryly smiled once more.

    Paimon observed the situation and concluded, "What a womanizer...Paimon feels like you are in danger as well so be on guard with the Rude Dragon Tattoo!"

    Lumine shook her head and replied, "I can tell he feels no attraction towards me whatsoever. You can kind of tell who he takes a liking to just by looking into his eyes and distinguishing his facial expressions."

    She didn''t know whether she should feel happy he wasn''t attracted to her, or disappointed because shecked women''s charm.

    Paimon looked around to see if anyone heard what she just said, and whispered, "Sorry, but Paimon thinks you sounded like a creep just now...Does that mean you are usually paying a really close attention to him then~?"

    "I''m not."

    "Re~ally?"

    Paimon wasn''t convinced.

    "I''m not."

    In case the cholera wasn''t treated, the death rate would be 50% at the lowest and 90% at the highest.

    However, putting it another way, humans could recover from this sickness with more than a ten percent chance even if they only relied on their own natural recovery.

    However, because this disease was highly contagious, many of the isted patients were ced in an area with bad sanitary conditions and died.

    There was even a case in the past where a country was ruined because of the pandemic''s outbreak.

    When cholera was prevalent in western Japan in the closing years of the Edo period, it was said that the number of the deceased reached a hundred thousand, which was simr to the South African record.

    As expected, even Yomite couldn''t make an estimate on how far this disease had spread within the world of Teyvat, or Mondstadt itself.

 Chapter 109

    ***

    The biggest problem right now was that about one day had already passed since Barbara copsed.

    They had to prevent the disease from spreading. Immediately.

    "Oh...sister...how can this be..."

    "It''s worse than I thought."

    "...Barbara..."

    "Paimon thinks it''s out of our abilities to try and help her...Sadly..."

    Jean''s group that came to Barbara''s private room groaned when they saw the state of Barbara''s body.

    Barbara''s body was drying up due to diarrhea that was leaking outside her body without pause.

    In just one day her skin was dangling like an old woman. Her beautiful face was covered with deep wrinkles.

    Diarrhea that was umted in a bucket next to her bed looked like water that was colored white after being used to wash rice.

    It was undoubtedly the typical symptom of Cholera, just like in Yomite''s knowledge.

    "Sister...Don''t...look...plea...se..kill me..."

    Barbara weakly murmured, pausing multiple times between each word, having no strength left.

    Jean was looking at her sister as if she was in a trance.

    How would they even be able to help her?

    She looked beyond saving.

    Anyone present could tell it was toote...

    "Grand Master Jean..." Yomite said but didn''t get a response.

    Maybe death would be mercy to free her from her suffering.

    Jean''s gaze simply remained anchored on her weak, dying sister,ying on her deathbed.

    What could she do to help?

    It was already toote.

    She waspletely powerless...

    "Jean Gunnhildr!" Yomite raised his voice because he felt like Jean wouldn''t snap out of it unless he did so.

    "...Yes...?" Jean woke up from her dazed state and ced all of her hopes on him.

    "I know your sister is the main objective, but we need your help elsewhere. Leave it to us."

    Hearing him, Jean turned serious and replied, "Please, tell me what to do!"

    "Gather everyone who hase into contact with Barbara as soon as possible. After that, please give the order so no one drinks unboiled water or eats any raw ingredients from now on."

    "Understood!"

    For a maiden whose beauty would even shame the flower, there would be no greater humiliation than looking like this.

    Ugly skin like that of an old woman, diarrhea that continued to shamefully leak like a fountain from the anus.

    Jean was heartbroken but there was nothing she could do here.

    She would only get in the way.

    She softly whispered, "You are going to be fine..." And stepped out of the room.

    The immense shame that Barbara was feeling drove her to wish for suicide immediately, if possible.

    She was going through hell.

    What''s more, right now, there were two more people and a weird flying child that saw her in this terrible condition.

    Earlier it was the maids, then the nuns of Favonius, now her sister and some strangers.

    She was too tired to even open her eyes fully and could only make out silhouettes but she knew from their voices that they weren''t maids nor workers.

    She really should just kill herself. This much shame was way beyond her.

    There was a female doctor sitting in the corner of the room with an expression that looked to be half in resignation.

    She tried every medicine but nothing helped.

    She couldn''t save her, so she gave up and just sat there.

    "Get out!"

    Yomite drove her away from the room before he sped Barbara''s hand firmly.

    (A doctor must never show any expression of resignation in front of his patient. Because if the doctor gives up, and the patient gives up, then she has no fighting chance. Thest thing she fucking needs to see is your desperate face, dumbass.)

    First he had to make sure that it was actually Cholera, and not a different disease.

    (The illness is a problem to figure out, what should I say?)

    [1. The patient might have Corona!]

    [2. The patient might have Eb!]

    [3. The patient might have Cholera!]

    He had not used this ability in a long time, and as always, the answers were there, and now he was sure that it could be Cholera based on the choices that appeared.

    He reached out his hand and pressed the Cholera option.

    The next moment, he saw another icon pop up.

    [1. THE WORST CHOICE]

    [2. THE AVERAGE CHOICE]

    [3. THE BEST CHOICE] ??

    (That''s great...Looks like I was right.)

    He was essentially abusing the ability that was supposed to be used for something entirely different.

    He learned before that he couldn''t use it more than twice a day, but it was still an amazing ability he shouldn''t forget to use once he hit a roadblock he couldn''t ovee by himself.

    (Then the next thing...What is her state? I want to know.)

    ��������������

    Name: Barbara Pegg (Gunnhildr)

    Age: 15

    Title: Deaconess of Church of Favonius/Self-proimed Idol

    Hobby: Singing

    Likes: Spicy Food/Drinks

    Dislikes: Life, Anything bitter, Herself

    Dream: To feel alive. To be better than her sister in at least one thing

    Current mood: Tired/Depressed/Fatal/Suicidal

    Rtionship Level: ?

    State of Rtionship: None - Nothing

    ��������������

    Just then, after he read through the dreadful message in her status, he noticed that Barbara''s mouth slightly moved, and Yomite''s gut feeling told him something bad was about to happen.

    "No you don''t!"

    He forcefully opened her mouth and ced two of his fingers inside, resting them on her tongue.

    Like this, he gained himself multiple bite marks.

    Lumine and Paimon were shocked by his behavior, "Ugly Tattoo! Now is not the time for your antics!"

    "What are you doing...Party leader?"

    Yomite just ignored theirments and looked Barbara straight into her eyes.

    "You will not suicide on me...What would your sister do...Dumbass."

    "Suicide!?" Paimon shrieked with a face of horror.

    Lumine was in a simr state. She would never think that Barbara would try to end her life.

    How could Yomite tell?

    While Barbara''s vision was hazy, she could still feel how intent this person was on saving her.

    "Ugh..."

    However, she was resolute and fed up with everything. She bit down on his fingers harder.

    Just as he suspected, she wanted to bite off her tongue to end her life.

    The pain she was feeling right now must have been too much for her to handle, so she wanted to end it swiftly, to finally rest after being subjected to a terrible Illness like this.

    Yomite couldn''t even begin to imagine the pain and stress she must have been currently feeling.

    Still sping her hand and ignoring the pain, he whispered, "It''s okay, it''s okay...you will get through this... Trust me, I won''t let you die...Just rx, we will take care of you and cure you. I promise. Everything will be better."

    His gentle words triggered something inside of her and soon after, she started silently sobbing.

    Feeling that the pressure from her teeth on his fingers had disappeared, Yomite was d but still rested his fingers on her tongue to make sure it wasn''t just a fake attempt to deceive him.

    (This almost turned into a shit show...)

 Chapter 110

    ***

    Yomite turned his gaze towards the door and shouted, "Maids, gather! Quick!!"

    And soon enough seven maids had gathered inside of the room.

    Bearing witness to the strange scene of his fingers inside Deaconess Barbara''s mouth, some of them were filled with strange and exciting fantasies.

    "W-What is it, sir."

    The youngest maid spoke, unsure of how to address the man whose fingers were still inside Deaconess Barbara''s mouth, as he was the one who called for them.

    Her name was Noelle and despite her being the youngest she was hailed as the best.

    Skilled in every department. A jack of all trades, but a master of all.

    Her dream was to be a Knight, but she loved being a maid, so she did her maid duties while studying to be an exemry knight.

    Yomite knew this maid, as he met her before in Jean''s office a few months ago. She was also the second person who knew Jean''s dark secret.

    "Hurry and bring water with salt and sugar dissolved into it. If possible, bring some squeezed apple juice too! The more the better, just keep bringing them here!"

    Upon hismands, Noelle started immediately moving, unlike her peers who just stood there idly, unsure of what to do.

    She nced at them and spoke with a gentle, yet resolute voice, "We need to save the Deaconess Barbara. So please, let''s do our best!"

    Upon seeing her like this, the maids got moving and did as Yomite ordered.

    "Woah, Bad Tattoo is actually surprisingly dependable as a leader when ites to it," Paimon said in awe.

    Yomite ignored her stupid provocative remark and turned to Lumine, "Do you have anything you can help me with? Some power of stabilization or maybe inner healing, or something we can use? Ki? Qi? Hidden overpowered protagonist ability you have yet to show me?"

    "Protagonist ability??...Unfortunately, no. I would like to help you, but I have nothing of that sort...I am sorry I am of no help...Please tell me what I need to do if possible..."

    "Good, then go and help Jean. Not only do we need to keep an eye on everyone who got in contact with Barbara, but also on the Vigers from Springvale, because it looks like the main source of the problemes from there."

    "So make sure you put them all into quarantine! Don''t let any of them escape and spread it around the world! Once you are there, check the water source and try searching for dead animals. If there are any, burn them. We need to find the source and stop the spreading. Also, collect as many Apples and Sunsettias on your way as you can, because not only does Barbara need them, the vigers need to be saved too, and I can only imagine they are in a far worse state than her, if not already dead."

    "Once you are done, hand them over to maids so that they can make more rehydration drinks!"

    Lumine widened her eyes, and nodded, "You are right. I am going... Good luck." An almost emotionless woman of a few words left the room with Paimon, and Yomite was left alone with Barbara.

    In the case of Cholera that caused diarrhea inrge amounts, it was possible for the body to eject liquid in an amount that even surpassed the patient''s body weight.

    This disease called Cholera could make a human with a weight of 50 kg produce an amount of diarrhea that reached a hundred liters.

    The highest cause of death from Cholera was caused by dehydration after the body lost the water and electrolytes inside the body after repeated vomiting and diarrhea.

    To deal with that, it wasn''t as simple as making the patient drink.

    The weakenedrge intestine wouldn''t be able to absorb water well, so even after the patient drank water, it would only get discharged again. In the end, many of the patients would die from dehydration.

    However, when the small intestine was absorbing salt and glucose, water would also be absorbed together with them.

    Oral rehydration solutions were developed by using that concept.

    Cholera''s diarrhea would make the patient lose a lot of sodium and potassium at the same time.

    It would be effective to eat apples, bananas or the sweet sunsettias of this world to replenish those.

    Yomite had studied a lot about it after his mother had passed away.

    So luckily, his knowledge was quite vast regarding this very specific illness.

    (Shit...Her stamina is far more exhausted than I expected...if only I was told half a day earlier...)

    Although it was something that couldn''t be helped, Barbara had withered and weakened more than he expected.

    Yomite unconsciously bit his lip seeing her.

    Originally it would be preferable to directly administer nutrients into the blood vessel using intravenous drip if the equipment was avable, but there was no use to wish for something that didn''t exist.

    This world was simply way too different.

    "It''ll be alright, Barbara, you will be cured. You''ll soon be beautiful again, singing in the town, so please be strong!"

    Seeing that she wanted to speak, he had decided to remove his fingers.

    "I am going to remove my fingers, I trust that you won''t do something stupid like that ever again."

    If she tried something again though, he was resolute to knock her out and feed her the drinks mouth to mouth if necessary.

    Although that would be a stupid idea considering he would get infected immediately...

    "Yo��..u...are?"

    She spoke weakly.

    "I am Yomite Hissha, people call me the Hero of Mondstadt for whatever the reason. We have met before, remember?"

    "Oh...yo.....u are one of those... people... who...returned the Lyre..."

    "Ah! Yes, yes indeed! Your memory is quite good!"

    Barbara opened her eyelids that had be heavy and let out a weak smile.

    "I...know what happened...to the Lyre... it''s still...broken you...fat liar."

    Yomite scratched the back of his neck out of embarrassment, "Eh...I guess I was caught red-handed. I swear I will pay you back for the Lyreter, okay? Mhmm...I know! We can go on a dateter so you can shout at me all you want as my punishment. Just make sure you get through this, okay?"

    "Dat...e...You want to...date someone...who looks this... disgusting? I am... beyond saving.....Th...is is so...shame....ful. Just let it e...nd..."

    Her mind was once again flooded by negative thoughts. There was truly no way out of this.

 Chapter 111

    ***

    Usually, Barbara could regte it and hold herself back from looking depressed but not today. It was simply impossible.

    The negative feelings she had been holding inside of her, her whole life were spilling out right at this important moment.

    "I mean, I''ve met you before and I can say for sure that you are he cute! Just like your older sister. This is just a moment some people have to go through. You know, it''s not love unless you care for someone at their worst, right? Or something along this lines...This is only a one-time thing!"

    "Lo....ve....?"

    She gazed up at him. She had to admit he was making nice promises.

    The boy in front of her was unlike the others who looked at her with disgust and abandoned her...

    The maids and the doctors that came here were all useless and gave up on her, leaving her with no will to live. But he was different.

    Forcing his fingers inside of her mouth to prevent her from ending her own life, bearing the pain from her bites that were desperately trying to get to the source to end herself.

    Despite all of that, he gazed at her with a warm look when she looked so pathetic and disgusting.

    Yes, it was like that. Both her sister and man in front of her were different from the others.

    Her sister showed worry and med herself for what had happened while Yomite gave her a caring look and she could see it in his eyes, the boy has yet to give up on her, so how could she give up on herself?

    Splendid dark brown hair. Handsome boy with slightly darker skin and a tattoo over his arm.

    Everything about him looked exotic and hot.

    She didn''t know anything about love, but she could tell he was her type.

    Barbara thought that this boy would surely make a lot of women cry in the future.

    (To think a guy like this could order my sister and everyone around him as if it was nothing...He had achieved this in a few hours, while I struggled to reach that summit for years...)

    Soon enough, maids returned with all kinds of things, from sweet juices to salted water.

    "Please drink slowly. It''s fine even if you vomit it. Please put it inside your mouth little by little and drink it."

    Yomite brought the prepared oral rehydration solution to Barbara''s mouth. He was being as gentle as he could be.

    It felt like the sweet taste was seeping into her tired and dry throat.

    The feeling of Yomite''s manly arm that was holding up Barbara''s weak shoulders felt liberating to her heart that was freezing with despair.

    (����Perhaps I''ll really be...saved.)

    She had epted that she would die ugly and shriveled, covered in filth...no, she had no choice but to ept such fate.

    But a trickle of tears flowed down her face from the hope and relief that finally arrived.

    Barbara drank three of the oral rehydration solutions before she fell into a brief sleep.

    ***

    Ten minutester.

    Jean returned as she finished her task and asked about her sister.

    After confirming that she was soundly asleep, and felt much better, Yomite nodded at her and told her to do a few more things to make sure the illness doesn''t spread.

    "Thank you...Thank you! I''ll never forget this debt!"

    Once she darted out of the room, Yomite gazed at the exhausted Barbara.

    (She has more stamina remaining than I thought. The worst has passed. As long as she has the will to live, everything should go smoothly.)

    As long as she was rehydrated adequately, the worst result wouldn''t ur as long as her stamina didn''t lose against the exhaustion.

    From his conversation with Barbara just now, Yomite saw a strong will and determination for living from her, unlike from her first attempt...

    He believed that she would recover. She was hesitating at first, even attempted to end her life, but the more she drank the rehydration drink, the bolder she got and her spirit was definitely reignited.

    (This woman doesn''t wanna lose yet.)

    As the maids returned, Yomite gave them more orders.

    "Continue rehydrating Bar...Deaconess Barbara when she wakes up. Change the sheet with a new one right now while you can. Don''t wash the old sheet and gather it in one ce. They have to be incineratedter."

    It was said multiple times, but the problem wasn''t just Barbara''s life.

    Cholera had been brought into the city of Mondstadt. They had to take countermeasures so that the infection could be prevented.

    There were countless methods that could be taken.

    "Please don''t let any of the Knights meet Deaconess Barbara for one week even after she gets better. Also, please gather all the maids and doctors who havee into contact with Deaconess Barbara into one room in the Headquarters and don''t let them out. Put them into quarantine and observe them!"

    Cholera spread far and wide from India until Africa, Europe, and America in the middle of the 19th century. It was a disease with strong infectious capacity that stole the lives of millions.

    The death rate wouldn''t be that high if the appropriate measures were taken, even so, there would be a lot of people who couldn''t be saved when they could only use indirect treatments like oral rehydration solutions.

    "If there are people who im that they have a stomachache, please make them drink water with salt, sugar, and sunsettia juice mixed in just like with Deaconess Barbara. Also, please don''t forget to wash your hands each time you enter and exit the room. Don''t throw away the gathered diarrhea carelessly. Gather it in one ce and burn them all together with the buckets."

    There was no longer anyone that was doubting or going against Yomite''s words.

    The maids and doctors were moving briskly as though it was only natural to obey. Knights got wind of it too and went to help.

    Soon enough, even nuns and other people started helping

    Everyone was united.

    The exaltation from witnessing the moment a fatal disease that they thought to be just a matter of time before death arrived being conquered was granting them a sense of duty and aplishment.

    He had to thank that young maid, Noelle, after everything was over.

    She really helped him out with uniting the other unwilling maids.

    Because the Acting Grand Master Jean and The Hero of Mondstadt Lumine carried out their tasks swiftly, they were able to avoid the worst situation of the prevalence of Cholera in Mondstadt.

    After that, there was an outbreak of Cholera pandemic in the source of the disease which was the vige of Springvale.

    Ten people have died and the rest were hospitalized.

    Jean found the source of the disease to be a small water stream.

    It would seem that someone had poisoned it.

    She also found traces left by the Abyss Order.

    So they knew who the perpetrator was.

    Three dayster, Barbara had recovered to the degree where she could stand up from the bed.

    Everyone starting from Jean patted their chest in relief.

    "I don''t have enough words of thanks for Yomite...no...Sir Yomite."

    "Nah, don''t start adding Sir to my name...it makes me sound old, I''m only 17..."

    Both of themughed.

    (Although my soul is 25, it''s not like I will ever tell that to anyone...Only Lumine knows that because all of her abilities are cheats...)

    Barbara had recovered her smile even though she was still lying on the bed.

    This wasn''t just a fake smile she was used to putting up each morning, this was a genuine radiant smile that came from her heart.

    She lowered her head to Yomite with a bashful smile.

    It was innocent how she was turning red from the awareness of how Yomite had seen her ugly appearance.

    "See, I told you! You are already regaining your beauty! One-time-thing, right?"

    "Yes! One-time-thing..."

    Yomite sent a lukewarm gaze her way, almost enchanting her.

    "Ho-How long should I stay in this... room?"

    "One week at the very least. If we want to be on the safe side, then two weeks. If nobody else got sick during that time then we can consider this pandemic to havee to an end."

    Cholera didn''t spread through droplet or air-borne infection but through oral infection.

    Because of that, the infection rate was low unless one''s luck was really bad.

    Because of the measures that were taken speedily, the number of the infected people in the city of Mondstadt stopped at just six unfortunate souls in the end.

    However, among the six people who got attacked by the disease despite endeavoring to wash their hands and sterilizing things by boiling, a name of Yomite Hissha was included...

 Chapter 112

    A longer chapter, about 2.5k. I did not really want to release it one by one so I put it into one.

    ***

    While Barbara was recovering favorably and there wasn''t much longer before she would be able to meet with her family, the Cholera symptoms suddenly appeared on Yomite.

    Although he understood the symptoms due to his knowledge, the intense pain and diarrhea that gave no leeway for any resistance wasn''t something endurable even for Yomite''s body created by a goddess.

    His body did not have immunity or resistance against diseases or poisons and that was one of the greatest weaknesses and the main w of his body, as of now at least.

    Because the treatment method had been taught to the doctors and maids, the six patients including Yomite were provided with oral rehydration solutions, and steps were taken simr to Barbara''s case in order to prevent them from getting dehydrated.

    But in a stroke of misfortune, and irony, Yomite''s condition was far more severe than everybody else.

    The savior had it the worst of them all, such was the cruel irony of fate...

    A dayter, after Yomite fell ill, the disease caused disturbances within Yomite''s consciousness, and he was wandering between the abyss of life and death.

    The majority of Cholera germs wouldmonly be destroyed by stomach acid, while the surviving germs would breed rapidly in the small intestine.

    However, sometimes the symptoms could be heavier with a marked difference in case the patient didn''t produce sufficient stomach acid.

    In such a serious case, the patient wouldn''t just get stomachache and diarrhea, their body would also convulse, and their consciousness would be disturbed.

    In most cases, this was caused by the cholera germs proliferating at an abnormal rate.

    The problem was that the death rate of such serious patients was extremely highpared to other patients whose condition wasn''t that serious.

    (My body feels heavy...)

    To Yomite, it felt like his body didn''t belong to him anymore.

    Unknown amounts of time had passed...

    There was a heavy sense of fatigue as though gravity had been tripled. His throat was hurting, parched and in need of water, but he couldn''t utter a single word.

    (This might be bad...Is my life really about to end? Again? Like this?)

    His consciousness had been disappearing several times sincest night, so he understood that his symptoms were really bad.

    Even his willpower was hitting rock bottom.

    He couldn''t do anything.

    For his life to meet its end in less than a few months after he was reincarnated; moreover, with him being unable to even move a single finger of his satisfactorily, as expected, even for someone like him, that was something he was unwilling to ept.

    Even so, now that he was in this state where he couldn''t do a thing, the willpower of his absolute refusal of death was vanishing like water that was spilling from his palm.

    (Not good, this might be seriously bad...Someone...)

    Humans would be beyond saving if they lost their willpower.

    The only reason Barbara got out of the worst was because Yomite was there for her.

    Putting it another way, humans were creatures that wouldn''t die that easily as long as their willpower held on to the embers of life.

    Even after their stomach was cut up, limbs were broken, and their bowels burst out from the stomach pressure, humans had a hard time dying if they didn''t ept their death.

    Conversely, someone without the will to live would easily die like a burnt-out candle, even if they were just lying down peacefully on a mat.

    Unseen, invisible hands of the abyss were pulling Yomite down into a dark underground, as though to sap the vitality, stamina, and willpower that he needed the most to live.

    He felt a feeling of weightlessness, as though he was falling forever.

    Yomite resigned himself for his time to end, prematurely, in this world of Teyvat.

    He remembered this feeling from when he died and appeared in front of the goddess. He felt the same.

    That drunk-like feeling. As if he was floating away...

    His end was near...

    (Hu Tao...always said to ept death with open arms... Everything hurts...every movement I make, even if Iy still...maybe it won''t be too bad, to just let go...again...)

    The will to resist or the will to stand up were already gone from him.

    When he was about to entrust himself to this flow of falling down forever and closing his eyes for good, the moment all the tension left his body...

    There was a soft feeling that liberated him from gravity, and he felt his body being lifted up.

    It was a nostalgic warmth...it was as though a cradle that rescued him up to the ceiling and was protecting him.

    Yomite noticed that within the warmth, there was a pleasantly sweet fragrance tickling his nose. It was a scent that he knew better than anything in ''this'' world.

    (This scent...It can''t be...)

    The first girl he met ever sinceing to this world. She was always at his side from the moment he came here.

    She was always there when he turned around. Making dry jokes, teasing him and annoying him at every moment.

    The instant he was aware of that familiar body scent, Yomite recovered his consciousness and willpower that were melting into nothingness.

    There were people who were waiting impatiently for his return. He shouldn''t forget that. Hu Tao, Lumine, Fischl, Paimon, Iris, Jean, Kaeya, Diluc, Amber and many more...

    There was no way he could allow himself to be defeated by a disease like this without fighting back.

    At the same time, Yomite couldn''t help but feel a sense of danger within his consciousness that was finally clearing up.

    That was, for him to be able to feel Hu Tao''s scent like this, didn''t that mean she was near him right now?

    (Or is it just a hallucination? Yeah...There is no way Jean would let anyone in, I gave her orders after all...)

    Yomite''s consciousness was slowly awakening along with the sensation of pain that was spreading from the back of his head to his whole body.

    "Are you awake~? Assistant-kun~!?"

    Yomite opened his eyes. The familiar but breathtakingly beautiful face of Hu Tao whose flower-shaped eyes were wet with tears filled his sight.

    ( ...Say...this has got to be a dream...Hu Tao would never cry, her entric personality and the way she doesn''t understand human emotions is just too much...)

    He wanted to yell loudly, but his lips could only make a hoarse voice.

    (Please don''t be here...Please...Why is Hu Tao in this kind of ce!? Even though only maids should be allowed toe near. What if she gets infected!? What were you thinking, Jean!?)

    "Please open your mouth and drink this. You haven''t been taking water since some time ago because you would always vomit it right away~!"

    It seemed he was in a very dangerous condition while he was unconscious.

    He had also resigned himself to death once inside that dream, so Yomite gave up questioning her and obediently drank the oral rehydration solution.

    The sweet taste passed from his tongue to his throat.

    He could clearly feel it moistening his body from the inside.

    Rejuvenating him...

    "Uu...uu...Yomite...*Hic* finally..."

    Hu Tao seemed to feel spent when she saw Yomite gulping down the drink. She sat down and started sobbing.

    When he looked closer, she looked like she had wept her eyes out from the swelling around her eyes.

    Her hair was also looking messy and her white skin was also losing its luster. Perhaps she hadn''t gotten any sleep.

    (Surely she wasn''t crying all this time while I was unconscious, right...?)

    Yomite recalled Hu Tao''s warmth that he suddenly felt the instant he gave up living inside the dream.

    He weakly nced at her, fidgeting in her seat, "I don''t know what''s wrong with me...what is this feeling in my chest?"

    She ced the hand where her heart was located and it was violently beating.

    "I...I don''t want you to die..." her lips trembled as she spoke.

    For her to say something like that despite being the director of a funeral parlor was dangerous and prohibited.

    Especially if someone important from the elders of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had heard her, she would be stripped of her position immediately.

    She was taught that if it was someone''s time to go, then there was nothing she could do about it and should ept it with a straight face and without showing any emotions...as that was simply fate.

    Even during her grandpa''s funeral, she didn''t cry and couldn''t.

    Not being able to do anything, only to prepare a departing ceremony for him.

    Each person of Teyvat had a certain destiny, certain fate, such was one of the rules stated by the Gods.

    Yet right now, she was clearly having a panic attack, being conflicted about the sense of values of life she was taught ever since she was small and the new suffocating feeling in her chest.

    There was no way she could ept if Yomite had died like that, but that would be going against the teachings of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

    In a way, she had already gone against her teachings as she was just supposed to be watching until he died and his soul left his body, then to perform a ritual.

    Her presence...was enough for Yomite to slightly recover from the clutches of death, thereby going against the flow of life and death.

    Yomite was fated to die here today, yet he didn''t.

    He felt touched after seeing someone like Hu Tao act so emotional...

    He couldn''t help but feel grateful for her devotion that saved his life.

    You know...

    He really just...

    "Thank...you...Hu...Tao...I lo...ve you..."

    He didn''t want to let go of her and wanted her to be with him after all.

    Hu Tao widened her eyes at the sudden confession.

    She was too overwhelmed with so many emotions in the past few days, that she just stared at him with a nk look.

    From anger to sorrow to now, happiness and confusion, she didn''t know she could feel something like this.

    She never did.

    The hand that touched her cheek was hot. Her eyes, gazing at Yomite from up close, were moist.

    But she had decided.

    Her answer was clear.

    The first person to have ever epted her for who she was other than her grandpa, deserved a huge ce in her heart.

    She had known this for a long time, that he became a huge part of her life.

    Yet she was afraid, ironically of a simr thing Yomite was afraid of.

    She was afraid that if she told him about these newfound and never before explored feelings, he as the only person that epted her would feel weirded out by her behavior, and might potentially even leave her, just like everyone else did.

    And she couldn''t stomach that...but now the answer was loud and clear, shouting within her mind.

    "Mhm...I feel the same way. My chest feels tingly~."

    She was finally ready to face what''s toe.

    Yomite opened his mouth once again, but she put her finger on his lips.

    "You need to rest now!~ Once you are cured, we can talk about this and enjoy ourselves, kay~? Kay kay kay~? Fischl is also waiting for you and wants to tell you something..."

    That look, everything about her, made him feel very warm inside.

    In his old world, he had dated quite a few women, but during the entirety of those rtionships, none of them ever looked at him like she did just now.

    They were all just friends with benefits in a sense, but Hu Tao was someone he could genuinely imagine staying with till he grew old.

    Yomite wanted to hug her. He wanted to hug Hu Tao''s trembling small body tightly and caress her head while consoling her.

    He really loved this girl after all.

    He couldn''t lie to himself any further.

    (She isn''t the type to cry...she shouldn''t cry...make a smile, Hu Tao...tell some jokes...)

    "Make...a smi...le."

    Yomite was vexed by his exhausted body that couldn''t do anything and only barely managed to lower his head.

    Hu Tao shook her head before she clung onto Yomite''s neck and wept again.

    There was a bright sweetness like a sunny ce from Hu Tao''s long dark brown hair that lost its glossiness from exhaustion. It was a scent that was a characteristic of hers.

    Yomite mustered all his strength and somehow managed to hug Hu Tao''s head. The loveliness that was different from what he felt until now was filling his chest.

    "Hug...Tao.." Yomite gave her a weak smile.

    Hu Tao widened her eyes and snuggled even closer into his embrace. "So you do know...how to tell dry jokes...dummy~..."

    ***

    Originally, Yomite''s stamina far surpassed Barbara.

    After he recovered his consciousness and the worst of the illness was over, his recovery was quick.

    Surprisingly, a weekter, Yomite had recovered to the degree that he could wake up and walk around if he felt like it.

    (I''ve defeated it...The disease that stole my mother...)

    Yomite thought as he gazed out of the window, still sitting on the bed.

    He knew that somewhere out there, in the soul stream where the soul of his mom was resting, she was deeply proud of him.

    "Still, how did you enter the Knights'' Headquarters?"

    He questioned Hu Tao''s presence. Jean was told to not let anyone in and stationed many Knights outside.

    "Ah, yes, it wasn''t that difficult...When I hurriedly rushed to the Headquarters, the knights wouldn''t let me pass. They wouldn''t tell me anything about your condition either. You told me not to hurt anyone from Mondstadt, so I waited patiently outside for five days straight, but once Fischl returned to Mondstadt from her long quest and heard what happened, she kind of just electrocuted everyone in the vicinity and we freely entered through the front door...there, we met with Acting Grand Master, who told us she would make an exception for one of us, but that certain someone would also have to stay in the quarantine."

    "..."

 Chapter 113

    ***

    Yomite stayed with Hu Tao in istion for a whole week, they talked about what was going on while he was desperately fighting the disease.

    They yed some card games that the maids gave them and bonded with each other, progressing their rtionship even further.

    And finally, today was the day.

    The day when Hu Tao and Yomite would be released from the quarantine and could finally meet their dearpanions.

    Yomite stood up from his bed and stared into Hu Tao''s beautiful flower-shaped pupils.

    It was thanks to her devotion that he was still alive.

    Sensing his gaze, she walked up to him closer.

    Why was she getting so close?

    ...Did she n on giving him a kiss, perhaps?

    After all, they were pretty much an item now!

    (I don''t mind. Quite opposite, actually. Although we should still take some time off to make sure the Cholera had truly passed��but I would appreciate some gentle care in the form of ap pillow again. That''s for sure!)

    Contrary to his expectations, Hu Tao raised her hand...

    *Smack!*

    And pped him��violently...

    The instant the blownded, his right cheekbone groaned under the impact. His tall frame was easily flung into the air and mmed into the wall. It did not end there.

    The momentum sent him sprawling across the bed which his helpless body flipped along the way, and fell on the ground together with him.

    At the end of his somersault, he finally came to a stop, spread-eagle on the floor, unable to move a muscle with an expression of utter disbelief etched on his face.

    The silence that descended made it tempting to assume he had actually expired then and there��

    (That...wasn''t a kiss��)

    The attacker let out a breath of utter satisfaction.

    "Phew��That hit the spot!"

    The brown haired woman spoke those words with a sunny, beaming face.

    "Wa-What was that for!? I''m still not in tip top condition! You can''t just do that! I almost died!!" Yomite held his puffed up cheek that received the heavy blow.

    "That was for me! What did I tell you? I told you that you would risk your life pointlessly and die, yet you dummy wouldn''t listen..."

    Saying that, she hugged his fallen figure tightly.

    Yomite''s expression softened. He remembered her words clearly.

    They had an argument right before they separated, but if he didnt go, it was highly possible Barbara would have died and the disease would''ve surely spread around the city and maybe even farther.

    He thought that he was in the right all along...

    But in conclusion, what happened to him was entirely his fault, and his fault only.

    (She is right after all...I deserve it...The plot armor was non-existent with this one...)

    "You''re right...I shouldn''t ha��"

    *Smack!*

    Just as he was about to apologize to her, his left cheek was pped and he was blown away once more...

    "This one is for Fischl, whom I''ve been watching crying herself to sleep when she found out what happened to you...You made her worry, which in turn, made me worry."

    As he rolled on the ground in pain, just like that, both of his cheeks were swollen like a pufferfish��

    (...)

    He looked up at her again, stroking both of his cheeks cautiously...

    "Should I...be waiting...for more?"

    There was no telling whether she would strike again.

    "Nope! You did worry everyone around you, but I hope that you have learned your lesson!"

    When she recalled the anxiety, impatience and anger she felt at Yomite''s selfish action, it made her blood boil, but this was an adequate punishment.

    Yomite felt like his happy days were over, and as a revenge, Hu Tao would now increase the intensity of her training sessions.

    (Save me��)

    Her strength was like that of a savage beast..pared to her small frame... It made no sense!

    Still, Yomite was both angry and grateful for what Jean did.

    Angry because she allowed Hu Tao to enter the quarantine and expose herself to danger, but grateful because of the fact that if she didn''t, he might have lost his life.

    Although...

    (Jean deserves a small punishment for our uing date though.)

    Once both of them were ready, they exited the room on the second floor and walked downstairs, where a handful of people were already waiting.

    "I''m happy you''re finally okay, lil'' bro! I will invite you to a drinkter, on my tab, what do you say? By the way, the tips you told me about helped quite a lot! She was very happy with the oue!" Kaeya smiled with an expression that seemed to say, ''I struck gold, thanks for your guidance, master!''

    "Wee back." Diluc weed him with a slight smirk on his face.

    He knew that Yomite would pull through and epted the invitation for his weing party the moment Kaeya mentioned it.

    Jean bowed and spoke from the bottom of her heart, "Thank you so much for saving my sister, and all of Mondstadt...I could never repay such kindness..."

    Barbara waved at him from behind Jean, still shy and embarrassed.

    She was deeply grateful that he agreed to keep the secret about her ''attempt'' that would have been for sure fatal if she managed to do so, and was silently thinking of their uing date that he promised.

    Although it might havee as a mere joke to calm her down, she took his words seriously.

    One by one, people came up to him. To either pat him on the back or hug him.

    For a moment, he remained silent, epting all the kind words and fondness from the people around him. They all believed that he could rise from the dead and so they threw a small party for him.

    He made his way to the centre of the hallway and both Lumine and Paimon came up to him with hurried steps.

    "I''m d you''re okay, Party leader."

    Although Lumine''s expression of joy didn''t seem apparent, she was truly happy deep inside.

    "Paimon was worried too! You must be really hungry, not being able to eat any normal food for so long! Don''t worry, Paimon has you covered! Paimon bought some for you!" She flew to him and handed him a te full of Sticky Honey Roast.

    Yomite couldn''t help but give a short sigh when he saw her childish, cheek-puffing gesture that screamed of wanting to be praised.

    He had to admit, the idea of eating delicious food instead of just fruits and bread felt attractive. He epted the te, but put it away on a nearby table. He currently had better things to do.

    Such as...

    "Waaah!"

    Sweeping an arm under her tiny frame, he hoisted up Paimon''s light body into a hug.

    "Ah Paimon! Finally some cuteness to heal my heart! Come here! I was abused by Hu Tao! Let me have this!" Yomite picked her up in his hands without a word of warning and rubbed her cheeks against his.

    It was the calm andfort he needed right now.

    This surprised Paimon, then made her little cheeks red as she became angry in turn.

    "R...Rude Tattoo! Stop it! Paimon will get angry! Put Paimon down!!"

    She tried smacking him away, but it didn''t hurt at all,pared to Hu Tao''s ps, so he let it slide and kept rubbing his cheeks against the cute little chibi mascot.

 Chapter 114

    Okay, so first off I would like to start by giving my thanks to patreons, then to all of you who vote power stones etc.

    But people gave me countless questions...and at this point I feel like it''s better to make it so that everyone can see it, because sometimes people don''t check paragraphments, and then type the same question tens of times over the chapters...so yeah!

    ***

    Question 1. - Paimon in harem when? When can we eat Paimon?

    Answer 1. - So you want to do her or eat her??? No. Not even as a joke please...At least not the small version...Also, Paimon thinks the joke is getting old, git gut scrubs, Paimon''s already immune.

    Question 2. - Is Venti in harem?

    Answer 2. - No, he is around foredy relief no matter how he sounds, what he says, or anything at all. Not to mention he went missingtely so that''s that. Also I don''t have a trap fetish, thanks for understanding.

    Question 3. - How does Iris look?

    Answer 3. - I put it into many paragraphments but here it is, in this very paragraph!

    Question 4. - Why is romance rushed?

    Answer 4. - ...What...? My man, I put over 110 chapters for Hu Tao, with a side story about her and uing side storiester in the future, with a time skip of over 4 months...People in real life can start liking someone in one moment, much less in 4 months. Feelings would develop even if you didn''t want them to, especially if you''re together the whole day, every day 24/7, risking your life in fights, ying games, enjoying each other''spany, etc...If that''s rushed then idk what isn''t... this isn''t a romance only novel where it takes years for MC''s to admit they like someone as they are embarrassed, until thest chapter of the novel, this is the most cliche story there is with so many memes and references that you lot still didn''t find like twenty of the one''s I put in lol...not to mention, there are worse people out there, some authors make their mc assault a girl in one chapter and in another she is already his gf willingly, on her knees for some reason. I would say thatpared to that, I''m still doing pretty well, no?

    Question 4.5. - Why is romance so slow?

    Answer 4.5. - ...Refer to the answer above. Plus read tags, people should really read tags and descriptions. It clearly states Late romance Late smut in both cases...

    Question 5. - Who is confirmed in harem?

    Answer 5. - Okay so this is kind of a spoiler but whatever - Hu Tao, Fischl, Iris, Barbara, Jean. I''m 100% sure about them. I''ve been thinking about Mona and Ganyu...As for the rest, we will see. There are many, many girls but I want romance to progress naturally or at least somewhat logically or maybe even somewhat logically on the anime level...

    Question 6. - Is smut cumming?

    Answer 6. - It is, actually, it will soon be ready on P atreon at the 10 Euro Celestia Pledge. Of course, it''s not p atreon exclusive, it''s only going to be there sooner than on webnovel.

    Question 7. - Do you n to visit the Archipgo inds?

    Answer 7. - Yes, everything. Every event included in the game is canon, and will be most likely included here as well...and for those that say it''s not canon, I can prove that it indeed is, heck even if they weren''t I would still use them.

    Question 8. - When are we gonna go to Liyue? It''s the Liyue volume after all! I wanna see BigDongZhong and chinese young masters!

    Answer 8. - First of all. Fuck you, smart ass. I know. Anyway, we will get there soon��

    Question 9. - Where is the wolf cub they saved months ago? Was it forgotten?

    Answer 9. - Shortly? Yes. But it''s basically in Kaeya''s home, he is taking care of it. In any case, I have a n to use it after Liyue, so all hope is not lost yet!

    Question 10. - Do you n to genderbend every one of the male Archons or their Pets?

    Answer 10. - Maybe. Maybe not. Genderbend sounds nice but is frankly, a huge risk to the fanfic as many people would probably hate it. Personally I never really thought about it. I just wanted a dragon waifu for Dvalin and that''s it basically, but if the chance arises, I might go for it.

    Question 11. - Will you introduce other countries before theye out in game?

    Answer 11. - No shot...I did say I want to change the plot and diverge into a different path...but going into a country I know nothing about would be stupid...I would definitely regret it in the future once the actual region is released...

    Question 12. - What will you do once you reach all continents avable overall? The end game of Teyvat?

    Answer 12. - Do a lot of side chapters with the harem, and so on, that will basically be the end of the fic at that point. Counting around 2k chapters maybe, if I get there, but it depends.

    Question 13. - What will you do once you reach all of the continents avable so far?

    Answer 13 - I don''t know, I think I will be fucked ngl. Nah, of course, I have so many ideas that I want to do so I would say that after that, all of it wille to fruition while they release new inds. I think I picked a pretty okay time to start writing genshin fic. Of course, I would rather start writing it after the whole story of genshin is fully done which would be in like 5 or so years, but then there would already be many genshin fics around, that are much better than mine, so overall, I would say that while I will be cutting it rather close with this one, I will be just enjoying the peaceful ride with barely anypetition.

    Question 14. - What is your opinion on the tant copy paste of certain parts of your fic in a fic called Swordsman of Teyvat on Webnovel?

    Answer 14. - I don''t honestly care as much, although it still feels kinda weird. From what I''ve seen, his story is going in apletely different direction so it''s not really a copy, but the description, look of the mc, first page exining about the story, the cover and so on feels just like a weird copy paste with some changes. But all in all, I don''t care about that as I''ve read like 4 chapters of his and it doesn''t seem simr to mine, but thank you for asking!

    Question 15. - Will you tackle the apparent multiverse outside of Teyvat?

    Answer 15. - If you mean Honkai Impact, then I have to say I have almost no idea about anything in the story of Honkai. The gamey was not enjoyable for me, so I kind of just deleted the game but I heard it has a great story and music so maybe it''s worth the shot..ter though.

    Question 16. - Isn''t Yomite pretty weak?

    Answer 16. - Correction, he only seems like he is weak because he is in a world full of overpowered bastards and at the time, he wasn''t yet proficient with using his abilities as he only recently got into that world, and frankly, power scaling of this world makes me want to vomit and is as bad as in marvel, so it''s all up to me to generally make up stuff or do as I see fit...either way, that was prior to Dvalin fight, now he is personally trained by Hu Tao, andter there will also be mentions about his offensive cube ability progress. The fic is tagged orbeled as Strong to Stronger and is nned for more than 1k chapters toe, so of course he would be overpowered over time, but not yet... The tags aren''t Overpowered protagonist after all, you can interpret it any way you want.

    Question 17. - Is Jean masochistic like Darkness?

    Answer 17. - Not as much, there will be some small parts but she will in no way be like Darkness...she is just way too shy.

    Question 18. - Would you drop the fic if you were banned again?

    Answer 18. - Yes, I definitely would. You have no idea how demoralizing it is to see that no one is allowed to vote power stones for your fanfic... That''s basically killing the fanfic immediately as to gain a wider audience, you need to be higher in rankings, and if no one could vote, that would mean my fanfic would only either keep the same fans or lose fans, and not gain any...In any case, my goal was top 20 maybe top 10 yet somehow I''m constantly top 5 rank which I''m confused yet grateful for. That''s also why I''m trying to stay calm and collected at all times to make sure Webnovel won''t issue my fic, or my ount with another ban ? as many know that my Majikoi fic on Webnovel didn''t end up well and I ended up not only being harassed and got my novel banned for using Russian text in the fic, but also got that ount banned for almost a year if not more and only recently got the ount back...

    Question 19. - Are Fischl, Hu Tao and Lumine Lolis? And do you n on adding any Loli to harem?

    Answer 19. - No. It''s called being short and petite. Small breasts and short stature don''t immediately mean it''s a Loli, although now that I think about it...Yomite did call Hu Tao Loli when he first met her...meh, let''s put it aside foredy purpose...yes...and as for the second question regarding lolis...Klee, Qiqi for sure won''t, as they seem like they''re 9... which is way too low... (I know Qiqi''s condition but still...) As for Diona, she seems like 13-14 so if it''s going to be any Loli then probably her but she would have to get a bit older...15 is age of consent in my country so I could care less about this issue after she entered that range, still Yomite would be against it for sure. As for the new "Loli'''' aka grown up adult of Inazuma that''s just short, 22-25 years old Sayu, I might consider her.

    Question 20. - Didn''t Yomite hate little girls and virgins, and had an older woman fetish, howe he loves Hu Tao now? Kinda makes no sense...

    Answer 20. - Ah I knew this problem would arise...I keep on gettingments about it...I shouldn''t have been drunk while writing that particr chapter...Okay...so listen, I will say it onest time... He NEVER hated virgins nor young girls without experience. He said he PREFERRED OLDER WOMEN with experience for ONE NIGHT STANDS and that they are much more fun in bedpared to virgin girls or barely experienced girls that wouldy in bed like dead fish in ONE NIGHT STANDS. Another thing, in his old world he dated a few times but didn''t have pleasant experiences with them, and so he gave up the whole idea of dating and only did one night stands. You can say he had some sort of trauma about this. But he pushed through it... This is also the case that many people missed, as his character development went from Only Doing One Night Stands With Older Women to Actually Wanting To Be In A Serious Rtionship With A Petite Virgin, but a lot of people, if not everyone seemed to miss this...in any case, his current view on things is still confusing but he believes he could try serious rtionship with someone like Hu Tao. Another thing, fetishes change a lot. If you find a new one, you might forget your attraction towards the old one''s for a while. I know that personally.

    Question 21. - Will you give Yomite a bow or other weapon?

    Answer 21. - A bow? KEKW...As for other weapons, I can only see him as either a one handed sword user or a ymore user, nothing else. So maybe a katana or maybe dual wielding swords but I kinda doubt it.

    Question 22. - You mentioned Yomite killing Treasure Hoarders like it was nothing but we never saw it before? Will you make a chapter where he goes through the trauma of killing another human being for the first time?

    Answer 22. - I was nning to do thister, it wasn''t really a trauma but it will be his first experience. Of course, I''m all ready with my popcorn to see interestingments from the "experts" about that particr future chapter...as some people in thements will be really smart saying that killing people is easy peasy and that he should be ashamed to feel something for killing a human for the first time, when in reality 90% of the readers never even held a dying chicken with cut off head in their hands, much less a dead body of a human being... It''s fine to be edgy to some point, we all were there, but there is a limit.

    Question 23. - What is up with Hu Tao and Sleepwalking? Also howe she is so strong without using a Vision??? Is that in the game as well?

    Answer 23. - Will be exined, it''s a pretty big spoiler. And yes, she is super strong in game as well, although I kind of buffed her a lot in this fic due to a certain reason that will be revealedter.

    Question 24. - Where is Iris? Wasn''t Yomite away from her for quite a while now?

    Answer 24. - Spoiler, you will see.

    Question 25. - Is Timmie dead? Just like his pigeons?

    Answer 25. - No, just depressed. I''m kidding... Kids forget stuff like that almost immediately, he is feeding his pigeons as per usual.

    Question 26. - Yomite feels like a self insert character of the author ngl...

    Answer 26. - No. Lol...Not at all...You couldn''t be more wrong. I am the whitest person you can find in Europe...The tan literally avoids me like a gue, I look like a vampire with albino genes...Both of my parents are white and I''ve been trying to literally put the opposite of "Me" into him so that I can see how it would turn out. I am white he is brown, I wake up at 4am he wakes up muchter, I like virgins more he likes experienced women more (Although that changed into my preference in the past chapters.) and so on...other than being tall like him I didn''t really input anything of myself into that character...This isn''t that Starfire Edgy Teenic...

    Question 27. - What does Yomite look like and why do I feel like he is white?

    Answer 27. - Okay... Let''s recap a bit. He was, let''s say, brown in his old world, as he was a mix of African/Japanese, then he died, meaning he lost his body...Now his new body was formed,pletely from scratch, new face and everything...He said he was d that he still had a darker skin tone, but it was nowhere even close to what he had before in his old world, so here, he is much lighter of a color than he was back in his world, despite still maintaining darker skin tonepared to people of Mondstadt. And the picture is here, hope that helps...

    Question 28. - Why did you decide to make Dvalin a girl?

    Answer 28. - Many reasons, all of them important of course. First of all, cute harem member, second of all, it will easily add one more cliche to the list and I love collecting them. Andstly...many people voted for it so I included it in I guess...I was going to just post a picture of her as a joke but more than 150 people liked and voted for it...so ye...

    Question 29. - Will Yomite''s ability be a full copy of Onoki''s from naruto? Or will you be adding something new or twists of your own?

    Answer 29. - Yes, I n for it to change with time.

    Question 30. - Will the harem be a clich�� one, something like they are all sisters and wouldn''t mind sharing? Or will there be conflicts and certain realistic harem mechanics involved? Like factions, oppositions, truces, shes.. etc. etc.

    Answer 30. - Honestly, both, so far there are not many harem members confirmed though, but between the two members that are already chosen, no.

    Question 31. - Will the male characters also get their show light? Their own side stories/arcs? Like the past of Morax/Venti? Or Diluc love problems and life in general?

    Answer 31. - I believe I already touched upon Kaeya for a bit and yes, there will be something for everyone, I already nned something with Diluc. But right now, I want to get to Liyue as quickly as possible, soter.

    Question 32. - Will there be guys night outs? Or best pals of Yomite with whom he can go out and get a drink with and just have a friendly discussion away from his usual gathering of girls..

    Answer 32. - I already have that written for the future, for sure.

    Question 33. - Will there be small arcs with other characters that aren''t in the Harem or male?

    Answer 33. - Yes.

    Question 34. - Will you be incorporating everything story rted? Like the story quests, world quests, side quests? Or will you be just adding the Archon quests and leave it there?

    Answer 34. - Depends, I will for sure not use some shitty quests but those that have meaning will be included.

    Question 35. - Will you be ever going the AU route? Like changing histories and charas and changing the storyline to your benefit?

    Answer 35. - Already did to some part in a few cases.

    Question 36. - Will Iris ever not be a gluttonous freak, lol? Or will her hunger just keep on increasing?

    Answer 36. - Probably once she loses virginity. *Sarcasm*

    Question 37. - Do you know what an albino is? In the beginning chapters you''ve said that people in Africa were racist against him because he looked like one...but isn''t he ck? Don''t albinos have white eyebrows, hair and skin?

    Answer 37. -Back in the day, people of old Africa considered everyone who was even slightly brown, and wasn''t ck skinned like them to be an Albino. Yomite''s mother was African, father Japanese, so he turned out to be less dark than he was supposed to be. That''s why he was called Albino. So yeah, I hope that answers your question.

    Question 38. - Why is mc not fighting back or hitting Hu Tao back when she is beating him up? She just ped him twice. Is he beta?

    Answer 38. - No need to take this so seriously, jeez...She does not know how to give him her affection any other way, and Yomite does not do anything because he understands that. He is also grateful for the training she gives him that helped him improve so much, even though heins, he knows she wants the best for him. And he is also grateful for how worried she was about him. So he does not mind.

    And that''s pretty much most questions. If you have more you can leave them in thement section of this chapter. Be advised, if its a serious spoiler or something really, really dumb I will most likely not be replying.

    Now I am off to write p atreon chapters after a small break!

 Chapter 115

    ***

    Ignoring her cutesy, intive cries, Yomite continued to embrace Paimon as he twirled around on the spot.

    "Ah, that truly healed my heart! Also, thanks for the food!"

    "W-wait a��! That''s not...W-would you let go...Paimon is not��!"

    "Good girl, good girl! You''re so, so cute! You''re wonderful, Paimon! You''re the best, Paimon! Paimon forever!"

    Grandly singing her praises, as if she was a small precious animal, Yomite lifted Paimon way up as he spun all around.

    "Eheheh...Paimon...didn''t do much..."

    Paimon''s face was beet red as she epted his praises and let herself be hugged. She happily dangled from his arms,ughing joyfully at his praises.

    The group around them watched the worked-up pair with gentle eyes.

    Then, after getting his fill of messing around, he let the blushing Paimon go, and as he turned around to face the group, a certain blond haired girl with an eyepatch on her left eye walked right up to him with silent steps.

    Her gaze was cast downwards, so he couldn''t see her expression, but he was expecting a few ps from her as well.

    "..."

    A silent moment that seemed like eternity itself had passed, and she slowly fell against his frame, her head crashing on his chest and her thin arms enveloping his tall stature, giving him a tight hug.

    "Why...why did thou have to do it? Just why?"

    She started crying into his chest, bawling her eyes out as tears ran down her eyes like a stream.

    It was a question that was meant to be shouted, but it came out as a soft mournful whisper.

    Her nose was buried in his shirt, her tears soaking through.

    Yomite wasn''t sure what to say to her. He felt a heavy sense of guilt that threatened to tear his insides apart. His heart clenched in agony as he witnessed her quivering form...

    "I''m...sorry."

    He had been apologizing to Hu Tao a lot the past few days, but the person he should be apologizing equally as much to was Fischl. He unconsciously bit his lower lip seeing her like this.

    Hu Tao was one thing, but the girl in front of him was another.

    At first, Fischl''s feelings weren''t as clear as Hu Tao''s to the naked eye, but with a little bit of intuition and his Tempus of the Heart ability, he found out about them right before they fought with Dvalin.

    But now, she was affectionate enough to cry tears of joy from the fact that he managed to recover safely from the terrible disease called Cholera.

    Fischl and Hu Tao.

    Two girls that had feelings for him.

    Something like that would have never happened in his old world.

    Caressing her small head with his right palm, he made an extra effort to hug her closer to him, so she could feel that he was sincerely touched by her feelings of worry.

    He felt her small, tear-stained face lift from his chest. A look of joy shed in her eyes. She leaned up andid her head on his shoulder, sobbing quietly. A small smile etched on her lips as she did so.

    ***

    The news about the new disease spread around the world of Teyvat, and so was the fact that Yomite, the one who came up with the prescriptions and a way to cure the wild disease, fell victim to it not long after.

    Yomite''s party was currently on their way back to his mansion.

    His cheeks still hurt, a lot, from when Hu Tao pped him...

    She truly didn''t hold back...

    Speaking of the little daredevil, she was as peppy as ever, running around joyfully, all over the streets, after being in istion for so long.

    His only worry was Iris who wasn''t present...

    But it seemed he was worried for nothing, as Lumine exined that Iris entered a deep state of hibernation after he didn''t appear for a long time, saying she would wake up somewhere in the following month.

    That was about two weeks ago, and she had yet to wake up.

    ***

    The crackling of the firece was soft, as two figuresid on the sofa, close to each other.

    Both of them werepletely out of energy and their bodies were exhausted.

    The past few weeks have been stressful for everyone.

    Taking a rest from their daily routine of training was a must.

    They had enjoyed their small dinner consisting of a few slices of bread and vegetables, while passing some small talk back and forth, leaving the fire without new fuel and letting it slowly burn out instead.

    Fischl fell asleep almost immediately once they arrived and she was currently in her room, resting.

    She was stressed out as badly as it could get, more so than anyone else bar Hu Tao, so she deserved some rest.

    Iris was still hibernating and Lumine and Paimon went to y card games in their room.

    Apparently, a new edition card game called Magic was released and Paimon wanted to try it out.

    That only left Hu Tao, who wasying on the couch next to him.

    He held Hu Tao''s hand in his, and now that there were no distractions, he couldn''t help but notice just how soft and small her hand waspared to his.

    Her whole body was precious and cute.

    They justy there, without doing anything, without saying anything, yet despite that, it felt much more intimate than anything else they had ever done before.

    With how quiet it was, he started listening to the rhythm of her soft breathing, his heart beating faster despite nothing changing, nothing happening.

    Eventually though, he broke the calming silence.

    "Hu Tao, I''m really sorry for being so rash...You were totally right about everything and I paid for it... I''m sorry to make you guys worry..."

    The matter had been weighing a bit heavily on his consciousness, more than he felt it should.

    The decision to go and save Barbara was a rash one, and even if he seeded, the consequences almost cost him his life.

    Hu Tao however quietly watched his figure as he apologized, her eyes slowly losing that bright intensity of hers and her smile shrinking.

    "I knew you would go for that from the start...You are a dummy, after all. I had all the reasons to stop you, yet I knew that I would fail."

    She sighed helplessly, shutting her eyes for a few seconds as heid there in worry.

    "You sure enjoy calling me dumb, huh? Genius��"

    Her smile slowly came back as she looked at him, "Aren''t you though? You went straight into danger...I had already forgiven you with that p. Besides, it''s thanks to that hardship we''re together now, no?"

    Though they bantered much like before, their intimacy was iparable to anything prior.

    Hu Tao was just too cute for Yomite to resist.

    And his being was now filled with never before explored feelings for the cute troublemaker.

 Chapter 116

    ***

    It was romantic love and it was undoubtedly affection.

    He wanted his stomach filled with it full-time. From morning till night, until the very end of his life.

    That was simply how he felt.

    Thinking about it calmly, he seemed to have had quite a bit of that feeling even back when he first met her. She was cute after all, it was hard to deny that fact.

    "Does your face reveal yet another dummy thought, I wonder?" She teased yfully, her hand reaching out to tickle the cheeks she pped so hard before, her gentle eyes taking in the features of her lover.

    "It ain''t dumb at all. I was just thinking about you, Hu Tao. You''re so adorable, it puts me in a bind."

    He spoke in a sincere tone, the sincerest he could muster, hoping that his feelings reached the cute troublemaker.

    "Really, now��? Thank you~"

    She rolled over,ing closer to him, and rested her head on his shoulder, pulling her hand away from his cheeks to start gently hugging his side.

    A sigh of contentment leaked from her cute lips as she closed her eyes, basking in his warmth.

    Yomite instinctively moved his arm under her small frame and to her back, holding her close to his side.

    It was only then that he felt the warmth of her touch even through theyers of clothes; a soft smile crossed his face at how much his heart soared just having her so close to himself.

    His arm wrapped loosely around her and brought her in tighter.

    Yomite was sure she could hear how hard his heart was pounding by now, especially as she rested her head on his shoulder and her soft breaths tickled his neck.

    "Fischl was very worried...She was afraid to lose you...I''m positive she loves you as well. I don''t know what we would do if something truly happened to you...So please, take care of yourself better. After all, we are all ''hopeless children'', as you''ve stated before. We need someone to take care of us."

    She tilted her head up to look him in the eyes again, making it impossible for him to look away from the entrancing sight of her flower-shaped pupils.

    He didn''t even know how to reply to any of her words, only being able to stare back at her while he collected his thoughts.

    She looked so expectant, so the very first thing that popped into his mind came out of his mouth.

    "Hu Tao, I seriously love you."

    As though his body wasn''t his own anymore, he started to lean in, wanting to seal his pledge with a kiss as he desired her.

    Her expression didn''t change, rather, it became even more expectant.

    One moment the air around them was a mix of banter andughter, as per usual.

    The next, there was nothing more, but a void, a vacuum of aching and ubiquitous longing that craved to be filled.

    To their very core, they wanted something attached to the suddenck of atmosphere, permeating between them.

    To focus on this emptiness and do something about it.

    The moment when their lips touched for the first time was, in a word, magical, sending ripples of excitement throughout their skin, making them shiver ever so slightly.

    It was just a slight peck on the lips. But in that faint ephemeral moment, Hu Tao''s world lit up like the sun.

    Deep and meaningful; it was that first sweet taste that sparked an unquenchable desire that transcended everything.

    The beginning of their romance.

    She blinked her eyes open, drunk on the sensations of love she felt in her heart. Her eyes glimmered with happiness and her smile broke into an ecstaticugh.

    Giggling, she rested her head on his broad chest.

    "Hehe~"

    "Is something the matter?" He asked while gazing at her wide grin, the sight making his heart beat in contentment.

    "That felt nice~"

    Hearing her words, he kissed the top of her head and she nuzzled into his neck; he ran his hand down from where it was resting on her bare stomach and to where it was holding her close, bringing her in tighter than ever.

    Both of themy there, enjoying each other''spany and snuggling closer together.

    The room was filled with a peaceful silence. There was no need for any words to be said between the two; they simply enjoyed being near each other.

    It wasn''t even the best time of day; it was almost night. The room was filled with the barest of sunlight that reflected off the walls in a manner that made the light glow less than usual.

    Yet theyzed around, finding pleasure in each other''spany.

    "Oh, by the way. Do you remember the time when I gave you myp with Fischl?"

    Suddenly, Hu Tao broke the silence.

    "I do, why?"

    His expectations were about to be fulfilled. Yomite was about to get anotherp pillow! He could feel it in his bones! Heaven wasing!

    Hu Tao looked around, as if afraid someone might hear her and whispered, "I knew you weren''t asleep when Iris was sitting on you..."

    His expression darkened instantaneously. It wasn''t ap pillow, but a ploy! He understood that fact, albeit a bit toote.

    (Ohe on...am I about to be ckmailed? Shouldn''t this usually be the other way around!?)

    "Is...that so... That''s strange...I certainly don''t remember being up..."

    Yomite''s expression was slowly crumbling apart, he was never good at lying, especially not to the ones he held dear.

    "You don''t need to pretend~ I saw you move your hand a few seconds prior to when Fischl started shouting at Iris. Besides, your friend down there for sure remembers ''being up''~"

    She traced her finger down his chest, resting it below his navel, a bit further and she would reach the ''friend'' in question.

    She leaned to his ear and softly whispered in a coquettish tone, "Want me to sit on your face as well?"

    A small, yful grin graced her lips. Her eyes held only pure desire and mischief; they were bright with anticipation of his uing reaction.

    She knew full well he''d never actually agree to such a thing. It was way too humiliating and embarrassing.

    It could be said that he was a charmer and sometimes pretty bold, but something like this was out of the question even for Yomite.

    It was just another one of her pranks which would leave him angry and maybe even embarrassed, giving her delight.

    She couldn''t wait to see his reaction.

    Still, the smile remained in ce and she watched his expression shift from confusion to realization and finally a pure explosion of joy.

    (Huh?)

    She didn''t get the kind of reaction she expected.

    She felt a dangerous sense of foreboding.

    It seemed like she had miscalcted.

    It took a second for Yomite''s head to register her words, as he almost didn''t believe what she just said, before he blurted out an immediate answer.

    "Absolutely!"

    No hesitation, whatsoever!

    That one sentence was enough to get him riled up.

    He hugged her tight, tighter than he thought for it to be possible.

    He didn''t have time for any distractions.

    Her offer was more than attractive, something he would never refuse, not to mention, they were currently alone.

    Everything was just...perfect.

    "...Huh?"

    "I said absolutely. It''s a heavenly gift. Do it! Now!! I''m waiting!!!"

    "W-wait...! Yomite! I was just...! Uwah!"

    Slowly but surely, something swelled up in his pants until it was bursting to get out.

    The sensation was strange yet familiar, but not unpleasant to her.

    She could feel the bulge growing bigger and bigger as the erection under his clothes poked at her milky white thigh through the fabric of his clothes.

    She wanted to look away but couldn''t tear her eyes from it, she saw it through his clothes before, and saw him naked during a few idental asions, yet seeing it again, it seemed even bigger and more ready to devour her than ever.

    She could feel a warm blush crawl up into her cheeks, her n had failedpletely.

    She was currently the one being put to test and embarrassed, not him...

    All this time, Yomite was trying to hold himself back during their small talks, but her body was pressed against him the entire time.

    Rather than apologizing for getting a boner, if he didn''t get hard just now after her oh so wonderful request, it would be weird, rendering him to question his sexuality.

    He would be a disappointment to all of mankind.

    "Y-Yomite! Seriously...! Wait!"

    Much to the disappointment of Yomite, Hu Tao''s desperate cries were heard.

    A wild Lumine had appeared!

    "Hey guys, Paimon said the card game needs four yers so we need someone to fill in. Would youe please?"

    Lumine, his cheating protagonistpanion, ruthlessly killed the mood.

    Did she have a cheat for that as well?

    He was going to strangle her then and there!

    For ruining such a perfect mood!

    Hu Tao sat up in a sh after hearing Lumine, leaving his embrace. She sighed in relief as she straightened her clothes.

    "W-Well...that...settles it...we will...dly join you~!"

    Slightly abashed, she turned to Yomite stuttering as she spoke the next set of words.

    "...L-let''s go~!"

    "...Right."

    Yomite waited for his boner to die off and got up as well, murder shing in his eyes as he made a beeline towards Lumine, hearing faint giggling of his beautiful girl from behind.

    He prayed to Goddess Sia to give him the strength to restrain himself, for there was going to be a case of homicide tomorrow otherwise.

 Chapter 117.1

    ***

    After the infuriating cockblock from Lumine, he spent a few hours ying cards with the rest of the group as he red at Lumine the entire time.

    Although she didn''t seem to particrly notice his gaze, filled with venom and murder, as she was too absorbed by the cuteness Paimon generated as usual.

    He noticed Hu Tao''s gaze, ncing at him from time to time. However, the moment he looked at her, or even tried to look towards her general direction, she looked away.

    (Oh, so we''re ying this kind of game then? What is up with her!? Is she actually embarrassed or is it something else, I''m not privy to?)

    It wasn''t until one gameter that Lumine and Paimon went to get themselves something to drink, and both of them were eventually left alone.

    He finally decided to approach her and ask what was going on.

    "What''s up with you?"

    She paused for a bit before responding in her usual yful tone.

    "O-oh nothing...just enjoying myself... ying card games~! Yeah..."

    He could tell that it was a tant lie even if it was subtle but he continued anyway.

    "If you say so...Come to think of it, would you wanna do something tomorrow?" He asked meaningfully, with a wink as he put his arms around her waist pulling her closer to his chest.

    "A-ah...Y...you...want to...to...to...train already? Sure we can!"

    She uttered quickly, with a shy smile adorning her face and a slight stutter apanying her tone, as she tried to calm her violently beating heart.

    "That''s not what I meant! And don''t be so shy!" Yomite chuckled at her antiques, leaning down and kissing her cheek.

    They were already pretty much a couple. What was there to be embarrassed about now?

    Or maybe he was going way too fast for her?

    No, that couldn''t be it...

    Just moments ago she asked him whether she could sit on his face without even batting an eye, and the next moment she was blushing from being hugged and kissed...

    How innocent!

    He could see the red blush creeping up her ears, coloring them in a pink tone, but he didn''t care.

    "I worded that poorly. No, not training, just the two of us on a date. Walking through the streets, eating, drinking, and maybe even going near the outskirts of Mond to enjoy the view or something."

    "...Just...the two of us? You pe~rv."

    Hu Tao seemed to have slightly recovered from her embarrassment.

    She could still feel the blush staining her cheeks, making them hot, but she tried to ignore it as best she could.

    She hoped he didn''t see the crimson color that had dyed her face.

    "...Unfortunately no...I have some business to do tomorrow. Shortly after we were released from the quarantine today, I received a letter from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, giving me enough work for a few days, and I n to focus on that. They also told me I should return soon."

    Her reason was more serious than he anticipated, and she didn''t seem to be lying to him like before.

    "Alright, I will just ask Fischl then."

    She nodded, saying it was a great idea.

    He stood up and left the room, alone. He had enough of ying, the card games were starting to bore him.

    He had to move his bones a bit.

    Taking a walk around his mansion, he stopped in front of a familiar door that was decorated with gothic design, contemting.

    The door was made out of solid iron and unlike the rest of his mansion, this specific door had been carved out of a ck marble, decorated with intricate designs etched into it that formed into arge F with two dark ck bat-like wings spanning across it with a couple of purple lightning bolts drawn on top, which was obviously the inicial of Fischl.

    It was tall enough to be a foot away from the ground, if not taller, and looked strong and sturdy, forming a rectangle about one half its length. The two handles of the door were iid with dark brown wood, and a doormat with a design of a ck catid in front of the door.

    Everything about it looked edgy and chuuni-like and it totally didn''t fit in this mansion, yet he agreed to her request a few months ago, to recreate something that would fit the Prinzessin, and she was more than satisfied.

    He reached forward and knocked on it three times. Then twice for good measure, just to be sure.

    (Would she even agree? Well, I mean...it''s not like it matters. If she doesn''t want to go out either, I will just stay home then.)

    There was a pause of silence, before he heard a rustling sound and then a loud thud, as if someone fell from the bed.

    (Nah, she couldn''t have...)

    The woman on the other side of the door answered, "Y-Yes?" and he heard shuffling as if someone was getting dressed.

    The voice was familiar and warm, even if a bit out of breath�� it was obviously Fischl.

    "I want to talk to you, can Ie in?" His words were spoken with such certainty that it took a moment for the meaning to sink into Fischl''s head.

    She stared at the door and tried to ignore the erratic pounding of her heart.

    "Come! Come on in!"

    A small smile formed on his lips as he took onest look at therge edgy door in front of him before reaching out to take a hold of the handle.

    The door was opened easily with a small push, the sound of metal hitting metal echoed through the hallway and the door closed behind him as he entered Fischl''s room.

    Fischl appeared in his view, sitting on top of her bed in her pajamas with a worried look on her face.

    Her hair was all messed up as she woke up not long ago, and she had a nket thrown over her body wrapping her snugly.

    "I''m all ears...what is it that thou wish to discuss with this Prinzessin? Sote...at night..."

    Her gaze was radiating expectations and worry.

    "I''ve been thinking of going out tomorrow, would you mind tagging along?"

    Fischl perked up a little bit upon hearing his question, "To go on a quest? Why, of course. This Prinzessin shall apany you at any time. Tis only given, no?"

    She was a reliablepanion.

    She would help him with anything he wanted.

    "Well, we could do quests, or maybe just enjoy ourselves in Mondstadt. We could eat something in the Good Hunter''s restaurant as I heard they have a new dish. Frankly there''s not much to do in this city so I would rather just leave and try to look for some good scenery which both of us would enjoy."

    "Yes, that''s within the boundless possibilities we can explore. This Prinzessin Der Verurteilung has no doubts tha��"

    Fischl stopped speaking and perked a brow up, after deeply thinking about his previous statement, something didn''t add up.

    Enjoy ourselves in Mondstadt?

    Eating a meal in a restaurant?

    Good scenery?

    Why did it feel like he was... proposing something to her?

    Something like a date???

    "Ehm...Starlord Yomite."

    "Yes, I''m Yomite."

    "...Who else...ising?"

    Fischl asked, her voice cracking a bit at the end, expectations and the slightest bit of exhration threatening to leak out of her voice.

    "It''s just you and I," Yomite said calmly.

    "..."

    (Isn''t that basically a date then!?)

    She thought to herself, the corners of her mouth twitching up, almost forming a wide grin she was currently holding back from showing.

    She saw through all of it now.

    This was a challengeid by him to see if she was worthy of him.

    She shall ept this challenge and pass with flying colors!

    "I''ll go!"

    This was like a chance straight up from the heavens.

    It was as if the Gods of Celestia had finally heard her prayers and granted her the opportunity to spend time with the person she secretly loved.

    "Great, which time is good enough for you?"

    "...Early in the morning at 4 am."

    He looked confused by her reply but decided to agree anyway.

    He will be waking up early tomorrow...

    Meanwhile, Fischl was worried whether it was way too early for him...

 Chapter 118.2

    For those that rmended me to read the Shinobi Exam...I''m sorry I couldn''t read past 30 chapters, it''s just way too unbearable...

    ***

    4 am.

    Yomitey in his bed staring up at the ceiling, soft shades of sunlight pouring in through the window faintly illuminating the room.

    He let a small groan pass through his lips for forcing himself to get up this early, sitting up in the bed he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands before using the palms to p his cheeks lightly, using the slight jolt, and the sting, to wake himself up.

    Right, there was a reason for this, a very important one, for waking up so early!

    He forced himself to hop out of bed knowing that if he stayed even a second longer he''dy there for a few more hours. Not that that''d be an issue or anything, or so would''ve been the case if not for the important event that was going to transpire today.

    With those lingering thoughts stuck in his head he quickly changed into his normal attire; freshly cleaned white shirt, brownfortable pants and his signature ck martials arts uniform that he had ever since he reincarnated into this world.

    He slipped his boots onst, and with that he went downstairs to get a quick breakfast before heading out for the day.

    The only person awake at this time was none other than Fischl, the crazy edgy chuuni girl he adored quite a lot.

    She calmly sipped her tea, until she saw his sleepy figure waltz into the kitchen.

    Her hand that was elegantly holding her cup trembled ever so slightly.

    She was quite nervous, because today was a special day for her.

    Yes.

    Today, both of them were going to be alone for a while.

    Yomite had called her out on a date.

    Something she never would have thought to be possible, only viable in the world of her sweetest dreams.

    It ted her to no end that her feelings weren''t as one sided as she perceived them to be.

    But there was a colossalplication...She waspletely caught off guard by his invitation, and didn''t have time for adequate preparation!!!

    ***

    Even earlier in the morning.

    2 am.

    Yomite''s mansion.

    Inside a certain room, full of edgy ambience, stood a well-known adventurer, famed for her unique way ofmunication, amazing otherworldly vocabry and extravagantly mboyant acts that left her spectators in awe or simply in a dumbfounded state.

    It was none other than Fischl, the self-proimed Prinzessin Der Verurteilung hailing from another world.

    Who, at the moment seemed to be in a frantic state of anxiety and unease, nearly jumping around all corners of her room like a child on a sugar rush.

    She didn''t seem to be able to focus on anything in particr as she moved about from one ce to another. Her blonde hair, messy from theck of attention, flew back from the force of her movements, and her feet made loud stomping noises, as she moved around the room in such a chaotic manner.

    She couldn''t stop thinking about the fact that she''d be alone with him for the whole day.

    Finally stopping her frenzied movements, she began to calmly pace back and forth in front of a closet door, thinking hard. "No, no,no...." she muttered with despair under her breath. "Not like this...please no..." After a minute passed, she opened the closet only to be met with disappointment, further fueling her despair.

    There were no outfits, shoes, or jewelry in the closet...she had absolutely nothing but herself and tens of the identical fashionable clothes she wore on a regr basis while hunting monsters and adventuring on the known and unknownnds of Teyvat.

    She loved to wear them as they showed everyone around her just how unique she was, they were her pride.

    But now��

    That very same source of pride seemedcking for the asion toe.

    What was she supposed to do? The whole day was nned. It was important that she wore something nice and presentable. And what could be nicer than a dress, fit for the asion?

    Nothing!

    Not a single thing!

    However, there was no dress viable for the uing asion. With a frustrated sigh, she powerlesslyy on the ground with a resounding thud.

    The whole room was a mess.

    The usual cleanliness of her moderately sized bedroom now appeared as though it had been swept by a tornado, as if sent by Lord Barbatos himself, and dozens of books littered the polished wooden floor.

    As shey there, her despair immeasurable, she picked up a book from the ground.

    It was a rmendation from the ever erotic Librarian Lisa, her arch nemesis.

    The name of the book was [Ensnare Your Lover!].

    Immediately attracted by the clickbait title, she became absorbed in the book that had a rather provocative cover and as she turned the pages over, even the contents were quite...obscene, to say the least.

    Her eyes were glued to a single page, staring at it in utter disbelief.

    "What kind of sphemy is this, scheisse!?"

    It was supposed to be easy, said the page, basic even, said the damn page. Then why was it so difficult for her immense intellect toprehend?

    She threw her arms in the air in utter frustration.

    "I don''t understand!!"

    She yelled loudly and angrily towards the ceiling, causing a slight echo to reverberate throughout the entire manor.

    She sighed. This was hopeless.....there was nothing that could help her!

    All this book contained, were explicitly embarassing and extremely suggestive sex scenes, which she found to be rather lewd, and she had a hunch that the rest of the chapter and even the book itself was full of them too.

    "How infuriating...Omega whale Lisa...You are teasing me again, aren''t you!!? There is nothing that can help me on the first date here!! Divine punishment shall befall you!"

    She yelled into her hands in exasperation and anger, in hopelessness and utter despair. After her rant, she let herself fall on her back again, distress running amok causing chaos to her mind, and closed her eyes.

    Her life was so unfair sometimes��

    She prided herself in her excellence.

    It wasn''t even like she was some sort of super genius, just a genius with intelligence that was far above everyone else around; nothing to brag about.

    So how was it that she didn''t understand what to do at this moment?

    Some would call her arrogant, but who were they kidding?

    She was a top tier investigator of the adventurer''s guild who happened to have an IQ much higher than most of the average popce, with a vocabry so vast it could dwarf the entirety of the biggest mountain in Dragonspine if it were to be converted in sheer volume, and that was not including her being able to make work of any foe in ten seconds t with either the pointed end of her arrows or the electrifying currents of her trustypanion Oz.

    She didn''t want to sound pretentious, those were simply facts that anyone who knew of her could and would confirm.

    So, why was it her fault that she had zero experience when it came to modifying her appearance?

    And why were her attempts at makeup absolutely in vain?

    She didn''t know, she didn''t understand.

    All she knew was that she was simply not ready for the date toe.

    And that made her wallow in absolute distress, as shey down in her room and stared at the ceiling, praying to all the Gods and Goddesses, praying to Celestia itself to help her out of this harrowing dilemma.

 Chapter 119.3

    ***

    Who would''ve thought that someone as amazing as her, who oozed elegance and grace with an edginess that none other than she could pull off, ended up being inexperienced in the art of beautification for a seemingly customary event?

    Not to mention the fact that said girl never even had a single date before.

    Not even one!!!

    It seemed as if it was fate''s cruelty at work.

    The world, after all, had been giving her so many chances to find happiness and sess in life these past few months, and now that her luck had eventually run out, it was time for her to pay the price in the form of peremptory embarrassment.

    ''"The book [How to secure your man''s heart on your first date] ispletely worthless!"

    She screamed into her pillow, the pressure was simply too much for her! Her mind kept mulling over everything. Every single thing! What would she do if he asked her this? What would she do if he asked her that?

    Not even the minutest of minute details were left and was instead considered in her deep contemtion.

    The young woman sighed heavily, ruefully, staring nkly at therge ck book in front of her. It was the same old book that she''d been reading over and over for the past two hours after she had ripped away the previous abominable book full of lewdity.

    This too had been rmended to her by her arch nemesis Lisa, and after finding no other way out of her infelicitous circumstances, she decided to give it a chance as herst and final recourse.

    While the book itself contained information that was of value, sort of�� far more than the previous book full of embarrassment and debauchery ever could�� it was filled to the brim with so many libidinous and exaggerated suggestions that her young mind could only handle so much of them. It was mocking her, she was sure of it.

    She needed something, anything, to distract her from the anxiety she was constantly feeling.

    "I''m so stupid."

    Fischl muttered angrily, mming the book shut and throwing it across her room with all her strength. She heard it hit a wall somewhere else in the room, not even trying to look at the poor state of the book caused by her anger, and she didn''t really care. She flopped down onto her back with a slight thud, giving up.

    Being all dolled up,plete with sparkly makeup and colorful fancy dresses that the masses deemed as the suitable standard for a date, who were they kidding?

    The concept of it all was just so alien to her. Normally she wouldn''t get so worked up and finicky on such unnecessary things like some lovestruck maiden.

    The problem was, at the moment she was THE lovestruck maiden.

    It still wasn''t public knowledge at present, only Hu Tao and Yomite knew of her true feelings, but after their date, she''ll have to publicly show that they were now an item.

    Fischl knew that he already had Hu Tao by his side but she regarded her as her dear friend, and a suitable concubine for him.

    She was his true, one and only Prinzessin, after all. She could care less about the others even if there were twenty of them.

    Well, her dearest parents might go ballistic if they found out their precious daughter was involved with an otherworldly individual who may or may not be a godly being in disguise.

    Although she''d have to break the news to them eventually, until then she decided that for now, it simply wasn''t the best time. Luckily they weren''t home for the most part so she didn''t have to worry about the scenario of them knowing about their rtionship without her knowledge.

    And while the whole idea of dating was exhrating, it was equally nerve-wracking.

    Exhrating because she was experiencing new emotions she wanted to explore, nerve-wracking because of the uncertainty of the future ahead of them.

    Her secret desire of going on dates and doing other couple stuff, like holding hands, was finallying true. And it made her feel extremely giddy inside.

    Moreover, the fact that it was Yomite�� the boy she regarded to be her perfect and ideal partner�� who she was able to go on a date with made her excitement reach heights never before explored by her.

    Looking back, about four months had passed since she had gotten to know the man in question, they went through their fair share of adventures together that were quite memorable. Seeing breathtaking sights, fighting strong monsters, searching for lost treasures,ughing together near a campfire.

    They shared many experiences of mutual joy, friendship and trust and sometimes even affection.

    To the little moments like camping under starlit nights, eating out in restaurants and raging if the Strange Fae-shaped Flying Emergency Sustenance ate up their share, buying and reading books in silence as surprisingly he loved reading as well, or just straight up chatting for hours and hours about how their day went no matter how mundane, or anything for the matter, they were all simply wonderful.

    And they both enjoyed those times immensely.

    And yet, despite those sublime experiences together, she couldn''t help but wonder what he was thinking during them.

    In the short time they were together, they certainly became close, and now even established a bond that only both of them could share.

    She had assumed that he''d reject her feelings, as he already had a woman worthy enough to apany him in his journey of life, yet he invited her out on a date instead.

    She thanked whoever Archon out there had spared her the heartbreak.

    Fischl was a total newbie at the matters of love and he was like a grandmaster at said subject, totally eclipsing her.

    Still, despite being smart and graceful, and equipped with an otherworldly ir without equal, she had a deepplex about her looks.

    All of thepanions from his party were pretty, much much prettier than she was and she ever could be.

    Even the dragon whose identity remained a secret to mere mortals was tall, had a beautiful hourss figure. Her face was simply divine, utterly gorgeous and capable of enchanting even women, and those two big things...

    Dangerous weapons of mass destruction...

    She looked down at her own two small peaks, letting out a depressed sigh at the sight, "Oh Mutter, why haven''t you given your Tochter a good pair of Schnitzers..."

    But the biggest problem right now were her clothes...

    She had spent the entirety of her life obsessing and being dedicated to the fictional characters she loved to roley, she only ever had asymmetrical gothic dresses in her wardrobe that would match with her Prinzessin Der Verurteilung alter ego.

    Which only meant that she had no other kind of clothing avable. Not even a in blouse or a sundress, excluding her pajamas and spare dresses, which too were all gothic in design.

    By the time she did realize it, she was already half-insane about that fact, not that it would have helped either, she didn''t have someone readily avable that could assist her, but even if she did they had their own tasks to take care of, so she had no one to turn to in this crucial moment.

    Eventually, she got tired and frustrated that she decided to just give up and prepare for day D.

    The scary day.

    It was almost 4 am and they had decided to go out on a date early into the morning.

    Correction, she begged him about it because she wanted this day to be as long as possible, such was her desire to spend time alone with her beloved.

    And he readily agreed to her request.

    Afterwards, regr stuff ensued.

    She went out to gather some groceries for a small snack, washed her face, brushed her teeth and ruffled her hair a bit to let them adorn her usual style, washed her pajamas, and prepared a change of clothes...She grabbed a hairband to tie her hair which fell over her shoulders instead and nced downwards at the clothes she was wearing, the sight making her even more anxious than she already was. "Ah!!! It''s just my regr clothes...I hope he will also be wearing the same martial arts uniform and jacket as always...or else this will be exceptionally embarrassing..."

    She really hoped her normal clothes were adequate for the asion and that he wouldn''t be disappointed with her��

    If that were to happen, she wouldn''t be able to endure his disappointed gaze��

    Contemting suicide was in the options.

    She remained in a nervous daze as she stared in the mirror, the reflection of herself, from afar.

    (Is this strand of hair sticking out? What about this one?)

    And so she was ready��

    More or less...

    Leaving her room, she made herself tea and waited for her beloved''s arrival both with immeasurable expectations and equal nervousness.

    This day had to be perfect��.

 Chapter 120.4

    As I am very busy, you can decide the following:

    3K word chapter tomorrow, but you won''t get a chapter for the next three days.

    or

    Wait three days and then get the 3K word chapter. Which I doubt anyone would want considering the cliffhangers left and right.

    All of this is to make it fair for the p atreon users, since I was busy with my job.

    ***

    "Disappear without even a trace of your flesh, burn in the dark mes from the abyss of mein heart!"

    "Oh no, this Prinzessin can''t suppress it anymore! Be the sacrifice to pacify mein destructive urges!"

    "Come forth, fall into eternal slumber��In the embrace of mein ice-cold arms��!"

    "Please rest in peace. I won''t forget you all. That''s right, your existence will be engraved forever��In the memories of mein soul��!"

    She chanted with a cold smile gracing her alluring lips as the arrow in her hands glowed purple, iid with the properties of electro, sending a wave of cracking air out of the palm of her left hand, the light of thunder following each and every one of her movements besmearing all of her arrows with its electrifying properties.

    Her right arm was held out, ready to bring forth great suffering to her foes and finish all of the hilichurls in a single swoop with her arrows of doom.

    A soft sigh slipped past his lips. Yomite closed his eyes and breathed out heavily, exasperated on her chuuni antics.

    (Fischl is really on a roll today, huh...It somehow feels like her Chuuni phase is blooming...Well, as long as she''s having fun...The rest doesn''t matter...)

    Yomite wanted their date to start with something lighthearted like maybe taking a short breakfast while walking around the town, taking in the serenity of an early morning, but Fischl apparently wanted to go hunting monsters first.

    He readily agreed and so...now they were here...hunting monsters...

    (This honestly doesn''t feel like a date, at all. It''s just like an everyday thing for us, but I guess it''s fine. As long as she''s happy and doing what she likes.)

    They took a bounty from the Adventurer''s guild, to hunt a Ruin Guard that had been spotted in the abandoned ruins near the territory of Wolvendom.

    Once they located it, they approached the fallen archaic robot and unsurprisingly, the metallic body of the bot of ruin and chaos�� made from materials unknown and lost in the pages of history�� quivered ever so slightly as the robot started to move.

    The bolt-like protrusions lodged in its shoulders pistoned slowly before picking up speed and finally entered inside the gap of its shoulders. The archaic bot''s huge eye-shaped segment shed in an orangish light and brought its head down to its chest.

    The robot tensed up before slowly standing up and surveyed its surroundings, looking for the intruders daring enough to wake it up from its sorrowful masterless slumber.

    Finally sensing movement, the archaic bot of chaos turned its eye-esque segment to the duo of lovebirds and regarded them as a potential threat to the ce they were encoded and ordered to defend.

    It slowly stepped forward with heavy steps...

    Only for its huge eye-shaped segment to be met with an electrifying arrow, filled with the power of thunder, that hit its weak point1 and made it stagger backwards, immediately followed by another one that temporarily made it fall t on the ground on its rear portion and slowly reboot from its temporary malfunction.

    Yomite used this chance and swiftly approached the half-kneeling, half-sitting robot with a transparent yellowish cube seemingly consisting of pure energy in his hand that he formed before Fischl started her attacks.

    He aimed it at its chest, right where its core resided, and put the ancient bot of chaos and ruin out of its masterless fate and misery.

    The whole process of the fight took less than ten seconds and the behemoth of a robot was taken down with extreme swiftness and efficiency.

    Their teamwork had increased exponentially and so did Yomite''s control over his ability.

    The Tempus of the Particles, the energy cube ability that Yomite was trying so hard to master.

    During these three months which would soon turn into four, he managed to decrease the amount of time he needed to summon the cube from ten seconds to six, yet it was still nowhere near close to what he had in mind.

    No foe would ever let its opposition channel an ability for as long as six seconds during a life threatening battle, this wasn''t Dragonball, where everyone waited for their opponents to go all out just for the decision toe biting them back on their asses momentster, and he knew that.

    Iris�� who understood the elements of Teyvat equally as well as the Archons did�� was astonished when she observed his foreign technique. It was the very same technique that had injured her heavily in the past, and also the one that had eventually saved her from the pain and suffering.

    She mentioned that it was a veryplex spell that was made out of as much as three different elements.

    Pyro, Anemo and Geo respectively.

    Maybe if he mastered the abilities of the cube fully, he might just be able to feel the intent of the other three elements too and grasp them making their powers his own.

    At least that''s what he hoped for. The future was looking extremely promising. He was rich, slowly but surely getting stronger and stronger, and he was well on his way to getting two extremely cute and immensely beautiful lovers.

    Still, they were now on a date, so bothering with such�� insignificant to the ongoing event�� thoughts wasn''t his primary concern, he had to be paying attention to Fischl, his beloved partner, first and foremost.

    "Should we rest somewhere?"

    Yomite asked as he turned his head to look at the surroundings, already searching for a suitable ce to rest. There was a small stream with rocks of variable shapes and aesthetically pleasing nts and flowers growing along and it didn''t seem too far from their current location.

    It could be considered their resting ce for a couple of hours since they had been running around and fighting for about twenty minutes nonstop.

    "Sounds great!" She replied to him with a smile, her tone brimming with excitement and slight tiredness.

    "There might be a tree that would provide some shade, we could make camp there for now, but we need to take care of the intruders first." Yomite stated as they looked around again before deciding on one of the few trees that were close to them.

    They cleared out the nearby hilichurl camps and removed the obstacles on the road set up by them so that no one would disturb them on their date.

    Yomite looked around the area for any other potential threats while Fischlid out a nket over the soft viridescent grass with a basket ced over it and pulled out fresh berries and her favorite cold lemonade to make a fruit punch, setting it up next to her.

    "Alright, I will prepare our drinks and breakfast now."

    She called out to him and pulled some stic containers full of food, her favorite sandwich with sd and cold watermelon slices from the heat resistance artifact basket she brought with her for this asion.

    They got it as a visiting gift from Jean when they all moved into his mansion.

    As Yomite returned, he was d to see the food arranged in the soft nket in front of him.

    He sat next to her on said nket and his hungry eyes gazed over the delicious food. He was starving.

    It was a marvellous urrence when both of the parties involved willingly tried their utmost to make the date as best as possible for each other, and not only the man.

    There was no music of singing bards that would y during this deep rxing silence, but in the first ce there was no need for that extravagance, at least for them.

    There was just the quiet serene silence of him and Fischl sitting close to each other on their nkets, enjoying each other''spany under the shade of arge tree.

    The sky was bright blue and the sun softly shined down from above. A breeze blew through the grass carrying along with it the enchanting fragrance of nature and the leaves rustled rhythmically in the gentle morning air.

    Yomite was about toment on how pleasant the wind felt, when something even more pleasant happened.

    Without any warning, Fischl steadily, albeit shyly, lowered her head on hisp, while the rest of her bodyid on the nket.

    She was in heaven for sure.

    Yomite certainly didn''t expect for this to happen, but it''s not like he minded it, rather he was d to see her take such an intimate initiative.

    She gave him a pleasantp pillow before, so it was only natural for him to pay her back.

    He gently ran his hand through her silky blonde hair, as she watched him intently, the gentle emotions of an overflowing love glistening in her light green eye.

    She watched the enchanting sight of Yomite�� her partner, her beloved, the prince of her dreams and the object of her desires�� as she softly breathed out a sigh of pure contentment, basking in his warm and affectionate presence.

    This was undoubtedly the greatest day of her life��

    ������������������

    (E/N-1:�� All the Ruin Guards have 2 weaknesses, their glowing eye segment and the small spot in their backs that''s also glowing in an orange light.)

 Chapter 121

    Welp thanks to the help of my editor, the chapter went from 3000 to 3620 words, lol.

    I will now be focusing on irl stuff and be writing for p atreon and I feel like the first chapter of a smut will be ready for Celestia 10 Euro tier in like 3 or so days. (Of course, not exclusive, it will onlye sooner.)

    Hope you enjoy this chapter and see you on monday!

    ***

    Yomite looked to be in a state of utmost peace and tranquility with Fischlying on top of hisp like that, his eyes brimming with hints of affection and adoration as he steadily brushed through her hair, patting her head. His hands stilled, as he felt his lover''s eyes on him. Her gaze was piercing and unblinking, her eyes mirroring emotions akin to his own, albeit with an intensity far higher than his.

    "Mm��" she hummed. "This is worthy enough to catch the eye of the Prinzessin��" she said sleepily and yawned, stretching herself further while hiding the blush and the fluttering feeling coursing throughout her being.

    She stayed up the whole night, stressing out, and trying to figure out what to do during a date, yet it was all so simple��

    Acting like herself was the best way to go at it.

    That way, there was almost no pressure or fear.

    And right now, she felt like a content kitten basking in its owner''s affectionate care.

    Yomite chuckled softly at the alluring sight before him. Her hair spread around her, framing her face and he gently brushed it back, not letting it block the beautiful face of his beloved. His other hand affectionately yed with one of her long locks.

    "Want this?"

    Yomite took a knife and cut out a part of the flesh from the watermelon slice, bringing it close to her mouth. Fischl readily opened her mouth and ate it, savoring the taste of the fruit and the care of her lover.

    His eyes followed the movements of her pink alluring tongue as she swallowed the fruit, but he did not speak, just gazing away at her motions.

    He watched as her small tongue licked up the juice off the corner of her lips and she looked at him with expectations, as if she wanted to eat more.

    Yomite chuckled at her antics, then picked up another piece and offered it to her. She epted it once more.

    "Does the Prinzessin desire anything else? A massage? Something to drink? Or does she want me to feed her some more?"

    This kind of roley was something he would never normally do, but he felt like it really fit the current situation and he truly wanted to pamper her and make her happy.

    "...This Prinzessin desires...a morning kiss��" she cooed softly, her voice akin to a whisper like the tune of a soothing luby. "A kiss from her...Prince��"

    Whispering to him the desire of her heart, she raised both of her dainty arms and hugged his neck, locking her eyes with Yomite''s.

    The voice was soft and melodic, as it drifted through the air and reached Yomite''s ears. The girl�� filled with expectations and washed over by the embarrassment of her desire�� closed her eyes in hopes that she could picture the fairy tale that this was.

    However, instead of seeing an imaginary prince�� from the innumerable fairy tales she read growing up�� standing before her, she opened her eyes, and saw the visage of her real prince, the person she dearly loved.

    It took incredible resolve�� nearly every bit of courage in her being�� for her to say something like this to him, yet this was how she genuinely felt, nothing could and would change that fact and she wanted, she desired to be with him, more than anything else in the world.

    He looked at her in slight bewilderment but obliged nheless.

    Fischl was bolder than he thought her to be and this made him more than just simply happy.

    She closed her eyes again, feeling his strong arms wrapping around her lithe body, hugging her back. A shiver of pleasure coursed through her being as she brimmed with anticipation for the ensuing event.

    The imminent kiss drawing closer and closer made her body heat up from excitement. Yet, there were also hints of nervousness that followed every maiden experiencing their first kiss.

    Yomite leaned forward to press his lips against hers, softly and sweetly on top of her alluringly plump lips.

    He could feel her taste on his tongue as he pressed further in, his tongue entering her mouth, deepening their passionate kiss with each passing second.

    Fischl didn''t say a word but returned the kiss with utmost fervor and all-epassing bliss.

    "Mnn��"

    The moment was soft and slow, as though he didn''t want to break the contact and scare her away.

    She allowed him to explore her mouth freely and tried her best to reciprocate to his advances, as much as her inexperienced self allowed her to.

    His thumb grazed over her cheekbone�� his hand cupping her face�� gently caressing it as if afraid she might break under his touch, as if she was the most precious thing in the world.

    She had been waiting so very long for this moment toe.

    She had never let him know just how much she loved him before, just how much her very being desired for his attention and affection, or that she was even interested in being with him up till now.

    She was sure that yesterday, he might have caught a whiff of her feelings when she had lost control over her emotions and cried tears of joy about the fact that he managed to fully recover from the abhorrent disease.

    A hand gently cupped her jaw, fingers brushing against her cheek when they broke apart for a few moments to breathe.

    Her soft, sweet breath tickled his lips as she pulled away from him, giving one final peck on the tip of his nose before hurriedly turning away, "I love you."

    She whispered, softy, surely, eyes half lidded and cheeks rosy with emotion and affection.

    Yomite smiled back at her, taking in every inch of her face with his eyes. He took note of all of the small details about her that made her so unique and special.

    Fischl was content with everything that just happened, her mind was in absolute bliss, until she saw his gaze shift from her face, down to her body.

    A blush started to form on her fair cheeks as she watched him stare unabashedly at her small breasts.

    She covered the small twin peaks with her hand self consciously.

    Seeing that he was caught, Yomite chuckled softly in response, and looked away, silently apologizing to her with his gaze.

    Fischl nodded in reply with a soft giggle of her own.

    She didn''t mind, in fact, she was thrilled he showed interest despite her not being well endowed in that area.

    He yed with her hair and she felt so rxed that she let the sleepiness take a hold of her and fell asleep just like that. On hisp. A smile of peace and satisfaction adorning her face.

    Cute and defenseless.

    It looked like he had truly found himself another lover he would undoubtedly care for, and treasure, for the rest of his life.

    ***

    When she woke up a few hourster, she still felt hisp under her as he was gently stroking her head.

    She felt absolutely amazing and wanted to spend an eternity in his embrace, but she couldn''t just sleep through her first date!

    How stupid would that be?

    She stood up hastily and after a brief discussion, they decided to return back to Mondstadt.

    Their fingers were entwined resting between them as they slowly made their way back. Their hands never left each other even when they passed through the gates of Mondstadt and entered its streets facing the morning crowd.

    The thought didn''t seem real to Fischl, not with the way it felt so easy to intertwine their fingers and how natural it felt to hold his hand in hers.

    As they were walking down the streets, something caught Yomite''s eyes.

    They stopped in front of a Souvenir Shop that was run by a business woman known as Marjorie.

    She was standing in front of her establishment as always, selling rare, or weird items, artifacts, or alchemist potions.

    "Something caught your eye? Dear Hero?"

    Yomite turned his head at the sweet sound of Marjorie''s voice.

    The woman had a knowing smile on her face as she looked at the duo.

    "A date with your lover? How romantic, Mr Hero!"

    Fischl shyly nodded, her cheeks crimson, a small smile etched on her face while Yomite just sighed at the mention of the irksome title, "Don''t call me that..."

    Her smile curled up into a teasing grin, "But isn''t it true? We all know you and the deardy here took a huge part in saving us all, it''s only natural to be revered as a Hero!"

    "Haah... whatever you wish..."

    Yomite had enough of this woman.

    One time he had brought some weird coins he coincidentally found in an abandoned ruin to her, and she offered to buy them immediately.

    From then on, she was bothering him whenever she met him.

    She wanted more of those coins yet he didn''t have any left.

    An annoying business woman to the core...

    Fischl motioned to him and told him she would wait for him at the Good Hunter''s table to reserve a good spot for them.

    Yomite was grateful she left for a bit, mostly because he wanted to buy her something good and, if possible, expensive as a present for their first date.

    He began looking over the selection of essories, drifting over to where the magic essories and artifacts were stationed in the small shop.

    The price point of these probably kept most of the customers away, and he felt Marjorie''s hungry for money gaze wash over his body like a veteran cougar as he seriously considered the items on sale.

    Most of the stock would find trouble being sold in Mondstadt, but being the millionaire adventurer that he was, it was of no worry to him.

    Tags hung from all the essories, and at first, he tried looking for the ones that he thought Fischl would surely like�� living together came with the benefit of being able to perceive the outward preferences of your housemates�� then checked the actual effect of the magic imbuement or the artifacts'' power.

    Unfortunately, with how bizarre Fischl was,pared to that, all of the items here were mostly basic.

    He looked over various rings, but they all seemed to be pretty ugly or too pretty for someone of Fischl''s edgy chuuni tastes.

    He looked over various nes, but nothing stood out as something Fischl would like wearing, although one had the effect of stamina regeneration, albeit a very, very slow one.

    (I''ll keep that one in mind. She had problems recovering during spars with Iris, so this might help her to some degree.)

    He was getting worried by now, but by chance noticed something on the top left shelf.

    His gazended on a certain pair of objects in Marjorie''s special item window.

    A rather grandiose set of earrings. Finally something that he was truly interested in.

    It was a pair of gothic earrings, seemingly made of metals�� fantasy in nature�� akin to gold and strengthened by mixing magical crystals, making it a beautifying yet practical product for adventurers.

    Small translucent, yet, sparklingly white crystals were embedded in the equally small sockets arranged and decorated in an oval shape, tiny metallic golden protrusions held the arrangement of crystals in ce; and in the middle of the assortment of micro jewels was an�� rtivelyrge�� oval shaped emerald embedded into the earring�� sped tightly by yet another set of golden metallic protrusions, clinging it tightly to the base of the beautiful piece of jewelry.

    The gems gave off a sparkling luster akin to stars and thunder itself, and therge emerald embedded in the middle gave off a deep viridescent hue, glimmering ever so slightly in its shimmering tone, an amethyst tint adorned the edges of the crystal, near the golden protrusions, encircling the gem, giving it a mystifying aura.

    The pieces of earrings were both attached to a curved handle which made them easy to put on the ears of anyone willing to buy them.

    The beautiful piece of gothic jewelry had a vintage feeling to them, making them eye-catching to any onlookers setting their sights on them.

    It was a truly majestic piece of jewelry full of delicacy, grace and beauty, worthy of a Prinzessin.

    But more than anything, the most striking feature of the earrings, to Yomite at least, was the fact that it perfectly suited Fischl''s bizarre, yet amazing clothing style.

    The amethyst tint was a perfect match for the aura of electro surrounding her very being and the deep emerald gem at the base of it all, sparkling with the luster of life, was a perfect representation to the prinzessin''s own pair of mesmerizing and beautiful light emerald eyes�� so beautiful that he often found himself lost in a daze while looking at them.

    It was as though, the aesthetic pair of jewelry were made in the cast of Fischl, nothing was more perfect than them for her and he was sure it would reach its goal, the perfection of its creation by being adorned in the ears of the ''otherworldly'' prinzessin�� hispanion and now his lover.

    "These will go well with her outfit."

    He was confident this was a winner.

    "Which one caught your eyes? Every item here is unique. Every purchase here is a bargain!"

    "Those earrings...How much do they cost?"

    "Well, well, well, you have great eyes! These were brought in by my father! He found them in Dadaupa Gorge, underneath the cliff in a majestic wooden box, albeit it was damaged, the box that is. Moreover, I recall him saying that when he touched the box, he heard the resounding roar of thunder even though no clouds could be seen as it was a clear sunny day. Truly mysterious! Anyways, the price is 10 million Mora, but as you''re the Hero of Mondstadt, you can have it for 8 million! What do you say?"

    (This tale seems too fake to be real...but eight million!? That''s a bit...)

    He checked the contents of his bag and was stumped to see only 80k Mora on him.

    It wasn''t even nearly enough.

    He was about to leave, but he had the weirdest hunch, a striking gut feeling that he would regret not buying this pair of beautiful jewelry.

    (Tch...Is it at least an artifact? I want to know.)

    A blue screen popped into view�� only for him to gaze at the secrets the screen held�� and his eyes widened to the extreme, as the blue panel showed the information of the items right in front of him.

    The young man stared nkly into space, not blinking or even breathing for a moment.

    He had to get this item, at any and all cost.

    "...Marjorie, can you put it on my tab? I want to buy this for Fischl as a gift, but I don''t have enough money on me...I will bring you the amount...no...the whole sum of ten million tomorrow."

    "Hmm..." Marjorie hesitated a bit before agreeing, "Well, you''re the Hero, so you''re probably not going to run off...And if you really bring the whole sum...Alright...You can have it!!"

    "Thank you very much..." Yomite thanked her profusely and watched on intently as she put the earrings into an ornamental wooden box and wrapped it in an aesthetic gift wrapper.

    "No, I thank you! Drop by next time. Our products will never disappoint! Oh and also, bring some coins in! If you find some!"

    Yomite rolled his eyes at her remark, "Yeah, yeah..."

    No matter what, they always ended on the same annoying subject, the collection of some old as f*** ancient coins he kept on picking up from the greedy Treasure Hoarders and abandoned ruins.

    Yomite took the smallplimentary box wrapped in a gift wrapper and put it in his pocket, a wide grin stered on his face.

    He rejoined Fischl who already ordered some sweets for both of them...

    (There was no way I could pass up on something as precious as that.)

    ��������������

    Name: Beelzebul''s Earrings of Fleeting Eternity

    Rarity: 5* Artifact

    Description: A lost immortal soul destined for eternity, for a time so evesting, yet fleeting, all alone, forevermore...

    Active Ability - One time use: Raises the lifespan of the holder by tenfold.

    Passive ability: Increased wound healing and decreased stamina consumption by 60%.

    ��������������

    (Simply unbelievable...)

    This was probably the most valuable thing he obtained after forming a pact with Iris.

    "This Prinzessin wees you, what did that mortal want from you, just now?"

    "Ah, she was bothering me about those coins again...What a drag..."

    "Maybe she has a thing for you and just wants to talk to you whenever she has a chance." Fischl replied, shrugging her shoulders.

    Yomite frowned at the thought of her finding him attractive but quickly dismissed it since it felt stupid.

    No way that money hungry business woman would have the time to think of love.

    "Doubt it, that money hungry woman...Not in a million years..."

    She chuckled at his humorous words and soon enough the waitress brought their dishes.

    After they had their fill of sweet dessert in delight, they spent the whole day walking around the streets of Mondstadt hand in hand, then took a long walk all the way up to the Starsnatch Cliff where they gazed at the scenery and talked about their future together, as partners, as lovers.

    Seeing that it was getting dark, they returned to Yomite''s mansion, but before the date could be sessfully called over, there was still one more thing Yomite had to do.

    He tapped Fischl''s shoulder lightly and she turned around in wonder, only to see an aesthetically wrapped box in his hand.

    He opened the wrapper to unveil an ornamental box and also proceeded to open it to reveal two gorgeous earrings that looked very very expensive.

    "...They look so expensive...you shouldn''t have..." She was brought to tears by his gesture of love. She never got a present from someone other than her parents. And for her first present to be from her made her delighted and emotional.

    "It''s fine, it was only a couple of Mora."

    From the design, it was obvious that wasn''t the case, but she chose to ept his gift and put them on for him.

    "Loudestmander of avarice, the deadliest wyrm; I the Prinzessin Der Verurteilung, shall ept this gift with grace and ful��"

    She abruptly stopped in the middle of her sentence, her gaze lowering, much to the wonder of Yomite.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Fischl shook her head at his worried words and smiled at him. Nervousness shing in her visible light green eye.

    Slowly, she reached out her hand to her eyepatch and pulled it down, revealing the eye that was hidden up till now. The eye wasn''t anything special, it wasn''t a hidden power or a different colored pupil.

    It was just her usual, beautiful light green eye, the eye brimming with otherworldly liveliness and passion.

    She had the eyepatch on at all asions, so seeing her without it was frankly confusing and a bit weird.

    "My name isn''t actually Fischl..."

    She nervously informed him. Her long eternal dream was finally fulfilled and right now, she wished to stay with him for all eternity.

    "It''s...Amy." She leaned forward as she stared into the eyes of her beloved, his features softening and a smileing to his face. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she presented her true self to him�� the self she hid from everyone, the self she presented only to the one she loved with all her body and soul, other than her parents�� and sealed this divine secret with a sacred kiss.

    Both of them were too engrossed in kissing, in feeling each other''s passion and love, to pay attention to the phenomenon, but the Vision on her person blinked with an intense purple light, the power of electro abundant and crackling with power, for a brief moment that enveloped it, as if the shackles binding it werepletely removed, granting her full control of herself and the power of her element, only waiting for her to master it, as she indulged in a passionate kiss filled with tender emotions with the person she was sure she loved the most.

    For all eternity... Forevermore��

    ***

    "All done!" A young woman yelled while chucking her pencil away and putting away the papers she just finished writing on.

    Hu Tao was finished with the tasks that Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had sent to her, and no longer had anything special to do.

    (I heard hime back! It''s time to bully my assistant~! What should I do? What should I do? Prank him? Scare him? Or tease...no, thest option didn''t go wellst time...he seems to be immune to that...I will be at a disadvantage...)

    Hu Tao mused to herself as her ears turned slightly red, remembering how her previous teasing attempt went...

    She stood up and stretched, ready to perform some mischief, soon to hear a knock on her door.

    "Come in~"

    She answered and Fischl entered her room.

    "Ayaya! Fishy-Fishy! How did it go? Most likely well, right~"

    Hu Tao''s smile beamed when she saw the new earrings adorning the ears of her best friend.

    "...Yes. I''m d."

    "Tell me all about it!"

    The duo of best friends sat down and Fischl started recalling her experience...

    The sounds ofughter and teasing echoed in the silent room as they both indulged in the reminiscence of their beloved...

 Chapter 122

    I am back, resuming the daily uploads. Also, for the highest Celestia tier on my p atreon, the beginning of the smut will be avable today. So for those who wanted to check it out, from today on, is your chance to do so!

    ***

    Yomite knew that Fischl''s real name wasn''t actually Fischl, rather just a Chuuni roley name as was revealed in her status sheet before. However, he had grown fond of that name, and while, the name, Amy was cute in itself, he still nned to call her Fischl in front of other people.

    At least that was the wish she had asked for, the promise they decided to keep in that blissful moment sealed by the divine kiss.

    And he had no reason to refuse her, of course.

    Even with the name change, his feelings towards her would never change.

    Their first date was incredibly fulfilling, and frankly, quite fun as well, and it also made him realize just how much she cared about him.

    He talked about their romantic date with Hu Tao, leaving no details excluding the promise a secret, and she told him that she would want to go on the so-called date as well. They scheduled it to be held tomorrow.

    But today, Yomite had some fluffy business to attend to...

    It waste afternoon.

    He was currently standing in front of arge, old stone building, which looked like it could withstand even a battering from catapults without much difficulty.

    Truly a reinforced building, despite being just a bar full of drunkards of different ages and professions.

    Hanging over its sturdy and old wooden door was a newly painted sign dering that the building''s name was Cat''s Tail.

    A cute name if he said so himself.

    (I hope there will be some cute kitties around.)

    He thought to himself in excitement, as he entered the establishment. Kaeya had wished to meet him today, and so he came. He wondered if he wanted to meet him for another advice in his romantic rtionship with Vile.

    And just like he prayed for, the spacious bar inside the Cat''s Tail was packed with all manners of cute and adorable cats,zing around and sometimes ying with the drunken customers.

    They were incredibly cute and fluffy...

    However, the biggest surprise was to see...an actual cat girl!

    The moment he entered, the short heighted young girl in question, the one with cat ears and a long fluffy tail, took notice of him and approached him with a slight frown marring her extremely adorable and cute face.

    "Wee...What would you like?"

    Her tone seemed a bit angry, as if forced to repress her grief and indignation, yet she was trying to act polite and professional.

    (Dog ears and cat ears...are both simply wonderful...wonderful and cute��! To think I would meet a real cat girl...I want to pet her so much...)

    Animal ears were true justice unlike anything else!

    Nothing couldpare!!

    Dog girls had this indescribable charm about them unique to their own plus the aura of nobility they exuded from how loyal they were to its master was second to none.

    Meanwhile, Cat girls had an aura of elegance that no other beastkin possessed and ambivalence akin to a tsundere beautiful girl.

    "I came to y with the cats." Yomite replied while picking up a ck cat, cradling it in his arms, that nuzzled against his leg. "Oh, how cute you are! Oh, and also to try out the quality drinks!"

    "Tch." The cat girl clicked her tongue in extreme annoyance, her frown deepening further.

    "Anotherzy bum came for the cats..." She mumbled under her breath, lowering her tone, but Yomite could still clearly hear her, thanks to his slightly enhanced hearing.

    (Ehm...well...this is slightly awkward...)

    He ced the catzing happily in his hands on the ground and let it be free.

    "Take your seat!" The cat girl rudely pointed at an unupied table and left in a hurry.

    He did as he was told and checked a catalogue that was ced on top of the table. It looked to be an ordinary one�� just a list of names consisting of the avable drinks�� he could see from where he sat it had no special features or even any unique design on it, which was befitting of the quality of a tavern.

    Restaurants were bound to have nicer, and aesthetically colored menus decorated to catch the eyes of the customers, but he could care less about stuff like that.

    As he leaned in to take a look at the drinks they offered...

    ...

    ..

    .

    He blinked extremely rapidly and hurriedly wiped his eyes with his hands and tried to look again, as if not believing what was written in it.

    "��"

    (Kitty Kitty Creampie...That sounds...way too wrong...Also what the hell is a Furry Special Cock Tail��!??)

    The names of the said drinks sent cold shivers down his spine. He knew that they probably didn''t mean what was said...but it was still ufortable for him to imagine how the drinks might actually look��

    And smell like��

    And tastes like��

    Dear Goddess, he was almost retching, picturing himself drinking said drinks��

    Absolutely horrible...

    He put down the catalogue and saw that Kaeya was slowly approaching him from a distance.

    "Yo, Love Master, long time no see!" The tall and intelligent Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius greeted his self-proimed little brother with a wide smirk adorned on his face.

    "...We literally saw each other two days ago...is that really so long?

    "Time is fleeting. We better make use of every second."

    "It''s not about how much time you have, it''s about how you use it."

    Hearing him, Kaeya nced at him with amusement flickering in his one diamond-shaped eye that was revealed.

    "Anyway...just sit down already, you''re starting to sound weird..." Yomite snorted through his nose and gave him a sour look, motioning for him to sit on the opposite chair.

    Kaeya simplyughed it off with a wave of his hand and sat down, epting his inviting gesture.

    "So, what are we doing here?" Yomite questioned as he looked at his surroundings. It wasn''t that he didn''t enjoy being in a ce full of cute cats. A ce that even had a catgirl bartender! But the whole thing just seemed weird to him. Why not meet in Diluc''s tavern? Why here?

    "Well, obviously! I invited you to celebrate your recovery! My dear little brother."

    "...Surely not just that...right?"

    Kaeya didn''t reply immediately, picking up the menu instead and his eyes scanned through the list of drinks.

    "Hmm...it''s so hard to decide, but I think I will have the Kitty Kitty Cream��"

    "Don''t say it." Yomite warned, his voice sounded so defeated, so broken, and he was barely holding himself together...

    "Eh? Are you perchance saying that the Furry Cock Tail is better? I never had it before, but if you say so, I might try it!"

    "Neither is!" He replied weakly, eyes still trained on the ceiling, fingers clenching, as if he was looking for an answer to this stupidity.

    He refused to believe that the term creampie and furry wasn''t amon term of this world...There was simply no way...

    "Oh by the way, I saw you with that Investigator, Fischl, yesterday. It looked like you two had quite fun." It was spoken in a mocking tone but Yomite was already aware of how the other people viewed Fischl. Simply as a weirdo with an incoherent vocabry and disturbing sense of fashion.

    The eyes of the public were harsh, and the people themselves were even worse. Although he could care less about gossiping and even less about what they thought about his dear lover.

    She loved him and he epted and understood her, that was all he cared for...

    "I enjoyed it, yes. We had fun." Yomite''s lips curved upwards ever so slightly, his gaze shifting from Kaeya to the ground as he spoke. He truly enjoyed their time alone together.

    "Is that so? Could it be....that you are also one of those people that believe that Fischl having one eye covered is very fitting given her title of Prinzessin der Verurteilung, so you wanted to spend some time with her to know the full truth?" Kaeya looked at him and roared inughter, "If that''s the case, that must make me a future royal progeny too, no? A charming prince, nheless..." Saying that, he pointed at his right eye covered with an eye patch.

    "Weren''t you supposed to be the so-called Pirate? Where did the royaltye from��your lying ass?" He watched, amused, as Kaeya stared nkly back at him.

    He then shrugged his shoulders with a smallugh, "Maybe. Maybe there are other things my amazing self is proficient in, who knows."

    "Yeah...sure...I still vividly remember how you tried to set me up to look for some stupid treasure��"

    That truly was a long time ago. The freshly formed party met with Kaeya who told them that he was actually a pirate and that he was looking for his grandfather''s lost treasure.

    Obviously, Lumine, the woman that couldn''t get a hint, and the trio of Paimon, Fischl and Hu Tao were all excited to look for a secret treasure and ruins and whatnot, while Yomite went drinking with Kaeya as he obviously saw through him and knew he was making it all up.

    Yomite used that chance fully, to earn himself some alone time full of peace and quiet.

    (Good times.)

 Chapter 123

    ***

    "Come to think of it, is there a specific reason why you are wearing an eyepatch? Is your eye damaged? I bet it''s only because you want to look cool, isn''t it?" Yomite wondered out loud.

    He assumed that Kaeya had put the piece of ck eye patch on just for the image, but maybe he was wrong all this time. He didn''t know for sure.

    Kaeya''s face remained emotionless as he answered in a monotonous tone, "Ah, about my eye? My right eye is just fine. There''s nothing unusual about hiding one''s body part from view now, is there? It''s the same reason I wear pants��or any other item of clothing, for that matter. Just think of the eye patch as something simr to that notion."

    "Yeah��I guess��I was kind of wondering about that ever since I met you��How long has it been again? Four or so months?" Yomite scratched his chin, his tone a bit hesitant�� a bit nervous, his mind lost in thought at hearing Kaeya''s uncharacteristic indifferent tone of speech.

    "��I didn''t realize we''d known each other for so long now. Time flies when you are having fun! You know, ever since meeting you, my life has changed so much. For the better, of course! This might actually be the most fun I''ve had in my whole life. I hope it stays that way for a long time��I really do hope..."

    It was just a simple answer, but when spoken by Kaeya, Yomite felt as though he was suddenly plunged into a world of blizzard and ice making a sickening shiver spread throughout his body.

    Something was definitely on his mind.

    Something was definitely bothering Kaeya��

    Yomite never really had a real track of good friends in his past life.

    There were only friends that either forgot about him once they had all graduated from university and never wanted to meet up ever again, or stopped contacting him altogether even when he tried his best to keep their friendship��

    They acted like mere acquaintances, maybe even worse...

    That''s why the feeling of having a friend or apanion was extremely foreign to him at this point, and he felt like he was way too alienated.

    For sure, there was his party. They were hispanions and now, some of them even his lovers.

    He could talk to them at any time, share his thoughts, goals, feelings and so on��

    But��did he have a single male friend?

    Someone he could talk to at any time? A bro he could rely on?

    There were always things he couldn''t share with the girls and could only be spoken between male friends, buddies he could converse with.

    There was Diluc��who was usually either quietly nodding or shaking his head the whole time and Yomite had to carry the whole conversation by himself��or Diluc was simply way too busy to meet up with him��

    Then there was Venti��who��was a dude yes��but talking to him still felt as if he was talking to a girl either way��not to mention he disappeared a few months ago and he hadn''t heard from him since��and while he had cursed at Venti on multiple asions, he still didn''t want anything bad to happen to the useless excuse of a God.

    Thest guy on his list of acquaintances he met and had a connection with was Kaeya.

    The sly, lying fox.

    Still, conversations with him were pleasant, he had a good sense of humor and they could talk for hours��but then again��was Kaeya simply pretending?

    When it came to the charismatic cavalry captain, he never knew if he was truly interested in the topics they talked about, or if he was bored out of his mind but gave him a nice smile of deception either way��

    He was tempted to use his Tempus of the Heart ability on him many times now, yet somehow, he either forgot, or maybe he simply did not wish to know the truth.

    For he knew, the weight of some truth was too difficult to bear.

    But still, he regarded him as his friend. His best friend at that.

    "The way you worded that��sounds a bit weird��" Yomite trailed off as he stared at Kaeya''s apathetic face, trying to make sense of his words.

    He didn''t know why his friend was acting in such a weird manner today, maybe it was something to do with his girlfriend?

    But then again, it could also be something else. It was Kaeya after all.

    If he didn''t know better, he would fancy the thoughts of Kaeya being on the verge of death or something.

    "Was it that weird? You know, the first time you showed up in front of the gates of Mondstadt, I had my doubts about telling you the truth."

    "��Why is that?"

    Yomite stared nkly at him. The nervousness and the sinking feeling of dreadtching on his mind increasing ever so slightly at Kaeya''s cryptic words.

    "When I saw you, curiosity got the best of me. I invited you guys into Mondstadt with slightly bad intentions, I admit that. But after learning more about you, I now trust you more than ever. You know, I am really happy that I was able to meet someone like you on this ursed life of mine."

    "��You are really starting to creep me out��this seems like some kind of twisted confession of love��"

    "Heh, is that so~ maybe it is..."

    After he spoke that sentence with a yfulughter��

    Kaeya''s gaze narrowed sharply, the smile dropped from his facepletely and his expression hardened with apathy�� the atmosphere surrounding the two plunged into a dark abyss of absolute frost�� as he looked at Yomite, no longer ying around.

    He leaned forward towards Yomite''s ear and whispered, in a chilly tone, one of his darkest secrets, "To tell you the truth, I''m actually��"

    ��

    ..

    .

    After hearing his wordsced in frost, sending chills to his very soul, Yomite''s eyes shot wide open, his breath taking a hitch, as he immediately checked his status.

    ��������������

    Name: Kaeya [Khae''yah] Alberich

    Age: 21 [???]

    Title: The Lost cial Prince, Frostwind Swordsman, The Last Hope of Khaenri''ah

    upation: Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius, Spy of Khaenri''ah

    Hobby: Wine Tasting, Lazing around

    Likes: Sparkling Wine, His Girlfriend Veil, Teasing his brothers, Takes pleasure in the look of fear of his allies and enemies alike.

    Dislikes: Boredom, People who drink Grape Juice, Loneliness.

    Dream: Indecisive

    Current mood: Worried

    Rtionship Level: 9/10 �C Brotherly Love

    State of Rtionship: Best Friend.

    ��������������

    "��Once that dayes, I will be counting on you~" Kaeya gave him a wink�� dissipating the frosty aura he generated�� and then called for a bartender.

    "��I am not so sure about that��"

    The information that Kaeya just ryed to him��

    He would have to contemte that for a long time��

    He never would have thought that such a heavy load was on his shoulders��but now that he wasfortable with sharing his past and his current thoughts, he felt that Kaeya had opened up to him fully and trusted him more than ever before��

    The chasm separating their brotherhood had been cleared by Kaeya at this moment.

    He wanted to discuss this with him somewhere else, somewhere private, but before he had the chance to do so, the angry voice of the little cat girl bartender made them aware of her presence.

    "How is it that even a captain of the Knights is a disgusting boozehound! Why do you keeping back here to get drunk!? You should be a role model for citizens and not drink any alcohol whatsoever! Kaeya! Hmph!"

    Yomite didn''t notice her until she was standing right next to him.

    Maybe because she was just so small��

    He hadn''t even heard her footsteps, even with his enhanced hearing, but there she was in all of her rage.

    The pink haired cat girl''s voice echoed throughout the tavern, making the customersugh while the owner, who was also a decent looking mature woman in her thirties, just sighed tiredly.

    "Diona��how many times do I have to tell you to be mindful of our customers��"

    Margaret, was the proud owner of the Cat''s Tail and also the boss of Diona, the cat girl bartender for whom this tavern was so renowned for.

    The Cat''s Tail had recently seen a business boom after hiring Diona. Margaret''s reason for hiring Diona was simple: she was cute, a genius at mixing drinks and being a bartender, and once again, she was extremely adorable.

    Regardless of the fact that she was clearly not old enough to drink alcohol herself��

    While it was obvious to everyone��

    It still had to be said that she absolutely despised alcohol, despite being the best bartender in Mondstadt, no, even in the whole of Teyvat, Margaret dared to say.

    It''s just that she was blessed, or as she would like to call it�� cursed with hands that just couldn''t make a bad drink, no matter how much she tried to do so otherwise��

    And she absolutely hated herself for that...

 Chapter 124

    ***

    It was simply as if the God of Bartending themselves resided in that small adorable body of Diona''s, her small hands could turn anything and everything into a terrific, delicious drink out of every drunkard''s wet dreams.

    No matter how many or whichever disgusting ingredients were used as a base for the drink, it would turn into an Asexotic delicacy.

    Frog''s poo? Delicious!

    Dusted butterfly wings? Delicious!

    Eyeballs and fertilized eggs of a dead fish? Delicious!

    And many other exotic and��horrific ingredients��

    No matter what she used in her drinks, it would turn out to be absolutely delicious...

    She simply turned garbage into a God''s gift that people fawned over and couldn''t resist, much to her dismay and utter confusion.

    She simply never made a bad drink. More urately she just couldn''t make a bad drink, such was her physique and innate ability...

    But the huge minus here was her attitude...and Margaret still hoped to make Diona''s attitude better...Even if by a little...

    "It''s alright, Madame Margaret! We don''t mind!!"

    "That''s right, Diona''s cuteness��*ahem* I mean...quality drinks are why we''re here in the first ce!"

    The customers cheered in delight as they praised Diona without reservation.

    "Tch, drunkards! Drunkards! All of them! If you don''t shut it, I will make you the most disgusting drink you will ever taste in your life!!!"

    Diona yelled angrily at the rowdy and drunk group of people�� her cat-like ears stood straight on end, twitching vigorously as if mirroring their owner''s anger�� who once againughed at her fuming and adorable small frame.

    As if in response to that, a drunk woman from their group stumbled into one of the tables and fell over, spilling the drinks, causing all of them to roar inughter once again.

    "Tch! These...disgusting...wretched�� stinky��Tch!" The little cat girl Diona cursed under her breath as she red daggers into the party of drunkards. Her arms were outstretched towards her lower torso as she shook in anger, her cat ears trembling and twitching as her body quaked, her antics making her look all the more adorable.

    She kicked into Yomite''s chair out of frustration, huffing again as her tail swiftly swished left and right, and then continued her annoyed stomping upon the wooden floor under her as if wanting to vent all her anger at the poor wooden furnishing.

    Her hands were balled up into a tight fist and she was visibly agitated, trembling more and more by the second.

    She had been in such a good mood earlier today when she was on the way to see her dear daddy and saw that he wasn''t drunk for the first time in a while, only to end up in this wretched pub again, surrounded by more addicted alcoholics...

    But she couldn''t quit just now...

    Her goal was to infiltrate the Wine Industry to tear it apart from the inside!

    She couldn''t give up here! For her dream, she must hold on!

    The easiest way to destroy her enemy was to take them down from the inside, right? That''s why she joined the alcohol industry to do just that.

    It was clear as day how much she despised the people of this town for their drinking antics, and it did not matter where, who or when...as long as someone was consuming alcohol, she would bash them without any reservation...

    As to her, alcohol was the source of all evil.

    Everyone said she was a miracle worker of some kind, when it came to making cocktails that is, yet the truth in the matter was that she always wanted to make the cocktails and drinks as bad as possible on purpose, yet they still, each and every time, turned into something unbelievably delicious.

    She was in disbelief, and till this day she didn''t understand this trait of hers.

    It was like a boon, but to her it was nothing but a curse. The greatest curse in existence.

    A curse she had to get rid of as soon as possible...

    Diona wanted to make disgusting drinks so that people would stop buying alcohol altogether, yet her drinks were so good that she brought in even more customers!

    Her ns were failing miserably!

    Meanwhile, Yomite fell silent in thought.

    Despite being a bartender...the best bartender at Mondstadt at that, from what he heard.

    She wasining that her customer was often visiting this tavern to get drunk???

    (Isn''t she weird? Shouldn''t she be happy instead that they get to cash in on Kaeya as he is a frequent customer?)

    "Sorry, sorry, Diona...please stop shouting at me..."

    Kaeyaughed aloud, bringing his hands forward towards Yomite, "You should be thanking me instead! I brought you the man you wanted to see so much. The man, the myth, the legend himself...Here he is, in his full glory! Presenting my lil'' brother, the man of many mighty titles such as: The Hero of Mondstadt, Honorary Knight, Savior of Dvalin, The Ladies Man and The Cholera Destroyer!"

    Yomite rolled his eyes at his frivolous words, especially on the Ladies Man Part.

    How could he be so shameless to say something so disconcerting like that out loud?

    Diona widened her eyes, and her cat slits immediately focused onto the visage of poor Yomite, her ears also stood on attention, who had no idea what was going on and felt like a victim that fell into yet another one of Kaeya''s ploy and was now about to be kidnapped and sold on some ve market...

    (So much for a friend the moment I call him as such!!! This jackass...) He cursed vehemently in his mind for his foolish thoughts.

    "...So you are the one? ''That'' Yomite?" She surveyed him from top to bottom with her judging gaze and didn''t seem much impressed. "Meh��"

    Yomite smiled at her wryly, and nodded as a dorm if reply, "I don''t know any other guy called like that, so I guess I am��?"

    "You''reing with me then! Hmph!"

    "...Huh?"

    She pulled on his sleeve hard, but her small frame did not have enough strength to move him from his spot.

    She watched with a frown as he continued sitting on the bar chair with his hands stuffed in his pocket leisurely looking at her antics.

    "Move! This instance!"

    "Why?"

    He repliedzily with an expression she could only describe as smug, and then yawned.

    "Because I said so. My daddy wants to meet you, Yo-mi-te! For a hero, you sure are unwilling to ept a request!" She scoffed, her face red and eyes full of vehement anger, while her hands were shaking at her sides. In a word, she looked extremely cute.

    "Ah, we''re already on the first name basis...I see, Di-o-na~ Then tell your father toe here, I will wait."

    He replied with a raised eyebrow at her arrogant words and leaned back onto his elbows, stretching his arms out to the side before turning to face her. "I''mfortable here and ain''t moving, so no thanks."

    "Unbelievable! I''m so tired of this job! You''re not getting any drink orders until I get confirmation that you''reing with me!" She crossed her arms over her petite t chest and eximed angrily.

    (Now let''s see what he will do about that!)

    He was just like others, just another drunkard, she was absolutely sure of it.

    He was bound to follow her immediately, if he baited her with drinks.

    Little did she know...

 Chapter 125

    ***

    "Don''t be sozy ande with me! This instance!"

    Diona yelled again�� loudly, this time hitting Yomite''s shoulder lightly with her small hands, balled in fists, as she tugged at his sleeve and pushed against his chest.

    Her adorable punches didn''t hurt him one bit and it felt as though Paimon, the flying emergency food of their group, was hitting him, yet her loud ramblings and childish shenanigans were starting to annoy him a bit.

    The annoyance was starting to build up making him frown in dissatisfaction.

    He sighed�� having had enough of the annoying little girl�� standing up from the bar stool before walking away from her.

    "Where are you going!? Ah! Are you...actually going with me?" A hint of joy shed in her voice, her ears fluttering a bit in happiness.

    Yomite, however, ignored herpletely and sauntered straight to the woman in charge of this establishment�� Margaret.

    "W-Wait you can''t possibly..."

    The happiness slowly creeping in on her face vanished in its entirety and in its ce a sense of dread and fear befell her, as she watched him walk towards the reception desk.

    She was having a bad premonition...

    He knocked on the door leading to the main branch area for staff, and Margaret immediately opened to see who had knocked and why. Once she saw who it was, a huge smile graced her mature lips, "If it isn''t the Hero himself! Are you in need of anything?"

    "Ah, sorry for bothering, but your bartender said she doesn''t want to sell me any drinks and keeps on shouting at me and ordering me to follow her, not to mention she punched me a few times too."

    "Eek!"

    Diona shrieked in horror when she found out what his true goal was. Her soul almost left her body in fear of his actions.

    (This sly man! He isn''t a hero in the slightest! How is he not embarrassed to be such a bbermouth!)

    Hearing Yomite''sints, Margaret smiled, it was a strained smile, and spoke in an apologetic tone, "My apologies, I shall give her a punishment. She won''t be able to y with the kittens around here for a whole week! I hope that suffices."

    Yomite nodded with a grin, "Sounds fair."

    "Nya!? That''s not fair at all! Nyathing about it is fair!" Diona hissed with her ears twitching up and tail swishing. Her small adorable feet kept stamping on the wooden floor in indignation as she red at Yomite''s figure.

    If stares could kill Yomite would''ve already been dead, such was the intensity of her enraged re.

    "...Diona...I told you many times that customers are basically like Gods to us, we should treat them with respect, especially esteemed guests like the Cavalry Captain Kaeya, and Yomite, the Hero Of Mondstadt! So if you don''t wish to get punished, serve them with your special drink on the tab of the pub immediately."

    Diona clicked her tongue in annoyance, "Tch...Two specialsing right up." and blurted out, scowling through it all. She walked or rather stamped towards the counter, but not before she turned towards Yomite, giving him a mean look and sticking her tongue out�� mocking him.

    Yomite just snickered in response to her childish antics which further annoyed Diona as she began her work.

    She tossed her cocktail shaker high into the air and once she caught it with her small hands, she kept shaking it in different directions, thoroughly mixing the contents within, before reaching under the counter. "I''ll be sure to make yours extra special and spicy, Yo-mi-te, The Hero. I hope you will enjoy our service!"

    As each ingredient hit the countertop and disappeared into the shaker, Yomite was more sure than ever that she was making him a disgusting drink as a payback for his snitching...

    "We are...still talking about...a drink, right? Right��? What the hell is all of this crap!?"

    There was no way that an abominable mixture that mostly consisted of a spoiled crab, some weird insects, and...was that...an eyeball of someone??? Maybe a Hilichurl? Would taste good at all��

    (Oh dear Goddess! What in tarnation is she going to make us drink?)

    The horrendous mixture of utter disgust and absolute garbage was divided into two sses and ced on top of the table in front of both him and Kaeya�� and the ever dashing cavalry captain immediately swallowed down the mix of abomination without any hesitation.

    Yomite just stared at him�� gobsmacked, eyes wide open in disbelief as Kaeya took arge gulp of what could be only described as dross and filth...

    Looking back at the drink in front of him, its appearance was disgusting enough to make his gag reflex act up, much less the horrible smell that made him almost vomit into the ss itself��

    It smelled as if some animal died in a sewer full of waste, kept rotting there for months if not years, and then was freshly squeezed and served as a drink for him��

    He was sure he would rather eat poisonous mushrooms or toxic insects than to drink this...this mixture of nightmares and horrors...

    It was bound to taste equally as bad...right?...so why...just why was Kaeya acting as if it was the greatest thing he ever drank?

    His eyes were literally sparkling and tears welled up in the corners of his eyes as if he had seen the creator''s visage itself, giving him salvation...

    Was he doing this because he wanted to bait him into trying it, so that someone would share his suffering? Or was it actually that good?

    Kaeya mmed the ss on the table and burped with satisfaction.

    "Perfect as always. Another masterpiece from the best bartender in the city. Gotta tell my dear elder brother Diluc to step up his game, or else his Dawn Winery business will fall apart soon."

    "Hmph! It better all fall apart! That''s my only goal after all!" She nced at Yomite and narrowed her slits, challenging him, "Come on, drink up! It better taste horrible! You hear!?"

    Still looking over at Kaeya, Yomite''s gaze was equally as disturbed as before��and his expression was riddled with doubt and dread...

    He couldn''t be serious!? They must be pranking him right now! In what world would this ''thing'' that felt like it came out of someone''s worst nightmare could even taste good!?

    (Is there a hidden camera somewhere? Are they going to film my reactions?)

    He doubted that was the case, as so far, they only invented a photo camera which was also pretty shittypared to what he had back on Earth��

    "Lil'' bro, it''s bad manners to keep the bartender waiting! Gulp it all in one go! The drink won''t drink itself after all! If it''s bad, I will give you a few hundred thousand Mora, how about it?"

    "..."

    Yomite, with utmost unwillingness, brought his lips forward, and took a sip of the dark gurgling liquid in front of him.

    Instantly, a sweet vor overwhelmed him and his taste buds. A smile unknowingly crossed his lips as he leaned forward to look at his reflection in the ss. "Oh my god..." he whispered to himself.

    He hadn''t really been expecting this...at all...but if this wasn''t the best drink he ever had, then he didn''t know what was...

    His tongue touched the rim of his wine ss, and he swallowed it all down quickly, gulping it like he had been thirsty for days.

    The liquid burned as it slid down his throat. A few momentster, he could feel it settle in his stomach, a warm sensation coursing throughout his body, filling him with energy and will to continue throughout the day.

    "This is...absolutely...amazing��"

    Heplimented the drink and its maker. It was almost a miracle how something that looked so disgusting tasted this good.

    "Aw, I failed...Ugh, again...even though I wanted him to vomit it out right away��"

    Hearing her disturbing words, Yomite looked back at the empty ss in his hand, both confused and amazed at the turn of events.

    (She wanted me to feel sick, but she''s so good at mixing that she unwillingly made it this good? Is this actually some kind of magic?)

    That was...certainly intriguing��

    Very intriguing...indeed...

 Chapter 126

    ***

    "So? Are you willing to go with me now that you''ve begged out a free Diona special?"

    "The drink was certainly amazing, there is no denying that...But before we go, I have a question."

    It was indeed an important question.

    "Can I pet you?"

    Maybe not as important.

    "Nya!? No chance! I won''t let anyone touch my tail!"

    She jumped away from him, hissing out in hatred.

    "I didn''t mean tail, I meant your ears. I want to pet your ears"

    Her angry indignant expression warped into one of confusion and hesitation, "Ears? But what would be the point of petting them?"

    "They look incredibly fluffy."

    Yomite answered simply.

    Hearing his reply Diona hesitated further, before leaking out a sigh and approaching him with moderate amounts of caution.

    "Fine...But be gentle, they are very sensitive... And if you touch my tail, I will bite you real hard!"

    She showed him her feline fangs as she hissed out thest threatening words.

    Taking her threat into ount, he steadily reached out his hand towards her fluffy cat-like ears.

    (Ah...this is bliss...And the way they flutter when touched...Simply wonderful...)

    He slowly petted her cat ears for a few minutes, stroking them lightly to make them flick back into shape.

    His fingers brushed against the soft fur of Diona''s cute ears, the tip of his middle finger gently grazing over them before moving down.

    Diona purred softly, a contented and happy sigh kept leaking out as she enjoyed Yomite''s pats, and seeing the phenomenon made him smile at her adorable actions.

    She was just like a cute cat.

    He then moved his hand further down to stroke her chin and she slowly leaned into his touch as though on instinct.

    Her satisfied cat-like purrs reverberated on the surroundings, filling the room with a deep vibrato. It was soft and melodic, but still managed to be quite loud whenpared to the sound of people talking over each other at the pub.

    "W-why are you scratching my chin as well! I only said you could touch the ears! I''m not a cat! I''m a proud adult of the K?tzlein bloodline!"

    Diona woke up from her satisfied stupor and finally seemed to have realized what happened or rather how she reacted to Yomite''s touches.

    Shaking his hand off of her chin, she jumped up and hit him squarely in the chest, making him gasp and cough a little from surprise. Soon however, heughed out loud because of the sheer cuteness of her abrupt act.

    He had to admit, Diona was pretty.

    No, not pretty. Adorable. There was a HUGE difference.

    "Alright, that''s enough petting. At least for now. We can go visit your father. Lead the way."

    "...For now!? There won''t be any other chance for you! You took advantage of me!"

    She yelled loudly, her toneced with fury, fully knowing that nothing much even happened between them just now.

    "Come on...don''t make it sound so scandalous...I barely touched your chin at most��You only said I couldn''t touch your tail..."

    "Tch! I will remember that!" Spating the words out, she walked up to Margaret and told her that she needed to take a leave.

    She was confused for a moment, afraid that something must have happened to her father for her to take a sudden leave like this, but Diona exined to her about her circumstances, and Margaret was more than happy to oblige to her wishes.

    Diona was, after all, an indispensable member of her pub. She deserved the best treatment.

    Diona then returned swiftly, pointing at the door she uttered out an order. "We are going." and without saying anything else, she stormed out of the tavern, not even looking back.

    "Oh well...guess I will go too." Yomite sighed and said goodbye to Kaeya.

    "Leaving already? See you next time then, lil'' bro, but don''t make me wait for too long. I would love to hear your answer regarding ''that'' particr topic."

    Yomite deeply sighed at Kaeya''s words, reminded of the dark secret that the cavalry captain had shared with him, and left the tavern in contemtion.

    He would have to think about the burdensome issue some other time...

    Watching him leave, Kaeyaughed to himself in delight.

    "He''s...so interesting."

    For the first time in his life, he didn''t feel lonely, for he finally had a friend who he could maybe share his burdens with.

    ***

    A medium-sized mansion was located in the center of the vige of Springvale.

    This was where the Cholera disease came to life. The epicentre of the malignant disease which was recently cleansed and the area was now, luckily, a safe ce to visit.

    A middle-aged man sitting opposite of the duo on the couch in the living room, furrowed his brow.

    It was Diona''s father that had luckily recovered from the disease thanks to Yomite''s cure.

    His name was Draff, a middle-aged, bearded man with cat ears.

    (I only followed her because I wanted to see more cat girls...not this��old cat boy..ugh...)

    He got shivers thinking of the fact and sighed heavily within his mind, once again confirming that the concept of plot armor and lucky coincidences simply didn''t exist for him.

    After he recovered from Cholera, Yomite decided to reveal the method to treat the diseases to the public.

    He had enough money already so there was no need to profit out of it, not to mention he could earn more Mora at any time he wanted if he started selling ideas from his old world.

    He had already made ns to do something like that in the future, but first, he would need to hire some people that would start working on it.

    So, there was no point for him to keep the cure a secret.

    Especially when it came to a dangerous and harrowing disease like Cholera...It was much better to let the whole world know that a treatment for such a terrible and newfound disease was found rather than to profitize from it.

    At first, he did not want to reveal his name or identity, but somehow the public already knew who was behind the discovery of the new disease, and the words spread around Mondstadt, then Liyue, and then eventually the whole world of Teyvat.

    At least that''s what Jean had told him.

    He wanted money, yeah, but he didn''t want fame��

    Fame was like a curse. Or maybe akin to a double-edged sword..

    It could bite him easily in the ass at any time...although it might also bring him a couple of benefits such as discounts, free stuff, easier ess to things that the public cannot even fathom to witness and so on.

    And now, Diona had brought Yomite here, into her home, precisely because her father wished to meet the person that saved his vige and his life, most likely to thank him.

    But right now��

    The person before him was coughing dryly.

    Both him and Diona were presently sitting on a rug of a stuffed bear that was lying in the middle of the living room.

    The atmosphere that Draff radiated felt very oppressive as he kept staring at Yomite with a stern expression of disapproval, and maybe even slight hostility.

    At a nce, he looked like a normal middle-aged man with brown hair and unique cat-like ears, but his sharp eyes had been emitting an oppressive pressure for a while now.

    Seeing that he was alone, without a wife, probably meant that he was either a widower or his wife had left him. Either way, it was pretty sad.

    *Cough* *Cough*

    Draff coughed dryly again, clearing his throat...

    "So."

    ...He opened his mouth and let out a single word.

    "Who the hell are you!? You can''t have my daughter!"

    He stood up and shouted as he pointed at Yomite with an usatory finger. "Howe my sweet little daughter already found herself a man!? Uneptable!"

    "D-Daddy!? It''s not like that!" A loud gasp and a shrill squeal of protest escaped Diona''s small being as she looked at her father with indignation.

    Yomite quickly raised his hands in defense, not wanting to anger her father even more than he already had been.

    The man was standing in front of him now, with a hand over his heart, looking as if he were about to copse any second now from the shock of letting his daughter go��

    Almost like he was having a heart attack...

    (Woah...this parent seems a bit too much...This ispletely different from what I expected...)

    After a moment of tension, however, Draff''s shoulders rxed, he plopped back down at his sofa and started roaring inughter.

    "I''m just messing with you! I always wanted to say that! You should have seen both of your faces! Bahahah! Here, take her from me as soon as possible, my daughter bullies me on a daily basis..."

    Thest part of his sentence was said in a depressing tone, but his acting skills had indeed convinced Yomite.

    Hepletely thought he was being serious before, shouting at him for stealing his daughter away��

    He was readying himself for one of the clich�� misunderstandings only to be yed by the sly old fox of a man that Draff was.

    "DADDY!!! I''m gonna kill you, you know!" The little small ball of anger and cuteness clenched her fists tightly in fury, readying herself to punish her father.

    "Rx, rx! I just wanted to lighten up the atmosphere with a joke��"

    Diona''s nose slightly twitched as she sniffed the air around her, "You...You drank it again, didn''t you! I can smell it!! Even if it''s faint!! Where did you hide the bottle this time!?"

    "D...Drank? Drank what? *cough* *cough* I did drink some water this morning if that''s what you''re referring to��Drinking water is very healthy..."

    "You know very well what I mean! Alcohol! Alcohol! I told you not to! I always do! Yet you did it again! I hate you so much!"

    She furiously stood up from the rag and ran into her room with tearful eyes emanating the sadness of her heart.

    Draff, wryly smiled at that, his gazended on Yomite as he bowed, "I''m sorry you had to witness something like this...I intended to meet you and thank you personally, but Diona said she would rather look for you herself and bring you here. Sorry for the trouble caused, my daughter...is a very tough nut to crack..."

    "It''s fine, don''t worry about it..."

    He saw that they had their own thing going on, so he would really prefer to dip out of here as soon as possible...

    "Thank you...You see...It''s been like this for quite a while now...ever since her mom passed away��"

    Thus Draff slowly recounted to him their tale...The sad tale of the feline father daughter duo...

 Chapter 127

    Sorry, I kinda fell asleep at 5 pm yesterday and woke up just now at 8 am the following day, forgetting to post a chapter lol.

    ***

    Draff started recollecting his past.

    Apparently, Diona''s mother passed away shortly after she was born, which led to his alcoholism tendencies.

    That was also the reason why Diona was so much against alcohol and despised it.

    Yomite wasn''t sure why he would say something like that to aplete stranger like him though.

    Then again, he might have just wanted to make sure his daughter wasn''t hated or misunderstood by him and other people around her, simply because of the way she acted to them...

    He knew he wasn''t the best father out there, yet he tried his best.

    Raising a kid alone was quite the task.

    Yomite''s father was the same.

    Full of worries, problems, and very depressed at times.

    Sometimes he even saw him drink alone through the night instead of sleeping which pained him, but unlike Diona who shouted at Draff for being an alcoholic that wanted to drink away at his sorrow, Yomite didn''t say anything like that to his father...

    Once in a while, Yomite just stopped and wondered to himself, whether that was the right thing to do.

    Maybe he should have been like Diona. Keep on bothering his father to stop and maybe he would have eventually stopped.

    Yomite didn''t want to listen to anything sad again, so he asked Draff about their race instead.

    As he was very much interested in the cat folk.

    Draff reintroduced himself as the head hunter for the vige of Springvale with a firm belief of sustainability.

    As for the cat ears, he exined that they were the traits that came out of his K?tzlein Lineage.

    The K?tzlein Bloodline, was a family that had been in Springvale for at least three hundred years and they were a line of renowned hunters.

    They were a family who were well-known for their feline features, as well as their hunting prowess. Skills such as infiltration, hunting, archery, climbing, and dodging came almost naturally to members of the lineage. They even had keen eyes that were able to see well in the dark.

    All of the members owned a pair of cat ears, but only Diona was born with both the cat ears, and the tail, which was an anomaly.

    And that anomaly could only signify two things.

    She was either born with a stronger innate gene that greatly strengthened her abilities as a hunter and arge-scale mutation urred within her body which resulted in her having a tail.

    Or the Queen of K?tzleins, the old folk legend of the Cat Goddess, had bestowed a blessing upon her, giving Diona her own lucky tail.

    Either way, everything Yomite just heard was very interesting.

    But he was also a bit disappointed.

    It would appear that other than Diona and Draff, there were currently no known members of the tribe, who were still alive.

    The feline features of members of the K?tzlein lineage were exceedingly rare in Mondstadt, and during the Cholera disease, quite a few of the members had sumbed to the disease.

    Draff himself almost didn''t make it. If it weren''t for Yomite''s way of treating the disease and Acting Grand Master Jean, who dealt with the problem as fast as she could, he might not have been here right now...

    Diona on the other hand was luckily out of danger at the time, simply because she was working, and once her shift was over, she wasn''t allowed to go back to the vige and had to stay at Margaret''s ce for a long time.

    Yomite was d he came to pay them a visit.

    He learned something new again.

    Mondstadt itself had a rich and interesting history, he couldn''t wait to learn more about Liyue, as that was where he nned to head out next.

    "But anyway, enough pointless chatter." Draff stood up and went outside for a bit.

    A couple of minutester, he returned, with two freshly plucked out fowls in his hands.

    "Most of the meat from our hunts goes straight to the Good Hunter, a restaurant in the city. That means that what I''m giving you right now, is the most fresh meat you can get!"

    Draff''s eyes darted from one fowl to another and his hands flew as they talked. He never seemed to stop and his grin got only wider and wider.

    "Really?"

    Draff''s grin only grew as he listened to Yomite''s question of doubt.

    "Of course! Let me put it this way...every time you eat meat in the city, you''re eating something caught by a Springvale hunter. And I am the head of those hunters! You could say I''m the man of the house of this whole darn town! Hahaha..."

    Draffughed and opened up a new bottle of wine for himself. He offered Yomite a ss as well, but he politely declined.

    Tomorrow was an important day, and if he were to feel unwell because of alcohol, he wouldn''t forgive himself.

    He was already hesitant when Diona served him the drink back at the tavern, but it turned out it luckily wasn''t much of an alcohol, although he would never forget that exquisite taste...

    "Haha! That''s the expression of someone that drank my daughter''s cocktail! I can smell that from miles away! You must want to drink it again, no? Everyone acts the same! My daughter is simply amazing!"

    Yomite was stunned. Draff was right on the mark...

    "Yeah...the taste was incredible..."

    "Then what are you waiting for? Go up to her and ask her to make you another one!"

    Draffughed and went to prepare the fowls.

    "These two fowls will be your gift, I will make sure they are the best fowls you could ever eat! Period!"

    Yomite nodded with a warm smile and climbed the stairs up, he knocked on the door of what appeared to be Diona''s room and soon enough, an annoyed voice rang out, "I heard everything."

    She left her room and closed the door behind her.

    "Just for the courtesy that you saved my daddy, I shall make you one drink for free!"

    "Thanks, I appreciate it. But can you make it non-alcoholic this time? I have a special asion tomorrow and I need to be in tip top condition for it."

    "Without alcohol?" Diona silently gazed up at his tall frame as she scratched behind her right fluffy ear.

    "Sure. Wait a minute."

    She went back into her room, but once again, shut the door behind her, without letting Yomite take even a single peek inside.

 Chapter 128

    ***

    A few weird soundster...

    Diona came out of her room, holding a drink that for some reason, didn''t look as horrible as the one she served him at the Cat''s Tail pub...

    "Here. Have a sip."

    On the contrary, it looked like lychee juice.

    It may have been because he asked for a non-alcoholic drink instead, so she might have decided to be nicer to him, but he would never know if that was truly the case.

    It seemed more pink and bubbly than anything else, so he supposed it was safe to assume that the drink she was serving would be somethingpletely different from anything he ever had.

    (Maybe it''s going to be even better than thest one?)

    Yomite took the ss from her hand and raised it to his lips. But contrary to his expectations, the drink didn''t particrly have any sort of taste.

    "This is a gift from me. Be sure to use it well."

    Yomite didn''t know what she meant by that but decided to check out her status instead, as he was quite curious about the peculiar kitten.

    ��������������

    Name: Diona

    Age: 13

    Title: K?tzlein Cocktail

    upation: Bartender of Cat''s Tail tavern

    Hobby: Hunting prey

    Likes: Her father, fishes

    Dislikes: If people pull on her tail, Vegetables, Alcohol, Diluc

    Dream: To tear down the wine industry in Mondstadt

    Current mood: Calm

    Rtionship Level: 5/10 - Acquaintance

    State of Rtionship: Recently Met

    Afflicted Status - Blessing of the Spring Fairy (Lochfolk/Oceanid)

    - User is unable to make a bad drink.

    ��������������

    (Blessing of the Spring Fairy...So that''s the reason...)

    "Say...Have you ever met a fairy?" He asked her casually.

    "A fairy? I didn''t take you for someone who believed in stuff like that..."

    She obviously denied it and didn''t seem like she remembered ever meeting anything even remotely close to a fairy.

    "If such fairy did exist...she should have been here when people were suffering from the disease..."

    She eventually said, almost like she was thinking out loud. Whichever part of her believed in such fairy was long gone after such vicious disease spread.

    He took a moment to wait for her to finish and changed the subject, "So...why was this drink so much different from the previous one? I couldn''t taste anything."

    "I guess because you''re not used to it." She answered with a grin.

    Yomite raised an eyebrow at her.

    Diona smiled as she looked up at him, noticing how his brows furrowed in confusion.

    "It''s actually because it was special. It will make you more rxed in the uing days and you will be full of energy. That''s my ''thanks'' for saving not only my daddy, but this vige as well."

    The drink she served him was apparently called a ''Bruice'', and she further borated the process on concoction.

    A drink that boosted stamina...

    His suspicions were confirmed.

    So far, Yomite deduced that Diona''s blessing was capable of two things.

    One: the consumption of the Non-Alcoholic drinks she made could increase his stamina.

    Two: the consumption of the Alcoholic drinks she made were good no matter what ingredients she used, or how disgusting it looked and smelled.

    This blessing was great.

    "Hero,e down here, I have prepared the fowls!"

    A sudden voice interrupted his train of thoughts. It was Draff who shouted from the Kitchen.

    Both of them went down, and Draff handed him the prepared fowls.

    "I hope you like them!"

    Draff shouted out loud, to which Diona jumped up and hit him in the head, "Stop shouting you drunkard! My ears are sensitive! We are right here!"

    Yomite smiled and pet Diona''s head out of nowhere, this action stunned both Draff and Diona, but it didn''t upset her.

    He very much loved animals and cat girls were technically just bigger and cuter animals.

    They talked for a bit, but seeing as it was getting dark, Yomite decided to say goodbye and went back to his mansion, where he distributed the fowls for dinner.

    For the first time in a while, Fischl agreed to eat meat instead of light sd because the food simply smelled way too good.

    Paimon and Lumine gulped it down immediately, and Hu Tao ate at her own pace.

    Yomite ate his share slowly, thinking about Iris.

    He didn''t know when she nned on waking up, but he had to say it felt a bit lonely, not having that gluttonous freak around...

    ***

    The following day.

    8 am.

    Yomite''s mansion.

    Today he promised he would go on a date with Hu Tao. And he nned to deliver.

    (So far, so good.)

    The day was proceeding smoothly.

    He got up early from bed and got dressed before making breakfast for his teammates who lived in his home. Everything was ready by seven.

    Waking up early wasn''t fun and he disliked it very much. Yet for Fischl, he forced himself to ovee hisziness two days ago and he nned to do the same thing today.

    Yet somehow, today was different. He did not mind waking up early, since it gave him more time to think about how to approach the situation at hand.

    Not to mention he couldn''t fall asleep during the night no matter what he did. It seemed like Diona''s drink was way too powerful, his body was full of unused energy that needed to be released.

    Most of hispanions were currently still asleep, but two certain individuals would be up soon enough.

    Yomite was sitting at a table, brooding over a cup of surprisingly good tea. He received these tea leaves from Lisa, apparently as a thanks for keeping Jean''s secret.

    After a calm five or so minutes of him sipping on his tea, Fischl and Hu Tao both showed up, greeting him.

    Of course, Fischl woke up very early in the morning to jog and probably just took a shower and stayed in her own room till now, so it was no surprise to see her, and Hu Tao also didn''t have a problem with waking up at this hour.

    It seemed like he was the one who was acting a little bit spoiled by wanting more sleep in his schedule...

    (Then again...both Lumine and Paimon usually sleep till afternoon if I don''t wake them up...)

 Chapter 129

    ***

    Once Fischl spotted his lonely figure,

    "Oh, how wonderful, my dear Prince! Dusk and dawn but fleeting shadows are. Once more, the twists of fate have led you into my evesting cold embrace!"

    She announced and hugged him.

    Her movement was so quick and unexpected, but he remained steady and embraced her.

    Despite what she was saying, her embrace was aplete opposite of cold. It was very warm andfortable. She also smelled nice, and definitely came out of the bath not long ago.

    She buried her face into his chest and stood up on her heels to reach his face, happily rubbing her cheeks against his and then gave him a morning kiss.

    "Good morning to you girls as well."

    He said softly and rubbed Fischl''s back, his gaze trailing towards Hu Tao as well.

    The girl in question raised one of her eyebrows seeing both of them act like that and looked far off with a zed atmosphere, but soon enough reciprocated the greeting.

    "Good morning, Assistant-kun! Today is the day! Don''t you forget!" Hu Tao giddily replied.

    He also naturally smiled seeing her like that.

    She was always so energetic and mischievous, it was a part of her personality and her whole being, he didn''t want to see her cry again. It simply didn''t fit her...

    Yomite and Hu Tao had finished up their breakfast and said goodbye to Fischl.

    They proceeded to wander down the busy streets towards the city gates, while holding hands.

    Hu Tao seemed more shy than he thought.

    It was as if she was looking around, constantly watching if someone wasn''t paying attention to them, walking around the town intimately...

    He leaned to her ear and whispered, "Rx a little, will you? We should be enjoying this day, right? To easily breeze through it. There is no need to be nervous, we already said we love each other, no? Besides, who cares what other people think about us? I certainly don''t."

    She took a deep breath and nodded.

    This was Mondstadt, and not Liyue, she didn''t need to be afraid someone would call Yomite names and talk behind his back for hanging out with a weirdo like her...

    This was apletely different territory, with a friendly city and most of its residents were also very polite.

    But soon, she would have to return back to that unpleasant ce.

    Back to Liyue where everyone ostracized her for just breathing...

    She didn''t want to go alone....

    He wouldn''t go with her, would he?

    ***

    Which person of Liyue did not know of the little troublemaker named Hu Tao?

    The number of people would be low, that''s for sure.

    If they even existed. Even little kids knew of her infamous existence, as their parents warned them of the creepy little Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Director.

    Still, to be the young boss of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor at such a fine young age was actually considered quite the achievement.

    Usually, one would be the Director at age above forty, yet she was clearly cut above the rest, only around eighteen years of age or barely older and capable of handling every problem that would arise.

    After their previous leader passed away, Hu Tao''s grandfather, Old Hu, she did everything to perfection and no one could find a single mistake to reprimand her.

    The retainers of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor were impressed, as they rarely saw a child as young and as talented as Hu Tao, to have the spirit and the soul of a businessman��

    The problem was...that her spirit was quite extreme...because it wasn''t like a person died and needed a burial ceremony every single day in Liyue, right...?

    Hu Tao was trying way too hard and most of the time, shunned the people around her away by her forced advertising and her weird techniques of .

    Almost everyone talked badly about Hu Tao, it was no wonder, as the little peppy woman was capable of entering people''s homes uninvited during night to advertise her services of selling coffins, while saying that the best time of the day to promote them was during the night��

    That was also probably where she picked up her lock picking skills that Yomite was so afraid of.

    Once in a while, she would crack jokes about death, but no one would get them.

    People were scared of death. Death wasn''t funny to anyone but her. Death was nothing to joke about...

    That was a worldwide fact, no matter in which country.

    This especially concerned humans with short lifespans and people doing dangerous jobs like adventuring.

    If they purely talked about the promotion of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor services, Hu Tao sometimes carried banners, walking around the town and promoting, and gave away the special discount coupons of 40% off for those who would deliver the dead bodies of their deceased rtives right in front of the doorstep of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, which was to most people, uneptable.

    This also spread around hatred of those people who recently lost someone close to them, thinking she was simply mocking them.

    Words of her antics spread all around the Liyue and even across the world.

    Even in Mondstadt, some people heard rumours about her, but seeing that she was hanging around the ''Hero'' like a usual cheerful girl, made them forget such things.

    People would forget rumours if they didn''t seem true.

    "That reminds me, do you not have any other set of clothes? Why do you always wear the same coat with a piece of cloth around your chest and short shorts?"

    He wanted to see how she would react, being called out about the thin fabric that covered her tiny bosom.

    She didn''t wear a bra either, it was just a ck piece of cloth that could easilye undone during their spars...

    Luckily, she wore her coat over it when she was walking through the streets.

    Full of people.

    She puffed her cheeks, as if she was offended and replied.

    "I have to wear the coat! If not, our business will be buried while the business of others will outshine us! The coat is the representation of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor! I can''t just throw it away..."

 Chapter 130

    Hello, this is a small announcement I wanted to put here instead of P atreon considering if people joined my p atreon only because of the smut, they need to know this beforehand so yeah.

    I was dead for like 5 days from the corona vine and I''m back. I posted the 7k smut chapter right?

    I''m pretty sure everyone by now had figured out who the first girl is going to be so let''s not beat around the bush.

    Not long after I posted it, it was taken down by ******* saying it was undergoing inspection and I was used of CP

    For those that don''t know what CP is . it''s basically Child ****. Yes.

    The issue here is that someone reported it saying that i made a smut chapter with an 8 y old girl.

    So i spent whole day exining to them that Hu Tao is 19 and not 8...cuz apparently nowadays every petite girl is an underage Loli.

    What bothers me the most is the fact that P atreon just believes random usation without actually reviewing the fucking chapter.

    How cringe is that?

    So yeah, I took the chapter down for now, I am currently rewriting it for you guys, to make it look more like she is actually an adult.

    So yeah. That''s all. Today''s chapter will arrive normally and as for the P atreon i should be able to post it fully today and hopefully nothing else happens...

    Have a nice day...

 Chapter 131

    ***

    "I mean, you don''t really need to throw the coat away...I was just wondering if you didn''t want to wear something else once in a while. You can wear it for special asions, like this one for example." Yomite suggested.

    He could imagine her wearing all sorts of adorable clothes.

    "A new outfit? So this date is considered to be a special asion, I see. In that case, you should have told me sooner! I didn''t know I had to wear a specific dress!"

    Then again, she gazed at him from up and down...And he was also wearing the same clothes as always. She was once again confused.

    Fishy-Fishy did tell her in the beginning that she nned to wear a nice dress but gave up on the idea as she didn''t have time to buy one to begin with.

    Considering he bought something for Fischl, Yomite obviously also nned to do the same for Hu Tao.

    Which is why he was currently staring at Hu Tao, when an idea popped into his head.

    "Hmmm, I saw a nice outfit yesterday when I was walking past the Mondstadt General Goods... Should we go take a look?" Yomite proposed with a wink.

    Hearing his suggestion Hu Tao cheerily replied, "Sure~"

    All of the girls in his party were, without a question, beautiful.

    It was a shame they didn''t change clothes much. Especially Lumine, who seemed to be attached to her dress more than anyone he knew.

    Hu Tao wore the same coat at all times, washing it once per week. She had the advantage of drying clothes with her Vision which helped them a lot withundry issues.

    Fischl apparently had the same set of bizarre dresses in her closet, and she switched between them.

    Paimon said her clothes couldn''t get dirty simply because a magical spell was embedded in them that would automatically clean them right away. He really wondered just who Paimon was...

    And as for Iris, who was still out ofmission, she wore the same shirt and pants everywhere, saying that a dragon didn''t need to wash them...

    ***

    **

    *

    Hu Tao didn''t know what to do during this so-called ''date thing'' so she realized it would be the best idea to let him show her the ropes and lead her around.

    Fischl exined to her that it was a very important day, where two people who like each other, spent time together to grow their affection and love for each other...but then again, wasn''t that just a regr day?

    Not to mention, she spent a whole week in istion with him alone after entering the quarantine, did that count as a date as well?

    She was very much confused about the whole concept.

    "Wee! We have quality goods at honest prices! How can I help you, dear Hero?" The in brown haired woman named nche, rested her hand on her chin as she looked at the pair, holding hands.

    A smirk painted her lips.

    "How adorable, Mr Hero! Taking your girlfriend out for a walk. You look cute together!"

    Once again, calling him by that title...

    (I swear, once some other opportunityes by, I will just stand around and watch it happen! I wonder if they''ll still call me a hero!)

    And also...

    Taking her out for a walk?

    That kind ofment made it look as if Yomite was walking his dog instead...not girlfriend...

    (I swear... People from Mondstadt are the weirdest creatures...I can only me Venti for that...)

    Venti and his ideal of Freedom, had for sure turned this normal city into a unique one...

    Luckily, Jean and that man, Varka, seemed to have set-up a series of rules that would prevent the country from destroying itself...

    Although it was kind of ironic, considering it was a country of Freedom, yet even freedom was being restricted by the idea of rules.

    He wondered what Venti thought about that.

    (Nothing in this stupid world makes sense...)

    He moved his gaze from nche to Hu Tao and sighed...

    (All people from Liyue better not be like her as well...)

    Just thinking about a city full of pranksters and people that could open your door during night with lockpicks made him shiver...

    (Hopefully, the country will be peaceful... Somehow, I feel like this is a g...)

    Hu Tao did mention that they ostracized her, before, so he was already starting to worry a bit.

    But they would pull through, somehow...

    Just to make sure, they would teleport home to their mansion whenever night came...

    "Please have a look around."

    nche''s words woke him up from his stupor.

    His gazended on the clothes he saw yesterday, "I want to buy her this dress. Is there somewhere she could try them on?"

    nche thought for a while, before responding, "Sure! There shouldn''t be anyone inside, so I will help her with the preparation!"

    And so, Hu Tao went inside with nche.

    ***

    A couple of minutester...

    Hu Tao came out, with a visibly ufortable expression.

    It could have been because she wasn''t used to wearing these kinds of clothes, but could have also been because of the fact that her grandfather''s hat she loved to wear everywhere was nowhere to be found, and instead, apletely different one adored her head.

    As he took in the view, he couldn''t help but admit. She looked adorable.

    The dress reminded him of what Barbara usually wears, just a different color.

    In a sense, it might have been called cosy.

    She was adorned in a red and dark shaded cute twoyered one piece dress that just reached her upper thighs.

    The upper part of the dress was connected with a ck colored choker held in ce with a fleur de lis shaped pin in the middle, it directly connected with the open neckline giving away for some semnce of cleavage�� almost nonexistent due to her small petite breasts�� to be seen.

    The dress had an open neckline that gave away the view of her fair shoulders and corbone to be in view, enticing the viewers. A ck and dark red shaded ribbon was ced in the middle of the upper part of her dress, just over her petite breasts, a cross shaped golden colored clip with ck and red edges ced in the middle of the ribbon held its shape.

    The lower part of her cute dress was a skirt parted in two shades. It was multiyered, the undermostyer being a dark brown shaded frilly design. While the middleyer of it had dark red frills added to it. ck colored flower shaped symbols with dots in middle�� akin to Hu Tao''s own set of flower shaped pupils�� adorned the ends of every frill while the edges faded into a pure ck, contrasting with the dark brown almost ck shaded underfill.

    The uppermostyer was connected with the upper part of her dress and was parted in the right side from her upper waist, which made it possible for the dark red colored middleyer to be visible on the left side while the angled upperyer drapped over the middle one hiding it and showing on the right side of her waist.

    The uppermostyer was walnut in color just like her beautiful hair, three long and pointed diamond knife shaped buttons�� golden in color and holding a diamond shaped ruby each�� adorned theyer in equal symmetrical distance. Its hem was straight and angled, a contrast to the middle and bottomyer, and a whitish brown colored flowing pattern adorned the upperyer of her skirt.

    nche did Hu Tao''s hair in long double sidetail design, something she wasn''t used to, while she wore a crimson and ck hat.

    Long cream white colored stockings adorned her long legs, stretching to her upper thighs vanishing in the frills of her dress, while she wore a different styled ck colored boots with its openings flowing outward with red edges.

    All in all she looked the personification with cuteness itself and Yomite again affirmed himself of the relentless affection he held for her.

    "It''s perfect!!!"

    He raised his hands and shouted into the sky!

 Chapter 132

    ***

    As he looked at Hu Tao from every direction, holding her in his arms and making her ears red from embarrassment, he noticed that her Vision amulet wasn''t anywhere. She usually had it either on her back, pinned to her bosom or on her coat.

    (She must have ced it inside of her pocket.)

    Yomite had this thought recently...

    He really wondered where the Visions came from. Apparently Lumine didn''t have one, but that was kind of self-exnatory considering she also wasn''t a being of this world.

    "I dunno...It just appeared in my bag one day...I don''t really need it honestly, but it does help sometimes. Of course, I don''t need it to kick my dear assistant down into the dirt during spars~"

    Was Hu Tao''s carefree answer. He will beat her up badly one day, he promised himself that...

    And as for Fischl...

    "Slowest energy of the shattering moon surged from within my mind and the coldest power of ashen thunder surged around my feet! It answered the summoner''s offer and appeared right before my emerald eyes of solemnity, as the electric curseid upon me sprayed off the hottest of kraken; attending my needs!"

    "..."

    (That''s that.)

    He wanted to ask Venti about Visions one time, but he simply waved his hand. He didn''t want to talk about it. Either something bad happened in his past, or he wasn''t allowed to talk about it because of someone, or something...

    (I guess I will have to go ask Lisa about itter. Maybe she will know something.)

    Lisa Minci, the librarian disliked people, and even more so, going out. He noticed this before, but all she did wasy on the couch and drink tea��This kind of life was enviable.

    She was reluctant andzy to leave the library at first, but seeing that Yomite kept Jean''s secret, she decided to help him out a bit.

    Lisa was apparently a powerful mage recognized as Sumeru Academia''s most distinguished graduate in over 200 years.

    A prodigy in elemental magic, who now upied the library of Knights of Favonius like azy bum, doing nothing the whole day but existing.

    He didn''t believe it at first, but her extensive knowledge about elements was frightening. She saw through Yomite''s Tempus of Particles cube ability with one look just like Iris did, and even mentioned that he should try changing its form into something more manageable first, giving him some good pointers.

    Yomite was thinking about this for a long time now��

    While he definitely got better with the control of the cube and he no longer needed to worry about killing his own teammates by his stupidity andck of control of the ability, the time it took to form the cube was still nowhere near enough...

    (If I could create it in a blink of an eye...it would be neat...but so far it doesn''t seem to be possible��)

    Yomite wondered whether changing the form and tuning down the output of the cube ability would make it easier to cast.

    He was thinking of summoning it like aser from his eyes, palm or even fingers instead of the cube. Although the most logical one was probably the fingers, as he would be able to aim theser pretty well.

    The palm wasn''t bad, and as for the eyes...that seemed a bit too dangerous to y around with��

    He wasn''t going to be rk Kent any time soon.

    If he remembered correctly, Superman''s skill was called Heat Vision which was the power to project beams of concentrated heat from one''s eyes. Pretty cool, but a potent and dangerous ability.

    Not to mention, he could also regte the temperature of his output, which ranged from gently breathing warmth onto something or someone, to reaching levels hot enough to melt steel or strong enough to demolish a skyscraper��

    Such power would be way too hard to control without adequate training and hardships.

    ��

    ..

    .

    "Doesn''t it look a bit childish��?" Hu Tao asked as she pulled on her cor.

    She looked at herself in the mirror many times, she had to admit it was very fancy and fashionable, something she wasn''t used to wearing.

    At first she wasn''t sure if it fit her, but the woman named ncheplimented her a whole lot, and even the women workers who were stationed inside only gave her praises.

    She loved the dress and it wasfortable to wear, yet somehow it seemed as if every person on the street turned to look at her, which made her remember how it was back home in Liyue��

    That bitter memory made her think whether she should want the dress or not, else it might attract unwanted attention.

    "No way! The dress looks amazing! A gothic lolita!" She rolled her eyes at Yomite''s outburst but smiled at him nheless.

    If only he put so much passion into training.

    Still, it felt weird for her to beplimented by so many people.

    Usually she only ever received praises for performing soul parting rituals and for her professionalism.

    Hearing it from people around her just because she put on fancy clothes felt weird, albeit really nice.

    Ever since meeting him, her life changed and turned all around for the better.

    For some unknown reason, tears welled up at the corner of her eyes but she blinked them away and tried to smile.

    Hu Tao was truly d she didn''t cut him down back then in the forest of Wolvendom when they first met.

    In the forest where he lied...

    Back then...he told her an obvious lie about eating a squirrel that granted him the aura of death...

    Not a chance...

    The cycle of death did not work that way.

    The aura of death only appeared on people that died and were about to turn into vengeful spirits.

    There was an exception to that rule, of course. There always was, which was why she was so interested in him and followed him around.

    She told herself she would observe him, simply because cases like his were interesting, rare and strange.

    She only knew of one other individual like him. Her name was Qiqi.

    The little girl who died in the past and was revived by the power of mighty Adepti.

    She was a poor soul who emanated the aura of death and vengeful spirit, yet all she wanted to do was to live.

    She had no intention of hurting anyone as she waspletely harmless. The fear of death in her gaze and her desperate attempts to run from Hu Tao was apparent, so Hu Tao made an exception.

    If that reached the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor elders, she was bound to be punished severely.

    And she was bound to do the same exception again.

    Clenching the hem of the skirt in her hands, she made a decision��

    There was no longer any point in going back to Liyue...

 Chapter 133

    Hu Tao didn''t know whether he would ever share his secret with her, but she would wait for that day toe.

    ...

    ..

    .

    The dress came together with a pair of white stockings, a cute hat and many other essories.

    As mentioned previously, it looked like a cosy of something Barbara, the Deaconess would wear.

    There was even a prop of a book for caster magicians together with the outfit.

    nche affirmed that the costume was made based off of Barbara''s outfit.

    Everything about Barbara the Idol was cute and beautiful, so nche was inspired and made a few costumes, just a y on colors and nothing else.

    It was cute nevertheless, so he bought it.

    Hopefully she would wear it more often.

    It was surprisingly only a couple of thousands of Mora, so he didn''t have to run back to home to get more money...

    After Yomite paid for it, the two of them went to the forest of Wolvendom, towards the ce they met for the first time.

    He had the whole day nned out, but she told him she wanted toe here so he obliged.

    Hu Tao held her hand out for him to take, no longer acting as shy and wary as before.

    He arrived at the conclusion she must have not liked to be around other people whole doing so.

    He took her hand and they began making their way deeper into the woods.

    The trees were thicker here, but he could still make out where she was leading them through the underbrush.

    They walked through the tall grass and into a small clearing.

    Once there, she put the bag of clothes against a nearby tree and turned towards him, taking off her coat.

    Her eyes were sharp and focused as they met his.

    Yomite immediately knew what was about to happen.

    That was a sign she wanted to spar...

    (Not again...Why now!?)

    He looked around and frowned. They could be easily ambushed from the trees or the high grass in a ce like this...

    It was a really bad location for a spar...

    "Why does it have to be training again!? Why is your idea of date a god damned training!?"

    Yomite yelled in frustration, the sound echoing throughout the forest.

    Yomite''sints were promptly ignored as she ryed her own logic upon him.

    "Eh? But didn''t you say a date is when two people who like each other spend time together for an established duration of time ranging from a couple of hours to a whole day? Isn''t that what we''re experiencing right now?" asked Hu Tao with a perplexed look.

    The brte was confused by the concept since she never had heard about such thing in her life before meeting him.

    The question was innocent enough for Yomite to drop his shoulders.

    "I can''t argue with that...but still!"

    "Then...Are you ready, Assistant-kun? Okay, here Ie!"

    She grinned mischievously at him, her eyes glinting maliciously under the blue sky.

    Her figure was illuminated by the sun rays. It looked like she''d stepped out of one of those fairy tales.

    "I''m going to kick your butt~!"

    The girl''s voice boomed over the wind as she ran towards him, her long, light brown hair floating around her in a way that made it seem to be dancing.

    Hu Tao went on the offensive the moment her words fell, as she believed victory would go to the one who made the first move.

    Then again, she always won, so the victor was bound to be her, once more!

    For some reason, Hu Tao was way too motivated today and wanted to fight.

    She often had the urge to tease and prank him, but she only recently found out that bullying him during the spar was what made her heart race the most.

    She simply savored the feeling.

    Hu Tao moved her feet and her forward rush was apanied with enough speed to im lives of random Anemo slimes that were passing by...

    Her body was a blur of colors as she came closer, her speed never seeming slow, boosted by the explosion of air from the dead slimes, making it hard for Yomite to keep up with her.

    He watched as she neared her target with anticipation, excitement building inside of her even more than it usually did.

    Hu Tao was a battle junkie, there was no denying that.

    Yomite tried his best to tense his muscles and managed to dodge, though the move wasn''t exactly graceful or elegant.

    In order to challenge a stronger opponent, Yomite knew there were only a few ways to win.

    He must have caught the opponent by surprise or at the very least he had to use abo that could unbnce the opponent for a quick chance.

    If a fighter attacked without any tricks, they must have at least had the awareness that would protect them, or else it would be over for them if their initial attack was dodged.

    It wasn''t a trick, it''s just how things were inbat.

    If he could dodge and get to safety with his life in the end, well then, it was all worth it.

    Thest thing he wanted to do was to get himself into a situation where his body waspletely on auto pilot and he couldn''t respond to every single move of his opponent.

    It wasn''t as hard as it sounded when he thought about it, especially in the beginning, when there were so many ways it could go horribly wrong.

    The best defense was a good offense, no?

    Or was it the other way around?

    Either way, he had to put everything he had into fighting her.

    In the end, Yomite who had survived Hu Tao''s hellish training for a few months had at least a bit of understanding about her moveset, strength and speed.

    But despite that, he didn''t believe it would be enough topletely beat her.

 Chapter 134

    Then again, training was always intense, especially for him, but that was what they were here for�C to train and improve each other to survive in this world.

    No hard feelings.

    "Hey...but don''t you think it would be better if we yed some card games instead? Didn''t you say you love ying them? We can invite Paimon and Lumine over to y the Magic collection set again...What do you say...?"

    He asked, taking a step back from her to get away from his initial spot, which was now obliterated by her relentless swings.

    His hands were clenched and his body tensed, as if he was waiting for her to strike him out of reflex and attack him again.

    Hu Tao pouted at his words, "Don''t try to bribe me! We''re training now! No distractions!"

    "But it''s a date!"

    Yomite eximed with a protest, fully knowing she didn''t care.

    "What''s the difference?"

    Hu Tao blinked, taken aback by another one of his shouts.

    "Just...leave it...it''s nothing��"

    Yomite gave up reasoning with her, and readied his body into one of the stances she taught him.

    Hu Tao put her hands on her hips with a frown.

    "I can''t understand it if you don''t exin it to me!"

    Yelling, she threw her hands up in frustration.

    Hu Tao''s voice was shrill and sharp as a knife against the quiet stillness of the forest.

    "..."

    "Date this! Date that! I don''t know what it is! Is it that hard to exin it in detail so that I can understand!?"

    The air between them crackled with tension.

    They stared at each other, eyes narrowed, taking a deep breath.

    It happened a few times before...Those instances where both of them were losing their temper and got into arguments over nothing.

    Yomite was trying to keep his own calm at this point but it didn''t seem like it would do him much good either.

    They both had to release their pent up anger and frustration somehow.

    If they couldn''t talk it out, they would fight it out!

    Seeing that he didn''t n on exining, Hu Tao frowned.

    "You are so unbearable sometimes..."

    She lunged at him once more, raising a cloud of dust in her wake and disappearing from her spot.

    (I knew that I wouldn''t be able to talk her out of this...this muscle headed freak...)

    Yomite sighed and dodged Hu Tao''s sh from her spear by tilting his upper body.

    He rotated using his right foot as the axis and kicked her nk while he was turning around.

    "Ayaya!"

    Although he didn''t hold back with that kick, she didn''t seem to take much damage...

    If it was a normal person or even someone like Lumine or Fischl, a hit like that would cause intense pain that made it hard for them to breathe.

    However, this was Hu Tao he was talking about...

    She simply carefully took distance from him without looking pained at all.

    She did feel the strike, however, she could take on many hits like that.

    "Not bad Assistant...You''ve grown...I guess I''ll have to take you...more seriously now."

    She said the words in a monotone, eyes looking right through him.

    He felt his heart sink to the ground but he didn''t dare blink or show any signs of weakness as she could disappear from his view at any moment and decide the match.

    In all of these four months, Yomite wasn''t able tond a solid hit on her, up till now. Or rather, he wasn''t trying to, simply because he knew that he wouldn''t beat her either way.

    But now...even if it was a fluke or a lucky moment, he managed to do it, even though it didn''t seem to have any visible effect.

    (She seems pissed...what a great date this is...!)

    Yomite internally screamed.

    Even though she was hit with a blow that might have left a bruise, far from writhing in pain, Hu Tao stood tall and acknowledged his improvement.

    At the same time she had to recognize that she could no longer go easy on someone like him, as he was steadily growing in all departments.

    Yomite wasn''t a genius, but his improvement wasn''t mediocre either.

    He went from a Barbarian or a Brute who only thought about using his strength and his sword as arge chunk of metal to brute force fights without a care in the world, to someone who could regte his breathing during a battle, think of openings, use stances, and many other things.

    He wasn''t just an amateur anymore. Four months of hard work went into this.

    She epted reality, yes, but even so, that didn''t mean he was going to beat her.

    Not in a million years!

    She needed to show him who was the one in charge.

    Hu Tao bent her body forward and slowly built up her strength by putting her weight behind her spear tip.

    Then like an arrow that was fired from a bow that had been drawn to its limit, she flew toward Yomite at groundbreaking speed...

    (What the!?)

    Yomite''s eyes opened wide in amazement at the extremely swift thrust. It felt as if she was apletely different person from before with this attack.

    (She was holding back by this much!?)

    This was a feat that was achieved by continuous training and talent that Hu Tao was born with.

    Still, now that she went all out, she was bound to tire out sooner as she no longer conserved her energy...

    ...Right?

    "I would be careful if I were you!"

    With those words as the signal, Hu Tao''s spear approached with a speed that even the eye couldn''t follow.

    Speed, power, angle, step...everything was perfect in this Little Director''s attack.

    Yomite believed that in Mondstadt, only a handful of people could face her while holding their ground.

    Still, Yomite somehow seeded in barely dodging her blows using his instinct that had experienced her attacks many times.

    The only difference being that it was much faster than ever before, forcing his brain and instincts to go into an overdrive, making sure he stayed alive.

    Hu Tao stared at him with a slight frown and swiftly thrust her spear again.

 Chapter 135

    She pulled back her spear so fast that it didn''t leave any openings for Yomite to take advantage of.

    Just when he thought that he dodged it, the spear had been pulled back into her little hand. Like this, it would be aimed at him the moment he moved.

    This little game of chicken was already going on for more than ten minutes, but Yomite had an idea how to break through this vicious cycle this time around!

    (I will have to dodge it as close to my body as possible...either that, or somehow knock the polearm out of her hands, although that''s pretty much impossible��Then again...her fists hurt equally as bad...so the spear might be a blessing in disguise...)

    He could only do that if he wanted to get closer to Hu Tao and fight back.

    Hu Tao''s spear was gradually grazing Yomite''s shoulder. Red scratches were engraved on his body.

    When facing an enemy with a long reach, soldiers and knights could say that a great amount of courage was sometimes necessary. If a person was skilled enough with a polearm weapon that had extensive reach over the weapon he was holding, they wouldn''t let him anywhere nearby without a sacrifice.

    Just for taking a small step forward. It was even more so when dodging the attack at just a hair''s breadth. It would be an extreme mental burden, despite being just a simple spar, Hu Tao knew that Barbara or Jean would be able to heal small injuries like scratches or fractures, so she didn''t have to worry about anything, even if she were to break a few bones...

    She lunged forward, swinging her spear. A blur of motion shot out, the tip of the spear grazing his shoulder again, causing a sharp twinge as it scraped across his skin. The pain was almost immediately reced by a rush of adrenaline.

    Yomite barely even flinched and kept his eyes glued on her.

    He brought up his ymore to block another swing from her spear.

    His sword nked against hers as they exchanged blows, neither giving an inch in their battle for dominance.

    (...)

    Yomite ducked under the swing,ing around to the side. He thrust upward, sending a pulse of energy through his body and met with her spear once more.

    (...)

    Hu Taounched forward in retaliation, her spear raised high above her head as it came down to sh at his face.

    (...)

    Yomite dodged backwards, the tip of the spearing down harmlessly on the ground beside him. It wasn''t enough though.

    (...How.)

    She leapt back, her feet mming into the ground in preparation for another onught, but then, just when she thought she had him where she wanted him to be, he simply evaded once more.

    (Just how��)

    He dodged to the side just in time, avoiding the swipe from the spear that narrowly missed him, only for another toe his way.

    (How is he able to keep up...? How did I not win yet?)

    Hu Tao''s mind was dazed as she stared at his retreating figure in disbelief.

    She swung again, aiming for another angle.

    Her opponent ducked under her swing, the momentum from her arm carrying it over her shoulder before she stopped, the weapon hitting the ground with a tter once more.

    Yomite used this chance to lift his ymore above his head, his voice raising. The instant he brought Hu Tao into his range, it was as if his weapon itself cried out as he raised it for a swing.

    "Cheeky...using my moves��"

    A moment before Yomite was about to unleash a downward strike, a blow struck his left wrist, miss bncing the huge sword in his arms. The sharp smack sent his sword flying, and Yomite''s eyes instinctively followed it.

    Which turned out to be a mistake as in the next moment, a kick to his chest sent him flying.

    His breath caught, and, unable to break the fall whatsoever, Yomite rolled onto the ground, the earth and the sky trading ces at least a few times before he ended up t on his back, arms and legs spread wide.

    But he stood up in the end, as the punch was a bit misced and wasn''t enough to knock him out.

    They continued to fight in this fashion for the next six hours.

    The whole entirety of the date was ruined, as they sparred with each other the whole time, without much needed rest.

    ***

    **

    *

    The sky had long darkened. It was almost night, yet two of them were still outside in the woods, trying to determine the winner.

    *ng!* *ng!*

    They stood still for a moment longer, catching their breaths.

    The training was fun, but it had to end��

    Hu Tao...

    The ever energetic girl actually felt tired...

    "..Say... Assistant...Let''s call it...my win...''kay ''kay? After all...those cuts on your body...need to be healed..."

    "...Ah? No way...In normal circumstances...I would have given up hours ago...but today it seems like... I might actually stand a chance for the first time in my life...we''re going...till I drop..."

    His response was immediate, paused by a few deep breaths. Hispetitive spirit was ignited.

    He was tired of being kicked into dirt all the time. For the first time ever he wanted to win over her.

    Hu Tao felt her whole body filled with the exaltation of fighting after so long. Her lips twisted into a grin.

    As he saw the grin, he had an ominous foreboding.

    (There is no way she ns to use her Vision, right?)

    Contrary to his fears, Hu Tao simply dropped her spear onto the gravel.

    It seemed as if she dropped it by ident, but that wasn''t the case...

    She stepped forward without using any feints and led with a palm strike from the front.

    But the power and speed that were put into it weren''t normal.

    Yomite nned to lightly brush it away, but he knew had to seriously harden his guard to block the strike.

    (I always knew this, but the hell''s with this heaviness, even though her body is so small!? I sense real bnce issues in this world!!)

    The numb feeling in his left arm that blocked the attack made it feel like a blunt weapon had just struck him, making him drop his own ymore.

    However, he was still forced to take a few steps back because of the strong force of impact from the punch to the shoulder of Hu Tao.

    Even so, he somehow managed to block that attack with enough leeway, so he proceeded and used his free right hand to counter with a punch.

 Chapter 136

    As he blocked her attack with enough leeway, he proceeded and used his free right hand to counter with a punch.

    This onended perfectly on Hu Tao''s face, leaving behind a red welt and a stinging pain across her forehead as she staggered back.

    "You okay there?"

    Yomite asked after punching her.

    She didn''t know whether it was out of concern or if he was teasing her.

    Hu Tao smiled wryly and took a step forward to reciprocate the punch she was given...

    However...

    Her right leg refused to move and only trembled...

    She felt as though it had fallen asleep... or that something was blocking her way, so she tried forcing herself to walk straight once more.

    But she only staggered in ce and almost fell.

    Seeing this, Yomite was weirded out. If he didn''t know Hu Tao so well, he would have thought that she was going to fall over at any moment.

    But that was impossible...she was "THE" hyperactive ball of energy!

    There was no way for that to be true.

    They''ve sometimes sparred for as long as eight hours when there was basically nothing else to do, and he was sure she was fine back then, so why was it that she showed signs of being tired after only six?

    The thoughts he tried to deny so badly just now were right on the money��

    Usually Hu Tao didn''t really get tired even after a few hours of fighting and exercise, however, that was because she held back and still had tons of energy to spare...

    This time around, she used up all of her strength continuously for six hours straight as she couldn''t afford to hold back anymore. This time around, Yomite proved to be a real threat she could no longer ignore, or take lightly.

    Come to think of it, usually he wouldn''tst that long either...

    (...Diona''s drink is a real cheat... My body feels refreshed. It''s incredible. I still have energy and stamina left to continue...My strength must have been powered up as well...)

    Contrary to his expectations, the drink that Diona gave him, didn''t really enhance his strength in any way, but boosted his stamina and energy by a whole lot, and he still had a lot left in his tank, meaning that if they prolonged this fight, he would without a doubt, end up victorious.

    Yet he didn''t realize this, as he thought Hu Tao was faking being tired to win by a surprise attack, and he wasn''t falling for that.

    In a way, he got himself a cheat of his own in the battle against her.

    After stretching her leg a bit further, and pping her thigh a few times, Hu Tao returned back to normal as if nothing was wrong and dashed towards him.

    Hu Tao''s and Yomite''s fists collided with one another, the sound that resonated from the impact was akin to a thunderp. Both of them jumped back from one another after this initial strike, as they silently pondered the strength of each other.

    (...How did my Assistant get so strong?) Hu Tao thought in disbelief to herself, as she grimaced in pain from the previous exchange.

    She also began rubbing her arm with her other hand, which had gone numb due to the force of the blow.

    The pain was almost unbearable for a few moments before it subsided somewhat. It left an odd sensation that made her think of what could only be described as being on fire.

    She blinked several times trying to clear the vision but found that she could not focus on anything in front of her, as if something was blocking her vision from her sight.

    She was really tired and didn''t think she could go on for any longer.

    Simrly, Yomite clenched his hand as he thought, (Where does that strengthe from...such a small body��)

    Hu Tao then looked back to Yomite who stood in a rxed posture ignoring her, as he absently thought about asking Diona for more drinks like that. It looked as if he wasn''t even tired at all.

    Yomite''s disinterested attitude angered Hu Tao a bit and she rushed forward at astonishing speed, considering her condition.

    The still grinning Yomite quickly ducked to the ground before Hu Tao could hit him with a left hook and rolled several feet to his right.

    Flipping up off the ground andnding on his feet, Yomite attempted a spinning back-fist, which was something she taught him a long time ago, and swivelled 360 degrees, adding extra momentum to the attack.

    Hu Tao brought her right arm up to block the punch, but was unable to dodge when Yomite had spun around the other direction and threw a quick and explosive straight jab at her face, sending her staggering a bit.

    Equality as they said.

    No mercy in a fight.

    Although this was just a spar! Remember!

    Refusing to give her a chance to recover, Yomiteshed out with a powerful front kick, as she leapt to the side to avoid it.

    However, he used the momentum from his kick to pivot on his feet and spun around to snap off a roundhouse kick directed at Hu Tao''s ribs. Another thing he learned from her.

    The little Director was barely able to raise her right leg up in time to block the kick. She grunted pain, as her leg nearly went numb from the block and she was positive that had it been hit from a different angle, her leg might have been snapped in half just now.

    Yomite continued to press his attack and unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks with such amazing speed that if it wasn''t for her instinct, helping her to dodge, weave, and block all of the blows, this fight would have been over a long time ago...

    When Yomite paused for a moment to catch his breath, Hu Tao quickly retreated across the field to put some distance between herself and her dear Assistant to try and regroup.

 Chapter 137

    Hu Tao wiped away the sweat that ran down her forehead like a waterfall. She couldn''t understand how Yomite was matching her speed and power, and daresay exceeding it.

    (Was it that he is getting stronger? Or maybe...I am just way too slow��)

    The thought had urred to her earlier, that she was simply so tired she could no longer perceive, react or deflect his attacks at all. It wasn''t that he was getting stronger or faster, she was simply getting slower and more tired each time they exchanged moves.

    But something was weird...It was as if his stamina did not run dry, meanwhile she was already at her wits end...

    She had to finish this soon, or else she would actually lose��

    (I can''t lose...that''s a dry joke��)

    A ''Master'' losing to her ''Disciple'' she taught how to fight for so long...Even if she couldn''t use her Vision during this friendly bout...it would still leave a deep wound in her pride if she actually lost...

    She noticed her spearying near her feet. She swiftly picked it up and stabbed it into the soil, propelling herself off of it, right towards Yomite who wasn''t able to react.

    A blow struck Yomite right into his abdomen. He felt a sharp, hard jab right to the sr plexus, knocking the air out of his lungs, his stomach caving in from the strike.

    But just as he was blown away, he raised his leg and kicked her chin with his whole being...sending her flying and resulting in a double knock out, as shey there motionlessly...

    Hu Tao justy there, unmoving. If it weren''t for her heaving chest that jumped up and down, desperate to consume oxygen, it wouldn''t be hard to imagine she had expired there and then.

    On the other hand, things weren''t looking great for Yomite either.

    The shock to his torso shuddered through the rest of his body, slithering across his whole being like a snake.

    He felt weightless, as if he was drunk.

    Just after his feet left the ground, his face mmed hard into the gravel. Sandy dirt smeared his face as pain and heat struck his brain with equal force��

    He resisted the urge to vomit and curled into himself on the ground as the pain caught up, trying to catch breath.

    ***

    **

    *

    After a couple of minutes of justying down on the ground��

    Yomite raised his voice, "Say...how about a draw? I want to go home��others will be worried if we don''t return soon..."

    His whole body was hurting, especially his shoulder and abdomen...He didn''t want to continue this thing any longer.

    Hearing his suggestion, Hu Tao bit her lip and forced herself to stand up from the ground.

    Seeing this, Yomite sighed and did so as well.

    He had to admit he had been enjoying the spar at first as it seemed like he would win, yet it just felt stupid to prolong it any further.

    He just wanted to go home and take a long shower, well first he would have to visit Barbara for healing as there were a lot of scratches and bruises on his body, not to mention there might be some internal bleeding he was unaware of, so he had to get checked out fully.

    Ignoring his question, she rushed towards him once more. Yomite barely raised his arms to intercept her, but it wasn''t enough, she got through his defenses and raised her hand towards his abdomen.

    Hu Tao was convinced of her victory, believing that Yomite wouldn''t make it even if he started dodging now.

    He did grow, for sure, even gave her quite the spectacle of a fight, but now that she had him where she wanted, he would lose in a matter of seconds.

    She input everyst being of her strength into herst punch, "No need for a draw! I simply win again!"

    And then, the exact moment her lips warped into her usual mischievous grin, her mouth opened to sing the teasing words of victory, heaven and earth was overturned and she could see the ground above her.

    "...Huh?"

    Hu Tao''s eyes caught Yomite''s back when she came to herself.

    At the moment of contact, Yomite left himself open on purpose, predicting she would target his abdomen again, and grabbed Hu Tao''s wrist, making use of her forward momentum to throw her behind him.

    Hu Tao who put all her strength into her attack just now was unable to do anything to reduce the impact when her back painfully hit the ground.

    "Ack��"

    Her lungs were pressured and the remaining air was squeezed out from her throat.

    She didn''t remember when was thest time she was this tired and sweaty...

    Even when she tried to stand up, the best she could do was to clench her small hand...

    It was over and she knew it. She could no longer move. It was decided...

    (Jeez...just what could have happened? His body should have been in a bad condition...he was sick for a long time, after all, Cholera was no joke��)

    The answer was simple.

    Thanks to Diona''s magical drink, his body was rejuvenated and gained even more stamina than it should have for a short period of time equaling to roughly two days.

    Yomite walked up to her and smiled wryly at Hu Tao who bit her lips in frustration while helping her stand up.

    Although Hu Tao was feeling unhappy, she had to admit her loss��

    "Come on...Time to go home and finish our date��but we should hit up Barbara and Jean first..."

    This was probably the worst date he was ever on, excluding the one where one of the girls he met back at his old world vomited all over his shirt and pants because she couldn''t hold alcohol....but he still enjoyed the spar.

    A win was a win, despite using a bit of cheat himself, he still considered it as a win fully because of his own capabilities.

    He won because of his techniques and it was his body that beat her, even if he seemed like he was a kid on crack with so much energy after the cocktail.

    He knelt next to her and poked her cheek with his finger.

    "Come, it''s time to go. Stop sulking, you aren''t a kid. You are a full blown woman. Do you have any idea how I felt after losing so much to you in the past? Yet you only lose once and you act as if I ended your world or something��Only kid does that, no?"

    "...Cheeky."

    Hu Tao pouted and looked aside.

    Still, hearing his words, Hu Tao''splexion changed for the better.

    He was correct, the score was still only 121 wins to 1 loss, there was no reason for her to feel angry. Rather, she should use this chance to improve herself even further instead.

    If she made the score look like 12000 to 1, she would feel even better. She simply had to win every spar starting now and everything will be alright.

    With that thought in mind, her face bloomed full of smiles as she hugged his leg.

    "I''m out of energy...Carry me..."

    Her words fell and Yomite smiled. It was time for them to go home.

    Unbeknownst to both of them, the fierce phoenix mes inside of her Vision grew more and more rampant, removing all shackles of restraint...

    And so her deep passion towards him burned brightly, empowering her whole being.

    Let them spar for all eternity of their beautiful evesting, passionate rtionship...

 Chapter 138

    After the training, both of them visited Deaconess Barbara who was about to close down the church for today, as it was pretty much night at this point.

    When Barbara saw how injured they were, she almost copsed from a heart attack.

    She thought a dragon or something stronger must have definitely attacked both of them if they looked like this.

    Once they mentioned they were just sparring, she gave them a death stare of disapproval and healed their injuries.

    On Yomite''s request, she also checked whether they had any internal bleeding but luckily that wasn''t the case...

    "For this check-up... *Cough* *Cough*... you need to take off most of your clothes for me to easily ess the core of your body..." Barbara bashfully exined.

    The words were barely out of her mouth as she immediately began working to strip him of all of his clothing, but the underwear.

    He was sweaty and dirty, yet she didn''t even give him a moment to hear his answer.

    The request wasn''t that bizarre considering most doctors would ask him to do the same, yet somehow he felt as if he saw a dangerous glint in her eyes...but that might have just been his imagination...

    As he was practically naked, sitting on a bench in his shorts, the cold air inside of the cathedral caused a shiver to run down his back.

    Barbara eagerly grinned and touched his chiseled chest with both of her hands, running her fingers over his exposed bare skin for a few seconds, gently massaging it with ease and familiarity.

    Her hands glided across the firm muscles, working out any knots or stress that gued him in practice, while he tried to rx.

    His muscles were tense beneath her touch and the tension gradually melted away as she began running her palms up and down, admiring the beauty of his form.

    He was a veteran adventurer, and had a body that would make many women swoon all over him.

    Barbara trailed her hands down the slope of his stomach, pausing to run a fingertip trail down his chest. She knew exactly where to touch him, and every ce she went to, made his skin tingle as he rxed beneath her touch.

    He was a bit ticklish, which she found very cute, as she poked him with her fingernails.

    She ran her fingers down the gaps of his abs, trailing over the dips and curves of his abdomen, relishing in the feeling.

    Barbara''s mouth was almost wide open with a weird smile as a string of saliva slowly dripped down her chin...

    Before she moved to work on his shoulders, she cupped a feel of his chest once more, grasping it hard and lightly clearing her throat, "Your body is muscr and you look so amazin�� I-I-I mean...you look healthy..so no worries! You don''t have any injuries!"

    The whole process took roughly ten minutes, which was longer than he expected it to be...

    (She''s a good girl, getting so worried about me.)

    Yomite thought with a gentle smile. There was still the thing about the date of Jean and Barbara but that could wait.

    Both of them were busy individuals, after all.

    It seemed that Barbara even wanted to continue the check up for a while longer, making sure he waspletely fine, but before she could...

    Hu Tao lowered her brows at her weird behavior.

    She could no longer watch how she ran her hands around him like that and stepped in front of him, speaking with a hint of irritation, "He is healthy, check on me too! I''ve been waiting here for a long time already!"

    Barbara hid away a slightly displeased frown and ced her hand on Hu Tao''s shoulder, smiling yet not smiling with her eyes closed, "Mhm...I just checked and you arepletely fine. No need to worry."

    Saying that, she promptly ignored her while pushing her aside and massaged his shoulder des instead.

    Yomite was dumbfounded as he stared at the young woman, giving him a massage with a smile on her face.

    (Huh? Hu Tao didn''t even need to take off her clothes and the check up onlysted...one second? Wait a minute... something''s wrong here...Wait a minute!? Then why is it taking so long with me!?)

    He widened his eyes in disbelief as the realization hit him...

    (Am I just being...sexually assaulted? Is that it? Man...this world is disturbing...)

    All of a sudden, without any warning, she ran her fingers down his hips, right between his two legs and massaged his thighs with a firm grip, making him shiver.

    She moved slowly, carefully at first, as if to soothe the tight muscles there.

    It took everything in his fiber being to not get hard from this weird sensual massage.

    He sighed in pleasure from the contact, and his eyes slipped shut for a moment, letting out a soft moan.

    He felt the vibrations through his core from her passionate massage.

    After several long minutes she removed her handspletely from his legs and sat next to him on the bench, moving closer towards his ear.

    "I''m ready whenever you are for our date."

    She cooed while, grasping his left hand with each of her own, staring at him from up close and if he looked closer, he could see her chest heaving up and down, as her warm breath made a cloud of condensation in the crisp, heating up the frosty air of the cathedral around them.

    Somehow, this girl seemed very dangerous��

    Compared to how he she usually was, the shy persona was barely around anymore.

    Currently, her presence felt so strong that he could not seem to get out of her way no matter how hard he tried.

    He could see it in the way she stared at him, that frenzied gaze, as if she was obsessed about him...

    He was seriously being assaulted by a younger girl...

    (Both of the sisters are perverts...)

    He concluded.

    Tired and hungry, Yomite thanked Barbara with some difficulty and returned to his mansion while carrying the displeased Hu Tao on his back.

    By the time they returned, Fischl was already sleeping and Lumine with Paimon greeted them, but soon disregarded them as they were in a heated match of chess.

    To Yomite''s surprise,pared to when Paimon lost every game ying cards, her chess game was solid and Lumine was falling behind.

    He left them be and headed to the kitchen to make dinner for both of them.

    After they finished eating, they yed rock-paper-scissors to decide who would head out to wash themselves first.

    As Yomite won, he went to take a shower while Hu Tao was so tired she couldn''t stand straight and had toy down somewhere.

 Chapter 139

    A mischievous idea popped into Hu Tao''s mind.

    She entered his room with a grin stered across her face andy her sweaty body on his bed.

    She was thinking about hiding under his bed at first to scare him, but that idea was already getting old, thankfully, she came up with a much better one instead. Apletely new way to annoy him.

    She knew he hated when someone touched his bed when they didn''t shower. He was bound to flip out and her desire to witness his reaction was apparent.

    (Time for revenge! Both for the spar and for what happened at the church!)

    She was about to get a double payback.

    Today''s training was hard, but overall, she enjoyed it, even if she lost. Her passion carried her through.

    She rolled around in hisfy sheets for roughly about twenty minutes, closing her eyes and letting herself drift off into sleep.

    Her sweat made the nkets sticky and the sheets felt like they were soaked with it. She couldn''t take the heat anymore so she had to lie down and rest for a while.

    Her soaked clothes and hair were sticking to her back and face, causing her to sweat in a way she would never admit out loud.

    The air that blew from the opened window was cold and it felt so refreshing after all of that.

    It was only then that she heard footsteps approaching from the distance, before the door to the room opened.

    Yomite had finished showering, and returned to his room in his towel, all ready to rx andy down on hisfortable bed after getting kicked around whole day...only to see that she was already upying it...

    "Lolitao! You''re sweaty! Don''ty on my bed, people sleep there you know!" He pointed towards the door while shouting.

    What he hated the most was when someone dirty even just slightly touched his bed or sat on it without showering...And she knew this very well.

    Hu Taoy there dressed in the clothes she just sparred in, just like this. Which indeed poked at his nerves, she didn''t even take a shower yet.

    She only wore a simple ck cloth over her breasts as always, together with ck sport shorts...both of which were soaked in sweat which made it pretty much see through...

    There were countless ces his eyes could linger. She was basically naked, lying on his bed which looked so inviting he could hardly help himself.

    "Get out before I conduct punishment for betraying the empire!" He pointed towards the door, resolutely.

    "Aw..e on you killjoy! Let me rest! I get tired too!" She raised her butt pointing to the ceiling and wiggled it in denial, as if saying that she would not move from there no matter what.

    Yomite was confused. Why was she not leaving? If shey there for a bit longer, he would attack her for sure!

    "What? Are you mad that you didn''t get to enjoy the massage from Barbara? Did you want one as well?"

    Hu Tao rolled her eyes at his remark and rested her face on his pillow.

    She felt so tired, yet she was feeling restless as well, it seemed like abination of both.

    Seeing her like this, Yomite had an idea.

    "...How about I give you a massage then?"

    Once his words fell, she lifted her head and stared back at him weirdly.

    "I might not be a professional, but I could still help you rx." He shrugged his shoulders.

    She had to admit, his words did sound promising. She never had a massage before, but from what she heard, it was a very rxing process.

    Upon seriously thinking his idea through, Hu Tao sighed in resignation.

    "...Okie."

    As long as she could rest and rx her shoulders and her body she didn''t really mind, although it was indeed a bit embarrassing to have him touch her. Still, it was only a massage.

    Yomite''s smile broadened.

    "Good! I promise you''ll enjoy it."

    She squirmed on his sheets beneath the warmth of his gaze, trying vainly to maintain her modesty.

    Yomite caught her wrists, and gently pushed her hands back to her sides.

    He leaned his mouth towards her ear, "I will make you feel good." and reassured her.

    Hu Tao swallowed, heat flooding her cheeks. "Al-alright..." She mumbled, ncing away from him.

    For some reason, when Barbara was all over him like that, her chest tightened. She simply felt ufortable to look at that sight.

    Maybe it was because she felt jealous? Or maybe simply because she wanted him to pay attention to her instead of Barbara at the time��

    Either way, she was more than happy Yomite was currently focusing purely on her...

    His smooth fingers glided up her arms, and over her shoulders.

    Yomite cupped her face in his hands and tipped her up, pressing a lingering kiss against her mouth.

    His hands then wandered over her curves; down her back, then around to caress her waist.

    "W-Wait...!"

    Hu Tao was surprised by the unexpected kiss, but had no strength to reject him and simply indulged, and epted his love and caressing.

    "Don''t be so nervous. Just let me take over and we will feel good together, alright?"

    There was something about his gentle expression that made her want to hug him and allow him whatever he wanted to do with her.

    "Mnmh��" She nodded.

    But she didn''t know that with that consent, she sealed the deal with the devil.

    After the passionate kiss, her knees nearly gave out as heat red between her legs.

    She didn''t know what was happening, yet he knew it all too well.

    Reacting to his touch, Hu Tao was slowly being stimted and aroused.

    Lifting her feet up with his hand, Yomite set a pillow beneath her hips while she made herselffortable.

    He left her side only briefly, returning with a pot that looked like��and altogether unlike��a teapot.

    "What''s...that?" She asked, dazed, lifting a curious brow.

    He smiled as he folded her knees, resting her feet t against the floor. "Oh, this? It''s oil."

    It was the premium oil he bought from Marjorie a few months ago.

    He primarily used it on himself, to do...Yeah... ''that''.

 Chapter 140

    The oil was a product made out of a bunch of flowers called Qingxin and slime gel from a Pyro slime, the explosion type.

    Not only did it have rxing effects, but it also acted as a strong aphrodisiac which he only unfortunately found about muchter and couldn''t calm his boner down for a long time...

    Back then, he stored the oil away but right now, he was sure that this was the perfect asion to use it.

    It was time for revenge. A revenge full of love.

    They werepletely alone, disregarding a giant egg of Iris who was hibernating in the corner of the room...

    Seeing him pour the oil onto his palms, Hu Tao swallowed nervously, pressing her knees together. She could feel her heart beating so loudly it felt like she was suffocating, but she couldn''t look away from the man.

    He smiled and pushed her knees apart��just enough to make her feel exposed.

    His hands covered in a cold oil, drifted along the nes of her thighs, down to her feet.

    She threw an arm over her eyes in a response...trying to will the tension out of her limbs.

    His hand rubbed at the top of her right foot, while her left rested on his shoulder as he stared ahead, watching her reactions with delight.

    Her toes twitched a little bit, and he pressed down harder on them. The soft pad of his thumb stroked up and down in circr motions.

    They curled slightly, almost in a fetal position, it was a minor detail he noticed whenever he pressed his thumb down a little bit harder.

    Her breath hitched as he began to rub the sole with pressure...her legs spread more in anticipation of a touch.

    Her body was warm and it sent a chill down her spine, but she had never been morefortable. Yomite''s touch was light and perfect.

    Bonding over a massage could easily be a special, intimate experience to develop even deeper feelings for each other.

    Along with reducing cortisol, massage therapy greatly increased the body''s oxytocin production.

    Oxytocin was, of course, a natural hormone produced through physical touch and affection, such as cuddling or coption.

    Massage had many mental and physical benefits that promoted overall well being of someone.

    Soft and light touches activated the parasympathetic nervous system, which allowed the recipient to get into a rxed state of mind.

    His massaging technique was amateurish, yet it still worked wonders and she rxedpletely against his touch.

    His fingers worked well with the oil, massaging her tired muscles.

    Seeing her squirming, Yomite hummed in bemusement, his gentle palm resting on her small stomach.

    "Your stomach is really cute," Hemented as he leaned forward and pressed a light kiss on her toned tummy.

    She was cute.

    Scratch that, everything about her was adorable and gorgeous.

    He was happy for such a woman to grace his life.

    Hu Tao sighed contently, enjoying the warmth of his lips on her skin.

    His lips made her feel warm and fuzzy inside like the sun had just touched her body.

    Following which she giggled lightly, feeling ticklish, as he ran his hands all around her stomach, pressing into her soft flesh.

    However, as he slid his fingers above, one of his hands identally slipped from her stomach, right under the piece of cloth which covered her chest, his hand now resting on her small breast.

    "Hn��"

    In a matter of seconds a small gasp she let out was quickly followed by a soft moan from her lips.

    Hu Tao stared up at him with a hesitant expression.

    Both of them were unsure about things as an awkward atmosphere befell the room.

    Yomite wasn''t sure if he was allowed to go all the way, and Hu Tao wasn''t sure what to do.

    After a deathly silence whichsted over half a minute, Hu Tao removed his hand from her chest, staring at the white bed sheets below her.

    "...Sorry. It was an ident..."

    Yomite muttered, to which she looked dazed for a bit, before she surprisingly took the cloth off of her chest by her own volition, revealing her petite breasts to him, as shey back down as if nothing had happened.

    Her eyes were closed, and all was silent as she breathed softly, in and out as though she was sleeping peacefully, yet her heart was beating more than it ever did.

    Yomite couldn''t help but stare at them; his eyes wide with wonder and fascination, a hand raised up like a child''s. He reached out for it, tracing the small curves that were hidden under the cloth.

    "They are so small," he whispered. He traced over them again with two fingers. "You''re very cute." His voice was soft, gentle as he continued to stroke them.

    She was probably the ttest girl he had ever been with, and he didn''t mind it one bit. Her charmy elsewhere, after all.

    Not to mention, despite being small, they were very cute eye-candies.

    He had been watching the two small peaks for quite some time now, although he was doing that secretly during the training, simply because he was too hornytely...

    But now that he gained her approval, he observed her without any restraints.

    They were too small to fit perfectly in his hands but that didn''t matter, as he found a way to deal with it.

    He stroked the soft skin with his thumbs; almost like peaches, only slightly smaller than that.

    He slowly raised his gaze from their soft and round surfaces to their shapely nipples that were perfectly positioned in his view.

    Small, delicate and smooth...

    He just wanted to give them a taste.

    His hands made their way back over her chest, and he ran his thumbs over her nipples.

    Reaching out his left hand over her other breast, he felt her tense at first, but then she rxed as he continued to massage her. His fingers moved slowly, gently, stimting the surface of her nipples.

    She shuddered when she felt the rough touch of his fingertips on the tender skin of her buds. A shiver ran down her spine as she closed her eyes.

    Her heart fluttered in anticipation. His palms rubbed up and down her sides, his fingers found purchase on each breast. He held her close, running his thumb over her nipple. Her body shook, goosebumps formed as his fingertips touched her bare flesh without a moment of stopping.

    He kissed between her breasts, then kissed her neck where he nipped and suckled onto, giving into his lust.

    Her body grew warm as her knees buckled under her. The heat spread through her body as his mouth worked against her, licking and tasting until she moaned, tilting her head back.

    "Mnnh..."

    With a loud moan, she pulled away from him.

    He didn''t let her escape and leaned forward, giving her a kiss, taking control of the moment.

    Their kisses grew deeper, more urgent. The kiss became hotter and Yomite was sure she must have been burning up beneath him; her entire body was hot, practically feverish with need.

    The two broke apart, panting heavily; breathless and dazed with want. Her legs had fallen asleep underneath her, unable to hold her body up anymore, and now that shey t, Yomite''srge frame was pressed against her hips, between her legs.

    He looked at her like she hung the moon. His hands trailed all over her body, tracing her, admiring every curve.

    She stared into his eyes. They glittered with love and lust.

    Hu Tao''s breathing came outbored, her heartbeat drummed in her ears.

    Was this what Yomite wanted?

    He was looking at her like she was something incredible, something that he could gaze upon for hours on end. Was she that special to him?

    She was used to stares of disapproval and hate, but not to gentle gazes like this.

    She wanted more...

    More kisses, more touch, more sensation.

    More of the feeling of being adored. More of the feelings she knew Yomite loved her with so much intensity and affection.

    More of the feelings she loved him with.

    Hu Tao moved her hand up his back, sliding it across his shoulders and down his muscr arms, gripping tightly to his biceps as she pushed herself up on her elbows.

    Seeing her bing proactive as well, he softly smiled, his eyes closing as he tilted his head back, enjoying her caressing and exposing his throat to her.

    She licked his neck, her tongue darting out to lick along his Adam''s apple.

    Yomite opened his eyes at the sudden surprise attack, staring at her with such intensity that she almost forgot how to breathe.

    His lips found hers again, devouring her tongue. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, biting it lightly before sucking on it again as he slid one hand up her stomach and cupped her breast in his palm.

    Yomite''s warm hands slowly worked their way around her body. Aided by the slick oil, he passed over her belly, along her rib cage, and between her now, fully exposed breasts.

    Slow warmth built up in her core, and as she continued focusing on her breathing, that same warmth began to flow out through the rest of her body.

    As her arousal continued to grow, the heat that pulsed through her body made her skin tingle. Yomite''s gentle voice guided her through the massage and kept her grounded.

    As his hands began to circle her breasts, she felt the heat that had seeped into her nerves flicker.

    "Nh..."

    Hu Tao''s breath stuttered.

    She peeked an eye open at him, trying to indicate her desire with her glowing red eyes.

    It must have looked great, because it only made him excited.

    He leaned down to give her a soft kiss. She rxed again as he sat back, his touches returning to less sensitive parts while she found her breath again.

    Just as she''d found a rhythm, his thumbs brushed over the hard buds of her fully erect nipples.

    He let out a pleased hum. "Judging by your reactions, you''re enjoying it. I''m d," Yomite smiled.

    He followed that statement by pinching gently at the flushed nubs, and it was all she could do not to moan.

    She tried to swallow the sound of it, but Yomite''s warm breath on her ear made her gasp.

    "No need to feel embarrassed. Rx your body, let me hear the real you."

    She clenched her jaw, into a pout, but nodded. "A-alright...."

    Yomite couldn''t help hisugh, though the sound wasn''t malicious��and to be fair, with the way her cheeks were puffed out from her pout, she''d probablyugh if she could see herself, too.

    Out of nowhere, He deepened the pressure on her body as his slick fingers brushed along the crease of her groin, achingly close to her core, but never quite touching exactly where she needed it for that relief, that special feeling that was slowly building up...

    Hu Tao squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get him to touch her. He seemed to notice her frustration, and called her name.

    "Tao."

    "...What?"

    The word was a bit forceful, but so was the surprise when he actually called her without adding her family name.

    "Look at me."

    She obeyed, looking up at him, finding his warm gaze as his fingers danced along her mound.

    He smiled as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you."

    "..."

    It wasn''t the first time he''d said it to her��he mentioned it a couple of times before��but the earnestness of the confession along with the intimacy of the moment and the fact he called her by her first name utterly shattered her.

    She took his face in her hands, brushing her thumbs along his cheeks. "I feel the same way."

    He smiled, and leaned in to kiss her. As rough lips met hers, warm fingers slid down over the crease of her folds, and her breath stuttered in her chest.

    He then slid his fingers to her butt and slowly removed her shorts, throwing them on the floor.

    "H-hey....Um..."

    He ignored her yelp of embarrassment and took in the beautiful sight. His hands slowly caressed her inner thighs until she could feel the warmness of his hand.

    The soft touch tickled her sensitive skin and she tried to pull away, but he wouldn''t let go.

    Somehow, it felt like all of her monstrous strength dissipated upon his touch and she could just barely squirm on the sheets.

    His hands roamed over her smooth skin, as if trying to find every little imperfection on her body that had been hidden away by her clothes, yet there was none. It''s as if a goddess had descended.

    A perfectly sculpted body.

    Hu Tao buried her head into his pillow, afraid to look back towards what was happening.

    Yomite didn''t let up, swallowing her moans as his fingers circled the swollen bud of her clit.

    Alternating between slow and fast, broad and tight, she found herself spiralling quickly towards the release of the newfound feeling that was building up inside of her.

    She gripped at the nape of his neck,ying helpless beneath him as he nuzzled her.

    Her pulse drummed in her ears, his fingers sliding down over the slickbia, pushing and rubbing. Heat skittered over her nerves in waves, her entire body firing on all cylinders.

    She wasn''t sure just how much more she could take.

    He pressed her hardened clit between his fingers, rolling it softly. Her back arched up off the floor, fingers digging into the silky fabric of the cushions.

    His free hand worked over the ne of her belly, varying the pressure on her skin, sending little bolts of pleasure straight to her clit.

    Then, it was as if a trigger inside of her was pressed. Yomite inserted one of his fingers inside of her.

    Immediately, her muscles clenched around him involuntarily, and she stared at the ceiling as she obeyed the instincts of a woman in heat.

    He pumped her easily a few times, the sound of his finger entering her, wet and lewd. Heat burned in her cheeks, and then his fingers curled up into the fleshy tissue of her sweet spot.

    The white stars of her fantasy pupils exploded behind her eyes with a radiant glow, and her back arched off the bed, her breath stuttering.

    His free hand slid down over her mound, caressing the aching bud of her clit...and as he did��

    Hu Tao came for the first time in her life.

    Her vision went white, her breath hitched as the sensation flooded out across every nerve in her body, from her scalp all the way down to her toes. She twitched and trembled in the throes of her first orgasm, pleasure rippling out across her senses, centred at her core.

    She didn''t know what just happened, but she was so content she could fall asleep immediately.

    He didn''t stop or let up, her walls clenching and tightening around him in rhythmic strokes to match his tempo.

    Just as her ears began to ring, he tapered his movements, then slowly withdrew his hand.

    Pleasantly, she rxed into the pillow. As the afterglow slowly faded, she became awash in euphoria, her mind emptied of any conscious thoughts.

    She wasn''t sure how much time had passed, but a gentle kiss on the crook of her neck brought her focus back, and she opened her eyes.

    Yomite hovered over her, his expression both gentle but also self-satisfied. She hummed as she reached up, cupping his cheeks as she pulled him down for a kiss.

    Giving her a short while to rx, Yomite flipped her body and ced her on her stomach, staring at her butt from behind as her head rested on his pillow, unaware of what was about to happen behind her...

    As everything was ready, Yomite leaned down, his mouth just above the curve of her hip and he began to kiss her.

    "Hnn...!?"

    He licked at the bottom of her thigh, sucking a little on the tender skin there, before moving upwards, making his way towards her clit.

    She arched into his touch, whimpering in anticipation

    .

    Once he reached her clit, he kissed it gently. It was already sensitive from her orgasm, the heat in the room and his touch.

    Yomite slowly started to stroke it tenderly, taking his time.

    All of this forey led to another immediate consecutive climax. She climaxed twice in about two minutes.

    He felt her legs shake a little bit and then she let out a breath that sounded like a whimper.

    She twitched for a few seconds and came on his forearm, rxing her body once more.

    He gave her time to rxst time, however, Yomite didn''t n to stop or let up this time.

    He kissed his way up her thigh, nipping at her skin with a hot breath when he reached her most sensitive part.

    "Ahn��" she moaned out, bucking her hips up to get more friction for another orgasm, but failing to reach that peak again.

    He teasingly moved away from her.

    Hu Tao nced back at him from across her shoulder in confusion and heard himugh as his hand started softly rubbing circles on her back until she felt him climb into bed with her, cing his hands on her butt.

    Her hair was in disarray, the sweat from today''s training and the massage ran down her neck and whole body.

    He watched as shey there panting lightly.

    She could feel the sting of the sun on her skin as shey there, basking in its warmth.

    The softness of it, the warmth, the smell of him, allbined to give her a sense of security that she''d never have thought possible before.

    "Thanks for the feast!"

    And just like that, he moved his face forward and buried it deeply into her butt, sucking on her flesh.

    Her breath hitched, and her hands came down to tightly grip the sheets beneath her from a sensation so powerful.

    "D-don''t...lick...there... I''m sweaty..."

    She whimpered softly, arching back against him.

    It took a moment for it to register in her mind what was happening, and when it did she squirmed.

    "Hn...Ahn...mnh.."

    The sound of pleasure that left her mouth wasn''t something she had intended to make.

    She hadn''t meant to let ite out like that, but it was toote now.

    She bit down on her lip and tried not to moan as his tongue moved slowly on the surface of her entrance.

    Her body was on fire, but it wasn''t from pain.

    It was the sheer ecstasy of being with the man that was so dear to her.

    "You taste so good." He mumbled out against the soft skin of her stomach, his tongue swirling around her navel as he nibbled at the tender skin.

    Hu Tao was on cloud nine, she could barely process what was happening, she sat up and spread her legs wide, pointing at the floor between them, wanting to feel the continuous pleasure from his tongue.

    Yomite moved into position and waited.

    Looking up from between her thighs, her beautiful, wet entrance was only inches away from his face.

    He nned to make her first time thoroughly memorable and as much as possibly perverted as he could, to let her know the pleasure of sex they could enjoy together every day.

    Meanwhile, Hu Tao''s clit throbbed between her legs, desperate for more attention.

    She reached out, not knowing what to do and only tried scratching it with weird motions that unlike his touch, didn''t satisfy her whatsoever.

    This shouldn''t have happened. She was supposed to be the one teasing him, pranking him and scaring him, but it went into apletely different direction...Once again...

    She was confident in her own strength, sometimes even used it to bully him during their spars as she loved to see his desperate face.

    She could beat him at almost any activity that revolved around exercise, but right now, it took him no time at all to turn her body to jelly, to have her begging for more, and he was winning by a long mile.

    She was indeed getting addicted to this newfound feeling, having cum twice.

    Such a feeling, she won''t ever be able to forget it, so she had no other choice but to ept it.

    "Would you like me to continue?" His calm voice echoed in her mind.

    In the end, Hu Tao only nodded without saying anything.

    From talking to Fischl, she generally understood what was going to happen soon, but she had no prior experience with the actual act that revolved around the so-called ''Love Making''.

    But she trusted him, loved him and wanted to experience this even further.

    With her approval, Yomite dutifully lowered his head, trailing kisses up each of her thighs.

    She yelped, shuddering each time he drew closer to her hips.

    He licked the creases where her legs and abdomen met, then ran his tongue around the outer edge of herbia, tasting her sweaty body.

    Hu Tao gasped at the contact but didn''t tell him to stop, rather, she had no strength to do so.

    She was so incredibly delicate and pure and soft and everything about her screamed adorable, that Yomite couldn''t help himself but eat her all up.

    Encouraged by her breathless moans, he wrapped his arms around her thighs to make sure she wouldn''t escape from his hold and kissed each of herbia, next, he slowly ran his tongue up and down each of them before gently trailing across her soft slit.

    "Nhaah��"

    He lifted his head and gazed into her glistening eyes, then, he parted herbia with his tongue without breaking eye contact with her, and greedily explored the folds of her womanhood.

    The faint, sweet-salty taste of her arousal and sweat coated his tongue, even as her musky scent filled his nostrils.

    She was so delicious that he couldn''t help taking time to experience her pussy.

    He flicked his tongue inside her vagina, barely entering.

    "Mnmm��!"

    Dipping it slightly farther inside, she arched her back, lifting her small chest into the air as her stiff nipples, darkened with her arousal, pointed towards the ceiling in his room.

    As he continuedpping at her opening, she buried her fingers into his hair. She had to hold herself back from pulling them all out with the force she was applying.

    Her thighs briefly tensed up as she gasped.

    Desperate for more, she rocked her hips against his face, seemingly without even realizing it.

    He flicked his tongue up and down, pressing it as far into her as he could.

    Her muscles, just like her passion and arousal, built up.

    He could feel her struggle to not choke him with her thighs that were now pressing into his temples with rather high intensity.

    Her thighs clenched around his face, holding him in ce as her hips bucked and writhed.

    "Ahhhn!"

    Hu Tao''s high-pitched cry signaled her third climax of the night.

    He drew his head back, just as a rush of liquid sprayed out of her glistening entrance, drenching his face and chest.

    Her legs stiffened and toes curled in the throes of her orgasm.

    He gave her clit onest flick of his tongue as he awaited her to rx.

    Finally, her thighs released him, sinking back against the bed sheets with a silent wail of pleasure...

    Yomite licked his lips and wiped the juices off of his face, moving to her once more... It was time for another round...

    But before he could continue, he heard a faint knock on the door��

    Someone was about to bother him again...

    (Lumine is here to disrupt me again? Not a chance!)

    He grabbed a sack of Mora from a nearby table and went towards the door, his towel falling off of him in the process as he failed to grab it mid-air.

    /Tch, whatever. It''s not like it matters.)

    Once he opened the door, Lumine and Paimon greeted him with a smile, before the girls realized that the person they were waiting for... had no clothes on...

    He was standing there,pletely naked.

    "...!? Disgusting Tattoo!!" Paimon screamed, covering her eyes. "Get dressed! Get dressed! Just say that you are busy and talk through the door! Why are you opening the door when you are naked!!! With that...thing out...!"

    Yomite''s arms were crossed over his chest, bearing a frown on his face.

    He was naked, yet he didn''t even blink an eye. He simply did not care.

    The only thing he cared about was currently not to get cockblocked by someone again.

    He was bent on finishing what he started.

    His father once told him, [If you''re going to do something, then do it thoroughly. Don''t be timid about it. That''s true for everything. Mostly for females, though...]

    (Thank you for your wisdom, father. I shall not allow any heathen to block me from my goal any longer.)

    "I wish to be alone for a few hours. Here, take the money and don''t interrupt me." He showed them the bag of Mora which had around three million in it.

    Lumine couldn''t hide her blush any longer as she took a peek at his erect member from between her fingers.

    The sight alone sent goosebumps down her spine. She could see the hard tip and just that made her insides quiver and heat flood across her face.

    A hand covering the view of her mouth as her breath hitched in her throat causing her to pause breathing for a few seconds.

    She swiped her eyes from his manhood, to his chest and then towards the dragon tattoo he had on his shoulder, staring at him without blinking, as if trying to embed his figure into her brain forever.

    A little too much information to see it that way, but gazing at him, she was well aware of what he meant when he said he wanted to be ''alone'' right now...

    Looking past him, she noticed Hu Taoy lifelessly on his bed, also naked, and she seemed to be on the brink of ecstasy.

    It wasn''t hard to imagine what happened, and what was about to happen to her...

    The thought alone was enough to make her blood pressure rise and cheeks grow hot.

    She swallowed hard before taking the bag of Mora from his hands and replying, "A-alright...good luck...Party leader..."

    With that she quickly turned around and wanted to run away but Paimon stopped her.

    "How are you just going to leave like nothing has happened!? Paimon loves Mora and treasures, yet after seeing something like that...no amount of Mora could wash Paimon''s eyes! Paimon''s been forever dirtied! Dirtied! Paimon can''t marry anymore!"

    The little fairyined.

    Yomite sighed and leaned towards her, catching her off guard and kissing her on the cheek.

    "There. That''s your goodnight bed kiss. Sweet dreams you guys." He said softly before caressing Paimon''s cheek and chin with his left hand, and ruffling through Lumine''s wavy blonde hair with his right.

    If he wasn''t naked, this would have been a beautiful bonding moment between the three.

    Slowly closing the door behind him, he left the confused and blushing duo stand and float in mid-air, motionlessly.

    "Eheheh~"

    Paimon let out a sheepish smile after being shown affection, as she fiddled with a loose thread on her white jumper.

    Her cheeks flushed, and with a slight pink to them as well.

    As she fiddled the strand with her fingers, and caressed the cheek that was kissed, she nced up, dazed and caught Lumine staring at her.

    "Wha...what?" Paimon stammered, quickly looking away from her.

    "Paimon...your opinion sure changed quickly...huh��" Lumine sighed in exasperation, the breeze causing her long blonde hair to sway slightly. "Weren''t you angry just a second ago?"

    "...No I wasn''t! L-Let''s just go��"

    Paimon refuted any implied usations and floated away, leaving behind sparkly dust and a shocked but equally flustered Lumine.

    Meanwhile, Yomite shook his head and chuckled a bit. He couldn''t help but smile after teasing Paimon. She was very weak to affection.

    (Small animal. Cute.)

    He really needed to get his own petter down the road, but right now there were much more important things left at hand.

    "Sorry to keep you waiting! I sent them away! We can continue now."

    ***

    **

    *

    Seconds passed, then minutes, and that turned into an hour.

    For an hour, she was subjected to this.

    For an hour, he used his tongue to prate her and lick her clean in his arms.

    Yomite lost count of how many times her body convulsed and orgasmed in his embrace so far. It must have been beyond ten at this point.

    One thing was sure, that his bed was fully drenched in her sweat, saliva and other various body fluids, such as the said love juices.

    His member was standing straight up, in a phenomenal state of desire for a long time now...ready to explode at any time...and he believed it was finally time for the main course. He deserved it after servicing her dutifully for so long after all.

    Hu Tao''s virginal hole trembled and shaked as her vaginal fluids ceaselessly dripped down her thighs, shining brightly and obscenely.

    Upon taking in the sight before him again, the shaft in his crotch trembled, as though encouraging him to enter her.

    As he stared at her entrance, he concluded that her hymen was less of a membrane, and more of a slightly bulging, extended line of vaginal wall.

    "So small��"

    Hemented upon viewing her like this. He noticed it before, but now that he took an even closer look at her entrance, he knew there might be a problem��

    "Can I...do it?" He asked gently.

    At first Hu Tao nodded, then shook her head, and then nodded again.

    She seemed to be visibly confused, tired, dazed, maybe even a bit scared of what was about toe, but there was a huge desire in her eyes that wanted it to happen.

    So for the onest time, she nodded in anticipation.

    Regardless of her consent, Yomite knew he had to be careful about this...

    He stood up and grabbed the oil bottle from a shelf behind him. It was time to utilize it even further.

    She was already wet, but just to make sure, he dipped some of the cold oil on her entrance and on his hard member after he removed his towel.

    Both of them winced once the cold oil touched them, but rxed once he started spreading it.

    He then brought his already hard penis towards his target��

    Stretched open by his hand, her visible pussy was adorable.

    Hiding her usual smirk, chatterbox and her teasing attitude, Hu Tao silently stared at the convex and concave parts joining and pressing together, just as well as his massive member that she saw a few times before identally.

    Yomite slowly lowered his hips and was about to put it in, before he stopped.

    "Oh, wait...I don''t have a condom��"

    "Kon domu...? What is... that?"

    The dazed Hu Tao let out a weak voice of confusion at the word she had never heard before.

    (...Oh, right, fantasy world. My bad, forgot for a bit...yeah��or it could also be that she never heard of that term...well...guess I will just have to pull out.)

    Yomite sat up and leaned against her. He spread her legs and assumed the missionary position, pressing his hardened member up against her entrance.

    She hid her beet-red face, though whether it was red from pleasure or embarrassment, Yomite couldn''t tell.

    (This should be plenty enough.)

    She was plenty wet enough to enter.

    One of his hands left her breast, moving down her stomach, slipping lower until his fingers found her sex.

    "Yomi..," she gasped, tightening her hold on him, squeezing his shoulders tighter. He chuckled deeply, pulling away slightly from their embrace and peering down at her.

    Hu Tao stared back into his eyes for what seemed like an eternity, before he bent forward and caught her mouth once more with his own.

    She wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself flush against him. Her small breasts were crushed against his broad, chiseled chest.

    Hu Tao''s legs trembled as Yomite lifted them over his shoulders and hooked them around his head.

    As she gazed at him, dazed, her eyes lingered on his hard muscles. He was rock solid.

    He was so masculine, with such virile muscles that were nice to touch. That was also the reason she was so touchy-touchy with him all the time...To cup a feel.

    Earlier today, she was indeed a bit jealous of Barbara, as within normality, she wouldn''t usually get so much time to touch him, but this opportunity was perfect for her.

    He was the gentle man that conquered her way of thinking and her heart alike.

    And now, he was about to conquer her body as well.

    His hardened tip quickly found the hole, and he slowly pushed his hips forward. His ns spread open her wet pussy. Her tight entrance resisted, but it gradually loosened up as he pushed his way onward.

    He felt the hymen ripping apart as the blood oozed out.

    It was like a fire inside her, burning away all her doubts and inhibitions until there was nothing left to hold onto for.

    His hand gripped hers harder as she squirmed against him.

    The thoroughly dampened mucous membranes within Hu Tao''s vagina clung to his penis like living beings.

    When he cast his gaze to the union of their genitalia, he saw his penis buried tightly within her slit, which until now had been trim and virgin, along with a thin trail of blood.

    He began mildly pistoning within her. She moved her hips, too, proactively epting him.

    Luckily, it didn''t seem to hurt her much, so Yomite could go all out.

    Her walls clenched and tightened around him in rhythmic strokes to match his tempo.

    Her muscles moved with every stroke and the feel of her smooth skin under his touch made it impossible for him to resist pressing closer against her.

    A groan escaped through his lips as she began rocking her hips back and forth with every thrust, making his erection throb.

    He couldn''t help but move his hand up and down, caressing her smooth belly and thighs.

    His pace increased and he felt her legs mp tightly around his head before a series of soft moans left her lips, her eyes shutting tight as she began pulsing around his cock.

    His free hand found hers and held onto it while he used her body as leverage to move and pump even deeper into her. His eyes locked on hers and there was nothing but lust, love and desire reflected from them. Their kiss grew even more heated, their mouths moving together hungrily as they fought for dominance and control over each other.

    Normally, Hu Tao would be winning any contest or fight between the two of them, but in bed, he was winning by a long mile. She was being devoured.

    Their kisses were bing sloppy, a mess of tongues, teeth, lips.

    The sounds they both made were not only satisfying but sexy, sending sparks of pleasure running up their spines as well. As his thrusts became stronger, more controlled, she began to moan and writhe underneath him.

    Her nails dug into his arms but it did little to deter him; he had already been rewarded enough that day during the spars. A little pain like this could be ignored.

    As she reached the pinnacle once again, Her breathing came out in ragged pants and she orgasmed in his arms, a soft moan slipping through her lips.

    A sensation like a fire burning through her lower abdomen suddenly made itself known to her, spreading throughout her body. Her breath hitched in her throat as she struggled to regain control over herself and not let out the noise that was wing at the back of her throat, threatening to get free and leave her lips before her brain could stop it.

    Yomite thrust onest time before also reaching his peak and releasing into her tight channel. His seed quickly filled up her insides, making them tingle with the sweetest sensation ever known to man or beast.

    From the first bit of jizz, the stream was too vigorous. Hu Tao''s inner flesh let off the most amazing sound.

    She could feel it coursing through her as she let out a long groan weeklyying on the bed.

    "You''re amazing..." he muttered.

    His hot turbid liquid flowed towards her womb.

    She let out a moan of pleasure as she felt the juices gush from within.

    It was like a thousand bees were working in sync to create something so beautiful and pleasurable.

    And he was there, right there, inside of her. The feeling was overwhelming, it felt as though all she had been missing to feelplete was this.

    She was never going to let him leave her life. Ever.

    He had his head buried into her neck, gently moving his tongue over and around it as she writhed against him, moaning and groaning for more.

    A smile graced his face as he heard a small gasp from her lips before she began to shake and shiver under him; he could feel each of those tiny muscles contracting

    "Good girl~" He whispered huskily into her ear, "Let go now."

    He guided one of his fingers inside of her as she continued to tremble. His touch elicited a high pitched whimper from her. He smiled at that sound and finally managed to withdraw himself from her with the help of his fingers.

    She was so perfect, so pure. And yet...she tasted so delicious.. So sweet..like honey

    As if he had done magic, her body rxed and became soft under his hand. Thest few spasms she had let out were finally gone.

    But he didn''t n to stop there.

    He continued to tenaciously rub her buds and insert himself fully into her once again, but��

    Before he knew it, he''d started moving again.

    "Oooh��"

    She began to rock her hips forward and back, it was almost like they were twitching.

    Their merged genitalia twisted, herplex pleats grazing his member.

    Her clitoris had swollen toorge to retreat back inside its hood. Again, he rubbed and teased it.

    "Th��! That...Not there...how many times��"

    Her entire body began to jiggle, either from pleasure or from fright.

    "What''s wrong Tao? You stopped moving your hips."

    "Do not... An...ooh...touch there��"

    Hu Tao''s reactions were reaching their limit.

    The narrower her smooth flesh got as it stickily snuggled up against him, the better he felt. It was her fault for wriggling her hips, provoking him. Smashing the barriers of his self control...

    "Tao��"

    As he kissed down her uplifted legs, he slowly pulled back his hips. As his penis withdrew, her narrow hole contracted without a moment''s pause��

    "Nhnn!!"

    Each time he stabbed back in, he pressured her.

    He did not even need to rub her oversensitive protuberance.

    Simply grasping it caused it to be struck by every moment of their bodies. Each action fanned her sexual mes.

    "You are really sensitive with clit, huh." He massaged it again and briefly lifted his hand.

    However��

    "Hahn, ahn��"

    Hu Tao orgasmed again.

    "S-stop��"

    Idle hands were the devil''s ythings...This devil yed with Hu Tao''s clit senselessly despite her pleas.

    Every inch of her body was an erogenous zone. The aphrodisiacs took effect ages ago, and now it was all up to him to show her the greatest pleasure there was.

    (Should I return to her clit again after all?) He thought, stretching his hand back down��

    "Hyu��!!?"

    Then, he noticed a firm, hard spot just below it.

    "What about here?"

    "N-no...Yomite...I-I pee from there...don''t��"

    It was turning her on...no...not quite. But it was making her really awkward. It seemed that embarrassment was mixing with her sensations of orgasm. Her eyes blinked in astonishment.

    "This ce sounds fun, no?"

    "Nho...Ish embarrassing...don''t touch it��"

    The young director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, full of shame, seemed bewildered by his question.

    That was where she peed from, why would he even touch there?

    But personally, Yomite was enjoying her reactions. His sadistic side kicked in.

    He wanted to conquer her now more than ever.

    Every time he touched her, he could feel the muscles squeezing shut her hole. She did it so tightly that a ring rose up around the hole.

    Deeply connected with her, he quivered his hips. When he did so, her womb answered the invitation, lowering itself to kiss his ns. Her slightly bulged womb entrance was the switch that caused her to climax.

    Her star-eyed gaze grew moist and drowsy as she submitted to having her weak point assaulted.

    Gradually, the waves of tears formed in her eyes.

    Yomite felt good too, which was why he couldn''t stop his hips from pumping.

    "Mwah...Yomite��"

    Her mind had started to go nk. Her conscious thoughts seemed far removed from her urethra, but said holes reactions were growing even more radically.

    He clunked against her, his deep stabs pestering her frail switch. Putting in onest, powerful thrust, using his ns to prop her cute womb, he unleashed all of himself into her, against her cozy and stic orgasm switch, forgetting about the fact he nned on pulling out before everything was initiated.

    All of his liquid entered into her narrow, small hole.

    "Fwah...Hot��!"

    Hu Tao cried out like it was hard to even breathe. With every breath, she squeezed her abdomen tight, making his jittery stream more vigorous.

    "M...My crotch...Fuuh..ngh..!"

    Hu Tao''s voice gradually trailed off, and then��

    Yomite heard the trickling sound of running water...

    (Huh?)

    Rain?

    Was it raining outside?

    Obviously not��

    No, it wasn''t raining��

    This might have been rude to say, but her pretty healthy stream, one as golden as the color of the Mora coin, poured onto the sheets under them...

    It wasn''t much, but what flowed out of her crotch was clearly a mixture of love juice and something else��

    Hu Tao wet herself...

    "Aah...haah��"

    Hu Tao breathed deeply, she hadn''t even realized it herself yet.

    Her eyes were nking out from thebined pleasure of sex and relieving herself in tandem.

    Considering she never orgasmed before, and now she was forced to do so more than ten times in one session, he doubted she knew how to control her groin after the aftermath.

    idents like that were verymon during sex.

    "..."

    Yomite swallowed a lump in his throat.

    He wasn''t disgusted or anything. Rather, he was aroused by the fact that Hu Tao, once so powerful, had fallen this low under his touch.

    He was going to be gentle with her all the way to the end, but he couldn''t help feeling even more aroused now.

    "Amashing...amashing...this ish shimply...amashing��sho thish ish...shex..."

    Hu Tao weakly mumbled, unable to form words correctly from the intense and neverending onught of pleasure.

    Still having enough energy to continue, Yomite propped her tired body up.

    He was prepared to make love to her till the wee hours of the morning...

    ***

    **

    *

    Early in the morning.

    5 am.

    Therge egg shell in Yomite''s room cracked, and Iris, who was hibernating all this time, opened her eyes for the first time in a month...

    ...Only to see a bizarre scene of two people performing the copting ritual of lust right before her eyes.

    "Ngh��!?"

    Hu Tao shuddered as another orgasm overcame her, together as a new stream of semen flew into her vagina.

    The new stream pushed inside...pushing out the semen left there before her vagina overflowed.

    ...She didn''t seem to notice it though. Her throbbing vagina wall only tightened around his penis��

    Yomite started to move his hips once more.

    It''s been about ten hours since they started making out. Combinations of cunningulus, fingering, massage and sex continued on in rotations of several hours without a stop.

    He came outside...once...but the other times he couldn''t help himself. If he was to be a father...then so be it.

    He nned on starting a family one day anyway, it was bound to happen.

    Such an amazing feeling was impossible to resist and he thought it would be wasteful to not unload himself inside of her each time.

    Hu Tao remained stoic...only when she orgasmed, her body would asionally convulse.

    Her mind seemed almost gone. For a short while now, she had only mumbled in time with the movements of her hips, but even under these circumstances...

    She prided herself in her stamina and strength, acted cocky at all asions, yet here she was, so tired she could no longer even lift a finger or speak. She was already tired after their training, but now, it looked as if she wasn''t even conscious.

    Still, Yomite''s his hips arched back and he wanted to pull out, her vagina squeezed around his member, as if it hated being separated.

    The room was filled with smell of sex, even more of it being present in the form of sweat from two bodies pressed together and making passionate, wet sounds. As heid there on top of her, he could feel a steady heat emanating off of his lover''s chest as he pumped her full.

    Yomite had been enjoying it a bit too much and moving his hips like crazy, so it didn''t seem he wouldst long this time��

    The drink of Diona was truly magical, he still felt so much energy and could keep on going for hours.

    How was that even bnced?

    He will buy a couple of...let''s say, thousands of drinks from her the next time he visited her.

    Pay to win, no?

    He should probably bring some kind of a gift as a thank you, maybe some cat toys?

    Keeping the drinks in Lumine''s inventory would be a great idea for the future, as her ability stopped time of any item ced inside, and therefore prevented them from spoiling, if the God''s gift made by Diona could even spoil.

    As he thrusted onest time into her, he pulled out this time.

    Above the drying semen, another spray of fresh semen painted Hu Tao''s body white again��

    "Hnn��!?"

    Seeing that she was barely conscious, if she even was, he grabbed her into a princess carry and went to clean her up in the shower, without even noticing Iris who was standing on the sidelines, nkly staring at their leaving figure.

    ***

    **

    *

    Taking a long warm shower to cleanse their bodies of the sweat and grime that had formed during the entirety of their night activity, Yomite then dried and brought the tired Hu Tao back into his room.

    His goal was to ce her into Iris'' bed as his current bed was...frankly disgusting.

    He felt like every possible fluid was engraved into his sheets. Blood, cum, sweat, urine, squirt, simply everythingbined.

    But that wasn''t weird, as after all...

    They had just spent the best part of about ten hours in bed, naked and sweaty, their bodies tangled together in one long,nguid embrace of love and lust.

    The air was filled with smell of sex. It permeated the space like a cloud, so thick and heavy; the musky aroma lingering from their earlier session made him want to do the deed all over again but he restrained himself and opened the windows for some fresh air, doing so, he noticed that Iris had actually woke up!

    "Master."

    The voice startled him at first, making him jump. He slowly turned to look at the woman standing by the bedside.

    "Ah! I didn''t even notice you there...You gave me quite the fright, Iris��d to see you''re finally up." he said softly, rubbing at his eyes. It was early into the morning and if she didn''t greet him, he would have probably not even noticed she was awake.

 Chapter 141

    This is 2k words aka 2 chapters so consider it as such. I''ve been busy and I''m still busy, the limit of not posting a chapter had unfortunately extended due to my job. But I will try to resume the schedule.

    ***

    The fact that Iris woke up was great and from what he noticed, she no longer stuttered while speaking so at least he could understand her without a problem now.

    But still��

    "We will sleep in your bed, is that alright?"

    "Anything goes, Master."

    She didn''t have a problem with that.

    Yomite was toozy to change sheets on his bed and wanted toy down immediately, so the obvious choice here was her bed.

    He put on a shirt and shorts he usually slept in, propping the naked Hu Tao up on the bed, he joined her immediately while staring at Iris.

    "Well...wannay down with us? I won''t allow you to sleep on the floor, after all."

    She nodded and without a word,y down in bed with them.

    He had no strength left to talk about what happened to Iris, but she looked healthy and fine, so he was sure it could wait till tomorrow.

    (Wait... isn''t it ''tomorrow'' already...well in a few hours I will do so I guess.)

    After making sure both Hu Tao and Iris werefortable, Yomite hugged them tightly in his arms.

    (This is life��)

    He felt their heads nestling in between his chest, their bodies leaning against his as he drifted off to sleep��

    ***

    **

    *

    12 am.

    "Oh, Assistant-kun," a soft voice whispered, "It''s time to wake up. A whole new day is awaiting.~ I want to spar! I want to go on quests! I want to do something!"

    Yomite, deep in sleep, recognized the voice and was slow to rouse. His sensations came back one by one, gradually hooking his brain back up to the fantasy world of Teyvat.

    He felt something warm around his legs, a strange wetness, and a barely audible rustling.

    Eyes opening, vision blurry but soon focused, it was easy to notice the huge bulge under the sheets.

    It seemed concentrated around his lower body but wasn''t a bizarre thing to see early into the morning.

    In his drowsy state, Yomite didn''t consider what it meant, simply pulling at the nket until he revealed just what was underneath.

    He thought it was just his morning boner, but he couldn''t be more wrong.

    As it fell away, he realized what, or rather who was underneath it.

    His adorable lover Hu Tao, was hiding beneath the covers.

    To his groggy mind, it seemed as though she were crouched and ready to pounce at him at any moment, presumably to scare him just like always, but as he watched her, and his sense of touch returned, he had little option but to let out a sharp gasp.

    Yomite finally figured out what was happening.

    His member was being smothered by the little Director''s lips and tongue.

    "Good morning...Tao," he mumbled, righting himself at the head of the bed.

    She didn''t pause in her motions as he did.

    "You seem a bit...eager today...?"

    She hummed in agreement, continuing to bob her head.

    Her hands moved swiftly as she went, apanied by her slurping and hushed sounds.

    Hu Tao wasn''t entirely sure what to do now that they''ve fully stepped into the ''Lover''s zone'' but she knew that she simply wanted to make him happy.

    Yomite stifled a moan as she finally took him to the base, letting her lips kiss his groin. She was almost drooling, to boot.

    Her tongueved the hard tip of his manhood.

    "Ish good?"

    She hummed against his cock, licking it once more before cing two hands under his thighs and lifting them up so she could force it down her mouth even more easily.

    He felt so hot.

    Her tongue darted out quickly to taste him before moving further down, licking up the precum from his slit before tightening her mouth.

    She was incredible. The fact that she managed to take his whole member into her small throat, could also somewhat be considered a talent...

    She was doing this for the first time yet it felt so good, he really wondered how much her technique would improve in the future.

    Maybe she had a knack for this. Her mouth was already trained from the fact she couldn''t simply shut up sometimes.

    Seeing his reactions, she was d that her clumsy attempts were producing results.

    He was already hard and pulsing in her hand before, so she just added pressure with her mouth, wanting to please the love of her life.

    Enjoying the service, Yomite rxed and started to moan, making her grin.

    She then lowered her head, tongue dancing around it before gently sucking and biting and licking her way up towards his hole.

    She put that soft, wet, dexterous tongue of hers to use in pleasuring every inch of his manhood.

    For an added kick, she peered into his eyes, not just to seek his approval but to watch his expression as his body grew hot with arousal.

    Opening her mouth wide as he thrusted his back between her lips, her cheeks grew warm, thrilled that he caressed her face with his fingers and that he was so eager to make use of her.

    After all, she was his lover now, and the way she understood it, her duty was to satisfy him and in turn he would do the same to her. Just like he did yesterday...

    Yomite smiled, pleased more than just physically. His hands grasped her tiny bosom, squeezing and even twiddling with the buds of her breasts.

    ying with her in such perverse ways had Hu Tao now taking her turns gasping.

    Her grip around his shaft tightened with each sharp breath she took, eyes fluttering.

    He wanted to increase his pace, use that energy he''d had saving up all night to give himself the perfect morning workout.

    Yomite thrust down into her, relishing the sensation of her hot, wet throat taking his entire length.

    The sounds of his groin pressing against her lips, as well as her moans and the lewd noises from her throat, ted him ever more.

    She was a better lover than he could possibly put into words.

    Yesterday''s activities proved it.

    Willing to do anything for her lover, Hu Tao was now a fair bit more aroused than before.

    Her groin was soon glistening with moisture, bosom massaged to the point where it might seem like she wouldctate at any time now, even though it was impossible.

    Not to mention Yomite''s long member sliding deep into her hungry mouth.

    She already couldn''t wait for the end toe, to get that fresh, early serving of what his body had been busy building up all night long.

    The same thing that was released inside of her multiple times throughout the night, the warm, gentle feeling of safety.

    Thankfully for them both, it wouldn''t be long.

    With such forcefully, passionate motions, Yomite was nearing his end.

    He was growing sloppy, hasty, his lust wresting control from his mind, forcing him to only think about that release.

    His hips were moving faster and he grabbed at her hair, holding it in ce as she worked harder, forcefully pumping into her.

    He now only sought the inevitable climax, using the rest of his pent up needs to reach it as fast as possible.

    "Mnahn��"

    With a fewst, heavy thrusts, Yomite moaned. His body twitched, groin growing tight as he ejected all he had deep down Hu Tao''s throat as his hands squeezed her breasts tight.

    She would have gasped in delight, if she were able to.

    A flood of cum rushed down her throat, coating itpletely white, washing back up into her mouth.

    It came with the feeling of utter bliss, almost like she could feel something growing and building in the pit of her belly that had no outlet

    The load was massive, forcing her to swallow half of his seed.

    Even with a stuffed face, Hu Tao wouldn''t let a single drop go. She tightened her lips around the base of his penis, sealing her mouth as best as she could.

    The little Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor moaned with appreciation as his seed filled her maw, her tongue ying with it and relishing it''s sticky consistency until he was drained dry of his love fluids.

    Yomite was huffing heavily, slowly drawing back from her mouth and trailing cum as he went.

    He watched as she held her mouth wide open, showing off the pool of spunk that rested within as if with pride.

    He was invariably satisfied, even pulling back a hand to pump out a fewst thick wads of seed into her throat as he gently wiped himself down on the corners of her mouth.

    "This was very satisfying. You were amazing."

    With that all said and done, Hu Tao closed tight and swallowed without a wasted second, as the massive, thick load went right down her throat. She felt the heat as itnded in her stomach, her core pleasantly hot.

    With onest sigh, she opened wide and showed that she had truly swallowed it all up.

    The bitter taste of cum filled her mouth as she drank deep and drank until her entire body felt like it was overflowing with energy.

    With another deep breath, she finally stopped and wiped her lips clean.

    If it were the colder months, no doubt there would have been a puff of air, moisture visible in the cool air after her exhale.

    For now, the hot, almost musky air from her lungs would be enough, the lingering scent and taste gracing her buds as Yomite slowly rolled from bed.

    "I feel pity for those that can''t experience this kind of special morning wake up, Tao." Yomite said with a happy tone. "Take a few minutes if you need them, you''ve more than earned it, or we can meet in the shower. I''m feeling a bit pent up."

    He had an almost devilish smile as he walked into the bathroom.

    Hu Tao was left out of breath and yet craving more, mind thinking over what he had said. A few minutes rest would feel nice, but as would a few extra minutes with him could result in all kinds of things...

    Spinning and standing, she knew thetter was the best choice and gave chase to the bath.

    Whatever he was craving, she was ready and happy to deliver.

    ��

    Iris, who had been awake for a long time ago, observed them silently while pretending to be sleeping.

    She nced at a wet, white liquid that stained her thigh. It was Yomite''s seed which somehow got there by mistake.

    Most likely during his orgasm, Hu Tao wasn''t able to keep all of it inside of her mouth after the explosion and some got out, few droplets of cum stained her skin.

    Bringing a hand forward, she scooped it up with her slender finger and brought it towards her mouth, swallowing it.

    "...Food?"

 Chapter 142

    This is 2k words consider it as 2 chapters. Last 18+ chapter for a bit, we need to move with story...

    ***

    Yomite walked into the bathroom, sighing happily already. His morning was going good, and so was his night yesterday.

    There was moisture in the air, from heated water ready for use.

    Stepping into therge space, one big enough to fit more than ten people, his hands grabbed hold of one of the levers of the magical shower device and gave it a good turn.

    He was rewarded with a hot, steamy stream of water sttering across his face and chest. It already began to work away from the small aches from yesterday''s session, the very core of his body warming to perfection.

    Truth be told, if he could, he''d sit under the water for hours. Showering felt so good after a long, restful sleep. Two good things back to back.

    The feeling of being clean and free washed over him like an electric current.

    The feel of the soap running through his hair, along with the slight sting that apanied every movement made.

    Soon enough, he heard Hu Tao making her way toward the bath.

    He knew she would join him as she had yet to release the urge within her, and he purposely made her hang on the edge to tease her.

    After experiencing something like that yesterday, she would want it again and again, there was no doubt about it.

    That was simply how everyone felt.

    After orgasming many times yesterday, she was bound to love this new feeling and would want it more asionally now.

    "I''ming in~!"

    "Sure."

    Both Hu Tao and Yomite stared at each other''s naked bodies in the shower.

    "I''m grateful for the morning wake up. It felt so good." He murmured as she moved closer to him, her petite breasts brushing against him. He wrapped his arms around her body pulling her flush to his front.

    Their legs tangled together as they stood in front of one another, both leaning over to wash themselves with a bar of soap that was used in this situation, but their arms were outstretched. He had his hands on her shoulders, while she held onto his neck.

    The water ran between them as her fingers slid along his scalp, gently massaging his hair.

    A few momentster they separated, moving apart to continue washing themselves properly. Neither said anything for several minutes, simply enjoying their shower together, embracing each other, washing away the sweat.

    When it was time to get out, just as they were about to dry themselves off with towels, his hand suddenly slid down her bare back from the waist to below her bottom, caressing her perfect buttocks.

    Hu Tao turned her head away, her ears flushed, "Here...?"

    He was d she understood his gesture and smiled.

    Crouching down, he ced his palm on her stomach, slowly sliding down and finally, arriving at her entrance, making her yelp out in surprise.

    (Water isn''t a good lube in general, but whatever.)

    The first stroke was smooth, then one finger slipped inside her, and she did lose control of her voice.

    "Mhm...!"

    "Should I stop now?" Yomite teased her once more, he was relishing in her reactions. Sweet revenge, they said.

    "No!" Her petite hand reached down and tugged on his hair. "Don''t stop..."

    Satisfied with what he wanted to hear, he leaned forward, pushing another finger inside of her, and kissed her folds.

    She gasped, his tongue being a warm counterpoint to the now tepid water.

    She nced down, flushing harder at the expression of concentration on his face, as his fingers explored and stretched her, seeking the perfect spot.

    A thought of Lumine or Fischl walking up and catching them in their act flickered across Hu Tao''s mind but was abruptly silenced as his fingers found her sweet spot, causing her to cry out and his mouth to twitch upwards in a satisfied smirk.

    She leaned back harder against the wall, one hand knotted in his hair, the other clutching the handrail for support as his tongue reced his fingers in that perfect ce.

    She nearly eximed when he moved away but didn''t do so when she had realized he began to kiss his way up her front, tonguing her navel and nipping lightly at each breast before licking her neck.

    The body before him was simply too perfect not to lick all over.

    "Do you want this, Tao?" He whispered to her ear.

    Of course, she wanted him to continue. She didn''t understand why he was asking the obvious.

    If his fingers hadn''t convinced her of this fact, the rush of endorphin and the feel of his tongue against her skin would have done the job.

    He kissed down the column of her throat, slowly sucking and licking each curve of muscle, drawing out the pleasure she couldn''t help but remembering from yesterday.

    Well, she was oblivious towards the act of sweet talking and teasing during the act, but she would learn that with time.

    Immediately, she nodded, stabilized herself a bit more by throwing the hand that had formerly captured his hair across his shoulders, and opened her hips wider.

    "I love you, Yomite,"

    "I love myself too."

    Hu Tao giggled and replied, "You''ve been throwing a lot of jokestely. I love it!"

    She settled for tugging him down into a kiss, making sure to include lots of tongue action and position herself hard against him.

    She rubbed against him, then gasped when he thrust forward without warning, pressing just enough into her to force out a grunt.

    "Are you okay?"

    He asked, worry written in the way he hurriedly withdrew, afraid he hurt her, as, after all, she only lost her virginity a few hours ago...

    His worry was quelled when she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him back, angle adjusted and now ready for everything he was willing to give.

    "Yes."

    She mewled.

    It wasn''t an easy position to hold, back tensed just so, thighs resting on the bar and one hand clenched on the rail to give her the much needed leverage.

    She wouldn''t have been able to manage it at all, had it not been for her handstand practicing ever since she was a child, and her being so flexible.

    She bit back a gasp of pleasure as he thrust in a second time, this time hitting all the right points, easing in slowly but surely, feeling out the best angle through her quiet gasps and whines.

    "More?" He whispered as he pulled out and paused, teasing her with a smirk and earning a growl in response.

    She did her best to return his attention, tightening around him, hands clenching at hair and muscle, leaving light scratches with her ck painted nails that closed up under her fingertips.

    He nipped her asionally, on the corner of her mouth, the side of her neck, the edge of her shoulder. It added an extra spice of intensity to their y.

    Her hand was deep in his hair, her other clenched on the bar, mouths knitted together but panting when they felt someone approaching.

    Yomite immediately stilled beneath her, and she had to bite her tongue not to whimper in frustration.

    She felt that she was so close to that...

    To the amazing feeling she had experienced yesterday for the first time. She wanted to feel it again, to indulge in it, but...

    "Party leader?"

    Lumine''s voice, followed by the footsteps of crocs'' shoes interrupted them.

    "..."

    At this point, Yomite felt like Lumine was a gue. Bothering him whenever he wanted to have sex...

    "Yes, Lumine, what is it? I am taking a shower."

    Did Yomite''s voice sound gruff to Lumine''s ears, just as it did to Hu Tao?

    What if they were caught? What would happen then?

    Another feeling has sprouted from her, but she was already far too familiar with it. The feeling of shame.

    There was a silence, even as Yomite resettled himself, gripping her more firmly and pressing hard into her special spot.

    She tensed around him half instinctively, half in revenge for nearly causing her to lose her grip on the rail and cry out just a moment ago...

    "I just wanted to say that Paimon is hungry and I wanted to take Hu Tao with me to buy something in Mondstadt for us to eat, but I can''t find her anywhere...Do you perhaps know where she...went?"

    She obviously knew what transpired between the two of them yesterday, yet Hu Tao often ran around and hid in the house so it was highly possible she was no longer there...

    "Nope, but once I find her, then yeah, sure. I will tell her. Once I have the opportunity to do so. You know how she is. She always hides somewhere, maybe she is under my bed, try checking."

    Thinking it over, she shouldn''t check his bed considering it had blood and love juice stains all over it, so he dismissed what he wanted to convey, "Yeah, I didn''t see her in my room, I doubt she is under my bed. My bad."

    "I see. Alright, thanks."

    And with that, Lumine was about to leave when she heard a yelp of a voice that belonged to a girl,ing from the shower.

    "..."

    She silently stared in the direction of the bathroom for a bit, seemingly figuring out what was happening...

    She saw it yesterday...and even heard them early into the morning when she was passing by their room to get water at night...

    And she knew one thing for a fact...

    It was starting to get awkward to live in the same mansion...

    Even for someone as emotionless as her, who''s set on a single goal of finding her sibling, she couldn''t help but show a little blush at the noises that permeated the mansion yesterday...And she was sure other members of the mansion felt the same...

    The walls were pretty thin, after all...

    Paimon was still in bliss after getting kissed on her cheek so she somewhat ignored it, but Fischl must have definitely heard them for sure.

    Back then, Hu Tao''s moans and yells were heard by every member of the party for sure.

    Seeing that Hu Tao was ''Busy'', she quickly tiptoed away to her room and decided to go shopping just with Paimon.

    Hu Tao yelped in surprise when he put his entire thing inside of her in one go. Yomite quickly put his hands on her mouth but was pretty sure Lumine heard them...

    Well, it wasn''t like it mattered. To his understanding, Lumine wasn''t interested in stuff like that after all. The only thing she wanted was to find her brother, her family.

    Not to find herself a boyfriend. That was also the reason he didn''t really care if she saw him naked or if she knew what was going on between him and Hu Tao.

    She nned to leave the world after finding Aether, her brother either way...

    Hu Tao wasn''t quite sure which of them had initiated the rougher movement, but it was wonderful nheless, his hands holding her steady even as he rocked into hard and she let out muffled gasps from within his hand.

    His hands were tightened in her hair as she returned the thrust with as much force as her position would allow, and he groaned and jerked forward, pressing into her deepest point and forcing out a muffled scream as the first shake of her orgasm began.

    She fought her way through the waves of pleasure to return the favor, tightening around him and holding tight to the bar as he shivered and nearly dropped her, his hands falling from her thighs to clench the bar hard as the pleasure overtook him as well.

    He groaned into her shoulder, the muscles in his back tightening into hard lines, even as her back arched and she let out a tight whimper.

    They rode the aftershocks together with her arms wrapped around his neck and his hands pressing her waist into his.

    "Yomite!"

    He came at the overwhelming feeling of her tight pussy and her cries of his name, filling her up with this thick cum, as her legs wrapped around his thighs.

    Hu Tao kissed his temple as her legs rxed, but out of nowhere, his member stiffened inside of her again and he was ready to go for another round...

    His hands stroked her back and damp hair, even as she nuzzled his neck and nibbled at his ear.

    It felt amazing.

    They were busy for another two hours or so before they quickly showered again and returned to his room.

    Iris ''wasn''t awake'' yet so they sneakily returned back to her bed and covered themselves with a nket.

    This kind of life, he could get behind.

 Chapter 143

    She snuggled against him, taking his hand and entwining their fingers, snuggled under a quilt.

    "Your body is so small and huggable," Yomite mused.

    "Hm? Well, I tried to eat a lot, but I still didn''t grow." Hu Tao giggled.

    "That''s fine. I like you the way you are." He pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head.

    "...Thank you." Hu Tao sighed happily. "I''m d I met you, that day in the forest. If I didn''t leave Liyue toe and strike a deal with Mondstadt''s Adventurer''s Guild, we would have never met."

    "Hoh...that time when you tried to kill me...good memories," Yomite helplessly replied, "I was panicking at the time, simply because of the way you said you like to y with the bones of the deceased...that was something��"

    "Really? I thought I made it apparent I was joking of course...As the director, I can''t do something like that, burials and ceremonies are sacred, after all," Hu Tao pointed out.

    "Come to think of it, we should visit Liyue. How about the day after tomorrow? Since you are a local, you can show us around," Yomite smirked, tilting his head down to kiss her briefly.

    "Y-yeah...So you want to go there, after all..." She cuddled closer, so much that she was almost in hisp, and pulled the nket a little tighter around them.

    But he noticed something about her that seemed off.

    "Are you alright? Do you not want to go?" He pecked the tip of her nose. "I personally would like to look around a new city. It would be a nice change of scenery. Lumine said she wanted to go there either way, because she might find some clues about her brother, Iris will just go with us anyway and Fischl also seemed to be interested, saying that they have some nice hot springs there, not to mention, Paimon said she wants to eat every sweet possible..."

    "Well..." Hu Tao winced. "Liyue is a bit... unfriendly. Especially towards me. And if the people were to see you were traveling with me...they would dislike you equally as badly��"

    (So that''s what she was worrying about. Well, I took that into ount already. Hu Tao is part of us, and my lover. Going without her is impossible.)

    Yomite chuckled, cupping her chin with his hand, "If that''s all you''re worried about, then it''spletely fine. Let''s just ignore them. "

    Yomite didn''t understand why she didn''t just beat all of them up with her strength.

    She could assert dominance over them and they would be able to do nothing, instead, she held it in without hurting anyone.

    If it was him, he would have just gone and pped them all a few times for sure.

    "...Okie Dokie~." Hu Tao let out a cute yawn, leaning her head against his chest.

    Yomite closed his eyes, one hand in her hair and the other resting under her bubble butt, indicating he wanted to do it again.

    She secretly had to admit she liked being spoiled, hugged and kissed. It felt wonderful to receive someone''s affection.

    "Wish I could stay here forever." She whispered.

    Yomite was a little surprised but didn''t have time to answer before she had already climbed onto hisp, arms going around his neck, legs wrapping around his waist, face nuzzling into his neck, breathing softly into his skin, making him shiver.

    Yomite''s lips moved against hers, giving her an affectionate peck before kissing her again.

    He put his arm behind her back to hold her more securely on top of him. He then grabbed her waist and it took everything he had to keep himself from reacting.

    He could feel himself getting aroused by how close she was and despite the fact that he promised himself he would get up and be productive today, his member hardened as it pressed into her stomach.

    It was impossible to not get hard when a beautiful, naked girl hugged him and took initiative, showing him that she wanted to do it as well.

    Yomite could feel Hu Tao''s lips moving against his neck, kissing him slowly, leaving tiny kisses on every part of his neck until she went back to nting her small tongue into his mouth.

    He felt himself smiling and let out a soft chuckle when he realized she was acting like a small animal, licking his face and mouth.

    He pulled Hu Tao down further, letting her straddle hisp,ying her head on his shoulder. His fingers were still tangled in her hair.

    He was more than ready to initiate his hunger after her body, but Hu Tao didn''t move and simply hugged him tightly.

    They stayed like that for some moments, simply enjoying each other''spany and the warmth of their bodies against each other until Hu Tao started drifting off to sleep, feeling safe and content with the world around her.

    Yomite heard her soft breathing and knew she fell asleep. Although he was a bit disappointed, he couldn''t bring himself to attack her when she seemed so content in his embrace.

    He covered her body with the nket to make sure she wouldn''t catch cold sleeping naked, and was about to leave when his eyes met Iris'' dragonic pupils, giving him quite the fright.

    "Jesus Christ...Iris... don''t do this to me...I might die of a heart attack one of these days��"

    With Hu Tao, he was already immune to her so-called jump-scares, at least he liked to think he was. Because he could prepare beforehand, knowing she was nning on doing them for sure��

    But with anyone else, that just randomly and silently appeared behind him...it was simply impossible to expect.

    "Je susu? Christu? I''m not sure what you mean, Master. I''m starving. Give me food."

    "Food? Ah yeah... that''s right. I forgot."

    He forgot how much food Iris loved to devour��

    Now that she was back to normal, his wallet would be running dry again and again...

 Chapter 144

    Yomite''s room had been cleaned up from the messst night and all the evidence of what had happened after was gone.

    The cleaning took roughly thirty minutes and stuff like the sheets that needed to be badly washed off were included... although Yomite wasn''t sure if the washing machine could even wash stuff like blood.

    Seeing that Hu Tao was still resting, he quietly went to the living room to show others that Iris had left the huge eggshell, but somehow, Hu Tao woke up anyway, so they waited for her to dress and came downstairs together.

    Upon seeing Yomite and Hu Tao, all three of the girls that were waiting downstairs had awkward expressions on their faces, but didn''t say anything.

    Yesterday''s ''activities'' and sounds that reverberated the mansion would be on their minds for quite a while��

    Fischl was the first to break the silence, as she walked up to him and demanded a shameless morning kiss.

    It was bing a routine for them, whenever they woke up, a morning kiss was given.

    Even with him bending down, she still had to stand on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. Yes, this was his mighty chuuni princess.

    "Nh��.Mnmh��"

    They shared a deep kiss,sting more than five seconds.

    Her longshes fluttered, and her soft lips gently parted from his. A hot little sigh brushed his cheek and she leaned back.

    What kind of magical spell did they cast upon her that made her want to grin each time she kissed him?

    Fischl and Yomite gazed into each other''s eyes as she pondered her eternal question.

    She took a quick step back after the kiss, her legs shivering like a small animal threatened by a predator.

    "Heehee...this Prinzessin is all charged up with thunder for the day! Churning moonnce of the eldest dragon; Bikra! Carry out our charge! Let us all depart on quests together!"

    A small ball of purple blue lighting appeared right next to her head and spoke,

    "Mein Fr?ulein�� My name is Oz��Not Bikra..."

    "Ah yes, worry not...how could I ever forget the name of my chivalrous servant."

    With a smile sweeter than sugar melting into cream, Fischl folded her hands in front of her petite chest and dered.

    Paimon and Lumine were shocked, they didn''t expect that the two of them were also like that...They found out about Hu Tao, being in a rtionship with him yesterday, but now Fischl was as well?

    "Paimon always knew he was a womanizer! Don''t worry, Lumine! Paimon will protect you from the Womanizing Tattoo! Ptui!"

    The delicious meal yelled out in her shrill voice, making her way up to her target.

    She grabbed him by his cor and tried pulling him down to the ground but he didn''t move an inch.

    Seeing that her attackpletely failed she retreated back towards Lumine, her pir of support that would protect her from him.

    "..."

    Lumine just watched on in disbelief. Was she so clueless about everything, she only noticed they both loved him, just now?

    She really needed to pay more attention to her surroundings��

    Seeing that Fischl had enough courage to kiss him in front of everyone from their party, Hu Tao walked up to him and did the same.

    Simrly, she was equal in height with Fischl, meaning she also had to stand on her tiptoes to do the deed.

    But once she did, she glued herself to him, pecking his lips like a bird at a feeder full of seeds.

    He was much taller and bigger than her and it made her feel safe, protected in his arms.

    Her mind felt like it was filled with white noise; nothing mattered except for how warm his skin felt against hers.

    Just when it seemed like they were ready to break off the kiss, Hu Tao put her little hands around his neck and pressed her lips hard against his, inserting her tongue inside.

    The earlier kisses were pretty great, but Hu Tao''s felt so wonderful he might have just melted into a puddle right there and then.

    He wanted to hug this adorable ball of energy with all his might.

    She pressed herself up against him with everything she had onest time, before letting go all of a sudden.

    "These are the perks of being my lifelong, one and only, beloved assistant~"

    Hu Tao bounced up and down in a victory pose, giving him the brightest of smiles.

    He almost forgot how she was always this energetic, after he saw her fall apart in his embrace yesterday.

    Still, he had to admit those two girls of his were pretty bold out of nowhere...There seemed to be some small...petition going on...

    After both of his lovers had their fill, Iris, to the surprise of everyone present, joined, and stepped in front of him.

    She was almost as tall as he was, so she didn''t need to lean upward.

    She met with his lips and kissed him quite vigorously, albeit really clumsily.

    He certainly didn''t expect this to happen but it felt great so he let her do what she wanted��

    Until��

    "...!?"

    Her animal instincts overrode any sense, as she pressed her lips hard around him, forcefully opening his mouth and sticking her long tongue all the way inside, down his throat.

    *Cough* *Cough*

    "W-Wait! Iris!"

    Yomite wanted to pull away from her, trying to catch his breath.

    As he struggled, gasping, to breathe, a low growl escaped him, his hands wing at her shoulders trying to push her off of him, but she wouldn''t let go, not until he opened up his mouth, his tongue, and pushed it past hers in order to get some air back into his lungs.

    She didn''t relent on her assault however, sucking at every part of his mouth.

    This continued on for a few seconds before he grasped the tip of her tail in his hands and pulled on it, making her stop.

    Iris was way too forceful, she almost suffocated him with her tongue��

    (Heck...I didn''t know her tongue was so long��Her saliva is...a bit sweet though...)

    He couldn''t exactly gauge how long it was, but seeing that it could easily go down his throat��

    She was dangerous��

    "Mhnnn...food��"

    It turned out Iris was trying to steal his saliva to satisfy her never ending hunger and not topete with his girls.

    (Ah, I did forget to feed her...my bad Iris��)

 Chapter 145

    As Yomiteid down on the sofa to catch his breath after the dangerous kiss, Paimon used this chance to make fun of him.

    "Ehehe! That''s what you get! Paimon initiated divine punishment! Good job, dragon pet!" The little fairy smiled with a wide grin, while tapping Iris on the shoulder in delight.

    "Oh, really?" Yomite raised his eyebrow. If this little fairy wanted to fight, then he was more than ready to tease her.

    He closed the distance between them in an instant, swiping her out of the air before she could react.

    "W-Wait...Let Paimon go��"

    Smiling, Yomite pulled out a te from the cab, setting it up on the table in the living room, cing Paimon on top of it while still holding her in his right hand.

    "Iris, you''re hungry, right? How about we eat Paimon today? There is not much meat over her top, but her thighs are pretty thick...It might satisfy you for a few hours. Any objections, girls?"

    He looked around for his teammates, waiting whether someone would voice an objection.

    "Nope~!"

    Hu Tao saw through his prank and decided to help him with it. After all, she loved pranks.

    "None, of course! Do as you see fit!"

    Fischl knew he was just kidding, but she had to admit it was funny to watch the little fairy bob her head from person to person, slowly losing hope and realizing she was doomed as no one would help her out in this instance.

    "Could I... really get the lower half?" Iris inquired as she stared at the trembling Paimon with hunger filling her eyes as drops of saliva fell on the floor beneath her.

    "Y-You can''t be serious!? Paimon isn''t tasty at all! Paimon will let you know that once, Paimon had tried to lick Paimon''s own hand and there wasn''t any special vor! That''s for sure!"

    "Even a regr raw fowl is inedible and unptable. Without a doubt however, a good chef can make a delicious meal out of everything." Yomite noted.

    "Yiiiii!?"

    Paimon shrieked while hiding her head in her arms.

    She looked towards Lumine as herst resort.

    "W-well...we shouldn''t tease Paimon so often...she is a good friend of mine��"

    Lumine looked away and didn''t say anything else.

    The nightmare from all those weeks ago was still haunting her sometimes and she felt like they shouldn''t mess around with her so often...

    "Oh well... it''s 4 to 2 vote. Democracy wins. Sorry Paimon." Yomiteughed and brought the little fairy closer to his mouth.

    "Eeek!?"

    She screamed and closed her eyes, awaiting her end.

    Contrary to her expectations, however, he didn''t take a bite out of her, and instead, lifted her chin with his fingers and kissed her cheek.

    "Of course we wouldn''t eat Paimon! We love Paimon, after all."

    A few moments of processing what just happenedter, she was turning red, as expected. He could practically feel the heat radiating off of her cheeks, though she didn''t seem to be aware of it.

    "Ehehe~"

    Paimon giggled like a little child, the sound ringing through the air as she nestled into his hands and wrapped her arms around his fingers tightly.

    She held onto him for a few more seconds before lifting her head up to look at him. The image was way too adorable for him not to pat her head.

    And when he did so, Paimon leaned into him like a cute little bunny,pletely forgetting about her previous hostility and unrulyments about him.

    It looked like she just wanted some love and attention as well. She always had an ulterior motive, albeit calling it ulterior would not be correct as she never wanted to harm anyone.

    Only expected rewards and praises from her friends.

    (So precious��)

    The words echoed in his head, over and over again, making him unable to stop patting such cute being.

    The members of his party watched on with a warm smile.

    He looked like a father, teasing his daughter.

    "So cute��"

    "Such a sweet little thing��"

    "Paimon is so perfect! Paimon is life!"

    Paimon almost purred contently at beingplimented and carresed. Her smile only grew as he brought her closer to his lips, kissing her softly on the head before cradling her against his chest once more.

    After a few more seconds of this fluffy moment, he finally let her go.

    Paimon floated towards Lumine with ragged breath and dazed expression, hiding behind her and peeking from behind of Lumine''s neck with red face.

    "My dear assistant... sometimes you just go overboard...our precious Paimon is shy now..." giggled Hu Tao to herself, as she observed Paimon''s expressions.

    "Piercing venom of love and passion entered the shiniest fairy; Avo! Hearken to the plea of his promation!" Fischl spoke proudly with a small smirk on her lips.

    "Mein Fr?ulein wanted to say that too much affection, may just give the little fairy friend diabetes." Oz tranted.

    "Alright, in any case. We''re getting sidetracked. Iris woke up, that''s the thing we should be discussing currently." Yomite said as he walked around the table and sat down on the sofa next to Lumine.

    He looked over at Iris and asked, "Are you alright? Care to exin the current situation?"

    Iris nodded and replied, "As Master was gone for a very long time, I was forced into hybernation. Thankfully, the mansion was full of masters smell, otherwise I would be in trouble."

    "..."

    (Calling it smell is a bit weird...wasn''t it energy or something like that before!?)

    "Well, I''m d you are alright. But you do seem to be different. Even your speech is no longer unintelligible, so that''s cool."

    Yomite was d he no longer had to decipher her weird speech.

    "Yes, I have gained a new insight on the God Realm thanks to my hybernation and I no longer need to stay close to master to absorb residual energy."

    Her statement made him sigh in relief.

    "I see. That''s great. Anything else?"

    "Nothing else I''m aware off, Master."

    "..."

    (She gained a level up but all she got was the lift on the restriction...I expected some kind of power up, but I guess not...Well it''s not like it matters, she is powerful enough.)

    In any case, everyone was d Iris was alive and kicking.

 Chapter 146

    Deaded...

    ***

    With a goal in mind and a huge amount of excitement, the group began preparing for the trip to Liyue at once.

    For everyone in his party, other than maybe Hu Tao, a surprise painted their expressions.

    They didn''t expect Yomite would simply say they were about to travel.

    Immediately.

    As he stated previously, however, all of the girls had a reason to visit Liyue, and since there was nothing really stopping them from just packing things up and leaving, they couldfortably set out for their journey.

    It was decided that Yomite would arrange the carriage, and pay for it.

    Lumine, Iris and Paimon went to purchase food for the trip together with some sweets, Hu Tao returned to the mansion to take out the necessary tools and weapons, and Fischl prepared luggage with clothes for everyone.

    Yomite nned on borrowing a carriage by rental, but it would seem that none of the carriages were present in Mondstadt, as some kind of special festival would be happening in a few days time in Liyue.

    All of the carriages left for Liyue, forcing the party to rely on the mostmon way of transit for mankind.

    Walking.

    In one hour, theypleted all of the preparations and left for the city of Liyue.

    ***

    "It''s not that far away! Only about four more hours of casual walk!"

    "Yeah, yeah...God...I should have dressed lighter than this..."

    Yomite muttered while fanning his sweaty chest with his palm.

    He could feel every inch of his skin prickling from the sheer, intense burning feeling.

    He was about to take his shirt off any moment now...

    With the way the sun beat down on him and the heat coiling around his whole body, he knew this was gonna be hell to get used to in a little while.

    His head was throbbing and he just wanted to lie down on something soft and fall asleep...

    The heat and humidity felt like they had doubled since they passed the Stone Gate, which acted as the boundary between Mondstadt and Liyue territory.

    In both of his previous lives in Japan and his present life in Mondstadt, Yomite was living in a country with a temperate zone. A country with four seasons.

    Yomite wiped the sweat on his forehead with a white handkerchief that he was given as a present from Barbara before he left the city of Mondstadt.

    She was truly a cutie for that, and a lifesaver at that.

    A lot of people said their farewells to them.

    Kaeya the sly fox waved at them from distance together with Diluc, who only saw them off with his gaze.

    Barbara and Jean packed them with some delicacies and gifts. Specifically, some kind of a spicy drink that Barbara loved and that handkerchief, he was currently putting to good use.

    "Party leader...I don''t think you should be using it. It was a gift..." Lumine''a voice interrupted his train of thoughts.

    "Eh? But it''s a handkerchief, right? Not a family heirloom... What should I do with it? Pin it to my wall?"

    "It''s not that...Giving away a handkerchief to a gentleman that''s leaving off on a journey is something akin to the lines of...A wife saying goodbye to her beloved husband that most likely won''t return from a battle..."

    "...At least say that it''s like a good luck charm, damn it!"

    (She sure knows how to make it dark...)

    "Don''t make it out to be so depressing! It''s a gift, so I will use it as a gift..."

    In any case, Jean also gave them a nice present.

    A true Knight''s of Favonius badge which they could use as an identification in case something happened.

    Despite the fact they saved the city multiple times they actually weren''t official Knights as they didn''t conduct the training of ''mind and body'' alike.

    Yomite wanted to decline the gift as he didn''t want to be an actual Knight in title as well, but Jean insisted that he should take it.

    (Well it''s just a medailon so it doesn''t really matter...)

    After he took it, Amber came to say goodbye, giving them moon pies and also whispered something to Lumine.

    (Girl''s talk, nothing for my ears, huh...)

    "Yomite-sama! Let''s take a picture! My big sister handed me the new invention from Fontaine called Camera!" Barbara came up to him and exined how it worked in detail.

    "Well, sure." He agreed with a smile at how adorable she was, trying to exin how an inferior version of camera worked to him.

    "Let''s take a picture!"

    "Alright!"

    Both of them smiled as they looked at the camera lense.

    After a short *Snap* the picture came out and both of them took a look.

    Yomite looked at Barbara and said, "You can keep it,"

    "Thanks~!"

    After they were done, he regrouped with his members and nned on leaving.

    However, just before they left, Barbara walked up to him once more and whispered, "May lord Barbatos be with you on your journey. I''m sure we will be meeting very, very soon~"

    Her words were apanied by a frenzied gaze.

    "Y-yeah..." Yomite nodded and swiftly left without looking back.

    (I''m really bad when ites to this type of women...)

    The unpredictable behavior from Barbara that started happening soon after he saved her life was frankly, getting out of hand...

    Yomite knew this exact trope, called Yandere. It was a very favorite genre, many otakus loved.

    But...

    Reality was different...

    Such individuals usually turned out to be highly dangerous people. This wasn''t an anime after all.

    ***

    "It''s such a shame they''re leaving. I''m missing them already."

    Amber let out a heavy sigh. These past few months she grew quite close with Paimon and Lumine, so much that the moment they left, she already felt lonely.

    "It will indeed be quite lonely without them. I''m still wondering as to why Lisa didn''te to say farewell to them. She seemed pretty close with Yomite." Jean murmured as she crossed her arms.

    The outrider Amber practically jumped in ce, her eyes full of passion as she replied instantly,

    "Yeah! I noticed she had taken quite liking to him! Usually, if I ever wanted her help, she would immediately decline or it would take her ages to get up from couch and follow me, but Yomite told me she immediately agreed whenever he asked her! Can you believe that!?"

    Jean let out a small smile, "Maybe there is a reason for that?"

    While the duo of Amber and Jean were chatting, a lone figure of Barbara slowly disappeared, without them noticing.

    ***

    Barbara headed home, skipping and singing with the picture in her hands.

    Her singing always brought joy to the nearby people, who smiled and pped.

    Even people such as Fatui, found it hard to not p for her.

    Momentster, she arrived in front of her home.

    The mansion was average in size, and despite having money, she chose not to spend it on arger one.

    There were six padlocks on the door as she came in front of her chamber, which could pique anyone''s interest.

    Just what was in there for the popr idol to keep hidden from the public eye?

    Opening them one by one, she made sure to put the padlocks back from the inside, so that no one would get into her room.

    Looking around, a familiar and beautiful sight greeted her.

    The room was covered in hundreds of pictures, all hanging on the walls.

    The room was a mess, papers scattered across the floor, photos littering the table and the bed.

    There were no windows, and Barbara choose this room specifically as her own to make sure no one could climb into her window and see what she was hiding.

    She picked up a ball pin with a grin, and stuck the picture both of them took not that long ago, into the wall.

    "Picture number 134# I finally received my first picture from Yomite-sama...with his consent even!!! Ah, I can''t believe it!"

    Upon closer inspection, all of the pictures in her room were pictures of Yomite.

    Either smiling,ughing, focusing and so on.

    During his morning spars, during his walks, or when he fought outside with monsters, taken without his knowledge, of course.

    One would find it weird and almost impossible toprehend, how she took so many of them in such a short period of time.

    After all, it wasn''t even a week since she received the Camera from her big sister.

    "Liyue...was it? I can afford a short break..."

    A hystericalughter echoed in the mansion.

 Chapter 147

    Upon Yomite''s orders, the group hastily exited the town of Mondstadt.

    He wasn''t the type to be scared of many things. But Barbara was starting to freak him out...

    Sure, there were some things like cockroaches, and then ghosts, that he was terribly afraid of back in the day, but other than that, anything was fine.

    Well, then again, he was already cured of his fear of ghosts thanks to Hu Tao, who not only owned a little ghost of her own, but she also performed rituals and exterminated vengeful spirits.

    She told him about the weaknesses of the ghosts and so on, which made him forget his fear all about them.

    It might have been strange for Yomite to have a fear of supernatural, when ghosts obviously... probably... didn''t exist back at Earth, yet after reading so many horror novels, creepypasta one shots, watching horror movies and so on, sometimes, he truly felt like he saw something, when there wasn''t supposed to be anything there...

    He was relieved that he was no longer afraid of such nonsense.

    "Paimon''s telling you, if you don''t stop poking Paimon''s sides, Paimon will bite you!"

    A familiar high-pitched screech of their littlepanion interrupted his thoughts.

    This prompted him to focus on what the girls were doing to Paimon at the moment.

    "I feel like Paimon is wasting her beauty potential. She should try wearing different clothes."

    Lumine''s deration came out of nowhere.

    She herself never really cared about her appearance but...

    "Gorgeous young cutie like you should take care of her hair more, dear."

    Lisa told her once.

    Beauty and things like that had never been a part of Lumine''s concern, buttely she felt like that''s changed.

    Lumine kept her hair short because it felt convenient, easy to take care of, but she thought she might as well try to grow her hair out to see how it looks.

    Hu Tao heard her and couldn''t help but agree.

    "Oya? Oya Oya? I would also love to see her wear a different kind of outfit! I bet Paimonon would look cute~!"

    Saying so, she squeezed Paimon''s small tummy, making her ticklish.

    "Wha!?...A-As Paimon was saying...Stop giving Paimon weird nicknames! I''m not a Paimonon!" She retorted, sticking out her tongue.

    "And also! Paimon''s fragile, you know! Paimon''s not like you that can survive being tossed around by monsters again and again! Don''t squeeze Paimon!"

    Lumine blinked. "Are you perhaps implying we''re the monsters here?''

    "You might as well be!"

    "You know, maybe you''re actually right!"

    The partyughed.

    At Paimon''s cute pout, Lumine felt the sudden urge to pull the little fairy into a tight embrace. Knowing that she probably wouldn''t like it, she opted to simply pat her head and gave her a small smile.

    "Please don''t take it the wrong way, I consider Paimon to be my family. And I''m sure all of us here, feel the same."

    "G-Geez! Don''t treat Paimon like a child!"

    The group was as cheerful as ever.

    Yomite was d Hu Tao seemed to finally get along with everyone. The only one who seemed to be distant from his party at this point, was Iris.

    But making Iris socialize wasn''t an easy task, especially since everyone present fought against her before, in her dragon form, and Fischl almost died.

    Despite everything that happened, Fischl seemed to be the closest to her.

    "Spiraling sma cloud of the thinnest dragon; bow to my demand! What was thy story like? Tell the mighty Prinzessin Der Verurteilung about your dark past!"

    "Pulse of the narrowest dragon; bow to my chant of entombed disease! You shall spar with me once we arrive at Liyue!"

    "Shiniest dragon of the foul wind, the deepest ghost! Will thou be mein Freundin?"

    During the trip, Fischl kept on pestering Iris with questions about her life and Iris was getting so irritated she was forced to reply to her just to make the little chuuni shut up.

    Fischl, on the other hand, appeared to be having a good time, so he left the two new buddies alone.

    The group was having fun, and Yomite was d, untill he saw something move in the corner of his eye...

    That very thing turned his mood foul.

    That lone figure, sitting in the forest

    A long figure of a little girl.

    "I''ll be back in a minute! Just keep going!" Yomite abruptly departed the party, leaving his fellow party members perplexed.

    As he approached the little girl, he drew his ymore from its sheath and swung at her, pausing just in front of her face.

    The small child screamed and hugged her body tightly. Her eyes were filled with terror.

    "I''m sorry, but I''m going to have to eliminate you; after all, you''re a monster." Yomite whispered softly to the girl.

    The little girl, shed tears as she opened her mouth slowly, "I''m sorry...Because, I, we, monsters live��Will cause trouble��"

    The girl spoke in a hoarse tone, as if it was the first time she had ever spoken to someone.

    "Since born, first time, talk with humans��I''m sorry..."

    As though in prayer, she sped her hands together...

    "Meeting with yo��"

    "...beautiful...if next time...I born human...we meet again... Would be wonderful, right? Is that what you wanted to say?"

    Yomite finished the sentence for her.

    "H-Huh?"

    His words had clearly struck the small girl by surprise, and she sensed that something was amiss.

    "You want to make me into a meaty steak...a fertilizer, right?"

    Saying so, he raised his ymore.

    "N-No! W-Wait!! We can make a deal!! I will give you the equipment and gold from the people I lure in and I will keep the meat!"

    The Dendro Slime gave up her phony innocence and begged, but to no avail.

    "No thanks! Fertilize this you little shit!! I''m killing your kind on sight since that day!"

    The betrayal he felt back then from the cute Loli monster, will forever be engraved into the back of his mind...

    "Aaaarghh!!!"

    Screams of terror echoed throughout the silent forest...

 Chapter 148

    The group proceeded forward after he returned.

    No one questioned the strange scream, which surprised him.

    (At the very least, I won''t have to justify myself.)

    Paimon felt a little worried, so she hid behind Lumine. She was probably the only one who associated the scream with the Dendro Loli...

    Although the travel was not as lengthy as he had anticipated, it was nheless exhausting.

    When they arrived in the town of Liyue, the sun was setting.

    Liyue was one of the seven nations of Teyvat.

    A bountiful harbor that lied in the east of Teyvat.

    It was the city-state that worshipped God Morax, the Geo Archon who sometimes took on a form of a dragon.

    Just how many gifts from the Geo Gody in wait amongst the rocks of Liyue''s mountains?

    Unlike in Mondstadt, where the God of Wind Barbatos didn''t show his presence at all, Morax on the other hand, showed itself at least once per year as a tradition, to bless his country and make all mortals bow to his excellence.

    Towering mountains stood tall and proud alongside the stone forest, that, together with the open ins and lively rivers, made up Liyue''s bountifulndscape, showing off its unique beauty through each of the four seasons.

    The establishment of the harbor kicked off Liyue''s seafaring trade.

    As the Teyvat''srgest market harbor, the sheer amount of goods that flew into and from it was simply iparable for other ports.

    "We''re here~!"

    Hu Tao cheerfully announced. She was reluctant to return here at first, but the moment she felt the familiarity, she couldn''t help but smile.

    She was finally back in her hometown.

    "Yeah, yeah...just don''t run off too far... You''re supposed to be leading us, after all..."

    Fischl brushed her blonde hair and announced, "Worry not, for I, Prinzessin Der Verurteilung, am the fastest genie of burning darkness vowed by women."

    "Mein Fr?ulein said she visited this city before, so ifdy Hu Tao did run off, she could lead us without a problem."

    Oz swiftly tranted.

    "Ah...right..."

    From what Yomite remembered, Fischl was in Liyue many times before.

    Yomite nced around in astonishment and took in the view as they arrived in the majestic city of Liyue.

    The sun was setting, casting a golden glow across the entire city from afar, and the street lights were starting toe on.

    The ce was truly beautiful...

    It was nothing like Mondstadt.

    While the streets in Mondstadt were crowded, this was on a whole another level.

    Lghts sparkled in the evening sky with the city''s skyline shining in the background like a fire on the horizon.

    He inhaled deeply, the scent of the sea mingling with that of freshly cooked food off in the distance.

    While the weather was quite hot and unpleasant, he was d he came to Hu Tao''s hometown to finally witness it in its full glory...

    Everything was going great...

    Until...

    "You have the audacity to question my integrity!? Scram!"

    "Hmph! This will be brought to the attention of the young master! If you don''t kowtow now, and walk around the town like this, your limbs will be broken!"

    Two young men were cursing each other in the middle of the street, and the fact that the locals seemed unconcerned about the situation just confirmed that this was an everyday urrence in Liyue.

    Which was a fact that made Yomite uneasy.

    In fact, one would have to be blind and deaf not to notice these two arguing; they were so loud and it seemed like they had nothing but ill intentions towards each other.

    Hearing their words, Yomite stopped in his tracks.

    "Oh...no..."

    There was no way...That this was happening...

    "Your father shall drink my piss instead!"

    "Fuck your nine generations! Just wait till he hears of this! You will be kowtowing before us!"

    "Oh, no no no..."

    Yomite''s face darkened as he subconsciously took a step back, his party gazing at him curiously.

    "Assistant-kun? Is something the matter?" Hu Tao was the first to noice his odd behavior.

    "Party leader?"

    Lumine was also wondering what was wrong.

    "...I-I wanna leave...I wanna go back to Mond...Can we go back??? Please...I''m begging you..."

    "Leave? But we just came!" Hu Tao frowned, "I wanna show you around!"

    "No! We aren''t entering this city! I''m going back! This is full of Young Masters, I can already tell!!"

    "What are you talking about, Stupid Tattoo!? We are finally here! Paimon wants to try the new delicacies!"

    Hu Tao climbed on his back while, Lumine and Paimon pulled on his hands to make sure he wouldn''t leave. Simrly, Fischl grabbed onto his waist.

    "N-No! Stop it! I''m leaving! Get me out!"

    Iris on the other hand just stared at all of them curiously, and since it looked like it would take a while, shey on the ground and sunbathed.

    (Sun is good. Praise the sun...)

    And so began...

    One hell of a journey...

    In a newnd...

    ***

    "You dare!"

    "You are courting death!"

    Both of the arguing men wore simple clothing that looked handmade, but not so cheaply that it wouldn''t look good for their future earnings; most likely indicating their status asckeys towards certain young masters.

    One was a dark brown haired man, around twenty years old. He had a very thick ck mustache which covered most of his face, with just the ends left uncovered. His eyes were also very brownish blue.

    The other youth appeared to be younger; he wasn''t as muscr or tall as him, yet still quite sturdy.

    The two men stopped arguing when they noticed an elderly woman walking up towards them, she was dressed in in clothes, again, nothing special.

    "Oh children...please don''t act like this. There are many who wish to stop your little quarrel, yet they do not wish to offend you. Please bear in mind the time and ce of your arguments. The streets are full of people..."

 Chapter 149

    "Who dares to interrupt us!?" The taller man asked in a serious tone.

    Once he saw that It was just some puny elderly, he screamed, "Out of the way, old hag!" He was clearly furious someone was stepping in to stop him.

    "Hais...I just wish for everyone to be at peace...yet pointless conflicts arise on daily basis..." The granny sighed deeply.

    "That''s none of your business!" The other man raised his hand towards her and was about to p her, when someone caught his arm and stopped him.

    "Who dares!? Why are you saving this old hag!"

    Feeling threatened under the powerful grip, he knew the man who stopped him definitely wasn''t ordinary.

    The hooligan turned around and focused his gaze on the much taller and muscr person that forcibly held his arm.

    "Dude...you just raised your hand against a granny...do you have no manners at all? Sheesh..."

    Of course, the person was Yomite, who couldn''t stand and watch this pointless scuffle any longer.

    He was bound to be dragged into stuff like this anyway. His teammates were also about to jump that guy, so he took the initiative instead.

    "Huh!? Just a brat that''s still wet behind his ears dares to stop me!? Your hair is not even growing down there! Let I, your Father go before I break your hands!"

    The man tried to curse at him but once he didn''t see a single change in Yomite''s expression, he frowned.

    "The granny just tried to get you to calm down. Nothing else. So go and cool down." Yomite pushed him and the man fell into a small well, which was located nearby.

    The man groaned in pain, but quickly pushed himself up, looking around in confusion.

    To the passers-by, he seemed like a wet mole rat, looking around frantically with frenzied gaze.

    But only he knew what was going on.

    He would definitely kill the bastard that pushed him the moment he saw him.

    The hooligan then turned around and looked at his attacker; "Hmph! You have eyes but fail to recognize Mount Tai! I''m serving the Yang n! Offend me, and you offend the whole n! Kowtow and I might spare you a quick death!"

    "I''m pretty sure you''re just ackey, no? Will they care about a random guy like you?"

    Then again, whenever he read wuxia or novels like that, he never understood why higher-ups listened to what some insignificant person under them had to say, but then refused to listen to the voice of reason of the used party.

    It never made sense to him. This sort of weird cliche...

    The hooligan pulled out a knife and gazed at Yomite from top to bottom.

    There we no signs of a Vision present, and while he also didn''t possess a Vision, he was confident enough he could easily beat Yomite.

    Without a moment of hesitation, he lunged at him and Yomite just shook his head.

    "Now, how do you guys say it? Run with your tail between your legs? No...You better run so you will have an early start tomorrow? No...Hmm...Ah! Scram! That was in yournguage! I finally remembered!"

    As saying that, Yomite easily kicked the knife from the man''s hand away in one smooth motion, and stomped on his foot. The man groaned in pain and knelt on the ground.

    Yomite slowly walked up to him and ended the ''match'' by a low kick to the chin, the man fell unconscious, immediately.

    His attacks were more than predictable.

    Compared to someone like Hu Tao, they might as well have been snail paced...

    Upon seeing what happened, the guy that was arguing with him a few minutes prior ran away in fear.

    He had to contact his Young Master Sun, immediately!

    Some savage people entered Liyue!

    ***

    "These old bones thank you for your kindness, young man." The old woman bowed politely as she thanked him.

    "It''s nothing, don''t mention it. I''m just surprised, since we''re new here, and the first thing we see is an argument spanning across the whole street..." he trailed off.

    The olddy chuckled slightly at his words, before shaking her head and sighing sadly.

    "...Liyue isn''t what it used to be...But worry not. I hope you still enjoy your stay."

    "Thanks. We n to stick around for a while."

    "Mhm." The old woman looked at his group and widened her eyes once she met gaze with Iris.

    "Oh my...to think that...how wonderful..." She whispered as if the words could not get out of her mouth.

    "What is?"

    The old woman was suspiciously staring at Iris. Yomite had a bad feeling.

    Something was wrong...

    (I want to know.)

    ��������������

    Name: Madame Ping (��������)

    Age: 78 (4304)

    Title: The Perfected Lord Who Sings Songs about the Mortal World and Roams Among the People

    upation: Adepti

    Hobby: Drinking Tea, Strolling around the city of Liyue

    Likes: Tea

    Dislikes: Nothing

    Dream: Unknown

    Current mood: Rxed/Surprised

    Rtionship Level: None

    State of Rtionship: None

    ��������������

    ( How is this possible!? She is older than Venti!)

    Yomite took a step back upon the revtion.

    He didn''t need to step in at all! This granny could have ttened both of those rude men in an instant...

    Noticing that he was suddenly on guard, Madame Ping smiled and reassured him, "Rx child, sorry to burst your bubble, but, these old bones wouldn''t harm a fly. You see, fighting with someone isn''t exactly my cup of tea."

    "A-Ah...granny should visit some kind of martial arts instructor that would teach you how to defend yourself..." Yomite''s tone had changedpletely, going from a rxed and happy tone to a serious one.

    The granny in front of him was a God, or at least something on that level.

    (What are the odds for us to immediately run into someone like this!? Thankfully, she doesn''t seem to want to harm us in any way.)

    Madame Ping''s expression was unreadable, but soon rxed into a small smile.

    "Hehe, I''m afraid you can''t teach an old dog new tricks. Worry not, I will be leaving soon."

    She once again, bowed.

    "Oh, but before I go. Here. As a thanks for resolving the issue."

    She handed Yomite, what looked like an expensive looking egg filled with a dark liquid.

    "Ehm...Thanks?"

    Yomite replied, still confused by the item she handed him. The old woman chuckled again.

    "It''s a small present. You can drink the contents and something nice might happen. But bear in mind, make sure you''reying down when that happens. Farewell."

    With that said, she walked away, leaving Yomite standing on the sidewalk and staring after her leaving figure with suspicion.

 Chapter 150

    "What a strange granny! She seemed very wise to Paimon!" Paimon''s voice was light and bubbly, yet held a hint of suspicion.

    "But Paimon feels like there is more to her than it seems!"

    "Hmm...I feel like I''ve seen her somewhere before, but I can''t remember where..." Hu Tao muttered to herself as she saw her leaving figure off.

    "...Let''s ignore that for now...We should find an inn in this town before it gets dark...wait a minute..."

    Thinking about it carefully, since Lumine could use teleport, couldn''t they just temporarily go back and stay at their own mansion and start here again tomorrow?

    (Lumine seemed to have activated a few teleporters nearby, so we should be good to go.)

    The moment he mentioned it, however...

    "No! Don''t do that!"

    "Let us explore!"

    "That''s right! I will be more than happy to wee you all in the Wangsheng funeral Parlor mansion for a few days!"

    His suggestion was rejected immediately...

    All of the girls in his party told him that it would be throwing away the enjoyment of the trip.

    "Isn''t it nice to be in an unknown town, visiting unknown shops, staying in an unknown ce?" Paimon asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

    Yomite sighed, "Alright, alright, fine, girls, I get it...I understand...we have enough of money anyway..."

    They decided on an inn before the sun setpletely.

    They took an inn with slightly better rooms than the Resin Moon inn in Mondstadt.

    The girls and him were assigned to two rooms.

    His roommates were Hu Tao and Fischl, while Iris, Lumine and Paimon were together in the room next doors.

    They''ve settled on the inn and left to have a dinner. The old woman at the inn said that the noodles here were absolutely delicious.

    (I wonder if they''re selling a ramen somewhere around here.)

    When they entered a handy shop while taking a stroll inside the town, they heard sounds of yet another dispute from the roadside.

    (Jeez...not again...This is gonna be my whole day, isn''t it? I''m starting to regreting here...)

    Curious onlookers gathered on what seemed to be amotion taking ce.

    Yomite and his party, who had their interest caught as well, tried to push through the crowds of people and barely managed to reach the center of themotion. There stood a cute girl surrounded by several men.

    "The choice of clothes women wear in this world is questionable at best..." Yomite concluded as he observed the girl in front of him.

    "Ah! It''s Xiangling!"

    Hu Tao gave a short answer to Yomite''sment.

    (Hu Tao knows her?)

    Yomite narrowed his eyes.

    A dark, indigo-ck hair that looked like a pair of panda-like braided buns. Golden eyes, pale skin, and despite being in disadvantage against many opponents, she wore a perpetual smile on her face.

    She also wore a brown and gold leotard with red ribbons in the front and back, the back beingrger and holding a bell.

    She seemed quite young, from fourteen to sixteen years of age, yet her clothes seemed a bit too revealing...

    The men numbering close to six surrounded the lone girl while sending out dangerous nces. Some of them have already pulled out their knives and swords.

    "The food was indeed as brilliant as you''ve promised, that''s why you''ll being with us and you''ll be a personal chef for our young master!"

    "...It would appear I will have to politely decline. While I adore cooking, I travel around a lot and don''t wish to be tied down. Not to mention, if I was cooking for your lord, it would be the same exact dish again and again, wouldn''t it? Limiting myself to a specific style of cooking, is nd and unsurprising~!"

    "...You give us no choice then..." The man looked back towards his group, "Do it!"

    All of the men attacked her at the same time.

    The girl expected this and evaded nimbly, lightly grabbing the arm of one of the men and turning around as if he was as light as a feather, throwing him.

    The man who was flung on his back fainted in agony as he hit the ground and stopped moving.

    Neutralizing the opponent''s force, breaking the stance and throw.

    (Why does it feel like Hu Tao''s moves...Perhaps she taught her?) Yomite thought.

    Just like that, the girl flung away two people and pulled out a spear.

    (Another spear user...)

    She was sessful in beating the rest of the men with her weapon, however, using this chance, a man she threw to the ground before, prepared to stab her from behind with a sword.

    "Ayaya! No chance!"

    Hu Tao shouted and dropkicked the man who was holding a sword. Although the girl was surprised by the sudden intrusion, when she took a look at Hu Tao, she sighed in relief that Hu Tao was not an enemy.

    A short timeter, all the men were ttened on the ground. However, the reinforcements came, so the party stepped in to help.

    Despite this, the reinforcements were quickly defeated by the squad consisting of Vision users and other monsters such as a dragon and two Isekai figures.

    Hu Tao had joyfully knocked down more than half of the opponents...to the point where their limbs were pointing in a wrong direction...

    (Scary...)

    The town guards arrived so they left the rest for them and departed from the scene after answering several questions.

    Having around the Knight of Favonius medailon came in handy.

    (Thanks, Jean.)

 Chapter 151

    In thend of Liyue by the sea, a city sat atop the solid bedrock. That city was Liyue Harbor, and it had flourished under the protection of its guardian Morax �� also known as "Rex Lapis," the Geo Archon Lumine had been looking for.

    Her n was to ask him about her brother.

    The party could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time, as the annual festival called "Rite of Descension" was about to begin in a few days time.

    Every year on that day, Rex Lapis graced thisnd with his prophecy, giving guidance on the economic path Liyue should follow in theing year.

    Lumine nned to use this chance to interrogate him.

    "If you wanna find the Geo Archon, this is the only chance you''ll get all year! Guess it''s a good thing Tone-deaf-bard brought it up before, otherwise we definitely would''ve missed this year''s Rite of Descension!"

    "Yeah... Hopefully, I will finally learn something about my brother."

    In Mondstadt, she asked pretty much everyone in town, and even put up posters with the help of Amber, and asked Jean to monitor whether someone that looked like her or someone with name Aether appeared in Mondstadt, but so far nothing.

    (If even Liyue doesn''t have the answer...I will have to keep looking elsewhere...)

    "Oh, right. About the Geo Archon, "Morax"...Did you know? The currency Mora that we use is named after this god, but it''s seen as impolite for people from outside Liyue to refer to the Geo Archon by that name, so Paimon thinks we should refer to the Geo Archon by the name Rex Lapis, like the people of Liyue do."

    "So it''s a rich guy, huh?"

    "Yep! Has to be! Paimon heard he can create as much Mora as he wants!"

    "Moneybag God. Already seems a higher level of God than Venti." Yomite saidughing. "I wonder if he''s also the one that puts money into these random treasure chests we find all the time..."

    The party had sesfully saved the girl and were currently discussing their next moves.

    "I am grateful for your assistance! My name is Mao Xiangling! Ah, most of you don''t seem to be from Liyue so let me exin. Mao is the surname while Xiangling is my given name!"

    The girl whom they''ve helped cheerfully introduced herself.

    "Nice to meet you~! My name is Hu Tao and this is my assistant, and his assistants!" A small giggle escaped her lips.

    "No...wait...Hu Tao...I...know who you are...why are you reintroducing yourself..."

    Xiangling let out a deep breath, exhaling slowly, and then looked over Yomite and the others, "...is Hu Tao picking on you guys too? She is quite the prankster, but don''t let it get to you!"

    "...No...Hu Tao is actually my..."

    Before Yomite could exin, Paimon''s offended gasp interrupted him.

    "Objection! Paimon''s name is Paimon! Paimon is not an assistant!"

    "Paimon!"

    Xiangling eximed with saliva hanging in the corner of her mouth.

    "Why are you looking at.. Paimon like that...Paimon doesn''t like it..." The little fairy said and hurriedly hid behind Lumine.

    "What an exotic creature! Is it edible?"

    Xiangling''s question could decide between life and death.

    ""Dig in.""

    Both Yomite and Lumine said at the same time.

    "No! For thest time! Paimon''s not an emergency food!"

    "You are very cute Paimon! Nice to meet you! I have a cute little friend too! His name is Guoba!" Saying that, she pointed towards a small bear pin on her waist.

    She swiftly grasped the bear pin in her palm and threw it into the air.

    With a loud *Puff* of smoke, the little pin turned into a small humanoid orange

    "?!"

    The squealed happily, it''s little legs bouncing around like crazy on the ground.

    It looked like a little plushie.

    "Ah...cute..." Yomite, almost automatically, extended his hands towards the exotic creature and brought it into his arms.

    "Cutie! Who''s a good boy? Who''s a good boy? You are! Good doggie!"

    "???!"

    The happily sprawled in hisp, as he gave it belly rubs.

    "Party leader...I don''t think that''s a dog..."

    A soft chuckle came from the blonde.

    Lumine liked this silly side of his.

    Hugging and petting anything cute, was an interesting trait to have.

    Little did she know that humanity had a tendency to touch, pet and hug any kind of animal. Even if it was a deadly, poisonous one.

    Humans would go out of their way to do it.

    The human desire of petting anything and everything that breathed was truly impable.

    (If it breathes, we can pet it.)

    "...You''re not wrong... it indeed looks like a ..however, anything''s dog if you try hard enough."

    "It looks more like an evil spirit." Hu Tao mumbled, clearly disatisfied Xiangling''s pet grabbed his attention.

    "What do you mean?!" Xiangling eximed, "Guoba is a good boy! For sure not an evil spirit! Although he does breathe fire from time to time so be careful with him."

    "...Fire?" Yomite raised his brow.

    "??"

    Guoba didn''t seem to understand anything they were talking about. He was busy guiding Yomite''s hand through his head and stomach for morefort.

    (A that breathes fire? That''s sick! Why doesn''t Paimon have a cool ability like that?)

    He nced at the flying bundle of joy next to Lumine, who was currently eating a snack.

    "Eh? Why are you looking at Paimon like that? Do you want a snack as well?"

    "...Thanks, I''m full now, maybeter. Still, If you eat snacks on daily basis, you might turn a bit to the chubby side..."

    Paimon floated away with her snack and stamped her foot on the air below her, "Paimon will not be fat! Hmph!" She put her hands on her hips and frowned.

 Chapter 152

    "So you visited the city of Mondstadt, huh. You''ve been missing for quite a while, Hu Tao... Wait...but does that mean you''ve seen the dragon!? How big was it? Was it majestic? Everyone in Liyue was talking about it!"

    Xiangling eximed in excitement.

    Iris, who seemed not to care about anything in the world at all, finally perked up about a topic that interested her.

    Hearing that the townspeople of other city than Mondstadt talked about her, almost made her feel proud.

    Yomite noticed it and grinned, (Of all the things in the world, she only cares about food and how people talk about her past.)

    "It was huge! Twenty times the size of your house!" Hu Tao replied, "We fought it for about an hour and finally managed to beat it! It was tough!"

    "Wow! No way! You actually fought with it!? Aw shucks! It''s a shame I wasn''t there with you...I could have collected all the meat from it...Imagine how big a steak a dragon that huge would make!" Xiangling replied excitedly as she wiped the saliva from her mouth.

    In Liyue, she was the most renowned chef.

    The pinnacle of cooking and only a few of chefs came close.

    Getting her hands on the rare meat of a dragon, would for sure make birth to a new ideas and delicious delicacies of her own.

    If it was as huge as described, she could make a hotpot for months on end!

    Collecting exotic ingredients was, everything in the world to her.

    It was one of the main reasons she was so passionate about cooking, as well as what motivated her to be a chef in the first ce.

    From what Yomite roughly knew from games, the flesh of dragons was tough, but with her Pyro Vision, and the skill in cooking she proimed to have, she would probably be able to turn it into tasty meal.

    "Imagine eating a Dragon...it must taste so good...I can just imagine the meat sizzling on my stove..."

    Xiangling''s almost went to a dreamlike state...

    "..."

    As her words fell, however, Iris shuddered and went to hide behind Yomite who onlyughed at her reaction.

    Iris loved eating more than anything, but it never urred to her, someone might consider ''her'' as the food...

    "Don''t worry, I won''t let anyone eat you."

    Upon hearing his words, she rxed a bit, but still showed a hint of hostility and caution towards Xiangling in her eyes...

    She finally understood why her Master tried to hide her identity and the fact that she was a Dragon from others as much as possible.

    It was to protect her from being eaten!

    There were weird people all around the world, and if they knew of her identity, they might try to find her and raise trouble...

    Unwanted attention was thest thing she wanted after entering this peaceful period of her life...

    "Well, it was nice to see you after so long, Hu Tao. I''m d you''re okay. I thought something happened to you after those... rumours..."

    Xiangling didn''t borate on what the rumors were, but Hu Tao seemed to be aware.

    Yomite never really heard her talk all that much about her hometown, but it was obvious to him, she was pretty infamous.

    "Thank you guys for helping me out with the bad men! I really appreciate it, but I should be getting back to cooking. I still have about twenty customer orders to finish before midnight, and it''s already prettyte. So, see you guys!"

    She bid them farewell and motioned for her pet Guoba toe with her.

    "Let''s go home Guoba!"

    But Guoba didn''t move.

    "Guoba? Is something wrong?"

    "?!" The little jumped excitedly and hugged Yomite''s leg for a moment before running towards her and waving back at him.

    "Wow, it seems that Guoba likes you a lot! That''s strange, he usually doesn''t act like this..." Xiangling pondered.

    "He''s cute. Maybe the cuddles helped?"

    Lumine giggled while looking at Paimon, "Paimon also has a thing for receiving affection. She is very well behaved once Party Leader does a certain thing..."

    "L-Leave Paimon out of this! It''s not like that!"

    Paimon was on the verge of crying from embarrassment.

    (For some reason, pets were almost always friendly towards me...can''t say the same about children though...Come to think of it, I might be able to figure out stuff like this. Maybe I can check his stats...but would Tempus of the Heart even work on animals...? I want to know.)

    ��������������

    Name: Guoba? (Marchosius)

    Age: 1 (4500+)

    Title: God Of The Stove, Patron God Of The Soil

    upation: None (Past upation - One Of The Gods Of The Late Guili Assembly)

    Hobby: Sleeping, eating, cooking

    Likes: Chilly peppers

    Dislikes: Water

    Dream: None

    Current mood: Happy

    Rtionship Level: 7 - Fondness

    State of Rtionship: Tummy Rubber

    ��������������

    (Huh??? Pardon?? What did I just read!?)

    Yomite rubbed his eyes.

    He must have been tired...It was almost night, after all...

    (God of Stove??? Another God!? How is this possible! We weren''t in this city for even an hour and we already encountered two Gods!? Are you joking with me!? What is this ce!?)

    He gazed at the with disbelief, then nced at Xiangling.

    (She owns...a Pet God? Is she a God as well? How many Gods will we meet while staying here...Liyue is dangerous...)

    Yet none of the two Gods seemed to be the one they were currently looking for...

    His name was Morax, or something like that, and their names didn''t fit the description provided.

    Although he heard from Venti that Morax changed forms frequently depending on the situation, but he always had bright amber eyes in any form he took, which could help them identify the God in question.

    From a young man, to an old woman, or even a Dragon, Morax could do it all. Apparently, even gender wasn''t an issue.

    Staring at the leaving figure of the girl and the Yomite quickly checked Xiangling''s status as well, preparing himself to see something outrageous again.

    ��������������

    Name: Mao Xiangling

    Age: 15

    Title: Chef de Cuisine

    upation: A Chef Prodigy

    Hobby: Cooking, collecting rare ingredients.

    Likes: Any exotic ingredients

    Dislikes: Nothing

    Dream: To be the best chef in the world

    Current mood: Happy/Intrigued

    Rtionship Level: 5 - Acquaintance

    State of Rtionship: Just Met

    ��������������

    (So at least she''s not a God...) Yomite sighed in relief, (Still, howe a God is her pet?)

    Yet another question was left unanswered...

 Chapter 153

    The party returned to the inn for the day, and went to their respective rooms.

    Yomite sat on his bed, as he held the egg he was given by the granny in his hand.

    It was definitely an artifact, as it popped up as green once he activated Tempus of The Heart.

    (I wonder what it does��I want to know.)

    ��������������

    Name: Future Insight (One Time Use)

    Rarity: 5* Artifact

    Description: Item is capable to peek into an uncertain future."Future sight could create a world few of us ever even dreamed of."

    ��������������

    (A future seeing item? Why would she give me something so valuable?)

    The item didn''t mention any side effects or harm, so he didn''t think he had to be careful. The granny also didn''t seem to want to harm him in any way.

    "Well, there is nothing else to do, so I might as well try it out now, while I have time...She said I shouldy down and then drink the fluid...ugh...let''s see��"

    Yomitey on his assigned bed and broke the egg in his hands, drinking the contents of the egg.

    A momentter, he fell into his pillow and lost consciousness.

    ***

    **

    *

    *Srrs*

    A shrill sound jolted his fleeting consciousness back to reality, making him feel like a spinning top forcefully put to a halt. Not the best pleasant of feelings, all things considered.

    "Hm?"

    A tingling numbness crawled along his right cheek and arm. He had given up on forming sensible thoughts until his brain finished rebooting.

    *Brrng*

    Yet the ringing noise refused to cease, eventually growing painful in his ears and irritating his senses.

    If he had topare it to anything, he''d say the sensation he was feeling was akin to a screwdriver drilling into his eyeballs.

    Not that he ever tried doing that before.

    With the rebooting of his brain finallypleted, he lifted his head and cast a drowsy look at his surroundings, finding their vague colors enveloped by a yellow glow.

    After a number of hasty blinks, he finally began taking in his surroundings: money, money, hoards of Mora all around him.

    He didn''t know what this ce was, yet the sheer number of Mora lying around was monstrous.

    "Ugh!?"

    At that moment, Yomite barely avoided the bright light of the sh that targeted his neck.

    "Ah, to be able to dodge this without the help of a Vision is outside of my expectations. Perhaps you hold some level of skill in martial arts? How fun. It''s unfortunate my surprise attack didn''t work as intended."

    From behind Yomite''s back, a light voice called out, right after the surprise attack.

    "That movement just now, was it an intuition? Or did you perhaps see my shadow? Honestly, I marvel at fighting, I''m quite surprised you''re still in one piece."

    (Who...is he...)

    He couldn''t see the person''s face, only a dark silhouette.

    Yomite''s sluggish thoughts were burned with a fire that shook him awake.

    That scorching heat existing in his right arm...brought upon a burning sensation.

    "..."

    "But that arm, if action is not taken quickly, then all your blood will be drained, no?"

    Yomite''s right arm was missing near the shoulder, and what had used to be attached there, like a fallen doll, was almost unrealistically rolling on the floor in a pool of blood.

    The strike aimed at his head was avoided, yet his arm was still cut off.

    What level of skill did the enemy hold to be able to perform such a feat?

    Finally registering the seething sensation, he fell on the ground and rolled back with a growl of pain.

    It burned like fire, searing him from his shoulder to his elbow. He looked up through his bloodshot eyes.

    Another blownded by the unknown attacker, and he barely blocked it with his ymore, but not by much.

    His dominant arm was cut off, so he was nowhere near close to his full strength.

    With blood trickling down his temple, Yomite looked up at his adversary, whose face was still covered by something akin to a fog.

    Just before everything went dark, Yomite pondered in his mind.

    About the girls from his party.

    Would they be fine? Even without him?

    "Well, it was fun while itsted,rade."

    And with thosest words everything faded away to nothingness...

    ***

    The fear of darkness was pierced by a cold fear of loneliness.

    It didn''t matter what happened to the body, the mind was doomed to be lost.

    However, sometimes, the fear of loneliness ended with hope.

    Somebody''s warm and gentle embrace could render pain and suffering inert for a while.

    A quiet voice whispered to him: "Arth thou okay?"

    The quiet voice might have been the only way to quiet the fear of darkness��

    He slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings, Fischl sat next to him, her gaze full of worry.

    He then sat up after rubbing his eyes.

    (It was...a prediction��that much was obvious to anyone. Still, experiencing something so vivid...gave me goozebumps)

    Yomite was hundred percent sure about that.

    It was something which would happen in the future.

    In the prediction, he waspletely caught off guard from behind which ultimately ended his life.

    The best thing to do now, would be to prepare for it, or avoid it altogether.

    (Think, think...Lots of Mora...Big ceiling, unknown and skilled attacker, most likely an assassin...Things aren''t looking great��so much stuff happened in only a few hours of staying in this city...I''m starting to think we should actually leave...)

    "My dear Assistant?...you don''t look so good, Are you okie dokie?"

    "His face is pale...paler than the moonlight we waltz in, something''s up! The item from that granny was bound to be cursed, granting him the privilege of suffering for all eternity!"

    "Calm down, girls...I''m alright��"

    He decided to speak up. At this rate, there was no telling when the two would stop with their worried questions��

    "I received a valuable piece of information. If something bad was about to happen, we will be prepared for it."

 Chapter 154

    This wasn''t checked for grammar mistakes so if there were some inconsistencies...that only means I grew tired of rereading this shit ten times over and missed the mistakes.

    This is 10 chapters of smut in one.

    10k words.

    Bravo six going dark.

    ***

    Yomite roughly mentioned the state of things to the two of his teammates, other than the fact how he was brutally murdered.

    He nned to tell the others tomorrow, as they were probably currently asleep.

    "Someone will attack us? Isn''t that what happens on a daily basis?"

    Hu Tao was visibly puzzled. It was bound to be just a regr treasure hoarder, in which case, they would take care of it quickly.

    Fischl nodded at her, continuing the discussion.

    "This Prinzessin thinks you''re overthinking it, some puny man isn''t a match for us!"

    "No, that man was skilled, he wasn''t the usual Treasure Hoarder...he also seemed to possess a Vision. Definitely not to be underestimated, then again, we aren''t weak either, so I''m sure we could hold our own."

    Fischl fell silent upon hearing the words, Hu Tao too, stared at Yomite in silence.

    In the "dream" he witnessed, he was caught off guard from behind and lost an arm as a result...

    He attacked from shadows, which could very well indicate the man was an assassin, sent after someone...but after who?

    He tried recounting.

    (Hu Tao is infamous in the city so it could be about her��or maybe someone found out about Iris being a dragon? I don''t think anyone else from us has anything terrible going for them...Unless Lumine does something unpredictable in the future��)

    His whole evening was ruined because of this...now he had to go to sleep, knowing someone might assassinate them...he now understood how those higher-ups, and kings felt sometimes...nowhere was safe.

    Falling asleep in paranoia wasn''t the best luby.

    The girls somehow managed to fall asleep immediately, but he was still awake, lying against his pillow with his eyes wide open.

    He couldn''t let his guard down...he closed his eyes for a brief moment, then snapped them open again.

    ?????Smut Part Starts Here For People Who Hate Me And Don''t Read It. BTW There Is Nothing Else But Smut And Rtionship Development Starting Now, So Yeah!?????

    (Hm...what was that?)

    Did he hear something strange?

    Small sounds of footsteps caught his attention and soon, something plopped onto his bed.

    "Eh...Hu Tao?" Yomite whispered.

    It was, of course, his little troublemaker who could no longer sleep without using his arm as pillow support.

    She didn''t say anything and snuggled closer to him. The warmth of her body was enough to put him at ease.

    She leaned against him and said dreamily, half inaudible, half asleep, "I want a hug��"

    Yomite very nearlyughed at that, but he was pretty proficient at keeping his expression natural.

    He gave in slowly, then grabbed her, lifting her into his arms and cradling her like she weighed nothing

    She purred happily and continued snuggling close, nowying across his chest.

    He gently brushed the hair back from her face, checking if she were okay.

    "What are you? A cat?"

    She snorted in amusement to his question, curling one leg under her.

    Yomite lifted her a bit, getting better ess to her nape.

    Hu Tao gasped quietly when he started brushing her hair.

    "Hug~" She mewled quietly, or rather it came out somewhat more like mrrrruffl. But, that sound was also awfully cute.

    His muclebrained girl turned out to be very cute when she wanted something from him.

    Immediately, he wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled close, her head resting on his chest, her legs draped over hisp, stroking it in a rhythm, and watched as he grew hard.

    He pressed his lips to her nape, inhaling deeply, trying to catch her scent. He smelled it earlier, but he felt like she used some sort of perfume.

    Yomite let out a groan of pleasure as she caught his erect member between her thighs, massaging it softly.

    "Hu Tao...?"

    He felt the slickness of his arousal and it made him grow even harder.

    She was stillying on him while she skilfully took his pants off with her bare feet, following which she took off her shorts as well, clearly indicating what her objective was from the very beginning.

    "Wait...Fischl is here...we can''t��" Yomite stopped her actions halfway and yanked her back.

    The two of the girls were in a rtionship with him so he wanted to maintain thest bit of fairness if there even was any fairness remaining.

    "...I wanna though��"

    Hu Tao didn''t care that Fischl was in the same room as them, she simply wanted to release her urges. Fischl was bound to be asleep anyway. What a spoiled brat she was.

    The thing was, both of the girls already agreed they would be sharing Yomite whenever they wanted.

    So Hu Tao didn''t see the need to hold her desires back.

    The only one left in the dark would be Yomite, who wasn''t informed of their "Sacred Pact", and was still hesitating.

    But then again, there was no point denying her something she was obviously yearning for, right? Something both of them were yearning for...

    That kind of rtionship wasn''t healthy.

    While he desired Hu Tao at any point in time, he was still worrying what Fischl might think...

    However, after experiencing what sex was, Hu Tao simply couldn''t stop thinking about it for a whole day and wanted to do it with him as many times throughout the day as possible, her lust overpowering every other desire she possessed.

    As sheid on top of him, Yomite''s gaze lingered on her bare thighs, alluringly vulnerable.

    Her soft skin teased his imagination, having been disyed to him many times before, yet touching its true beauty was an entirely different feeling.

    Hu Tao had noticed this before as well, but it seemed that her dear assistant had a thing for her thighs.

    Those creamy white thighs of hers were always exposed, he took a look at them and felt them for himself as much as he wanted to.

    They looked so soft, he wanted to run his hands over their soft surface and kiss every single inch of them.

    She kept massaging his erect member with her luscious thighs more vigorously and sped up to stimte him more.

    It was certainly having an effect on him as he felt he was about to reach climax.

    Yomite turned to look at Hu Tao''s face as she bounced up and down on hisp, tightening the hold on his penis with her thighs.

    He grabbed the hold of her tight hips, pushing his penis through the incredibly tight gap between her thighs.

    Without letting go, he leaned forward and started kissing her neck gently.

    Her beautiful scent mixed with the smell of her arousal and perfume filled the air. She moaned into his mouth and bit his shoulder lightly.

    "Biting, eh? Are you seriously cosying a cat now?"

    Yomite brought his hand up and pinched her butt cheek yfully as a payback, her giggles filling the air.

    After trying to embrace her incredibly long hair with his free hand, he began nibbling on her ear lobe, slipping his thumb underneath, and began stimting her clitoris from within.

    She gasped aloud at the sudden surprise attack and in turn, tightened her hold on his penis.

    As a result, pleasure chased out Yomite''s thoughts, his mind went nk.

    His engorged member throbbed, the lust gathered within his hips on the brink of erupting.

    He could no longer stop his desire from spurting out on Hu Tao''s legs.

    His dam was about to burst as his penis rubbed against her thighs onest time before releasing its load.

    A torrent of cum gushed out of his penis and soiled her inner thighs with a copious amount of semen that caused her to soak wet and messy.

    Twice, thrice, his penis violently throbbed as two more spasms of milky cum shot out andnded on her lean tummy, dropping slowly down her abdominal muscles, forming a pool there.

    Yomite rxed, enjoying the afterglow.

    However, he didn''t get a chance to rest.

    "Could we...continue?"

    Hu Tao asked, and this time, Yomite obliged without saying anything and removed his clothespletely.

    It was only normal for him to satisfy her as, after all, he was mostly the one enjoying himself so far. Not to mention, he loved making her moan.

    Hu Tao took a moment to admire his figure as she remembered what was next, she looked down at Yomite and noticed his member was rising again, it throbbed with virility, it amazed her no matter how many times she saw it.

    She couldn''t wait any longer and lightly pushed his chest to signal him he shouldn''t stand up.

    She shuffled awkwardly forward, keeping her waist in the air, and moved on top of him, crawling above him.

    Soon, she lined up her entrance to his pelvis and lowered herself slowly, pausing directly over Yomite''s erect member.

    There was no longer any need for forey, as she was already as wet as it could get.

    This was all she was waiting for since morning.

    She felt his warmth inside as she pushed herself down on him deeper and deeper still.

    Yomite''s member had been a great fit for her entrance, she let out a long-drawn-out moan as she slowly lowered herself further.

    Finally, the softness of her butt nestled into ce on top of him, her legs locked around his waist almost immediately.

    Her weight made him sink under her, allowing her to use all her strength to push herself onto him till he waspletely buried inside her, his manhood being firmly seated within her womb as if it was just another affixed part of her body.

    However, Yomite soon realized that with this position, he couldn''t pull out without her permission.

    There was no escape. It was a trap. A honey trap!

    And Yomite was all set to spend a lifetime inside this wonderful woman as he came to terms with it.

    The sense of her weight on him felt unbearably good, as she ground on him vigorously like some kind of machine, pumping her hips downwards until he felt her pussy tighten around his member and pulse against his pubic bone.

    He could feel her pussy pressing down on his swelling shaft, clenching onto it in a way he never thought could exist, and she was deliciously warm, too.

    She looked down at Yomite''s face and saw his face of excitement which indicated she was doing a good job.

    Yomite''s eyes stared deeply into hers as his lower lip protruded slightly, his cheeks were tinged red and covered with sweat.

    In order to prolong the process of orgasmic bliss, she held her body tightly against him, trapping him within her soft walls while she continued pounding away on his organ. The faster her hips ground against him, the greater the pleasure both of them felt.

    Her vagina became hot and damp as it slipped across the tip of his phallus like a wave. Her motions intensified until they matched each other rhythmically and he couldn''t help but close his eyes and grit his teeth in pleasure.

    Hu Tao grinned seeing him like this, watching him writhe around beneath her.

    That sight caused her insides to rumble excitedly and it did look pleasurable.

    The position was so pleasurable, that she was willing to stay in this pose for the foreseeable future.

    Either way, she had no intention of letting go.

    The current level of intimacy and trust between them was truly tangible.

    She was d he was enjoying it and felt an intimate connection as she sat above him and serviced him with her body fully.

    She began to slide her body up, repeating the cycle once more as she lowered herself, continuing the rhythm of lowering and raising herself going up and down.

    This was the first time she took initiative and she still wasn''t proficient at it, so she did not rush nor knew exactly where her limit would be.

    As a result, Yomite found himself delighted in watching her movements and was extremely happy that she was putting in the effort.

    She looked adorable while seducing him with her slender frame, enticing and enchanting with a proud smile that reached from ear to ear.

    Each motion was delicate, capturing his attentionpletely. Her light yet smooth skin wrapped her small frame beautifully, yet he could clearly feel that the smirk that her face portrayed was a sadistic tease...

    As if she was trying to find out what was tormenting him and what she could use to tease him even further and bend him to her will.

    Her face flushed with excitement as she moved her body more fervently. This was all part of the game to her.

    She was indeed torturous with such reckless determination, surprising himpletely off track with unexpected movements and shifting rhythms that made him feel good, yet simultaneously left him longing for her to continue.

    It allowed him to embrace and appreciate the wonders of her growing sexual skills and linger over those captivating features one more time before shuddering with delight at the unexpected behavior.

    Henceforth, she was moving and rotating her hips furiously and addictive as well as controlled by her desire.

    With how she pranked people, and her childish personality, he knew that in the future, she was bound to turn into a terrifying sadist which he might never escape from during their sex sessions, but it was well worth it in the end...

    Being teased by your lover might not be so bad either, he figured.

    That was also a form of love.

    Though Yomite was filled with horniness that reeked up from his guts, he was looking forward to the future.

    As she toyed with him, she threw cute looks his way now and then and raised an eyebrow several times during the act, smiling mischievously, her grin growing wider as Yomite was about to climax, only for her to deliberately stop moving when she felt that he was about to release himself, letting him know that she was "aware".

    If there was a childlike innocence in her nature, then her wild side showed up when she was free to terrorize him by abusing her power and limit testing his willpower while riding him up to his limits.

    Such contrast showed her character in its full depth: it made her both innocent yet bold at the same time.

    And while it was undoubtedly enchanting, her flirtatious side was even better to behold because it revealed anotheryer of her personality entirely. He liked those moments, too.

    He loved it all.

    This was one of his most favorite positions and she was doing a good job pleasing him with everything she got.

    However, soon, Hu Tao''s behavior changed and instead of following the prior pattern, she stopped mid-motion and only stared directly into his eyes with a seductive look as if he was nothing but her dessert. Her petnt expression said it all:

    You''re my food~ You taste delicious~

    (This cunning brat...requires a punishment...)

    Yomite thought, letting her enjoy how the act of domination worked for a bit longer before he took the lead and punished her ordingly.

    He wasn''t resisting the urge to be dominated, only because he wanted to give her a taste of how it felt to be on top, controlling everything, but there was no way an amateur, that stepped into an adult territory only recently was going to lead him by his nose. She was twenty-five years too young.

    Hu Tao held his entire life force in her arms like the Goddess of Rebirth. No doubt, her sweet butt on top of him, wrapped snugly by his leg and his warm manhood thrusting deep into her womb was the embodiment of ecstasy itself...

    To begin his "revenge", Yomite had to start abruptly.

    He reached out a hand and started unfastening the buttons on Hu Tao''s shirt that acted as her pajama top, from the bottom upward.

    The small peaks that poured out were cute in size, but charming nheless.

    As he pulled open the flimsy cotton shirt, exposing her pearly white skin, he paused for a moment when his fingers touched her nipples.

    He kneaded them lightly. Then, as if he was tasting a fine wine, he took each one between his fingertips and sucked on them.

    The room suddenly filled with moist sounds, breaths, sighs, and moans.

    While his tongue worked on her nipples, his hands groped her buttocks, sliding under her smooth butt-cheeks with lingering touches and nudges.

    She gasped a little as his palms circled her hips, slipping through the sides of her slender thighs and finding their way back to her butt.

    Hu Tao yelped as his mouth wandered down the soft skin of her neck, skimming over the tender hollow, over her shoulder, and upon her arm which he lifted, revealing the delicate design there.

    For some reason, he had this weird urge, maybe to tease her for being too cocky, or maybe he wondered how it actually tasted like as he never tried it before and only read about it in one of the embarrassing titles that Jean loved to read.

    Like every tiny detail on her body, it seemed absolutely amazing to him.

    In fact, everything about her body sent his mind spinning.

    If someone asked him if he liked big breasts, then he would, of course, answer yes.

    If someone asked him if he liked small breasts, then he would, of course, answer yes.

    Such was his motto.

    Enjoy everything about your woman.

    Everything!

    His hungry lips pressed against her skin, before trying to capture the ce where she tasted the sweetest, sucking on it like it was the best thing he ever encountered.

    "Ah! Aaah! Ah! What are yo-you..."

    Hu Tao shivered uncontrobly.

    His tongue pressed on her smooth armpit, licking along its folds, nibbling along her inner surface with his pointed teeth while whispering in awe, "You''re beautiful."

    His ravenous tongue devoured every bit of her soft flesh that he touched.

    "T-That''s embarrassing...Why are you licking...my armpit..." Thest part of her sentence came out in the tiniest voice he''d ever heard her speak in.

    She clearly didn''t want any of his attention towards that part of her. He looked up at her curiously, but she kept her eyes averted, blushing hard.

    It was obvious she was embarrassed. His lip massaged the smooth skin, tracing a figure eight before dragging downward again.

    "I don''t mind at all," he told her gently. "If you like it and that''s what you''re into, then I won''t mind. You can tell me what you want, after all,munication with your partner during sex is the most important to feel the best together."

    Those words hit Hu Tao directly between the eyes.

    No wonder her body was shivering... was she actually enjoying this?

    Or maybe she just simply loved how he licked and tasted her all over.

    She wasn''t sure yet, but that had to be a part of it.

    "It tastes surprisingly good though. Not to mention, we are lovers, I own you and you own me, everything about you is mine and the other way around." He sighed heavily with contentment that bordered on delirium.

    "Besides, your scent got even stronger than usual there, you have perfume or something, right. You smell even more incredible than you usually do...of course, I can''t resist..."

    Now she was blushing full, deep red stains blooming on her face.

    She felt humiliated and ufortable at the praiseing from his deep eyes and adorable words.

    Yet it was also aroused her at the same time because thepliment seemed sincere. It warmed her heart and made her feel special.

    "Y-Yes...I bought it once we entered Liyue..."

    She spoke hastily and flushed harder, looking down. She was so embarrassed she wished she would just disappear.

    The fact that she bought a perfume was supposed to stay a secret, yet he noticed it right away.

    She simply wanted to make herself as presentable as possible for him.

    She felt like she needed to be prettier to be worthy of his love.

    Thereiny the weakness that led to such actions. She hated seeing herself as average.

    And the fact that she bought it meant she did think she was not attractive enough already.

    What a pitiful girl she was.

    Hu Tao rubbed the area around her corbone, shyly saying, "...Wh-What should I do? Or...What do you...think?"

    Once she ryed everything that''s been bothering her to him, Yomite simplyughed, feeling oddly ted she shared this with him.

    "Don''t worry about it at all," he chuckled, cing his hand around her belly button, giving it a gentle squeeze. "There will always be things that you aren''t happy with, yet they shouldn''t bother you that much."

    "Well, let''s see...Whenever you feel down and aren''t happy about yourself, remember that you are so gorgeous and desirable that your lover could lick you all over at any time! That ought to lift your spirit!"

    Yomiteforted her in his own way...

    ...

    ..

    .

    Upon listening to his words, Hu Tao slowly dropped her head on his shoulder, giggling uncontrobly.

    "Aiya...Please stop, please, you are so baaaad! So awful atforting someone...So embarrassing~"

    "H-Huh!? What do you mean embarrassing!? I-I gave you the best advice of your life!" He gave her a nudge,ughing even harder.

    "After all, when ites to the word embarrassment, we both know who is the superior artist here! Who says she can sit on my face and then is ashamed to kiss and hold hands!?"

    She groaned happily at his amused words, looking away.

    It was like eating someone else''s dessert...and...and yet...and yet..

    And yet...

    A very lovely shade of pink stained her cheeks, and her legs drew closer to him. Her body pressed firmly against his naked chest and bare arms that wrapped around her waist.

    Both of them were still connected, giving this moment even more depth.

    "Thank you~ I love you." She whispered softly in his ear, letting out a quiet sigh, unable to hold back any longer.

    "Love you too." He answered honestly, sending another peck on her cheek, and couldn''t help but hum happily in return.

    The night was still young and both of them wanted to make their partner feel good. Be it by teasing or showing appreciation, their eagerness to do that only grew stronger because love was just that simple.

    There might still be a lot of time left in their lives, but both of them felt that now was the perfect chance to leave behind some unforgettable memories.

    This current feeling, this joyful embrace, all these touching moments were priceless. It was better than gold. It was diamonds. It was salt. It was pure art.

    Yomite really meant every word that came from his lips.

    He enjoyed making love with her, never felt happier in all his life and his previous lifebined.

    The fact that he had someone like her, and Fischl, was still unbelievable to him.

    In an instant, his body got lost in hers and they forgot about everything around them.

    Beingpletely in touch with her, inplete contact, being joined by her body; he loved being able to watch her little movements, listen to her breath.

    To be wrapped in her warmth, feeling her heartbeat alongside his own.

    Being enveloped by the velvet arms of his lover, wrapped tightly in this luxurious environment of cocoons where nothing could hurt or upset them, where no one bothered them or discriminated against them.

    The erotic yet peaceful feeling coursed through Yomite as he lightly touched every part of Hu Tao''s torso. From her shoulders and corbone to her slender abdomen and ribs, a shiver ran through her body.

    She felt her legs starting to shake, wondering whether she couldst much longer or not. Yet she couldn''t bring herself to care because...because of how thrilling it was. The man under her was inside of her, touching her intimately and caressing her gently.

    She tilted her chin upwards slightly, following his movements which indicated a deeper level of touch.

    He tickled at the side of her neck, lightly nuzzling against her chest, brushing up her lower corbones while pressing warm kisses at her neck.

    His skilled fingers stimted her soft flesh and then slowly trailed higher up to her breasts. Her chest lifted with each breath, bing firmer and tighter as her nipples hardened in arousal.

    She shuddered with pleasure and raised her hands over her head, eyes closed in ecstasy as he nibbled at her sensitive skin with his hot tongue once more. But there was no more hesitation involved and she let him do as he wished with her.

    Soon enough, those sensual nails of her partner traced downward and pinched her small, firm clit, letting out a delighted moan at the first pinch.

    As the pleasure grew, she reached out her hands and hugged his neck.

    She needed to grab onto something to keep herself grounded. Because...she wasn''t quite sure what to do now.

    Her legs wobbled in anticipation, trembling slightly. They ached, yes...but the blissful embrace pushed them further, tempting her further. And it made her bolder.

    In the midst of a haze, she tried out new tricks with him. Plucking at his brown hair, throwing kisses at his strong jawline, pressing her body forward until their lips met.

    In return, he massaged those two cute buds of hers like he was scooping them up with a spoon and caressed them ever so tenderly, which evoked a squirm within her abdomen.

    She couldn''t help but allow the slight movements within her, and it all drove Yomite even closer to his ecstasy.

    Meanwhile, Hu Tao put her hands on Yomite''s stomach to bnce herself as she sped up her hips, repeatedly plunging her entire shape against his elongated organ.

    Yomite teased her nipples with his fingertips, and they turned solid again, her nipples pointed out like a pair of gumdrops, he pinched her small aree, rolling those stiff bumps between his fingers.

    "Kh...fhh...nh��"

    As time passed, her swaying hips began to form a curve and she put more strength into her arms, ced against his chest, and held her up.

    In the darkness, he could just make out a thinyer of sweat on her skin, it shone like diamond dust, glittering with the glow of the moonlight.

    It was lovely, both beautiful and fragrant.

    A mixture of a honeyed scent that filled his nose as she breathed.

    Like the scent of spring flowers. It lingered in the air, making him feel warm and horny inside as it wafted from her body.

    He slid his hands along her slender back and gently massaged her supple muscles.

    He loved watching sweat drops trickle down her neck, down her cor bone; loved how she bounced up and down, working herself to the bone to please both of them; loved how she didn''t break eye contact the whole time.

    He had long ago epted that this was what their evening would eventually end up looking like even though he wanted to hold back for Fischl''s sake: a mess of coption with no end.

    He couldn''t help but be entranced by how soft it felt. A few strands of her hair were clinging to her face and neck, the tips tickling his nose as they brushed against him when she breathed in.

    She was so close, he could feel her breath brush against his lips.

    Hu Tao''s breath was hot from the stimtion to both her clit and nipples, pleasure continued to rise inside her as she relished the feeling.

    A numbing pleasure crept out from the depths of Yomite''s waist and rushed towards his urethra as he pumped into her endlessly.

    He put power behind his hips as he endured it, plunging his penis so far into Hu Tao as it would go, and filled her sensitive parts with his cum fully.

    Semen spurt forth and Hu Tao let out a muffled moan, her waist trembling every now and then as though she wanted to rub herself against him more vigorously.

    His gaze turned downwards and he watched the lines of her body move, delicate and hard at the same time.

    Their bodies twitched together over and over as if possessed. Their breath kept catching in the same spot, neither daring to exhale or inhale lest they miss a moment of euphoria.

    Without missing a beat, Hu Tao began to lift her legs off the bed and nt her feet firmly on the floor, spreading her thighs apart for him to get better ess.

    He thought they were done but this was just the beginning.

    Her bubble butt was presented right in front of him, enticing and inviting to him as it pressed forward.

    Yomite decided to take a chance and brought his tongue forward,pping at her butt hole.

    He immediately knew that this might sound strange to someone who has never heard about it before, but Hu Tao showed she liked this as her face went nk and she returned his effort with a moist breath.

    At some point, she let out a muffled cry. "Ah!?"

    He started kissing her butt cheeks, putting an emphasis on how gentle his touch was while at the same time licking and sucking it thoroughly.

    And then he applied suction pressure on her anus, parting it open and forcefully shoving his tongue in.

    He leaned over her buttocks slightly and continuedpping at it, he traced the curves of her anus as he licked around it, giving her buttocks a rough texture as they met his greedy mouth.

    This sensation was unlike any other she experienced before, as the pad of his tongue dragged across her opening, the ridges within the folds were scraping the sides of his tongue as it continuously searched for prey and attacked.

    Her eyes widened in surprise as his tongue pierced deep into her rear-end, reaching beyond the ring of muscles, and found her nerve endings hidden beneath, stimting her incredibly, filling her with a different kind of pleasure than her sex, yet equally enjoyable.

    "Wha...? Huh?!", the exmation she released as her entire body responded. It was as if she only just realized she was feeling good from her butt and not her vagina.

    "Let''s try anal sex."

    Her toes curled in ecstasy, quivering under the force of her beating heart, forming a sharp peak in the middle of her body.

    Her voice was pitch low, a groan followed by a breathy ''O'' emerged, but still remained almost unintelligible because of her high-pitched volume. The sound rang out into the quiet of the night.

    "Tuhhh��nhhh��", she grunted softly, leaning forwards, grabbing onto the sheets to hold herself up. She held herself up because it looked like she might faint.

    Her moans were heating him up to the point where he wanted to take control, grab onto her waist and m himself repeatedly into her tiny hole, but that would most definitely hurt her without proper forey.

    He nned to give her several minutes of peace, focusing purely on pleasuring her ass first before ramping up the intensity.

    The best thing about this method was that it allowed them to appreciate each other''s touches without getting carried away, as they were slowly drifting towards oblivion.

    So without missing a beat, his tongue left her butt that was well supplied with his saliva, and instead, he inserted one of his fingers deep into her rear end.

    "Oooohhhhh", Hu Tao released a pleased sigh as he spread her asshole wider open, her internal muscles squeezing hard around his digit. "Nnnghhh��"

    He pushed his finger further into her ass, being careful not to overstep and identally push all the way through and making sure he reached past the rectal ring of muscle.

    A quick nce upwards showed him that he already had her trust, she stared at him with a look of serenity as though nothing could ever stop her.

    This helped encourage him to keep going and do everything he could to make her blissful as possible.

    Once he felt she was ready, he slowly inserted a second finger, hearing her gasp and rx as he slowly pulled out a little bit of flesh.

    But no matter how much she enjoyed it, he could tell that her small bowels could barely handle two fingers, which caused her tummy to wrinkle due to excess of pressure.

    She felt ufortable at first, but once he noticed the hints of satisfaction within her, he picked up speed again and did his utmost to push both his digits in as fast as he possibly could.

    His fingers got warm and slippery, her tight muscles rippling around his hands in response.

    She couldn''t help to unconsciously squeeze her butt, which further encouraged him. He was determined to show her what pleasure truly was.

    He kneaded her anus with firm fingers, simultaneously massaging the tight muscles of her inner thighs.

    At some point he found the cutest part about this; his soft digits rubbing the insides of her anus as it parted her muscles and entered deeper inside.

    It caused goosebumps to cover her skin.

    He couldn''t help but leave a little love bite between her delicate thighs, while he fondled her bumhole, coaxing her clit to build up a huge appetite for his eager lips.

    She sighed happily. "Hnn! Ahhhh��", and moaned softly, half her body lying t on the bed while her head was thrown back, exposing her neck to him.

    Her back arched as though seeking something and her whole body seemed to be liquid and blend into his finger, her hips swaying to match his motions with hers.

    At one point, Hu Tao even stopped breathing altogether, her whole body locking up as she silently focused on allowing him to enter her, making sure he didn''t see her expression as she tried her hardest to reach a state of bliss.

    When his two fingers finally hit bottom, he removed them, looking over her massaged entrance.

    "You need to be quieter, Fischl might wake up," Yomite mumbled but didn''t get a reply.

    He already felt scummy he was doing it with Hu Tao while his other lover was sleeping in the same room, but he would apologizeter.

    With a groaning sigh, Hu Tao suddenly lifted herself and pressed her butt hole against his erect penis that glistened from the droplets of her juice and his precum covering its tip.

    She couldn''t waste a second. She needed it now.

    "Push it in...please..." She begged softly.

    His eyes feasted upon every part of her gorgeous ass and thighs. Her scent beckoned him closer, awakening that dormant horniness within him that still lingered, pumping up his need.

    Hu Tao''s small pink tongue pressed against her bottom lip seductively. Now her face was much more sensual than usual, her expression was also softer and more open.

    Like a boxer who opened their gloves to expose themselves and draw in the crowd, Hu Tao stretched her hole as wide as possible, so that he could ce himself inside of her snug interior.

    Atst, he felt like there was enough room to sink his shaft deep into her warm wetness.

    With that thought in mind, he grabbed onto her hip with hisrge hand and rubbed his erection firmly over her opening with the other.

    His big manhood pulsated with anticipation as his red head breached the rim of her tight tunnel, until finally, his thick shaft slipped past the ring of muscle surrounding her anal ring.

    Before her abdomen rose even an inch up to amodate him, he was buried entirely within her.

    As if it was always meant to fit his massive size and perfection.

    In the throes of their mutual lust and the intensity of their arousal, they soon moved beyond the headboard, with him seated upon her smooth cheeks, his hands gliding along her sides and spreading them apart again and again.

    He gripped her hips tightly with one hand while using the other to pry her shut and thrust into her slowly.

    Their desire was written on their bodies; from the flush on her cheeks and the heaviness of her breathing, to the heat of her skin and how red her nipples became when his warm fingertips circled them.

    Their hearts raced wildly at every touch, eyes fluttering, muscles burning, teeth grinding, senses drowning in one another''s body.

    The love bites on their necks and shoulders stung, calling for the caress of skin against skin. They didn''t mind nor notice, but only sought their pleasure with urgency.

    Hu Tao was practically panting as she rolled her hips onto his member. Their rhythm was matching perfectly, their hips not stopping for a single moment.

    Anal sex feltpletely different from anything she had experienced so far.

    Every time he pushed inside her, she felt more air as though he was stretching out her back passage more. But that could also be attributed to his eagerness to enter her again.

    Hisrge penis would leave a mark on her walls when entering again.

    Anal was faster and stronger than anything she could remember, almost too much stimtion that she couldn''t handle anymore and needed him to prate her harder.

    Yomite drove into her faster, gripping her legs tightly in his embrace as if he wanted to hold on forever, while pushing his penis down harder into her delectable tiny entrance.

    It took all of his control not to rip apart her anal walls and use her tight passage as his personal fuck-tube. However, he wanted to prolong this wonderful feeling for as long as he could.

    Both were clinging onto each other, neither willing to let go, like a husband and wife embracing for eternity.

    There were no further instructions left to them, because their minds were saturated by emotions, no other feeling existed but one for them.

    They became a unit, pure and unfiltered. No words passed between them except a small grunt or a moan, because everything they said would fall short in describing their sheer ecstasy.

    Every time he thrust forward he felt the stretched ring of muscles slowly expand and mp down on him again, loosening up just enough to allow him deeper pration.

    Hisrge member filled her fully up to the tip, pushing his girthy tool deep and tight inside of her without a hint of pain or difort.

    Only happy murmurs came out of her mouth, expressing her delight. Yet her sounds were muffled and mostly drowned out by their sweat-soaked breathing.

    But eventually, Hu Tao grew tired of the silence and decided to bring forth a lot more volume into her world.

    Without a second to think, Yomite brought her leg up and ced it above his shoulder, lifting her slightly off the ground so he could push down into her once again.

    It was almost an involuntary movement, born out of necessity to appease the sensation that started building up inside of him, not wishing to cum yet.

    Their movements got slower, the pace less frantic as they fought to suppress their breathing and to keep quiet.

    The closeness of each other''s naked bodies created a silent bond between them and made them easily fall into a submissive state of existence, clinging onto each other as if they were caged.

    As if neither could stand the thought of being apart any longer.

    They wanted one thing; release.

    Eventually, they found their drive again and their breathing quickened up.

    With that being said, Hu Tao felt even more amazing than he did.

    The realization of such barbaric feeling, the realization that anal felt better than normal sex, the intensity sunk deep into her bones, sending shivers to run across her skin, her very core throbbing in need for this savage feeling, causing her cries to rise higher and faster, until she was sobbing out loud, urging him deeper into her tight hot passage.

    "Aaahn!" she cried loudly no longer caring anyone would overhear her.

    He didn''t stop for a second to force his meaty erection into her anus, even more, fucking into her clenching walls instead, ravishing her bowels with brutal strength and stamina.

    It sent sparks of pleasure dancing through her body.

    When she came, it was raw, pure, and lustful.

    With every movement he pushed himself further into her, he heard howling screamsing from her mouth.

    Theysted for hours together, taking each other slowly to eventually explode like they never would have imagined.

    The strong twitches of her small muscles along with the tenseness of her internal walls around his big member turned Hu Tao into a beast, overwhelming sensations washing over his body, thrumming through his veins like a wild river, until he was unable to move or speak, wanting nothing more but the sweet release.

    Her butthole felt so amazing that the sensation started sinking down his spine and expanded his ribs.

    He grunted softly against her back, mouth agape, sheathing himself in her perfect cavity until his hips no longer hovered, but continued plunging into her tight little passage, a string of saliva leaking down from the corners of his mouth.

    His chest expanded as he used both of his arms to grab onto her waist, squeezing her buttocks around him.

    With each pump of his massive organ, her insides trembled and squeezed tighter around his engorged penis.

    A small gush released from her bowels, sshing his thighs before dripping down to join the string of juice already running down his legs.

    Yomite was too busy to check whether it was her pee or something else.

    The erotic scent of her bodily fluids seemed to excite him further, however, his palm ttening on her hips, pinning her down so that her upper bodyy limp on the bed, whereas her lower body had yet to sumb to gravity.

    As Yomite''s pumping grew more frenzied, she couldn''t keep herself upright, and finally surrendered under his firm hold.

    She fell t on the mattress, breathing heavily as the strong tendons of her small muscles constricted around his enormous girth.

    Her entire being buzzed and hummed with every shove forward. It seemed like the act itself gave her deep satisfaction.

    She twisted her fingers in the bedsheets, ws scratching through the rough fabric and tearing it apart.

    His heart raced wildly at the high-pitched noises from her throat, shaking uncontrobly as soon as she came.

    The heavy aroma of sweat and sex filled his nose, his loins throbbed crazily, he even felt his heart begin to beat faster and faster, thumping hard against his rib cage.

    The rapid flow of blood and adrenaline in his veinsbined with the quick warmth within her confines caused a sharp pain to re up in his abdomen, an ache making him want to yell out.

    He tried to clench himself up to alleviate the growing difort, but the muscles around his hips refused to obey hismands.

    But it was only natural considering his penis remained deeply buried within her gut like it was never going toe out...

    No matter how hard he pulled out, her tightened muscles blocked his escape passage, holding him deep inside.

    Even though he hadn''t ejacted yet, he was about toe any second now.

    Any seconds felt too long to him. His length vibrated with each pulse of his heart, throbbing painfully at the inside of her hot tunnel.

    At the moment his sensitive ns grazed her tight buttocks, each stroke sent a shudder of pleasure into him, begging him to finish his seed in her bowels for a warm enclosure.

    The tightness he was experiencing gave his blood a new surge of vigor.

    He grasped her waist together, pressing his lips to hers and pulling her body closer to his, devouring her, swallowing everything he could.

    All he needed now was to let loose. All he wanted was to feel his sperm pour out into her warm walls.

    With every forceful thrust, he felt like he was breaking some kind of barrier in her innermost chambers, tearing open all those barriers and prating to the root of her soul.

    When she whimpered and sighed deeply, shuddering against his neck, he kissed her fiercely, nipping at her parted lips, his tongue seeking her own.

    She let out a happy sound, holding onto him as she gave herself up to his embrace, her hand roaming freely over his broad shoulder des and smooth back. They moaned softly, clinging to one another.

    Her warm walls tightened, swelling his manhood with intense pressure.

    A string of hot drool shot out of his mouth from the sheer pressure and ecstasy,nding onto Hu Tao''s back as he pounded into her from behind, then trickled down her plump rear, adding to the wetness, as if it was a nned lubricant, and then dropped off onto the bedsheets under them.

    As her tight butthole tried to adapt to such a monstrous intrusion, she arched her back, thrusting against him as she desperately sought to regain some relief.

    Her nails dug into the pillow and her toes curled under the weight of him and the pleasure he was currently pumping into her.

    She twisted her fingers in the bedsheets, ws scratching through the rough fabric, tearing it apart.

    She came hard. More than once. Even though she wished she wouldn''t feel it more from her butt...normal sex couldn''t evenpare.

    This rough sensation, filled with only lust and nothing else as two bodies pumped into each other for pleasure and pleasure only; this sensual act would never be forgotten, and she wondered how long it would take for her to experience this again.

    Hopefully not longer than a day...

    She thought to herself.

    The overwhelming pain she felt in the beginning quickly faded away when the other sexual sensations starteding.

    Yomite was no different...

    The smell of her sweaty skin, the sweat glistening on the soft inner walls of her butthole, mixing with the fresh scent of arousal, perfume, and her pee, growing stronger and richer as her walls opened up and received the contents of his quivering rod.

    The bubbling sounds were muted by the rhythmic pounding of his huge member and a sweet voice moaning, echoing through the room.

    With each powerful m of his tool into her, heat radiated outwards from his dense crotch.

    When he finally ejacted inside her anal opening, her muscles tightened violently around his cock, gripping it firmly while they rode through the waves of pleasure, the gushing cum spurted into her butthole and emitted spurt after spurt in the same motion.

    Just then, her anus contracted around him as she came for the eighth time that night, yet this one was louder than the ones before.

    This had been no ordinary orgasm, not to be taken lightly and not to be treated lightly.

    It made her pant hard for air, that feeling of pressure traveling through her butthole, chasing the violent pulsations that traveled to the ends of her spine, lifting her whole body high, making her wonder why Yomite hadn''t told her about this "Anal sex" sooner.

    The mind-blowing orgasm rushed over her entire body and sent her shuddering wildly.

    She screamed in joy, arching her body violently backward as her legs syed wide open, feet dangling in the air.

    Gripping the pillow hard beneath her chest, tears began streaming from her glowing red eyes.

    Her limbs turned into something gtinous and numb, unable to move or think straight anymore.

    Abination of the strangest mix of sensations pulsed out of her tightly bound buttcrack as soon as it opened up, engulfing her lower belly and leaving traces along the inner rim of her asshole.

    When his weight finally subsided and his final expulsion shot out, her legs remained standing wide open, her ass cheeks still quivering around the bullet-like head of his erection.

    His sack strained outwards in harmony with his manhood as he went limp.

    She gasped on one breath, while thest remnants of his semen dribbled and sttered down her thighs.

    She waspletely dirtied, yet loved every drop of his semen that shot forth, coating her insides with its steaming hot jizm. The mess covering the sheets grew thicker and thicker as more and more cum dribbled out of her butt.

    Every time the semen was flushed out, it met with the mix of dirty juice in her tight passageway, releasing the smell of woman''s arousal.

    A strange hum resonated throughout her entire frame.

    It wasn''t unpleasant nor did it repulse her. It was something unknown and scary...yet pleasing.

    As the pleasure finally subsided, her small yet still throbbing muscles around him rxed.

    Once the burning sensations went away and there was no trace of difort left, she pulled back gently, allowing him to pull his now limp penis out of her anus.

    She had thoroughly enjoyed the painful, yet the pleasurable sensation of being bent in half, impaled by arge member whose heat seemed capable of scorching the walls of her backdoor, getting herself to climax with such an overwhelming intensity and force that she lost track of what had happened to her earlier in the morning.

    She thought they were still in Yomite''s mansion!

    The thought about them being in Liyue hadn''t urred to her in the slightest.

    The whole experience felt like she had died and gone to heaven; or hell, whichever part felt this good...

    His cum now lubricated her intimate passage as her ass constricted itself in reflex to even the slightest bit of his touch.

    As soon as their groans diminished to bemoaning sounds, both of them fell on the bed lifelessly, at least they thought they did.

    Both were satisfied beyond belief, spent their energy, limbs weak and tiring but felt nothing short of blissful to the core of their soul.

    However, there was no rest for either of them afterward, barely stopping long enough to catch their breath.

    Sex just now felt so good that both of them wished to experience it again and again...

    Hu Tao slowly opened her eyes, watching how he brought his penis right there, in front of her mouth, lifting his glistening tip high enough for her totch her lips around.

    She gazed as his eyes lowered to meet hers. The two were so much in tune with each other now.

    One was mesmerized by its intense presence, another was enchanted by the strong will behind its owner''s expression.

    The sight made her feel lost in her own bliss.

    Lifting her head, her tongue suddenly licked up the thickness of his penis, past her lips, and up to her tongue.

    Various fluids coated his penis, caressing her tongue, adding a slight taste to the mixture of smells already filling her senses.

    A hint of something sweetbined with a dash of saltiness had touched her taste buds and led her to feel aroused once again.

    She swallowed hard, the thick organ filling the entirety of her throat.

    Just then, he cupped her chin, drawing her gaze up. Hunger and want gleamed in his eyes, which prompted her to swallow again, a slow bobbing motion up and down, almost gulping his hot member dry.

    This time, she didn''t stop, letting the rigid flesh slide down her gullet and her throat until it reached her navel.

    The way he looked at her aroused her in ways beyond measure.

    There was admiration and appreciation in his golden eyes, hunger and lust mingled in his face. His pupils shone in the darkness of the night, sharp and attentive as ifmanding her to serve him unconditionally.

    Somehow her dainty hands found themselves at his side, locking their fingers together as she tried not to choke on the huge length that left no space in between her mouth and her lungs.

    The thrill of having him in her mouth felt surreal, only intensified by the flush of arousal and desire in her heart.

    She swallowed repeatedly, gently caressing the shape of his manhood with her tongue, inhaling the masculine scent she associated with him.

    For a moment, the friction created by mouth caused Yomite to let out a low growl of surprise, though he barely managed to hold back from groaning.

    While sucking on him steadily, she rubbed her digits gently against his sensitive area.

    Just the slightest teasing strokes of her fingers caused him to twitch in need of satisfaction.

    Slowly, she moved to nuzzle her nose against his manhood, breathing deeply on the sweet, spicy musk emanating from it.

    The scent felt warm and soothing, calming down any tension lingering within her body.

    Her hand softly stroked the length of his hard member, carefully avoiding the sensitive head.

    Hu Tao inhaled his arousal as well as the lingering traces of his spunk. She could sense the difference, which was practically tangible.

    When she touched his testicles with her left hand, he tilted his hips towards her, giving her ess to his member while still retaining his control.

    The soft texture of his scrotum made her interested in finding out what its secret vor was.

    Without wasting time, she traced a finger over the rim of the testicle sack, feeling how its thick veins pulsed beneath her delicate touch.

    Then, her fingers ran across his slightly elongated nut.

    When she sensed its warmth, she knew that was where his semen gathered. The semen he was so eager to pump into her at all times.

    On impulse, she trailed a finger over it, searching for its essence.

    Her tongue wet her lips, sharp teeth scraping her gums, her senses finally sumbing to its scent.

    It didn''t smell anything special and yet, it was somehow familiar. Almostforting.

    Like a warm hug on a cold day, the soothing aroma washed over her mind and made her calmer.

    She closed her eyes, only remembering its slight sweetness, sighing in bliss.

    With the first whiff of it, she felt herself unravel as if waking up from a dream. There was a delectable vor, her tongue picking up the essence of sweat and male pheromones, and underneath all those odors there was a deep-seated familiar masculine fragrance, musky and intoxicating.

    She inhaled again, touching it and discovering multiple new sensations about it: its weight, its solidness, how easy it moved between her fingers, how fast it could escape her grip and how good it smelled. The more she sniffed it, the more she found herself yearning for more.

    After a few moments, she gave a long inhale and brought her tongue forward.

    With utmost care, she licked upwards, finding his sack to y with its milky-white orbs, which were hidden in folds of loose skin.

    The pads in her fingertips spread out across his baggy flesh, finding their way into the fissures, gently ying with them.

    At first, she tried to poke one of them with her finger, curious about the results, but she found out they were very squishy and cute, thus, the movement became all the more intriguing.

    Her hands moved up higher, with tender care, cupping the two sides of his sack above her while her mouth eagerly sucked away the leftover cum dripping from the crown of his manhood.

    Her touch explored his jewels in a slow rhythm, in ways no woman had touched him before. With that hint of awe, full of interest, as a curious cat, exploring her new toy.

    Men''s jewels were their pride. If something were to happen to them, their life as a male would be pretty much over, as they were no longer able to fulfill their role to reproduce.

    This was why, taking care of them was a must, and entrusting them to a woman meant that the man fully trusted her.

    His life was basically in Hu Tao''s hands right now.

    As if on instinct, her fingers trailed along the ridges on his skin, pressing here and there.

    She learned quickly how sensitive he was; every motion produced strong shivers down his member and built his sexual appetite.

    The reaction didn''t go unnoticed; when his pelvic muscles twitched, she would suck on the skin to prolong his pleasure.

    At the same time, using the trigger point as a signal for him to ejacte.

    As a reward, she''d tugged on his sacks, causing his nuts to harden in response, as she hungrily devoured the translucent liquid oozing from the base of his rod.

    After licking around his tip for a while his balls finally stiffened in arousal, his erection quivered as a result of being stimted too much and this set off his climax.

    Yomite was about to shoot his load all over her face, however, a pleasant surprise changed his goal the moment Hu Tao swiftly put his manhood to her opened mouth.

    A pleasant chill coursed through him as he filled up her mouth with his seed. After a moment, she started swallowing it, pumping it down her throat.

    Soon enough, she removed his member from her mouth, licking him clean of his ejaction, licking up the juices he exuded freely in abundance.

    He took her chin in his hands, forcing her to look at him.

    "Tao."

    His eyes shone with desire as he took a step closer to her, murmuring her name with endearing affection.

    She couldn''t contain her smile, feeling ted by his praise.

    It never ceased to make her heart beat faster, hearing him say her name.

    Every syble brought forth new tingles within her chest. It felt like an ocean of fire blossomed in her belly and suffused her whole body with warmth.

    Even the chills which came from his presence were a weing sensation.

    She simply wanted to bask in his light, soak in the memory of his heat. To remember every detail of their mating, no matter how small it seemed.

    This was why it was called the small pleasures. Moments such as these, where they could melt together in blissful closeness.

    He pecked her forehead, nuzzling her hair. "Thank you for tonight, I greatly enjoyed it, and hopefully you did too," he said quietly.

    His voice stirred inside her soul, filling her with profound feelings of love.

    This kind of affection she wasn''t able to experience for a long time until she met him.

    How wonderful, how perfect that they shared a simr view towards lovemaking.

    She lowered her eyshes, smiling coyly.

    The night was still far from over��

    **

    ***

    **

    Three or so hourster, they were done with the deed, took a shower, and returned to bed.

    They changed the sheets as luckily, there were spare ones in the reception.

    The moment both of them hit the pillow, Hu Tao was already falling asleep.

    The way her exposed little chest moved up and down with every breath; how the small, delicate hand would twitch when she caught herself from falling asleep.

    The sounds she made; quiet and soothing to him in the most intimate way, as she embraced him again, made him smile warmly and bury his face into her hair once more.

    His eyelids felt heavy, heavy enough to sink into the mattress and be lost. Yet he couldn''t quite let go, much less fall asleep yet.

    He wished he could just stay here forever, surrounded by her scent, as the warmth of her body radiated around him, feeding him a calming luby until he fell asleep.

    And eventually, he did.

    However, one thing was certain, and both of the lovers were aware of that��

    There was no way Fischl wasn''t awake after how loud they were��yet she didn''t move from her bed.

    With such hot flesh pressed against each other and hidden below the covers, their two breaths werebined, coupled by the harsh panting, shouts,ughter, and moans of their ecstasy.

    There was no doubt that Fischl was aware��

    But that was of no importance right now...

    The "Yomite of tomorrow" would deeply apologize��and would for sure make it up to her hundredfold��

 Chapter 155

    Lumine could feel something wasn''t right the instant the trio consisting of her, Paimon, and Iris walked into the main room of the inn.

    Luckily, none of the staff or guests seemed to be nearby, so it was a perfect ce to discuss how to move forward.

    Yomite seemed distracted, and while Lumine didn''t want to pry too much, she was interested in knowing what disturbed him enough to stare into the ground for a good while.

    Her pupils constricted as she stared at him for longer than she should have before speaking.

    "Party Leader? Is everything alright?"

    It wasn''t like him to worry so much.

    Something bad must have happened.

    "I have something to share with you," Yomite finally said, looking up at them from his spot on the couch.

    His voice wasn''t loud, but he made it clear that he was serious and that now was not the time for joking about.

    They all looked at each other in concern, unsure of how to interpret the situation at hand.

    It only took a moment for the group''s concern to be reced by curiosity, and their focus went back to their leader as they listened intently.

    "Paimon thinks this atmosphere is a bit... suffocating...could you quicken up the pace a little! Paimon''s yet to eat a breakfast!" Thest part was more shouted in frustration to satisfy her desire than anything else.

    A few seconds of silence passed before they heard Yomite let out an annoyed sigh, rubbing his forehead and getting ready to speak, "Fischl and Hu Tao already know this, as I''ve mentioned it to them during the night, but we might be in trouble..."

    ***

    **

    *

    *

    **

    ***

    "You''re saying an assassin... might eat Paimon!?" Paimon stared up at Yomite in horror.

    Her voice was as high pitched and incredulous as it normally was whenever she was shocked.

    "Kill, it''s kill, Paimon�� Then again, being eaten alive might actually be worse..."

    Yomite sighed and shook his head, "Don''t panic. That''s thest thing we want. Just��keep it in mind for now. It might not even happen."

    The future was not constant, after all.

    Lumine nodded at his words.

    It was still too early to draw any conclusions.

    They didn''t even hear his exnation of how he got information like this, but Lumine assumed it must have been some special ability of his.

    "Indeed, no need to worry! We have me, after all! I will protect us!" Hu Tao announced without shame, her long brown hair falling around her shoulders, as she sat down next to him and leaned her head onto his shoulder.

    "Ouch!" The moment she sat down, she rubbed her butt. The pain after yesterday''s exercise was still present. That wild ride.

    Hu Tao was dressed in a ck tank top and shorts with nothing underneath, which only added to her charm.

    She had no worries in the world, and assassins were the farthest thing from her thoughts; instead, she concentrated on painting her toenails ck as that was much more important at the moment.

    Somehow, after their night activities, Hu Tao ended up in her own bed, so Yomite sighed in relief that Fischl didn''t see them in bed together��but he was still sure she knew.

    (It was really scummy of me, I should control myself better. Hu Tao should also take Fischl into consideration more��)

    In any case, he ryed the disturbing information about the assassin to the rest of his party, making them vignt.

    At least, he thought they were��

    "Let''s go shopping! Paimon wants to eat some local sweets!"

    "Good idea. We can go to the hot springs afterwards, it''s been such a long time since I''ve been to one!"

    "I want food, Master��"

    (These guys��I just told them they might die. Are they just not scared at all!? Then again...they are all monsters and weirdos...jeez...)

    Heined in his mind with as much indifference as possible.

    He was already used to his party members'' outrageous behaviour and overall weirdness... But he couldn''t allow himself to get caught up in their pace.

    (I am normal. I am the only normal person here. Yes. I am still normal, and it will stay like this.)

    He reassured himself, albeit feeling that he was slowly changing as well...

    While he was contemting, Fischl sat next to him on the couch.

    Yomite now possessed a pretty flower on both of his sides.

    Fischl''s back was against the fluffy couch, with her legs spread out in front of her.

    She was ying with her earrings, which she got as a present on their date.

    Yomite''s eyes were strained to look at her face from time to time, as he yed with his own hands, nervously tapping them together as if he had something to say but couldn''t bring himself to speak up.

    He messed up yesterday, there was no doubt about it. He didn''t have enough self control to ignore a naked girl offering herself to him.

    He didn''t believe many men would be able to restrain themselves, but still, it was his fault.

    Hu Tao noticed something was going on, so she motioned to everyone, "Let''s go eat, everyone! I believe Assistant-kun has some sort of serious "discussion" to lead with Fishy-Fishy! So we shall not interrupt them at any point in time!"

    Upon hearing what she had to say, the group had different kinds of reactions...

    Lumine was red in the face and awkwardly shifted her gaze from Fischl to Yomite.

    Situation misunderstood. Objectiveplete.

    After the deathly silence, the only words heard in the room were:

    "Ew...Gross..."

    By Paimon, who also misunderstood the situation, thinking they were about to perform the "ritual of love".

    Objectiveplete.

    Iris didn''t understand the hidden implied meaning and instead, focused on the first part of the sentence only.

    (Food, Food, Food, Food...)

    Iris didn''t care. Objectiveplete.

    (Damn you, Hu Tao, couldn''t you have put it better? These people will get the wrong idea... but thank you...)

    Hu Tao''s brilliance had no limitations at times... Despite the fact that the manner she utilized to aplish her aim was a little... awkward...

    Still, she could tell that Yomite wanted to have a serious discussion with Fischl, even if he wasn''t himself sure what to discuss...

 Chapter 156

    As everyone left the inn, the two remaining party members returned to their room and sat opposite each other.

    The morning streets were rowdy enough for them to talk about a few things without worrying if someone was listening in on their conversation.

    "So��" Fischl started, "The fate has ordered us to some momentary tranquillity and seclusion."

    She put her finger up to the bridge of her nose as if she were pushing up invisible sses.

    "Yes...indeed..." Yomite nodded in agreement, "I just want to say that...yesterday... I-I...ehm..."

    Yomite had trouble finding words. He couldn''t recall ever having to apologize in this manner, which worried him because he didn''t know how to handle the matter correctly.

    He considered lying to her for a fraction of a second before dismissing the idea. He was a terrible liar, and she was going to find out.

    He didn''t enjoy lying in the first ce.

    While she might have had no idea what had transpired during the night, which was highly improbable based on their loud noises, she could definitely sense he was thinking about something and needed to get it off his chest.

    "Yesterday...Yesterday..."

    His throat was dry, he had never felt so guilty in his life before.

    Fischl gazed at him for a few seconds, eyes wide open.

    Then she slowly burst into the widest grin he''d ever seen since he''d known her, as it spread across her face like a sunrise, reaching all the way to her lips.

    "I know. I know. This Prinzessin is very well aware!"

    "...Huh? You knew?"

    Yomite could hardly believe what he was hearing. He was right. She knew. The young chuuni girl knew it all along.

    He had a feeling that since Hu Tao was so loud at times, Fischl could have overheard them doing the deed, but now that it was proven, he was perplexed as to why she didn''t simply stop them.

    "Yes, worry not. We signed a deadly "Cursed Pact" with Tao eons ago, and we reached apromise on several topics that, regrettably, you will never be aware of!" Fischl grinned once more.

    She looked delighted, and absolutely pleased with herself that she managed to fool him so well!

    The fact that he was about to confess and apologize made her smile widen even more. It meant that despite doing a mistake, he was afraid of losing her after all.

    That thought alone was encouraging and reassuring at the same time.

    But she also seemed quite thrilled with her sess. Which only increased his level of confusion.

    Was she actually that happy her little prank worked? Was she turning into a second Hu Tao, because she spent so much time with her?

    (Dear Venti, I hope not. I don''t think I''ll be able to deal with two Hu Tao''s...)

    Yomite was being fooled all this time. By both of them.

    "You gave my heart a few shocks...that''s for sure..."

    His heart almost stopped at times, he didn''t remember thest time he was this pressured about something...

    Handling real rtionships was...much harder than he thought...

    He was afraid that the people he loved would be hurt by his actions, simply because he never viewed rtionships like a normal average joe.

    So, when he was exposed to such a situation, it took some time for him toprehend everything that was happening, yet...

    In the end, he regretted what he did yesterday. In fact, he was thankful that the oue turned out better than anticipated.

    Seeing his baffled face, Fischl stood up from her bed and walked towards him, hugging his head.

    Her grin held steady as he did the same, returning the hug.

    For a moment, the two remained in that posture, gripping one another tightly.

    After a few seconds, he peered into her green eye that wasn''t covered by a chuuni eyepatch before she leaned forward, her mouth pressed against his, their lips moving in unison.

    The kiss was delicate and tender, as if two lovers were finally reunited after a long time apart, even though they clearly kissed, yesterday and were together at all times.

    "Thou takest everything too somberly. Alleviate a little. Mondstadt ist the country of liberty. Even myte grandfather hadt seven mistresses. Such matters should not be of any importance to us whatsoever. We wish only of one thing, that you keep being with us."

    She was correct.

    Perhaps he was simply too scared of everythingtely.

    The assassin, his shifting rtionships, the unknown world, and the uncertain future.

    Perhaps the secret was to unwind. To be as free as the wind itself.

    (She is right...Maybe, just breezing through this world without any worries would be a far better feeling.)

    Just then, as if under some sort of spell, a series of sentences appeared inside Yomite''s mind. The words weren''ting from anywhere, there was no origin. He had no idea where they came from, but they were undeniably a part of his consciousness.

    (Freedom is the spirit of the Land of the Wind. The freedom to live is one of such. It is the freedom to live freely and healthily without concerns of one''s own safety.)

    (Freedom is the spirit of the Land of the Wind. The freedom of travel is one of such. It is the freedom to traverse thend freely without being obstructed.)

    (Freedom is the spirit of the city of wind. To sing is one such freedom. To sing on thend created by the Anemo Archon is to send your heart away with the song on the wind.)

    (Happiness and freedome the way the wind blows. With the change of the wind,es the true essence of direction, and yet, freedom shall never fade, till the winds blow.)

    They were clear and concise, perfectly understandable, yet utterly foreign, as if something familiar and unrecognizable had been crammed inside his brain.

    Yomite was momentarily taken aback by the weird words. He pulled away from the kiss to gather his thoughts.

    A voice of an unknown person just rang inside of his head. If that wasn''t creepy enough, he didn''t know what was...

    "Is something the matter?"

    Fischl looked concerned and even a bit afraid he wasn''t satisfied with her kisses. She hadn''t kissed anyone other than him before, so she didn''t have any experience regarding that, and her insecurities about herself didn''t help her either.

    "No, no. It''s fine, I just...thought I heard a mosquito, is all. No worries."

    Saying that, he pulled her and she sat on hisp.

    He was interested in that voice, but right now, he was busy.

    They found each other''s lips and explored them thoroughly before finally opening their mouths. Their tongues danced around one another as the couple took in all the sensations that were happening between them.

    The two kissed, their hands roaming around one another. They broke apart for air and looked into each other''s eyes as their lips connected again. This time more passionately than before, as if each of them needed the other as much as they wanted to feel alive.

    Unperceived by the two of them, who shared this short peaceful moment of intimacy together, an amulet with a bright green orb-shaped gem and tri-feathered wings materialized inside of Yomite''s coin pouch...

 Chapter 157

    Not a smut chapter even if it may look like so...

    ***

    After indulging in their passionate embrace, everything seemed to go smoothly.

    And yet, it all fell apart way too quickly as Fischl was too embarrassed to continue after turning beet crimson. "I-I suppose it''s time for us to depart...and join ourpanions to venture out, towards the stars unlimited!" she coughed violently.

    While her loud gasp echoed harshly in Yomite''s ears, afortable sensation tingled up in his lower region. "Fischl, maybe we could do something else instead..." He grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently as she looked at him with wide eyes.

    Yomite was unable to think of anything else but what he had wanted to do so long ago.

    So, without hesitation, he wrapped both arms around Fischl''s neck and pulled her in close to bury his face into her warm chest.

    "H-hu--!??" She gasped loudly and struggled weakly against his strong hold.

    But it didn''t take long for her movements to bepletely paralyzed as he lifted his head from her modest chest and brought it towards her mouth, his lips found hers with full intensity, softly rubbing against them before wrapping his tongue within.

    "A-ah��! W-wait, wait! H-how much longer?" she questioned hastily, her voice only half able to make itself heard over the heavy pounding of her heart.

    The way he kissed her like this, it wasn''t fair how tenderly he explored her mouth, possessing it withplete delicacy, as if he was merely ying or iming ownership over her body and soul.

    It wasn''t fair how it made her feel so fluttery and lightheaded. The way he''d tried to kiss her earlier just couldn''tpare to this!

    It felt just right, almost as if she were being adored or coddled. So nice, so sweet and tender that even though she felt slightly dizzy and short of breath, there was no fear at all on her part that it might end abruptly.

    This was way more satisfying somehow; it was like an epiphany that there were still many things left unexplored between the two of them.

    If they could keep doing this kind of thing, perhaps he wouldn''t grow tired of her mouth. And perhaps she would start longing to have his touch on her skin, too...

    At first, it made her shiver faintly while feeling her insides heat up and flutter with pleasurable sensations that she couldn''t control.

    But then, somehow it sent those exciting thrills rushing through her again as she trembled, imagining what it would be like if they continued this for even longer.

    It would be divine; their voices would be louder, more forceful and excited, until it escted and became heated and passionate.

    The urgency of their actions would gradually increase, until it peaked to the point where their lust for each other spilled out and swept away everything else, thus bing one overwhelming moment of absolute euphoria!

    At least, that''s what she read about in the books Lisa lent her...

    However...

    She wasn''t strong enough to continue this...

    "T-there�� I-it can''tst much longer��" She whispered softly when their mouths separated after another intense kissing session.

    Thinking it was over, Fischl sighed in relief, but she was wrong.

    Yomite brought his free arm around her waist, and it slowly slid down to encircle her lovely hips, guiding his hands towards her perfectly smooth behind, barely resisting the urge to press forward and slip his middle finger within her hot velvet folds.

    Fischl turned redder than blood now, squirming as her breath quickened to the point where it would be hard to hear clearly any longer.

    He was so gentle and careful, touching her softly and thoroughly exploring every inch of her beautiful bubble butt.

    There wasn''t anything rough about it at all...but even so, Fischl''s breathing still got shaky after every time he lightly rippled her silky flesh, leaving goosebumps all over her skin...making her shudder and shake slightly as he fondled her ass more roughly

    However, his advances didn''t stop there either, as his grip around her gorgeous form tightened once more.

    Fischl''s butt was divine, with its supple skin and firm muscles, such a tantalizing sight that left his fingers craving to slide inside her luscious curves.

    Her muscles steadily tightened and tightened until her bottom practically shook under his expert maneuvers, earning gushing moans of pleasure from her mouth which she buried deeper into Yomite''s chest, her lips clinging onto his shirt desperately as a string of saliva dripped onto his torso.

    Fischl groaned helplessly when Yomite pressed his palm t against her cheeks, groping them once more.

    Her cute cries filled the room in a muffled manner.

    Supporting her backside, he brought their bodies closer together until they were wrapped around one another.

    "T-This Prinzessin w-w-will get angry, if y-you continue..." she whispered faintly when it became apparent that Yomite would not stop any time soon.

    Judging by the hazy look in her eyes, Yomite understood that this action of his had finally taken her breath away.

    Her legs buckled beneath her, making herpletely rely on him to hold her up.

    Yomite stroked her hair tenderly and guided her body closer, allowing himself to be enveloped by her tight hug.

    "Fischl...I want to make love to you...I promise I will make up for what I did yesterday..." His words almost ripped her own mind and voice away from her.

    Once she understood the meaning behind his words and saw his actions full of want desire, she felt like a rabbit perishing in the spotlight of a predator.

    A thousand wild thoughts shed across her mind and got chased by the same words that echoed from within her consciousness.

    (W-w-what is he doing!?? I-I''m not ready!)

    "A-a-aa...l-lter!!" She stuttered before breaking from his hold and running off, shaking like a leaf while wiggling her legs as she tried to regain herposure.

    Her cheeks were redder than ripe tomatoes, making escape towards the door.

    Yomite could do nothing but watch her rush her way out of the room with a flustered face.

    (I guess it was too much...)

    Although they were both caught up in the heat of the moment, he didn''t want to pressure her.

    However, he couldn''t hide the fact that he was deeply interested in her, and wanted to repay her for not giving her his affection yesterday.

    In any case, they''ll probably have a lot more time to "talk" during their Liyue trip in the next couple of days...

    He groaned internally and reached for his bag full of Mora, unaware that a surprise awaited him inside.

    ***

    As she escaped the room, Fischl leaned against the door, panting for breath.

    (No! That was our chance! Why did you have to ruin it!)

    (I was embarrassed! And scared! He waspletely serious about it too! Which makes me incredible happy, but I''m still scared!)

    (I know! You dummy! Which is why, we should have grabbed the chance to fly over the Immernachtreich together and experience Zen! Yet you blew it! D-Didn''t you...hear them... yesterday...)

    (I-I-I did...it must have been... amazing...)

    (...Then what are you scared of!?)

    (S-Stop shouting at me! I know my faults! You heathen!)

    Fischl''s inner mind had devided into two sides, shing with each other.

    One side screamed out in disappointment that their goal could have been attained, whereas the other had grown defensive, scared of the whole process.

    It felt as if she were caught in a battle between two wills with a hint of confusion in her head.

    It was almost as if two personalities resided within her.

    Fischl and Amy.

    Fiction and reality.

    She was seriously starting to think whether she was crazy to argue with herself...

 Chapter 158

    Fifteen minutes earlier before Fischl ran away from Yomite...

    "Phew...Paimon''s exhausted." She puffed her petite chest out and straightened her night-blue cape flecked with stars as she took a moment to massage her small arms. "We sure could have used at least two more hours of sleep��"

    "Just what muscle does magical floating use exactly? Howe you are tired when you are flying?"

    Lumine asked the little fairy who had been floating around her and trying to keep her bnce from time to time.

    Paimon looked at her like she was mad before answering, "So insensitive! You have no idea just how tiring floating around is!"

    Lumine giggled and saddled Paimon around her neck. "There, there. You''ve worked hard."

    Her hands smoothed over the soft material of Paimon''s jumper, running them over the rose-gold embroidery attached to it. Lumine hadn''t actually felt very tired, but now that she put Paimon''s warm weight against her own certainly made her feel sleepy all the same

    "Yo-You! Are treating Paimon like a child again!"

    Much to the protest of Paimon, the group moved along at a swift pace and soon arrived at a restaurant.

    "I''m hungry." The dragon girl looked at the sign hanging above the doorway. It had a symbol of a giant steak.

    "It looks delicious."

    "No wait, Iris, that''s not food!" Tiredness washed over her brows as Lumine gazed at Iris helplessly. The dragon girl tore apart the sign above the door and chewed on it.

    (I will have to...pay for that...)

    Lumine was starting to piece together how Yomite felt when he looked over them.

    Both of them agreed that if the timees when he won''t be around, she would take charge as the most responsible person in their party.

    But controlling these individuals was no easy task.

    "Okie Dokie! Let''s go eat! Wait...Who is paying? This Honorary Director is currently broke..."

    Ever since Yomite and Lumine were branded as Honorary Knights, Hu Tao started adding "Honorary" in front of her title as well because she felt it sounded cool.

    "Usually it''s the party leader that pays... but now that he isn''t here... I can fit th��..."

    Luckily, Lumine managed to stop herself.

    A picture appeared in her mind, a clear picture of what would happen the moment those words left her mouth.

    (... Iris... I can''t afford to be the one who has to pay...)

    She knew very well the dangers of footing the bill when Iris was around, and it wasn''t a pretty sight... Every time, she despaired at the sheer amount of Mora Yomite had to dish out when they went out to eat.

    (She eats way too much...I might not have enough Mora...)

    She acknowledged that she and Paimon were both gluttons, but not to the extent that Iris was...

    As she walked slowly, Lumine''s thoughts began repeating themselves, narrowly ignoring herpanions'' expectant nces that seemed to be screaming, (Will you pay for the food? You will, right? You will, right?)

    "Hey girlie, you seem troubled over there."

    Lumine jumped slightly, startled by the sudden intrusion into her thoughts, snapping her out of her trance.

    "Who are you?"

    She looked up in surprise as a young, tall man with messy ginger hair stood in front of her.

    His eyes were dull blue, making him appear lifeless as he looked at her curiously.

    She blinked, surprised by the fact that she didn''t even see where he came from or how he ended up in front of her. She did however, take notice of something akin to a blur appearing in front of her, but she thought it was just her eyes ying tricks on her.

    "Ah, a cute girlie asks my name the moment we meet, how fortunate I am! Call me Childe."

    Lumine looked at him with narrowed eyes, her expression not changing one bit. "Childe?"

    "Yep! That''s me!" He grinned cheerfully.

    Was that his true name? Didn''t seem like it. He seemed way too suspicious.

    Lumine was on guard, but Paimon simplymented without shame.

    "A Child? So, we are supposed to dote on you? You don''t seem like a child to Paimon...Lumine, Paimon thinks this man is a weirdo..."

    "Haha, no no, not at all. It''s an alias of sorts...In any case, you guys seem hungry, why don''t youe with me? I will pay for your lunch." He nodded enthusiastically towards Lumine, drawing her attention back onto himself.

    "What''s in it for you..."

    Lumine didnt like his smile and scrunched up her nose. There was no sincerity in his eyes or words whatsoever, only cunning curiosity as if his request was nothing more than a simple method to get them to enter the establishment.

    But for what?

    (Party Leader mentioned we should be wary of an assassin of some sort...could it be...)

    They needed to stay vignt against him.

    Childe smirked and opened his lips, yet closed them quickly. He chuckled to himself, wondering if he should exin or not. "Smart girl, no worries, I just want to ask a few questions, nothing suspicious at all!" He grinned cheekily and nodded towards the restaurant. "My treat!"

    Lumine looked alternatively between Childe and her friends, confusion written on her features. The mention of being treated for free made her extremely apprehensive, especiallly since Iris was with them, but seeing her gaze linger on Hu Tao, who was staring at Childe with a frown caused her to bite her lip.

    Did she know this man who introduced himself as Childe?

    She didn''t have to guess for long, as immediately, Hu Tao confirmed her guess.

    Most people of Liyue knew about him, yet Hu Tao was more than familiar with him.

    He was a pure warrior with an insatiable lust for battle.

    Each bloody conflict, each life-and-death struggle was like a delightful trial for him. He was aplete maniac.

    People said that the young Childe was famed throughout thend for his battle prowess, and while that was true, many didn''t know about his true sadistic nature.

 Chapter 159

    "If it isn''t Childe, the Fatui Harbinger. What sort of misfortune do you have in store for us? Why did you show up?"

    Hu Tao murmured disapprovingly as she stepped forward. It seemed Childe knew about her true identity as well, as heughed heartily. "Aw, don''t be like that. I didn''t think I would see you here. How is Mr. Zhongli? I haven''t been in touchtely."

    The frown on her face did not ease in the slightest.

    Childe continued, oblivious to the hostility he brought upon himself with every word. "Why are you looking so grim? Did Mr. Zhongli leave the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor just like everyone else did? Whoops, my bad! It was a slip! A slip of tongue." His lips curved into a grin and he winked mischievously at the irritated Hu Tao

    Without warning, she snapped her head towards Childe with a grin. "Why should you be allowed to walk freely anywhere you wish when you''re a Fatui, is what I''m wondering about~"

    Childe looked pensive as if he was mulling something over. He then shifted his weight ufortably from one foot to another and chuckled, suddenly showing his childishness once more, an endearing trait of his.

    "Perhaps you forgot, but Fatui run deep within the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor~ So if you don''t wish to have your only home demolished, I would stay quiet!"

    "Eek!? The Fatui?" Paimon shrieked with terror, snapping her head around quickly to get a glimpse of the tall figure standing in front of them.

    The Fatui werr known by everyone as an overpowering military force in terms of power and numbers, making it the strongest of all the seven nations.

    They were widely feared and despised by all other nations due to their deceitful and conniving reputation.

    Theirrge organization was mostlyposed ofbatants and mercenaries, rather than simply bureaucrats, politicians, and merchants for an organization who proudly called themselves "diplomats."

    Hailing from the frozennds of Snezhnaya, the Fatui were publicly seen as a political department of the nation that represented the "goodwill" of the Tsaritsa, their ruler, and managed to spread into foreign affairs with all six other nations, often using economic means and fair trade movements to first engage with other governments in order to safely insert their influence inside of the nation''s center of power and then strike from the inside, like they did in Mondstadt.

    If they were to get the full control of Mondstadt back then, the Fatui would without a doubt, cease being the once-friendly and diplomatic organization, and would turn to using corrupt and violent means to get what they wanted, putting abusive taxes and inhuman demands that naturally would always cost the lives of civilians in the process.

    Despite their public fa?ade of a benevolent group that seemed to engage with merchants and politicians with friendly proposals, their notoriety became known the moment the truth about them spread around from Mondstadt. Yet by doing so, Mondstadt turned into their primary target of elimination.

    Thankfully, this made it so that the Fatui could no longer keep their true colors from the people showing, and were now widely viewed as a threat to all nations, which could help save Mondstadt in the long run. If a war was to take ce between Snezhnaya and Mondstadt, two other countries agreed to lend their help.

    Now, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was a business based in Liyue Harbor. Along with burying the dead, they also performed funeral rites for Adepti and dealings with Fatui, which was only rumored.

    From what Childe mentioned, however, it appeared to be true.

    Even with this reassurance, Childe could not remove her dark re and bitter tone. And so he took to another tack. "I''m a messenger, with a certain goal in mind. Not to mention, I''m filthy rich! There is no reason for the Millelith to arrest me."

    He smirked confidently as he leaned against the restaurant wall, all eyes fixed on him.

    "Now, where is Mr. Zhongli? I feel rather rxed in his presence. I need to say hi to him after so long."

    She grit her teeth, unable to contain her anger any longer. "So callous of you. Zhongli probably wishes to bury himself alive upon learning that your presence is back in Liyue."

    "Eh? I thought we were getting along though..." Childe pretended to be shocked. Then he sighed deeply. "No matter, it doesn''t seem like you have any idea where he is, so I might as well search for him myselfter."

    At this point, Lumine still hadn''t addressed the question about the restaurant. Was it right for her to remain silent? Perhaps she should say something? Were those two about to fight here?

    But no matter how much she struggled, she was unable to force herself to speak.

    "So, cute blond girlie, are you going to answer my earlier question or not?" Childe turned to look at her, startling her out of her thoughts.

    He gave her an encouraging smile. "Come on! Don''t worry. I''ve heard the cries of helping from this little flying��thing��I''ll happily pay for all of you."

    "Paimon''s not a thing! Paimon is Paimon! This sounds way too suspicious to Paimon! We are not...*Growl*...going..."

    In the middle of her speech, Paimon''s stomach growled in response. She huffed indignantly and red at the man in front of her, yet the re only made her more cute.

    To Hu Tao''s chagrin, despite knowing exactly where Mr. Zhongli was, she could not help but refrain from uttering a single word in reply. She merely stared at him, unimpressed by his words and actions.

    Even so, her cold demeanor softened somewhat when she heard the mumblings of hungering from her party members.

    Lumine, Paimon, and Iris were starving, and while Hu Tao could easily survive without eating for two whole weeks, she was used to eating regrly ever since joining Yomite''s party.

    That might have made a change in her diet and also the reason why she was currently feeling hungry.

    (Well, if the Harbinger is willing to pay...then we might as well scam him!) She shed a cutesy smile at Childe. "Yes, let''s go inside then~"

    Childe smiled, seemingly seeing through her intentions, and headed inside.

    The girls huddled close together, reaching an agreement of course, and followed him.

 Chapter 160

    As soon as they walked through the door, the warmth of a warming tea cab and the smell of meat hit their faces.

    Looking around, they saw that the waitress had already taken their orders for them, which meant that Childe instinctively knew they would agree beforehand which already made him out to be cunning and calctive.

    They got to sit at a corner table that was out of the public''s reach and let Childe talk without interruption.

    With the sh of a smile, Childe threw a coin pouch to the waitress, his posture bing more assertive than before, as he nced back at Lumine and winked

    Lumine gave him a puzzled look

    (What does he mean by that wink? Is that some sort of encoded message?)

    The poor girl had no idea that Childe was openly flirting with her.

    (Does he have something in his eye? Or maybe he has some sort of eye tick?)

    This misunderstanding came to be, simply because he winked repeatedly and gesticted towards her to convey his meaning, yet she had no idea how flirting even worked so that failed miserably.

    After giving money to the waitress, he turned back to the girls and faced them head-on.

    Childe scanned over the girls as if he wanted to check each one individually. His gaze lingered on Paimon, watching her fidget and hide behind Lumine. He wondered what kind of race she was from. Her appearance stood out despite being so small, and those essories she wore...

    (She doesn''t seem to bebat efficient, and yet...what is this strange feeling i''m getting...)

    Then he scrutinized Hu Tao, squinting slightly.

    She was fairly cute and smaller in stature, which reminded Childe of a dog he used to feed when he was still in his hometown.

    But her temper and weirdness were aplete turn-off. She was just in annoying, her immature personality waspletely unnecessary and all of her character traits were just in wrong.

    (Disappointing. Her strength is only so-so, I can take care of her.)

    As he moved his gaze, he widened his eyes at Iris.

    A beauty truly worthy of marriage.

    Her appearance was perfect. Her curvesplimented her slender figure with ample bosom nicely, making every man drool in his seat, her hair contrasted with the white of her skin perfectly. The symmetry of her body perfectly matched the youthful yet mature look every man would only dream of and yet, there was a fierce determination lurking in her slit-like orbs that hinted at strong willpower and capable fighting prowess. It almost felt as if she was going to devour anything that stood in her path.

    Not to mention the tworge horns that protruded from the top of her head, making for a fearsome sight indeed.

    (Was she here this entire time? Who is this? Howe I didn''t even notice someone like that was in the Traveler''s group?) Looking over at her horns, he concluded, (Is she perhaps, an Adeptus?)

    Childe was quite sure about his guess. It would also exin why he didn''t notice her presence at all up till now.

    (Magical beings have the ability to cast a spell that makes them very well hidden from the rest of the popce. If this is indeed an Adeptus, then the n might be foiled prematurely...oh well, who cares.)

    Iris was the least affected by his gaze and simply didn''t care about what he had to say at all. All she was waiting for at the moment, was food.

    (I will have to look into herter.) Childe mused as he lifted a tea cup to his lips.

    Finally, his gaze drifted towards the girl that piqued his interest from the very beginning.

    A woman that led her party to defeat Stormterror, the fearsome dragon. In the whole Fatui organization, there was only one person that managed to defeat a dragon, moreover, he fought it alone.

    This woman had the potential to grow like "that person", she had the potential to grow into something that might endanger the future of Fatui and their goals, therefore, there were two options to take.

    First, he would eliminate her, and her party members afterward. It should be a walk in the park. The only strong members would be Hu Tao and that Adeptus but even a godlike being can fall.

    Second, he would bring her to their side by a nice "bait" in a form of an offer...

    "As you''ve guessed correctly, I am here to gather intel. To see whether the famous Traveler girlie is any threat to us, the Fatui." Childe informed the girls, grinning widely, "So let us begin. Traveler. I want you to join Fatui."

    Lumine blinked, "Fatui?"

    Childe nodded.

    "No! Lumine is not joining Fathui!" Paimon protested while ring at Childe furiously. "Paimon won''t allow it!"

    Childe gave Paimon a t stare, "It''s Fatui, not Fathui...in any case, you have no say in the matter, piss off before I clog you."

    His sudden proposal did not make much sense to Lumine.

    (Why would he want me to join an organization like Fatui? What do they gain from it?)

    From what Lumine knew, Fatui were known as the bad guys. Pretty much an equal to an evil organization that tried to upy Mondstadt and lurked behind shadows. She would never join. They should be aware of this.

    "Oh! Oh! I forgot to mention...We know the whereabouts of your...precious brother," Childe added as an exnation with a sinister smile.

    He saw no point in hiding his intentions.

    Letting her know that by joining, she would gain valuable info.

 Chapter 161

    "You...You know where my brother is!?" Lumine asked incredulously, eyes wide and lips parted, obviously stunned by the unexpected information. The look on her face was all sorts of emotional-mixed with hope, excitement, and even a bit of fear in how to deal with this information. A very unbncedbination that had Childe just about holding back a snort.

    "Yes, we were deeply moved by your conviction to find your dearest brother by the use of posters and other things, that we expended all of our resources, just to locate him for you. If you join the Fatui, we will tell you where to find him."

    But for her, that was enough. It was enough. It was time to take action.

    Before anyone else could react, Lumine lunged forward, grabbing onto his wrist in midair. With one swift motion, she pulled a sword from her inventory and brought it towards his neck. "Speak! Where is he!?" She demanded, an angry whine slipping through her voice.

    A hush fell over everyone in the room, which didn''tst long.

    "Woah, Girlie, rx!"

    For someone so pretty, Childe had to admit her expression looked extremely terrifying.

    The way the girl''s face contorted, from anger to trying to hold back her tears, it looked like she couldn''t help herself and started crying out of rage instead. Just the single thought of her brother made her explode like this.

    Her brother was on her mind from morning to midnight. The only family that remained in her life. And now she knew he was still alive, which prompted her to act out immediately.

    She always hoped he was alive, somewhere out there. Although she knew in reality that chances were slim, she needed to hope anyway. No matter how hard the life in Teyvat was before meeting Yomite, she swore to herself she wouldn''t die and won''t let go until she met her brother again.

    Looking up at the girl, Childe shook his head, a slight hint of unexpected pity appeared in his eyes. He thought that this girl was bound to have some serious inner turmoil if she wouldsh out at the first person that talked about her missing brother.

    Noticing her desperate gaze to find her sibling, it somehow made him feel guilty as he remembered his own siblings back home.

    "...I am not allowed to talk about him. I can only tell you he is alive and well. Her Royal Highness, the Tsaritsa, who controls the Fatui is a gentle soul, I am sure once you agree to join the Fatui, she would dly help you out and let you meet him."

    "Don''t lie to me!" Lumine yelled, eyes aze and bloodshot from crying. "Do you have any idea how much heartache I have already gone through? You can''t possibly understand the desperation that still dwells within me from the moment we separated! Why do there have to be any sort of discussion for some stupid deal! Just tell me his location! I want my brother back!" She cried bitterly, and with those words, the de came closer, getting a bit too close for hisfort.

    Helplessness and hopelessness were spreading inside of Lumine''s chest. She wanted him to answer her right away, or rather, speak about her brother without hesitating.

    "Lumine..." Paimon put her tiny hands-on Lumine''s shoulder as if to prevent her from taking further action she might regretter, yet she pushed the little fairy away with her elbow and held onto the sword even tighter.

    Childe knew from experience, someone like Lumine wouldn''t kill him either way. She needed information and as long as he had that, he waspletely safe. Besides, she was a hero. Heroes wouldn''t act like this.

    "Lumine...you need to stop. I know very well how it feels to part with family, calm down. Childe already told you your brother was alive and well, let that give you a momentary peace of mind." Another familiar voice of her friend said quietly behind her.

    It was Hu Tao, seemingly trying to be more careful than Paimon, but also somewhat concerned and fearful for her friend''s state of mind.

    Childe noted that Hu Tao was making the effort to resolve the situation, which seemed absurd to him. She acted like apletely different person than the one he was familiar with.

    (That loner from the Funeral Parlor is actingpassionate? That girl? Since when?) He mused internally, although he couldn''t see anything in her facial expressions and behaviour that indicated he was wrong.

    This sudden change in mood, this empathy, this kindness for people, it must''ve been caused by something drastic. But what was it?

    Of course, Hu Tao used to be a loner and didn''t really talk with anyone for a prolonged amount of time before meeting Yomite and other than a few exceptions, no one even stumbled upon her willingly.

    That was precisely why, the connections she shared with her current party members were much deeper than anything she experienced before this point, and she wanted to protect them.

    "All that matters is that he is alive and well, if Childe doesn''t want to tell us anything, then we will simply have to find him ourselves!" Hu Tao smiled brightly, still clearly being sincere and caring about her friend''s state of mind.

    Only after Hu Tao said that, did Lumine realize that all of her friends were looking at her in worry. Even Iris who was usually just disregarding everything around her, seemed eager to do something when someone they cared about went through a rough situation.

    Childe watched Lumine study him for a second before finally lowering her gaze and sighing.

    Worried stares floated across her gaze, "...I''m...sorry." She whispered, sping her hand over her heart.

    She removed the sword from Childe''s neck and sat back down on her seat, putting the sword away back to her inventory.

 Chapter 162

    At this point, an awkward silence settled upon all of them, all of their gazes lingering between Childe and Lumine, having nothing else to say to one another.

    Childe, whose neck was almost cut off just now simplyughed.

    He trusted in his abilities, so if Lumine did try to kill him which was still very unlikely, he was confident enough he could easily beat her at her own game before she could do anything.

    Still, he was quite curious about how strong she really was. He would love to fight her. Her strength and speed surprised him a bit, not to mention, that curious power...

    (She pulled her sword out of thin air...and sheated it back to some ce unknown...she doesn''t possess a Vision, and yet her abilities are this powerful. Intriguing. Is it perhaps...the power of the Abyss?)

    All of these thoughts and observations just flickered through his head while watching Lumine. She was interestingto him before, but now, she was somehow bing even more so.

    Seeing that Lumine was still kind of feeling down, Hu Tao stood up from her seat and walked towards her all the while smiling sweetly.

    "...Eh...What are you..."

    Hu Tao ignored Lumine''s sound of bewilderment that escaped her lips and lowered her hand on Lumine''s head, stroking her blond hair lightly with the fingers of her right hand.

    Lumine blinked a couple times, surprised by the sudden attention Hu Tao was giving to her.

    "Assistant-kun likes to do this to me all the time. It feels strangelyforting. You know how he is! He will definitely help you find your brother, and we will too!" There was arge smile in her small features, as if she was talking to a child.

    "...Umu."

    The corners of Lumine''s mouth slightly raised at the thought of Yomite, who was like a pir of support to her ever since she met him.

    In fact, it was only thanks to him she was able to put up posters to search for his brother, it was only thanks to him she no longer had to eat burned stuff and mushrooms from the forest for breakfast, it was only thanks to him she had a ce she belonged now. And many other things. There were simply way too many to count.

    Hepletely altered the course of her life in Teyvat.

    If it was him, then she felt it was possible.

    Ater knowing him for so long, there wasn''t much doubt about the fondness that appeared in her voice whenever she talked about him with Paimon, almost as if she was emotionally attached to him already.

    She never thought she would be able to feel like this to someone of the opposite gender in such a short period of time knowing him.

    Lumine was old, and by old, her age probably exceeded most beings of Teyvat, yet she never seemed like she''s matured at all.

    In reality, her looks remained the same; as if she was stuck in the same body ever since turning seventeen. She couldn''t grow old and her body didn''t change one bit in the thousands of years.

    Frankly, her body was...pretty well endowed... if she said so herself, but her face looked like that of a teenager, and people of Mondstadt didn''t even allow her to drink wine, thinking she was just a kid wet behind her ears.

    Nevertheless, she was very well aware that one day, she would eventually be the only one left standing from this party, as human lifespan was limited, which meant everyone she knew would leave this world and disappear from existence.

    Yet she wanted to treasure these moments as long as she could, while searching for her brother, who was another one bearing the curse of being unable to grow old.

    The fact that Fischl and Hu Tao found someone they loved so quickly into their short mortal lives, made her...quite jealous?

    Envious? Or perhaps, bitter?

    She wasn''t sure yet. She simply ignored the concept of romance and rtionship altogether, as no one would be able to live as long as her, so what was the point of starting one anyway?

    Yomite.

    The pir of her support.

    The man she trusted without hesitation, yet at the same time was always helping and looking out for her.

    The man who not only helped her solve problems, but also made every difficult scenario lessplicated.

    The man who let her know it was okay for her to cry sometimes, that she needed that outlet to release the pressure of overwhelming fear, anxiety, and pain within her that she felt most of the time...

    The man who was...who was...

    (...)

    Although they were simr in some aspects, they were far different in others.

    While she tended to be subtle and shy in her personality, emotionless even, Yomite was far more loud and brash, someone who always said he didn''t care about anything, and yet, if some kind of problem ured, he wouldin, but help immediately, no matter what.

    Even hisints were just a ruse to make it seem like he was a bad person, although she never understood why he did that.

    "Must be nice..." She murmured while staring at Hu Tao who was still patting her head gently.

    "Eh?"

    "...It''s...Nothing."

    "Okie!"

    Speaking her thoughts out loud might bring forth more worries which her friends wouldn''t ignore, and she didn''t want to bother them any further...

 Chapter 163

    While Lumine was fighting her innermost feelings, Childe was simrly, leading a debate with himself.

    (''Assistant''? Did Hu Tao say she had an assistant? Since when did she employ someone like that? Did she mean Mr. Zhongli? Oh well, it doesn''t matter. From this exhange, I can tell that the chances of the Traveller epting our request to join our side are slim, but there is still a chance. Which means only one thing.)

    He smiled as he observed this whole spectacle, finding himself thoroughly enthralled. Perhaps, he had underestimated what sort of person her friends were, and perhaps, this little revtion itself was quite the unexpected twist of fate.

    He lifted his wine ss and sipped quietly at its contents, savouring its taste. He''d spent all this time learning how to appreciate its subtleties, only to realize that the wine was actually a lovely feast for the tongue.

    It wasn''t some paltry potion with fruity aromas, the kind that gave nausea, this was truly exquisite, smooth and elegant and warm.

    As such, Childe sipped his drink with appreciation, biding his time.

    The moment he put his wine ss back on the table, Childe sighed quietly, eyes resting on the bevy of faces in front of him.

    (If she does not agree to our request...I will simply have to kill them all. What a shame.)

    ***

    **

    *

    Ten or so minutester...

    Lumine watched silently as the waitress ced food in front of Childe first, seemingly in no hurry toplete her tasks of delivering the food to the others. Luckily, it seemed that the whole restaurant was bought by Childe for today, so no one other than a few waitresses saw what happened earlier..

    The cocky young man in front of her smirked, with a newfound confident attitude. He nned this through, everything would hopefully go smoothly this time.

    He had her where he wanted.

    Lumine took the bait right from the beginning and soon, would join the Fatui. It was only a matter of time. If she didnt, it would be making herself an enemy of the entire country and everyone around her would be targetted.

    Even if he didn''t enjoy such pointless tricks, he did wish to get stronger and stronger.

    The Tsaritsa was bound to reward him handsomely, maybe she would give him a new weapon, or something he could use to get more powerful.

    As for Lumine, the person he was currently staring at, she just watched on quietly, observing him covertly. She had millions of questions running through her mind, but for now, she supposed she would take what she had been given, just like Hu Tao said. She could count on Party Leader at any time.

    In the meantime, a waitress brought food for everyone.

    It was threerge bowls of noodles and four types of meat wrapped into two separate rolls, with some steamed buns.

    Soon enough, other delicacies of Liyue were brought to the table, and the eyes of the hungry girls lit up.

    Iris was the first to dig into her te and scoop up some rice and meat, she ced both of her hands atop the small pot of soup beside her and hummed quietly to herself as she directly swallowed the contents of the soup bowl. She was waiting for this so long.

    Paimon followed suit immediately afterward.

    "Ahh, this is what Paimon wanted all this time�� It''s finally time for some Liyue delicacies!"

    Seeing Paimon''s appetite and enjoyment, made Iris hungrier, having difficulty refraining from thinking of the delicious aroma of food lingering around her nose.

    A nice spice-tinged breeze enveloped her senses, wafting through the air. She did her best to focus and behave normally as her Master told her to do so, but now that he wasn''t here, there was no one stopping her from eating as much as she wanted!

    Without a sound, she lifted the chopsticks in her left hand and began to put a bite of meat into her mouth. Her long tongue darted forward and hoarded all of the food from the te to herself as if she was afraid someone would steal it.

    Lumine sat in her seat idly, absentmindedly cutting up the steamed bun into pieces as she kept her gaze fixated on Childe. She ate and chewed slowly at times, wondering about her future.

    "I can give you some time to think this through," Childe stated casually after breaking the awkward silence between them. "I rmend you join us, you will have plenty of other benefits other than having information about your brother, of course. Someone like you can get a territory, wealth and more influece over the world once we conquer it."

    Lumine showed no signs of change in her expression, she merely listened patiently to him with indifference on her features. She wiped her mouth after finishing the meal with her napkin, and once it reached the end of its usage, she picked it up, and neatly folded it into a square and ced it atop her empty te. This kind of bodynguage essentially meant she wasn''t interested in anything he was saying.

    For someone so strong, quiet andposed in the outside world, Childe couldn''t quite figure out why her facial expressions appeared far more dejected and gloomy. Was she scared? Maybe she feared for her friends'' safety? Or maybe she simply wasn''t interested?

    Hu Tao munched on food just as quietly. (I thought he would be asking for more than just a request from Lumi-Lumi but he''s not...he is acting suspiciously...)

    *Burp*

    Iris burped quietly while putting thest of her meal into her mouth, finishing the fiftieth te of meat, yet it was nowhere enough for her so she raised her hand and the waitresses simply brought more.

    At first, the staff was baffled by her behaviour and hesitated, but Childe nodded at them, saying he would foot the bill without a problem. Still, he had to admit that their appetite was way too big...

    Paimon ate much less that Iris, but it was still a huge amount, especially for a body as small as hers.

    This time, she didn''t hesitate to order fried chicken with peppers instead of fish meatball soup. Paimon had to try every kind of a specialty of Liyue!

 Chapter 164

    Childe only stared in disbelief as the tes in front of Iris started stacking up on top of each other in a matter of minutes...no...seconds...

    (There must be at least a few hundred by now, no?) He wryly smiled. (Truly, an appetite worthy of an Adeptus. Oh well, I might as well start eating before it gets cold.)

    Childe''s mannerisms only grew sharper as he picked up a pair of chopsticks. He rubbed the two chopsticks together before he separated them and clumsily took hold of them.

    Seeing how casually Childe started eating after riling up Lumine to the point of crying made Hu Tao annoyed. She had to find a way to somehow get back at him for her friend. To piss him off somehow.

    And she spotted an opportunity almost immediately, watching his form when he held the chopsticks, Hu Tao mischievouslyughed, "You do know that it''s rude to rub your chopsticks together, it implies you''re trying to get rid of splinters because they''re cheap."

    The way he held the chopsticks could only be calledughable at best. Not that it bothered him much as he looked thoroughly satisfied with himself.

    As he couldn''t pick up the meat with the chopsticks, he chose to stab the steak with them instead.

    "Hehe, did you know that if you stick your chopsticks upright in your food in any establishment in Liyue, it is seen as ack of respect because it''s traditionally done at funerals?"

    His crude movement stopped and he pointed at her with the chopsticks, "Oi, let me enjoy the food."

    It was working, she was finally getting under his skin. The payback wasing.

    Hu Tao simply smirked and continued, "Did you know that pointing at someone with your chopsticks in Liyue is also considered very rude, much like pointing at someone with your finger?"

    "Listen here you little brat...This childish behaviour is exactly why everyone in Liyue hates you!" Childe cut her off with his finger stabbing in her direction in a threatening manner. "I''ve had enough of your annoying rant. I didn''te here to bicker like a stupid child with you, I came here to negotiate with her. I would prefer you to shut up before something happens to you!"

    Seeing that he finally erupted, Hu Tao grinned in satisfaction, leaning back on her chair, not minding hisments one bit. She knew that Liyue was a ce where most people disliked being near her, but she finally found her calling in Mondstadt, where people knew her as one of the heroes that defeated and saved the Stormterror.

    She did have lingering attachments in Liyue, but she wouldn''t mind moving to Mondstadt to live with Yomite any time he wanted. The ce was simply beautiful and the people there were all interesting, making her even happier, simply because she felt like she fit right in, with all the happy weirdos!

    Hearing Childe''s outburst, however, a man behind him spoke up loudly, a hint of anger spilling from his voice.

    It seemed as though Childe''s remarks must''ve irked him greatly.

    "Is this just a child-like banter between two old friends, or are you trying to pick a fight?"

    Childe looked back at the man who interrupted him and widened his eyes in amazement.

    "Hoh, taller than me? Who might this be?"

    He seemed genuinely surprised, and he was rightfully to be so.

    In the whole of Snezhnaya and Liyue, there was only a handful of people taller than him, yet the man in front of him certainly could pass the scales with ease.

    "I''m her owner, now piss off." The man narrowed his eyes at him.

    "O-o-owner!? Yomite!? I''m not a dog!" Hu Tao swiftly stood up and protested, blushing madly.

    The man turned out to be Yomite, who frantically chased after the ashamed Fischl who ran away and hid somewhere. In the end, he managed to lose her and somehow found himself in front of the restaurant, when he heard a shout in a distance and followed it.

    "I never said you were a dog. I said I am your owner."

    "Th-Then...o-o-okay..." She babbled awkwardly and sat back down.

    "Mh?" Childe turned to face her with an astonished expression. What kind of behavior was this? Just what happened to her?

    From what he knew she went to Mondstadt for about four months and thenter on, joined the party of the Traveller named Lumine. So what brought this abrupt and unthinkable change?

    Who even was this?

    This man clearly wasn''t on the list provided by her Excellency Tsaritsa.

    "Don''t worry about Hu Tao, leave her alone, she is just in a state of total embarrassment. It''s a disease that urs within her once in a while but it''s nothing serious, I will fix it tonight or the night after."

    Hu Tao covered her face behind her hands, fully understanding the implications behind his words. She couldn''t believe he was saying it out loud in front of other people...Her butt was still hurting after yesterday''s session...

    Childe blinked several times, thrown off by the sudden response and their nonsensical exchange, although he was still smiling.

    Then a realization hit him, "Ah, so it is true that women change upon meeting a man of their dreams...You are her lover, right? My condolences��"

    Childe pushed his bowl aside and rose from his seat, grabbing a bottle of alcohol from the table next to him and leisurely drank it to the bottom as he stared up at Yomite.

    "It would appear my lust for battle hadn''t been satiated today...wanna take it outside, huh? Comrade?" A truly brazen grin appeared on Childe''s face and he stared at the menacing figure in front of him.

    "My condolesces to you, if you think we are easy to be pushed around."

 Chapter 165

    Yomite silently gazed at the figure in front of him, unable to pinpoint whether he was serious about his words or just talking shit.

    It didn''t take him long to figure out the man''s identify, however, based on how he spoke and acted.

    Much the voice was the same as his first encounter with him, with a mocking tone that seemed even more unsettling.

    This was the assassin he had seen in the divination, the guy who had severed his arm and subsequently killed him.

    "Let''s go outside, Comrade. I have a ce where we can....challenge ourselves."

    Childe moved pasthim with a wink and a weird thumb gesture toward the exit, as if he wasordering a bowl of ramen noodles.

    He waited for Yomite to follow him outside, ncing over his shoulder as soon as the doors opened and closed again.

    "No thanks." Yomite grunted, shrugging his shoulders offhandedly. "Why would I fight?"

    """Huh?''""

    Everyone was puzzled by his sudden words.

    Childe raised an eyebrow, looking at Yomite through narrowed eyes.

    "Seriously? I mean...you boldly proimed you weren''t the one to be pushed around...and everything...and you end it like this?"

    Yomite shrugged again, eyes bored. He could see Hu Tao giggling softly in front of him.

    He smiled at her in return.

    From what he had deducted, the man invited all of them to eat breakfast in this high-ss restaurant, and seemed to have enough money to even pay for Iris, which meant he was quite loaded. It would be a shame if he didn''t get some profit.

    He faced Childe and yawned, "I mean...why would I fight you, when I''m not getting anything from it?"

    If the people from Liyue saw him, they would think that the bastard knew nothing about etiquette, yawning without covering his mouth.

    "You get to experience the thril of the battle, with me, Childe. You get to experience the pure passionate feeling of��"

    Yomite rolled his eyes, giving a smallugh as he shook his head. "Yeah, sorry, not interested in fighting with children."

    Childe was dumbfounded, this man was simply too unreasonable to deal with!

    "Assistant-kun, he actually isn''t a child, people just call him like that." Hu Tao said yfully. "In truth, he''s an expert babysitter, hence the nickname. He asionally visits Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."

    "Ah, is that so?"

    "It''s not Child, but Childe, you hear the E at the end?" Childe retorted sternly, finally having enough of their irritating behavior.

    "...Ah...Nope... Look here, Mr. Child, I''m on a vacation with girls. We want to enjoy ourselves, why would I go out of my way to fight a random guy when I gain nothing from it?"

    The girls from his party giggled, including Iris who seemed to be interested in her master''s sudden change in behavior.

    She never saw him act like this before.

    "A random guy...a random guy...do you have any idea who I am....You''re actually..." Childe let out an exasperated groan, and only then it hit him, that he was starting to sound like people from Liyue and he really hated the way they spoke.

    "You know what, fine! I''ll bet 20 million Mora! It''s just a speck of dust anyway! How about it!?"

    Yomite sighed and calmly walked past him, shaking his hand towards hispanions to reassure them he was going to be fine.

    "You''re so slow, would you hurry up?" Yomite urged him with a grin.

    "Oi, Asshole, at least tell me your name before I beat you up." Childe red at him, while Yomite was absentmindedly staring at the ceiling of the establishment.

    "Hmmm...if you throw in another twenty million, I will consider it." Yomite responded nonchntly, crossing his arms behind his back, like a hidden expert from who knew what sect.

    They were in thend of Young Masters, he would have to adapt swiftly to the toxic environment he was being subjected to.

    ***

    **

    *

    As they left the restaurant, Childe said he knew of a good ce where they could fight.

    However...

    "Hm? What are you doing? Why are you not moving?" He asked, looking at Yomite with furrowed eyebrows.

    Yomite wasn''t budging from his spot.

    "Ah, well, I did agree to fight, but I didn''t agree to follow you. That would be another twenty million."

    "..."

    This man...

    Made him want to punch him to death.

    "Fine! I''ll just give you hundred million Mora altogether! But no more! Is that clear!?"

    Yomite sniggered, rolling his eyes, "For a rich guy that wished to invite my girls for a breakfast that seemed something like a date into an expensive restaurant, you sure seem to be a cheapskate. Just the sheer audacity of your actions made me angry, let alone your cocky behavior afterward."

    Childe tilted his head slightly, "Oh? All of them were your girls? Then pardon me, I just wished to ask a few questions, is all."

    He seemed a bit dumbfounded by the fact.

    Most people of Liyue were hellbent on marriages with a single person, yet this man had three women...no, three and a half women including the flying one?

    Was he perhaps from the country of freedom, Mondstadt, or maybe from Inazuma?

    Of course, there were many exceptions to everything so he couldn''t exactly figure it out just from mere guesses.

    (So the shortie Blondie traveller was taken as well? Shame. No wonder my seduction skills didn''t work.)

    A some sort of misunderstanding brewed in his mind, but Yomite had no reason to add on nor clear it up.

 Chapter 166

    They strolled out of the restaurant and onto Liyue''s outskirts, down to the cliffside where a cliff of some sort had copsed, leaving a precipitous plunge to the sea below, when he noticed a bow hanging on Childe''s back.

    (Is he an archer? Closebat should be a free win for me. Still, he should have a variety of weapons otherthan the bow,ashe used some sort of sword tocut off my arm during the divination, so I need to be extra careful of the close quarter as well...)

    Walking along the edge, they gradually progressed until the walls abruptly descended toward ke.

    They even had to climb across rocks at times to keep moving forward, as if the stones themselves weren''t robust enough.

    Yomite nned on killing him, without a doubt. Leaving him alive would bring future problems...

    (Where is this guy taking me? To his secret sex dungeon? This area ispletely abandoned...)

    With careful steps, they approached the edge, stepping onto a crumbling stone and continuing down.

    As they approached the border between ground and sky, their pace became slower and slower. Eventually, both of them stopped as Childe nce back at Yomite with amusement, pointing at something.

    "We can fight down there."

    "Wait...Down? Like... jump down there?"

    Yomite turned his gaze towards the bottom, and then looked back up with concern. "Isn''t that a hell hole?"

    Childe gave an airy chuckle. "I dunno about that. It looks pleasant to me."

    The chasm was the perfect ce for battle; the drop was extremely precipitous and water was already trickling down the sides and into the ckness beneath them. There were even bird nests scattered down below which cast eerie shadow down below.

    Without thinking, Childe leaped from the rock and fell into the empty space. With great delight, he flew through the air, enjoying the feeling of wind in his hair.

    Although it was possible for anyone to climb down safely, Childe jumped down andnded in such a reckless manner, making it apparent he was showing off.

    "What a bastard..."

    Yomite lightly flew after him with his windglider andnded not far away from him. Both of them gazed out at the ocean next to them, having found the perfect spot for the fight.

    "Enjoying the view? This ce is perfect for battle! I always invite people that interest me here!" Childe whispered with a wicked smile, "I''m not sure you caught my name, but I''m Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers, Childe. Before I crush you into the dirt, I would like to know the name of the person who will be crawling on the soil in a bit, if you don''t mind that is. You hadn''t mentioned it before and I think I already paid you enough to deserve to know it."

    "Yomite Hissha." saying so, he drew his ymore from its sheath and gazed at Childe without saying anything else.

    (He has a family name? Is he from a n?) Childe thought before quickly dismissing it, (A member of a high n wouldn''t dress like this...)

    The moment passed with mere silence before Childe exploded, "Aw,e on! Talk a little, the battle will be boring if you are silent the entire time! I''m the bad guy! I live for the thrill of fighting to death and I love chaos. You should introduce yourself too!"

    Yomite was silent again, ignoring Childe''s giddy demeanor and tried to formte a quick n.

    (I want to know.)

    ��������������

    Name: Childe (Tartaglia) (Ajax)

    Age: 20

    Title: Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers

    upation: Fatui

    Hobby: Ice fishing, Fighting

    Likes: Fighting, spending time with his siblings

    Dislikes: Weakness

    Dream: To be the strongest. To take over the world.

    Current mood: Intoxicated/Aroused

    Rtionship Level: None

    State of Rtionship: Enemy he is about to destroy

    ��������������

    (Ajax? As in, Ajax the Great? Couldn''t be...right? Nah I don''t think so, it''s a different world after all.) he shrugged his shoulders, ignoring this bit of information for now. Although he soon saw another part of information, which greatly concerned him and he wished he would never see, (What do you mean by...aroused??? What is this supposed to be!?? This guy is dangerous after all!)

    He frowned reading through the status again. Despite the jokes, he had known from the start that Childe would be a difficult opponent to handle.

    On the journey here, he noted a few things that disturbed him, one of which was the fact that Childe possessed a Vision. It was a Hydro Vision, to be precise. The rarity of Visions was starting to fade away...At first he thought that having a Vision would be about one in ten thousand people, but it seemed to him thattely, everyone and their grandma''s dog had one, except him. There were way too many Vision users...

    (In any case, I don''t think I''ve seen anyone other than Barbara with that kind of Vision before. Is he a healer as well? No, that can''t be based on what kind of Vision you hold��)

    Just because one person had a Hydro Vision and was a healer didn''t mean that every Hydro Vision bearer was a healer.

    Jean was also a healer and yet she possessed an Anemo Vision and couldmand the wind to do all kinds of things.

    It depended solely on the individual.

    When he asked Venti about the Visions, he only got vague answers, it was as if he was scared or not allowed to talk about them.

    A Vision was a gift bestowed upon those who dwelled in Teyvat and were recognized by the gods.

    They granted the users elemental abilities based on the element of their given Vision.

    He also mentioned that those with Visions had a chance of ascending to somece called Celestia and attaining godhood themselves, which sounded pretty interesting.

 Chapter 167.1

    Childe bent down on one knee and ced his hands together.

    He began muttering quietly as he silently chanted a prayer, reverent and respectful, almost akin to begging

    When he was finished, he stood up and looked at Yomite, perplexed by his strange expression.

    "What''s wrong? Are you not praying before the battle? Are you that foolish, or perhaps you''re that confident? I''ll have you know, I''m not someone you could beat easily."

    "Why would I pray?" Yomite didn''t understand his question. He merely regarded him with a neutral expression.

    Childeughed, stepping forward slightly as Yomite watched him with narrowed eyes.

    "I prayed for a simple reason." He told himself. "To activate the power of my artifacts. Do you not have any artifacts on you?"

    Yomite looked puzzled by his words.

    "Wait...you have to pray for your artifact to work?"

    "...Huh?"

    "Huh?"

    ...

    The two of them repeated themselves simultaneously, dumbfounded by the strange conversation they were having.

    "Does that mean that the ymore I''ve been using all this time, was half defective simply because I didn''t pray!?"

    "...What do you mean by half defective? And what are you talking about?" Childe gave him a puzzled look, "Have you seriously never prayed before?"

    He continued with a spirit of teasing, "I already knew this would be my win, yet for it to be over that fast, was outside of my expectations."

    A wry smile appeared on Yomite''s lips, as he pulled his sleeves up, "I was unaware that I needed to pray for an artifact to activate... that''spletely news to me. Who should I even pray to?"

    "..."

    Childe was silent, reflecting for a moment.

    "No one." He sighed, his tone implying of his disbelief about how unaware his opponent truly was when it came to such basic knowledge, "You simply have to pray to the artifact itself in order to bring it out of stasis. I don''t even know why I am telling you this, maybe to make the fight a bit longer?" Childe''s smile turned a bit more smug, "Then again, it really doesn''t matter if you have the artifact or not. The point remains, that when you fight me, you will lose either way."

    Yomite simply stared back nkly, wordlessly contemting his next move, observing as Childe reached out towards the longbow on his back.

    When suddenly, he had a brilliant idea.

    "Woah, that''s a nice bow there, Ajax."

    "..."

    "..."

    "You...What did you just say?" Childe spoke through clenched teeth, somehow managing to sound surprised despite his hostile expression. His face distorted in anger as his hand grasped the leather strings of his own bow.

    "How do you know my name..."

    "Do I really need to answer that? Who knows?" Yomite grinned.

    The only reason he called him by the name he read from his status was because he wanted to rile up his opponent. The more he would be focusing on the fact that a random guy like him knew his true name, the less would he concentrate on the battle and would eventually be enraged which could bring forth a tasty victory.

    (You know, I am somewhat of a genius myself...)

    Childe gritted out his question silently under his breath, "You are getting more and more interesting...This is the first time I''ve met someone who knew my real identity in this hole of a city..." he remarked quietly. There was a hint of intrigue, perhaps even anger to his voice that made it resonate with so much interest, "It almost makes me want to kidnap you to interrogate you, instead of killing you here..."

    "...Oh? Some creep you are, talking about kidnapping someone so casually...Someone ought to call the guards!" Yomite retorted with a half hearted smirk.

    Childe shook his head and snorted, "Coming from someone whose lover runs a funeral parlor and is known for kidnapping kids to bury them in her backyard... The irony. I wonder what her reaction would be, if I showed her your pale corpse."

    "Okay, that was unnecessary...She knows her faults and has said that about...half of those... were just rumours...As for me dying here... She would probably get angry and curse my soul, saying how I could lose to someone so weak. Ah, I wouldn''t be able to pass on at all." he murmured, giving a casual shrug. "Therefore, you dying here is only natural."

    There was an unexpected sincerity to his reply that brought a smirk to Childe''s lips, "Good, battle talk, I love it! Let''s see you live up to it!" And with those words, Childe drew his bow and aimed it towards Yomite at a dead run. The arrow''s tip was pure silver and shone brightly much like sunrays could.

    The arrow, when drawn, had no feathers or quill protruding from its point but waspletely smooth. He held the bow so that it hovered in the air at about chest height, almost looking as if it was a part of his body.

    It was beautiful, shiny, and magnificent and pointed directly at Yomite''s exposed neck.

    In the next moment, Childe let go of the string, releasing a st of soundless Hydro magic, and watched as the arrow flew forward towards its target.

    ''So fast!'' Yomite thought to himself

    With each leap forward, it grew in size until it looked more like a hurricane of Hydro than a simple arrow.

    He barely saw the arrow before the sound registered on him.

    A loud sound like an unstoppable tornado, but with even more powerful edge to it.

    Yomite swiftly raised a hand to intercept the arrow with his ymore, blocking it with a dull thud as it ttered uselessly against the dirt underneath him, the force sending dust and debris flying into the air, and leaving him a good six feet away from where he had initially stood, unharmed.

 Chapter 168.2

    Might have forgotten but Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and happy birthday to all.

    ***

    This might was something he had expected of Childe, but he was still caught off guard by his swift and sharp attack nheless.

    That was precisely why he always tried to prepare for every kind of situation in advance, especially since his lover taught him to fight properly, using stances and breathing techniques that could be applied during a real confrontation, rather than just during training with the swords.

    While the vast knowledge of the martial arts and wuxia books he read in the past was very informative, seeing it live, and training himself to the bone waspletely different than reading about it, which was why the training with Hu Tao helped him to understand how to respond in certain scenarios almost automatically.

    However��

    He had severely underestimated his opponent��

    *Swish*

    Yomite was careless and didn''t notice a second arrow that was released right after the first one.

    "Ugh!"

    He barely managed to move out of the way, as the arrow passed through the top of his head, just missing his scalp by less than an inch, leaving behind an explosion of water where he''d once stood.

    Seeing that he dodged both of his attacks, Childe smiled widely.

    Yomite returned the smile, though not quite as wide. "Nice aim. Where did you buy the aimbot?"

    "Aimbot? I''m not quite sure what you mean by those words, but I assume youplimented me just now. You have good reflexes to have dodged the second one, people usually just die. Oh well, that just means a bow will not be enough." Childe replied, stepping towards him, a confident step, as if a walk through the park instead of a battlefield, his actions mirroring the feel of a cat ready to pounce on its prey or a light breeze blowing across a field instead of a roaring typhoon of battle and bloodshed.

    With a wary eye on Childe who now began slowly moving forward, Yomite simrly trotted forth with his ymore poised above his head like a javelin.

    (Now then, where is his real weapon hidden?) Yomite observed him carefully, awaiting the des that ended his life before. (Why is he entering close range with a bow? That doesn''t make sense��think��think��where did he hide the weapons��)

    As he got closer, Childe halted, and turned on his heel, unleashing a set of weaponry made of pure water, transforming his bow into a dual des of Hydro.

    Morphing from liquidy fluid to crystal sharp aqua razor des, the two pieces of art had smoothly chiseled edges.

    They flowed easily in harmony with one another, executing the graceful strokes of two oil on water, the sounds of their y resounding between them. Both emitted small clouds of mist, shining brightly in the sunlight.

    (There they are��So he can make weapons himself��He wasn''t hiding them anywhere��)

    Yomite recognized the des at a nce.

    They both eyed each other cautiously, then Childe grinned suddenly at his opponent, showing all of his teeth in what looked like a predator''s smile.

    He continued to approach him until they were mere inches away.

    Childe readjusted his stance, watching how his Hydro des gleamed like water crystals.

    They stared into each other''s eyes for another moment, staring intently as a silence stretched on between them, then finally broke when Childeunched into a fully melee attack.

    It pierced forward, swift as the flow of water, slicing down at Yomite, aiming directly for the vulnerable spot around his neck, seeking it''s target��

    But�D�D

    "Oh? You caught that as well?"

    With a thunderous boom, the tip stopped before reaching the Yomite''s torso.

    Of course, Childe had not ckened his hand. He always tried to the best of his abilities, to experience the most a duel could offer. Never going easy on any enemy, regardless of gender.

    Thus, it was evident he hadn''t stopped the de, but rather the tall man, bearing the expression of confidence.

    One of the swords fell out of Childe''s grip like an errant child would drop their umbre at a rainy day, down to the ground where it rang harshly upon impact more than ten feet away from him.

    He jerked back a bit in shock. He didn''t expect his attack wouldn''t even leave a scratch on the weapon Yomite was holding.

    (Quite sturdy. An artifact? Hmph, the fool is wasting its potential by not praying to it.)

    The shockwave from his falling weapon was loud enough for bystanders nearby to hear, if there were any.

    But in the void of the space where they stood, there were no reactions except for Yomite standingpletely still.

    Such sound urred, the echo faded out rapidly, leaving no sign that there had been any sounds at all. Only the two of them remained in silence.

    Childe retreated slightly, holding up a hand to steady himself and created a recement to his missing Hydro de in a few moments, this time, changing it''s tip a bit so that it gave the de a sharper edge, thus making it far deadlier than the one before.

    This meant he had unlimited weaponry at his disposal, and each of the weapons were deadly, even if made out of pure water.

    His hand stopped just shy of the tip, and he saw himself reflected in the pale-blue glow of the water.

    The glow from his des stood out sharply against the sea blue aura around him, lending him a sinister air.

    Water droplets danced around him, illuminated from afar by the glowing sunrays breaking through the clouds in all directions.

    "Think you''re ready to take a nice beating, Comrade?"

    Yomite slowly readied his ymore. "No, but I think I''m ready to win. You''re not as strong as I thought."

    "You''ve seen nothing yet."

 Chapter 169.3

    Childe struck first, bolting all around Yomite with his Hydro des, though his lunges were quick, and came from so many directions, Yomite blocked them all effectively.

    Some he deflected with his sword, some he was forced to dodge due to the sudden change in pace of Childe''s movement while others simply sliced through his defensive line.

    Before long, the two met again, each fighting at full force, only getting ready for the next strike.

    They swayed against each other as they danced between the des, taking turns to strike at the other. The des shed in the air in lightning speed, two forces of nature that shed without hesitation.

    Then, as he blocked his onught, Yomite saw an opening and made the bold choice, tackling Childe straight off the cliff after series of exchanges

    "Oi! What are you��"

    Childe didn''t seem fazed. Of course, Yomite couldn''t count on the element of surprise against an opponent such as this, however he was being pushed back so he had to grab each and every opportunity to break through.

    The two crashed through an old wooden bridge before Childe even realized what''s happened.

    He freed himself from Yomite with a kick, the two went sh for sh as they slid down the cliffside, the repeating ng of the des and Hydro could be heard all the way down the rift.

    When neither found an opening, Childe bolted up the unnamed valley.

    Yomite swiftlynded upon another cliff, smiling across at Childe. "You scared?"

    "You��really know how to rile me up! In the beginning, I was worried this fight would end way too soon, but it appears I was mistaken. Who are you, really? My intel didn''t have anything about anyone called Yomite. You''re clearly an abnormality that appeared out of nowhere." Childe stated lightly,ughing somewhat.

    Yomite responded with a chuckle, crossing his arms, "Ah��I''m not exactly sure how you didn''t hear about me before as I''m a handsome, sexy and affectionate, amazing and a sessful man, but that''s good, at least it gave me a bit of an advantage."

    "...Seems like I need to do my research about you. After I kill you."

    The two shed again, first in midair as they soared past each other, then again the instant they both touched the ground.

    Childe''s dework was incredibly fast, much faster than Yomite''s.

    However thanks to the training with Hu Tao, Yomite was able to keep up and strike back in retaliation, evading anything he could not counter. Hu Tao'' strikes were much faster than his, therefore it wasn''t that hard to keep up, but Childe''s strange movement made it difficult for him to take the lead in their exchanges.

    His shing style was different from Childe''s own, taking advantage of the blunted nature of the ymore, he avoided blows and swung high to chop, mostly at his legs to avoid killing him.

    He wanted to get rid of the assassin, but he also wished to interrogate him, though he wasn''t sure if he would be capable of bringing him in alive. But whatever happened, he hoped it wouldn''t be because of a loss.

    Most of Childe''s strikes were shallow cuts along the sides of his arm and neck, some nicked at his skin, although none of them pierced deeply.

    They fought for nearly half an hour, a tireless pace filled withplicated turns and maneuvers.

    The friction between them turned up the temperature of the battle area tremendously, causing white smoke to seep through the air.

    The scorching haze rose high into the atmosphere, forming whirlpools like particles of glittering snowfall. Only the blue orbs of energy remained constant, unperturbed by the churning dust clouds.

    A few small pebbles littered the surface of the battlefield, but due to the continuous flow of energetic moisture, the pebbles flitted around like fairy-dust sprites on summer night.

    There were many points when their weapons shed loudly, shaking the earth, managing to cut the air like a sizzling wire, yet they somehow managed to remain afloat amidst the mist.

    During such moments, each of them were quite convinced that they would prevail, eventually iming victory by whatever means necessary, yet even during such invincibilities, it was not easy.

    Nothing could predict how long a battle wouldst. There was no rulebook dictating such factors. Just like life itself.

    Each blow required physical and mental effort to strike, yet there was no guarantee if it would be sessful, even if a particr thrust was just right, every hit could cause some amount of damage or simply miss��

    So instead of fighting for glory, winning would simply mean whether you survived, but even at this point, neither of them were significantly tired.

    Childe was shing at him, his energy of motion was steady and unaffected. His aim, uracy and power did not waver in any form.

    Once Childe let loose a burst of explosive force against him, sending a column of crackling waves toward him as a wave of deadly sharp Hydro followed; Yomite barely managed to sidestep.

    However, due to a sharp flick of Childe''s wrist, the force behind the attack deviated slightly and struck against him squarely, the burst of liquid Hydro hurtled away, knocking him backwards with all its force.

    As for Yomite, it stung painfully against his chest, but due to Childe''s less sophisticated use of the attack, the Hydro failed to detonate. Not without making some fairly visible marks, however.

    He wasn''t injured but his shirt was torn up in the middle of his chest from the attack that almost seemed like a much weaker version of a rasengan to him.

    After a few rubbs on his chest, he drew the water off of his sword, some droplets remaining clinging to the silvery steel.

    For Childe, to form a fine quality elemental des was only possible if he used elemental magic from his Vision. A highly sophisticated feat for just a human, one which Childe practiced for years.

 Chapter 170

    Childe had made use of elemental transformation and Hydro Vision to enhance his strength during his rampage.

    He would strive to use the least amount of force to conserve as much energy as possible.

    Yomite, on the other hand was particrly skilled in applying pressure with the minimum effort needed to end a strike.

    Like picking a lock, Yomite often took a shortcut by focusing his strength into a single powerful blow instead of applying repetitive thrusts, sacrificing uracy in exchange for efficiency with his huge chunk of enchanted metal.

    This led to counter moves, which allowed Childe to quickly read his movements.

    Though neither of them deliberately went for the vulnerable parts of each other, and by default tried to keep each other alive, both of them had a different objective in mind regarding this fact.

    Yomite was focusing on capturing him alive, while Childe wanted to prolong his battle as long as possible.

    If there was anyone who proved to be more lethal in battle than the other, it was Childe.

    He rarely missed a chance to finish someone off; usually using his speed to catch up to someone when thetter was hesitating or at a disadvantage, then closing the gap within mere heartbeats before delivering the killing blow, allowing him tond another one with equal or greater severity.

    But Yomitecked such advantages, thus he had to find a suitable opportunity to strike, as it would likely result in fatal wounds to the enemy and result in nothing but death.

    That ruthless efficiency served him well inbat, where he dominated the scene despite being outmaneuvered by much faster opponents.

    In terms of defense, Yomite was quite flexible and agile with his hips, which allowed him to easily block most of Childe''s attacks as well as keep the pressure steady.

    Whenever he blocked an attack, he would show resistance, keeping Childe''s blood pumping to show that he was making an effort to fight back. This was crucial in denying Childe enough time to unleash his full arsenal.

    But there was no denying that despite all of the difficulty, and this foggy weather, the tension of the fight remained fierce and very palpable.

    "What a pain." Childe grumbled in irritation, slight smile painting his lips.

    He dusted off his hands, giving himself a few seconds to cool down. "There were some really strong people in Liyue, but no matter how good they were, I always managed toe out on top within minutes. Not today though. Today might just be my favorite day."

    His words caused Yomite''s eyebrows to raise.

    He didn''tment, choosing to use the time to gather his breath.

    Without any other words, they resumed, their attacks were greeted with thunderous shouts.

    As their swords met with deafening ngs, faint sparks lit up the quivering des.

    This persistent disturbance caused a slight tremble in the air.

    It was almost like listening to the sound of two waves crashing together on the shore.

    The noise echoed throughout the valley, bringing a tense silence to the ins, but also managed to attract unwanted attention��

    "Yomite Hissha, you''re special. I''ll let you experience something good. Prepare yourself!" Childe said to him, he pushed forward once again, moving towards the final phase of battle with great vigor, leading Yomite into close range and ready for a critical moment.

    Childe grasped a purple amulet of some sort in his palm, unknown power lying within��

    "Now! Let''s enjoy ourselv��"

    However, at that moment, a shadow swept across both of them��

    "My Lord!"

    A voice suddenly came from behind.

    Both Childe and Yomite turned around to face the unseen figure.

    The man was covered from head to toe in ck with asional streaks of red�� A ck vest worn under an assassin themed slitted overcoat with a hoodie, streaks of metalic grey running along the the edges,plemented by a fur cor covering his shoulders and neckline revealing slightly pale skin and sharp features.

    ck and red themed boots with, grey-colored, metallic shin guards covered up his lower thighs.

    The gloves adorning his hands were also of a same theme as his boots and they held a crescent de with two curved edges, ready to slice any opposition apart. Finally, a red colored, pyro empowered, gem was clipped, at the ends of his fur covered neckline, in the middle of his chest, and a crimson red mask adored his face,pletely hiding his features from the view.

    Overall, the man looked intimidating.

    However��

    "How dare you disturb me in the middle of my battle!? Do you not value your life!?" It almost sounded like a furious snarl, more so than a question. "I could end you before you even realized what happened! Get out of my sight!"

    The slender de of the Hydro element was raised in a straight line, as a hammer to strike at those insolent enough to disgrace the grounds of a duel.

    "I-I''m terribly sorry, Lord Harbinger!" The man immediately bowed his head and bared his tongue in apology. His lip quivered nervously for just a second. He looked frightened, like he would cry if given the chance.

    The man turned out to be aplete pushover when it came to his Lord, maybe because he was aware of his might.

    His gaze lowered to the ground in submission, showing just how terrified he was of Childe. "It won''t happen again! This subordinate wouldn''t dare!"

    "��Tch��Speak. What do you want?" Childe snorted coldly, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly as he rxed his stance from the threat he had issued.

    "I brought a letter from Her Highness!"

    The servant bowed deeply again, handing him a fancy envelope with a letter hidden beneath it.

    Out of all of the Harbingers, Childe was surprisingly the most merciful and direct to his underlings. He never tortured or killed any of his subordinates who were assigned to him, nor did he hurt them in any way.

    He even gave them the privilege of sparring against him as a form of a training, so that even his subordinates could grow in strength, not only him. Even going so far as rewarding them hansomely with Mora if they managed to impress him.

    That was why it was so surprising for the subordinate to see the rage in his eyes.

    He knew their Lord must have been really furious that his match was interrupted, yet there was nothing the servant could do as Her Highness gave an order to deliver the message as swiftly as possible.

 Chapter 171

    "This is��"

    Childe muttered something inaudible, noticing a Harbinger insignia on top of the letter.

    He opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.

    In a tall elegant handwriting, ink seemed to pool in the curve of each stroke, the words were precise and unadorned.

    He turned the letter over a few times, realizing its thickness due to the special wax seal only Harbingers could open, that had been affixed to the letter with no clear intention of opening it.

    If her Highness Tsaritsa wanted to use such measures, then there was obviously some level of importance to the message, he had no doubt.

    With a sigh, he slid the letter towards himself, resting it against his palm. As his fingers brushed against the paper, his eyes widened in shock.

    (The orders of the mission were��changed?)

    The sharp tone of his thoughts caused his mind to reel, the sudden realization dispelling any rational thought.

    What was Her Highness actually thinking?

    Weren''t they supposed to take care of the Traveller first to regte her growth?

    Was there something else he wasn''t aware of or hadn''t taken into ount?

    Childe suddenly knew he should hurry up and depart. He had a bad feeling about this��

    He nced towards Yomite who seemed to have been assessing the situation from afar, "I''m afraid our duel has to be postponed for a bit. It would appear I''m a rather busy person."

    Yomite blinked at him. "Sorry?"

    Childe cleared his throat awkwardly, "Ah yes. I know, I know! I''m angry too...But something urgent came up and I can''t miss it... So please, let''s fight againter! Peace for now?"

    Yomite frowned deeply, his grip tightening around the ymore he clutched.

    He had to take care of Childe now, otherwise he might risk dying by his hand in the near future as the prophecy told, but when he noticed an enormous number of Fatui Agents and Fatui Skirmisher Warriors appear one by one, he changed his mind.

    He came into contact with them before at multiple asions, they attacked indiscriminately and all of them were pretty tough. Fighting them so often, he noticed there were a few different types of them.

    The closebat ones, and then the annoying long range fighters, both covered by heavy armor.

    He could take care of the closebat fighters rtively easily, but the long range bastards were quite the problem.

    They were highly mobile, and stayed far away, firing their guns with pinpoint uracy at their target, hence if he did fight the Fatui, he would have his party to support him.

    The first time he saw them, Yomite seemed shocked by the fact that there were guns in this world, or at least something very simr to that.

    The bullets were rtively slow,pared to a handgun, but the projectiles fired by them were considerablyrge and more destructive.

    The most annoying out of all of them, however, were the Colossal Fatties, as he liked to call them.

    Men, with huge bodies and shoulder tes covering their chests and backs, along with thick, belled masks to cover the upper half of their faces.

    Their strength, much higher than normal humans, showed through as their form was apact, pure fat��

    And their guns were able to freeze a living being within seconds, which made it hard to fight them melee range alone, as someone like Hu Tao with a Pyro Vision was needed to defeat them instead.

    Although that didn''t mean they were invincible.

    Still, Yomite wasn''t delusional enough to think he could fight all of these enemies by himself, especially not now, when that man Childe was still with them.

    "Haah, when can I finally reunite with Teucer��all of this work��" Childe mumbled darkly under his breath, earning a face of disbelief from Yomite.

    "Wait��did you just say��Teucer?" he asked sharply.

    At the mention of the name, an image shed before his eyes.

    "Huh? Teucer? It''s my younger brother''s name. What? Don''t tell me you have the same obsession as your lover, to bury kids alive? Or are you trying to enrage me, perhaps? Hmph, I currently don''t have time for this, save it for when we cross paths once more. Till we meet again, Comrade."

    With those words, Childe snapped his fingers at Yomite and left the location, transforming into a water stream as he shot up the cliff and vanished into the city.

    After Childe left, the Fatui members gave Yomite a menacing re, but didn''t have enough guts to confront him directly, as they''ve seen he was evenly matched with their Lord.

    They slowly backed away, leaving Yomite the only one remaining in the area.

    The difficulties began to pile up, a soft sigh left his lips as he tightened his grip on the ymore once again��

    He thought spamming a few cubes would be enough to take care of him as he managed to summon a few of them during their battle, but Childe instinctively dodged them, and then countered him which put Yomite at a disadvantage so he refrained from using them after.

    He knew that further conflict would be necessary.

    He only wanted to visit Liyue to see the hot springs, eat Liyue specialties, enjoy the trip with his girls, and so on, without having to worry about getting a death sentence at any moment from an assassin or even a God��

    (Teucer��was the name of the brother of Ajax the Great from Greek mythology��An Ajax and a Teucer, huh...It''s highly unlikely that this is just a coincidence��)

    ***

    Not far away from the location where Childe and Yomite fought...

    "Ahhh.. Yomite-sama is so cool when he is covered in blood and wounds! So cool!"

    A squeal of delight echoed in the distance, followed by the distant rumble of what sounded like an apuse.

    "Aaah he is so amazing..." a young pigtailed maiden cooed to herself, cing her hand over her stomach and sighing happily.

    The girl was obviously Barbara, who followed him all the way from Mondstadt, and didn''t forget to take pictures along the way. At this point, her whole handbag was full of pictures of him.

    She was all set!

 Chapter 172

    Barbara''s body glowed with admiration and passion, like she was covered with hot steam, her cheeks turned hot pink, she swayed slightly as if she was dizzy from it all, but Barbara''s eyes were wide open and clear and focused on nothing but the figure in the pictures she took during the fight. "Oh... Oh��Yomite-sama�� you are just�� Gorgeous�� You have the most beautiful skin�� Oh�� I don''t know how you keep this body so manly��your face so handsome and exotic...��your back is firm and perfect��"

    Barbara released another little gasp at that point. It wasn''t even partially obvious where her hand had been ced when it came out of her mouth before she continued, "Your chest and your stomach so strong and solid��your eyeshes look like they want to tickle my throat...yo��" Her voice had be much deeper and huskier, until it suddenly trailed off into silence when she noticed someone was standing behind her.

    She twisted around immediately, peering up at the figure with a panic in her gaze.

    "Barbara��?"

    Yomite blinked.

    "...."

    "What are you doing here?" He asked again, looking down at her as she stood therepletely frozen with her mouth hanging open.

    "...Nothing�� ah...vacation..." She replied back with that unnerving, pitch-perfect calmness of hers as she observed the injuries on his body.

    There was definitely something else going on, though, something else hiding beneath her nonchnt tone andck of expression.

    Something lurking in the depths of her soul that made his eyes scan over her curiously.

    "Yomite-sama...what a coincidence...uh��" She coughed nervously, shuffling her feet in the grass, biting on her bottom lip anxiously. "��Did you...hear?"

    "Hear what?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

    "...About me��saying��" Barbara said atst, an unease settling heavily into her stomach, causing her skin to flush with heat.

    Her gaze was like that of an ashamed maiden, being caught red handed in some forbidden act, yet her eyes were deranged with craze instead of shame or guilt, ring deeply into Yomite''s eyes with fevered desire.

    "You didn''t hear, did you?" Her lips quirked upward in a small smile, but her eyes closed tightly for a moment. She tilted her head, tapping her chin in thought with her index finger. "So? Which. Is. It?"

    The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he watched her eyes trail over him. He gulped, staring back, looking into those frenzied pupils and seeing an overwhelming feeling of death being born within them, leaving no doubt he should get away from her as fast as possible, lest she devour him whole.

    "A-Ah...ah...hear? I...No...I heard nothing. I only saw you here...as I was leaving...Yeah...it would be weird if I heard...Yeah...I mean...It was a pleasant surprise to see you again..."

    Barbara let out a relieved sigh, then dropped her shoulders slightly, looking up shyly at him. "That''s good...Th-that''s great! That''s wonderful! I''mpletely fine! No worries!"

    Yomite smiled back at her awkwardly, giving a nod as he released a quietugh before he stepped back, afraid to make a sudden movement.

    He didn''t want to talk about this subject any further as he wasn''t good at lying, however, his gut feeling told him he should lie no matter what, or else he might be in big trouble.

    (...My eyeshes look like they want to tickle her throat...You''re scaring me, Barbs...both of the sisters are perverts, but you are way too much for me to handle...)

    He only saw a figure of someone in the distance by chance and followed it, he didn''t know he would meet Barbara here.

    The worst part was that he heard pretty much everything she said and just like he thought, she was a Yandere or a die-hard fan of some sort...

    A younger girl with that kind of obsession?

    For someone like her to possess such an attachment to him...well...not that it wasn''t the case that he was gorgeous and absolutely amazingly wonderfully charming person, but at the same time, he doubted he would cause her that kind of passion.

    If anything, he could understand her attraction for him because of how he saved her life, and who knew, maybe he had already seeded at winning her heart that way, but it still caused an uneasy pit in his stomach...

    The lovely nun of Mondstadt very much changed in a short period of time...into this fanatic...

    Barbara seemed to ignore his own nerves entirely, proceeding to take quick steps towards him without any hesitation, all the while talking out loud, still maintaining the same indifferent tone of voice despite the rather odd behavior: "I am so d I met you!"

    "S-Say...did youe.... alone?" He inquired.

    Barbara looked away first after nodding, scratching her arm self consciously as she stepped closer to him, hugging him around his waist, pressing herself up against his side softly.

    "Yes, I''m alone. I was afraid because I lost my way through the woods but I''m d I found you!" Her voice sounded incredibly sincere, yet he knew that behind those blue orbs of hers were only lies.

    (She was most likely following us the entire time from Mondstadt... I''m not really sure what to do with her...Is it better to just leave her here and let her stalk, or to bring her with me into our group? Thest thing I should probably do is to talk with her about it...Maybe...that date I promised would do the trick??? Or maybe it will be even worse after that...)

    Barbara seemed to have read his mind, probably noticing the twinkle in his eye when thinking about the issue.

    "Ooh, poor thing! You''re injured, here, let me heal you in the name of Barbatos." Her hand brushed his shoulder, lifting the hem of his shirt before cing it on his wound gently.

 Chapter 173

    "?La~" A gentle melody of hers filled their surroundings, apanying them in silence as her hands rubbed against the skin of his injured bare chest, kneading the tight muscles beneath the fabric lightly while singing softly.

    His breath hitched as the sensation of her warm palms drew close to his healing wounds.

    That angelic sound washed away all traces of paranoia in Yomite''s heart, returning his mind back to the present.

    The scratches and small wounds on his body from the fight against Childe healed immediately, as if it was nothing more than a mild scrape of his skin. Luckily, the wounds weren''t deep or serious, or else Barbara wouldn''t be able to heal them.

    For broken bones and deep wounds, the only healer in the city of Mondstadt that could help was Jean, Barbara didn''t have that kind of ability.

    "Ah...thanks for the healing. I am all better now. Ehm...Do you want toe with me to our inn? You may stay with us for the time being." Is what he decided to do for now.

    As soon as Barbara realized that he was offering shelter, she smiled cheerfully at him, which made Yomite even more apprehensive.

    "Of course! I would love to~"

    (This is probably not going to end well...She epted too easily...But then again...is it not better to keep an eye on her from up close?)

    With her free hand she reached up to cover her smile with her palm, curling her fingers around the edges of her lips, happy that her n worked wlessly.

    "So, Barbs, what made youe to...Liyue?"

    Shepletely ignored his question and instead, focused on what he mentioned in the beginning.

    "Aw...You gave me a nickname, how nice of you...thank you, but it''s so embarassing!" She gave him a small pout as she bit down on her lower lip innocently, then licked her upper lip once before looking up at him. "In that case, let me give you one as well, Yomite-sama! How about...Yum-Yum!"

    Barbara couldn''t help but giggle a little at her nickname, looking up at Yomite in the broad daylight with sparkling eyes.

    "..."

    He gazed back nkly at her.

    "...Yum-Yum...Sounds like some sort of yoghurt..." He remarked with a weak grin, rubbing the pad of his thumb along the bridge of his nose. "...It''s...It''s great..."

    He truly hoped she didn''t mean Yum-Yum as in she would be eating him up alive by tearing his flesh apart, but at the same time, he thought he''d definitely see himself getting turned into meat loaf by the end of this month in one way or another...so it fit perfectly after all...

    "Ah, I am so d you liked it! But if you ever feel like changing it, then don''t worry! I stil have about ten thousand nicknames prepared. A-Ah don''t take it the wrong way! I-It''s not like I was preparing them for the future or anything!" Barbara ced her hands over her cheeks, suddenly very embarrassed as she hung her head low, shaking it softly.

    (What sort of creature even is this girl..bination of Yandere and Tsundere? What else?)

    They set off for the Inn together, walking silently side by side, with both of her hands around his arm and holding onto him tightly, like a lion crushing its prey...

    Yomite seemed content with the prospect of taking her along; perhaps he felt safer knowing that Barbara was walking alongside of him where he could monitor her, instead of sneaking in nearby bushes, thus gaining the advantage of moving unsupervised...

    Although, escorting a pretty young nun had its perks as well...one couldn''t deny that the others'' attention was fully directed at him throughout the trip. It was a bit hard to walk when she was hugging him like that...the scent of flowery soap permeating through her clothing was driving him insane...

    The seductive fragrance of a flower simr tovender, seemed to linger around the base of her pigtailed hair, making it impossible to breathe normally.

    Not to mention, Liyue was a hot country, the temperature was high at all times.

    The heat that rose from the ground and rolled upwards until it hit their faces, feeling ufortably warm to the touch, and sometimes itchy as well didn''t help one bit...

    Both of them were under the sun in the middle of the day, which was usually the highest peak point of temperature in this region...

    Therefore, both of them were sweating buckets and panting, creatingrge patches of perspiration under her lightyers of white clothes that covered her chest, leaving visible outlines of her nipples underneath the frock, especially during the hot summer sunbeams that shone brightly on the two mountain peaks...

    (God, she has killer body, Yandere no doubt...Barbaric...but so damn sexy...)

    Barbara asionally pulled on the huge ribbon that was adorning her chest, but the fabric of the ribbon wasn''t thick enough to prevent her sweaty breasts from exposing themselves under it. And also, they would constantly squish and get soaked in the dampness between the ribbon, making the top half of her breasts extremely noticeable...

    He wasn''t even looking at them directly but he could still see the see-through thin material hugging the curves of her bosom, showing off her smooth lines of her ribcage and the valley that existed between her peachy pink full breasts...

    Barbara must have noticed his gaze at them as well, causing the top half of her face to flush bright red, giving him a small smile that made his jaw ck in surprise.

    "No...wait...I didn''t mean to..."

    He wanted to exin that when he was talking to someone, he would almost always look at the person, directly into their eyes as a sign of politeness, as if he wasn''t looking at that particr person, it showed he wasn''t interested in the person or the topic itself.

    But due to their height difference, when he looked down at her, his gaze met with her sweaty breasts instead of her eyes...

    Before he could exin himself, however, she quickly stuck her index finger in front of her mouth, continuing to smile whilst she grabbed onto him tighter.

 Chapter 174

    (This...This...It''s a heresy to be this cute...Yandere or not!)

    Yomite grit his teeth, the entire time she was glued to his arm, having ''them'' slide across his forearm and rub up against his upper arm ever so slightly, made him use every ounce of his strength to hold onto dear life.

    (I am notining that women of this world do not see it as a need to wear bras...It''s great. It''s amazing. It''s wonderful, but in this situation...it''s so hot outside and she is doing this...aaaaaaaah think about something else! Fast! Think of...Venti! Shit, bad call, bad call...Goku! Haaaa!) He internally screamed.

    But to put things in perspective, the temperature right outside of directly under the sun he roughly estimated to be around 50 degrees Celsius (122��F), which was literally unbearable for anyone under the sun. Even under the shade of the trees on either side of the road and during a nice breeze, it was ufortable enough to make them itch and wish they were dead.

    (Why would people even live in this hot country is what I am currently thinking about if you couldn''t tell...)

    ...

    The sooner they arrived at the inn, the better for everyone involved...

    Liyue''s citizens avoided the midday heat like the gue,zing around in their homes or spending most of the days under wide open umbres, blocking their bodies from the direct sunlight...

    However, that didn''t prevent the majority of the people from working outside, business owners mostly took the sunbathing spot under the beautiful mountainside, asionally cooking some soup or other food on an artifact that looked like a makeshift grill, ced on top of stones and pieces of wood. The rest of the local people sat under wooden shelters along with their children and friends while trading stories with one another, exhanging pleasantries and joking between one another. It all felt very peaceful and innocentpared to how it seemed to him when they first entered the city.

    His senses could pick out things like the sounds of people talking amongst themselves, theughter could be heard from all over the town, the smell of food wafting in the air, seemingly originated from any restaurant, eatery or marketce located within the town limits.

    All in all, it was a blissfully serene environment; albeit without a carefree soul for eyes to witness and ears to hear.

    The city looked alive, cheerful and friendly at a first nce. As though the people here spent most of their days going to one another instead of going to work; there wasn''t a single person walking around while looking bored or angry. In some ways this ce resembled Mondstadt.

    As they walked on through the town, they began to get closer to the center of the town, gradually reaching arger district full establishments and shops whererge quantities of goods sold, giving them more opportunity to purchase new supplies. They found plenty of stores that sold clothing, bags and various misceneous items. They bought food as well as refreshment drinks like cold Apple and Sunsettia Juice as the temperature could make them faint if they weren''t properly hydrated and nutritious. The way this way going, it almost looked like a date.

    Then they arrived in front of an Adventurer Guild''s branch. From what Katheryne in Mondstadt told him, there was a branch in every city in the continent. This particr branch seemed bigger than the one in Mondstadt, as it was surrounded by several smaller houses connected together.

    There was even an open cksmithy workshop with a fire roaring inside, next to the buildings, actively churning out huge amounts of steel armor, swords and weapons for the local townsfolk. A middle-aged man with a cleanly shaved beard and tall body wrapped up in red leather was hanging iron chains from the topmost ceiling beam above the forge, using an axe to remove small parts of chain linkages. He nodded towards duo when he heard their footsteps.

    "Hanfeng''s Ironmongers, here to serve. Liyue is the dominion of Rex Lapis himself. Our ores and cksmithing skill could never disappoint."

    "Ah, sorry, we are just passing by, but if I need something for myself, I wille personally." Yomite replied courteously.

    "I see. You don''t look like familiar faces to me. Wee to Liyue folks, if you ever need anything with metal and ores,e to me." He chuckled before returning to his task, slowly turning around as he swung the axe in rhythm. "A solid business is founded on solid rtionships, I hope we will meet again. Enjoy the beautiful city."

    "Thanks!"

    They bid him farewell before they stopped in front of the Adventurer''s Guild.

    ...

    ..

    .

    "How is this possible..." Yomite started, unable to contain his surprise when he saw a familiar face between the staff of the Adventurer''s guild. She nced over her shoulder towards him, smiling brightly.

    "Wee to the Liyue branch of the Adventurers'' Guild. Ad astra abyssosque!"

    "Eh...Katheryne?"

    "That''s right. I am Katheryne, the receptionist here at the Adventurers'' Guild. It''s my job to assign quests to our adventurers and provide intelligence support. Our service is all year round. Is there something wrong, Adventurer? You seem... surprised? Nervous? Have I, smitten you, perhaps?" She asked, holding a smile to her face as she greeted the two of them with politeness.

    Yomite stared back at her nky. Her smooth, mature voice, no matter how teasingly she spoke, was too soft for his ears not to recognize. Her short silky ck hair had a slight curl to it, the ends matching with her delicate face in every sense of the word.

    (Why is she here? I don''t understand...Isn''t she in Mondstadt?) Yomite was confused and dazed, still grasping his thoughts as he tried to think whether he was wrong.

    Was it actually possible she was a different person altogether? Even her name was Katheryne like the one in Mond!

    He returned her greeting, still not quite able to process why she was here.

 Chapter 175

    "So...What are you doing here if I may ask...?"

    Katheryne blinked at him in surprise, thenughed gently. "I''m sorry, dear Adventurer, I don''t quite understand your confusion? All Guild members should be well aware that Katheryne is the receptionist of the Adventurers'' Guild. The Liyue branch can''t go without a receptionist, can it? This service is avable around the clock, so there is no need for concern. Therefore, Katheryne is here. Katheryne is there. Katheryne is everywhere. Do you have any further questions, or are you here to register?"

    She giggled yfully as she finished thest part of her speech.

    Yomite sighed and nodded before checking a few quests they were listed on the notice board. Apparently, as expected, there were many of them that had been registered over the past week. These included single quests, long and dangerous ones with strong time requirements, or alternatively, harder and faster quests to challenge them once they reached a certain level. Some of the quests were quests to take pictures of local animals, some were to track down missing persons and get back those who wandered off. And a lot of them were to engage with more hazardous monsters.

    Other than those missions, there were also exterminating bandits, gathering intel, hunting monsters, escorting, and order takeouts which he never tried before.

    (Order Takeouts? Delivering food to customers within scheduled time...how is this a quest...This should be easy with Lumine''s teleport.)

    The questboard was almost full, since it was so hot outside, almost no one wished to do any of them and he could understand that sentiment.

    (I would probably die if I had to fight monsters during this heat...Well, if the girls wanted to do some hunting then I would join them but still...)

    They left the guild and Yomite immediately turned to Barbara, "Say, isn''t this the same Katheryne as the one from Mondstadt?"

    "Is it? I''m sorry, I don''t think I''ve ever paid attention to women around me, but you seem to be very proficient at it." Barbara smirked as she responded.

    "Ahahah..." Yomite''s nervousughter echoed softly through the street.

    As they were heading towards the Inn, Yomite could hear a weird sound saying "...Error..." in the distance,ing from the Adventurer''s guild behind them.

    "..."

    (I swear if that Katheryne isn''t a mass reproduced robot, then I''ll eat my own liver!)

    In any case, there wasn''t any point in thinking about Katheryne right now. There was a bigger issue at hand, and that issue was Barbara...

    Despite Yomite having questions regarding Barbara, he refrained from asking anything at all; he understood that this Yandere obsession subject wasn''t open for discussion with the person herself...Or else he might find himself waking up without balls one day, screaming at the top of his lungs, which wouldn''t be pretty...

    He figured she would borate about herselfter on in due time if she wanted to take next steps in their future ''rtionship''...they could even go with that approach.

    (Hopefully...A life with another girl like that would not be bad at all...She is cute after all, and seems like she would make a really great girlfriend, as she seems like the type to fully devote herself to someone she loves, but currently, I am more than happy with what I have...and having a weird psychopathic girlfriend would make me unable to sleep at night...What if she hurt me, or worse, my other girls somehow...)

    The risk was too great to ept...not only for his sake, but also for theirs...He just hoped that Barbara wouldn''t do anything rash once she met them...

    By the time they reached the Inn, they were finally ready to throw themselves on the mercy of the establishment''s cool air, though the massive intake of sudden cold ensured that they could actually sweat their asses off inside the room, never venturing outside except when necessary.

    (Honestly...fuck the dailies...I am sorry, but I am not fighting monsters in this heat...The money is not worth it, I got plenty from that Childe guy...Come to think of it...Childe managed to find such a nice cool ce for a battle...but this heat is way too much for me to notze in my bed from morning to night...No wonder he wanted me to follow him and even paid me for it, fuck the sun.)

    The wind whined above them as Yomite shut the door behind them, closing the world from their sight. Silence fell between them, the sound of the heavy breathing, reverberating in the enclosure of the building.

    "So, as you might know, I have five party members who are currently staying at this Inn. We have two rooms and one of them has an empty bed, so if you want, you can sleep there. You won''t need to pay anything either."

    Barbara hummed thoughtfully while taking in Yomite''s information. "Yum-Yum, I can''t let you pay for my expenses. It''s not fair." She said. "I have enough money, don''t worry about me."

    Yomite took a deep breath after hearing his nickname, "Are you sure? I don''t mind if you didn''t pay, I already got the room anyway as it wasn''t so expensive."

    Barbara gave him a broad smile. The intent of her warm gaze was to reach his core where his feelings would bloom for her, but after hearing what she said about him earlier today, Yomite was currently the furthest away from falling for her...

    "You''re sweet, I appreciate it. But, don''t worry about me, Yum-Yum, my family is very well off, it''s not a problem. Here''s the money."

    With these words, she handed him a bag of Mora, and lightly patted his cheek with her free hand, leaving him stunned for a moment. It felt more affectionate than he was expecting at least.

    "Alright. If that''s what you wish fo��" Yomite cut himself off and paused.

    Their discussion was interrupted by a slightmotion, a set of footsteps was audibly running down the stairs anding closer towards the entrance.

 Chapter 176

    "Fischl wait, don''t go alone." Lumine pleaded as she reached towards Fischl''s arm but only fell short, "Party leader probably does not wish for us to be involved."

    "Why have thou informed me of such important matters only now!? Why must the Prinzessin der Verurteilung wait when her Prince is out there, battling the foes of the unknown? I shall lend my assistance whether he wants it or not!"

    Despite knowing he was capable enough to take care of himself, Fischl was beginning to worry about Yomite''s safety, and despite Lumine trying to calm her down with small talk, she was too stubborn to ept her reasoning.

    He had already been gone for over two hours and had not returned since.

    She couldn''t understand why the other girls had allowed him travel to a perilous location alone with a dangerous man.

    Not to add that they didn''t give her the whole truth, at least not until the little flying sustenance was bribed with some sweets...

    Did the other girls not care about him?

    Even Hu Tao waved her hand saying he was bound to be okay, which only infuriated her further..

    Fischl was angry and extremely worried.

    She shouldn''t have run off back then out of embarrassment. If she didn''t, she could have gone with him and covered his back instead...

    Fischl was very well aware of the fact that the Fatui were disgusting.

    They were professionals in economics, defense, and policy, and they would utilize all contemporary means at their disposal to gainplete dominion over all nations of the globe in order to realize their Empress Tsaritsa''s vision, which made her even more worried for his safety.

    It also led her to suspect that this battle wasn''t going to be easy at all after she heard the specifics from Hu Tao.

    This Childe was a strong opponent, highly skilled with both bow and other weapons such as daggers and swords.

    (What if this Childe he left with, was the assassin he was warning us about!?)

    It would make sense. Yomite would go intercept him instead, since he wouldn''t want to put them in danger, but what would she do if something were to happen to him? He was protecting them, but who would protect him?

    "Tsk. Ugh." Her lips curled into a tight frown as she straightened up her posture, preparing herself for what she must do next.

    (This Prinzessin will save him for sure!)

    She picked up her arrows and ran down the stairs.

    Determination filling her heart, she set out towards where he wasst seen going.

    Until...Until she saw that the man she was worrying about all this time, was already downstairs, being caressed by a more than familiar girl she disliked very much...

    "...Yomite...?" She started as she stood in the middle of the stairway, looking from side to side. "How art thou here?"

    There were tears glistening in her beautiful emerald eye. There wasn''t a single sound in the room except the gentle murmurings of his woman''s voice. He was alive and well.

    "I-I��" Fischl stammered as she approached them cautiously. "...Are you okay?"

    Yomite nodded wordlessly giving her a smile of reassurence, and Fischl let out a breath of relief before sighing deeply, but after seeing Deaconess Barbara hugging him like that, a small frown creased on her face.

    "So...Where did thou pick ''it'' up?" Fischl, motioned towards Barbara with her hand, making no effort to hide her anger towards the girl.

    Barbara raised an eyebrow at her rude remark, "It? Did you perhaps mean me?" She tilted her head sideways, a cheeky grin stered across her face. "Hm. Perhaps not��"

    "No, thou guessed correctly. Yomite, what ist this ursed female doing here? " Fischl looked usingly at the deaconess giving the woman a rather menacing re, before turning to Yomite, "Thou art better off without this woman,e along, the others are waiting."

    "ursed is a bit...uh...is something the matter?" Yomite asked bewilderedly, but didn''t get a response from her.

    Yomite could see she was staring daggers at Barbara, but he didn''t know why. He knew that Fischl must have been worried about him based on how she acted, and he felt touched by the gesture, yet he didn''t understand her sudden hostility towards Barbara. Did she mistreat her somehow in the past?

    He was just standing there in the middle of this ''standoff'' between two women, wondering what the hell was happening.

    He then nced over at Deaconess Barbara who only shrugged her shoulders with a sad smile, seemingly also clueless to what was happening.

    Barbara unfastened the ribbon on her dress and waved it to cool off her chest, in the pleasant cool temperature of the room.

    Droplets of sweat rolled down her neckline and onto her corbone as she eyed Fischl with interest. She wasn''t sure why Fischl was angry at her either, was she perhaps jealous, or was it something else?

    But whatever it was, the problemy solely on Fischl''s shoulders as it hadn''t been caused by her at all. At least she wasn''t aware of doing anything to irritate the blonde-haired girl anyway.

    Fischl finally pointed her finger at Barbara, "This Prinzessin is requesting that thou leave!" andmanded firmly, picking up her bow and loading an arrow onto her string, "I won''t tell thee again."

    "W-Wait..Fischl?" Yomite was taken aback by her sudden behavior, but he got a hold of himself quickly, raising his hands catingly, "Don''t be hasty, Fischl...What is wrong?"

    But Fischl ignored his question and only ordered impatiently, "Leave. Now."

    "Oh..." Barbara scratched her cheek before sighing, and then let out a quiet hum as she leaned her head against Yomite''s chest and wrapped her arms around him. "B-But...Yum-Yum already promised me I would be sleeping in his room tonight..."

    Fischl raised her eyebrows and snapped her eyes at him, "I beg thy pardon?! Yum-Yum...? What nonsense is that?" She squinted her eyes suspiciously.

    Yomite covered his face with his hand and sighed. Now he had to resolve another misunderstanding.

 Chapter 177

    Yomite scratched the back of his neck and tried to exin the situation carefully to his dear girlfriend, before all hell broke loose for no reason whatsoever...

    "I met her in the forest after fighting a man called Childe. I was a bit injured and she healed me. To repay her, I brought her here as she was all by herself in this unknown country and agreed to let her stay in one of the rooms, this room would be where Paimon, Lumine and Iris are currently staying, as there is an empty bed since Paimon and Lumine share the same one all the time..."

    Fischl listened to his exnations carefully, and noticed the holes on his shirt and pants, which was probably where his injuries were located before Barbara healed him back to normal. She nodded at him several times to show that his words made sense to her.

    Barbara bowed to Fischl and exined apologetically, "Er��I was lost in the woods and Yum-Yum saved me. My name is Barbara, and I am the Deaconess of the Favonius Church, I am sure we''ve met before."

    "Cease your frivolous games, This one is very well aware of who you truly are..." Fischl responded weakly, with tears forming in the corner of her emerald eye, "How could this Prinzessin ever forgive you...Thou art the one who infected Yomite with Cholera! A menace!"

    ...

    ..

    .

    .

    ..

    ...

    What?

    What did she say?

    (Cholera? Wait...is she perhaps...still angry because of that...? Ohe on...Fischl you are adorable but you are making this really awkward now...)

    Yomite blinked repeatedly, as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep.

    Hearing her words, however...Barbara''s expression darkened. It was obvious that the remark hurt a lot to hear, as she was indeed the one who brought Cholera to Mondstadt from the vige of Springvale a long while ago and endangered everyone in the city.

    After Barbara overcame her own illness, everybody celebrated, until it was revealed that Yomite was also infected.

    She still vividly remembered the day when Yomite nearly sumbed to it. His situation was getting worse and worse and he hadn''t eaten or drank anything in days, simply because he was far too weak and vomited everything out right away.

    The guilt about Yomite''s falling sickness nearly caused Barbara to lose all control over her sanity again in those chaotic days, her mind breaking down couple of times per day...

    Everyone from her sister, to the librarian Lisa, and even Diluc Ragnvindr, the silent loner was panicking and trying to resolve the issue somehow, while she was once again useless and helpless, just like always.

    Knowing that her savior nearly lost his life because of her filled her heart with remorse. If it weren''t for that one brave girl from his party that refused to budge and wanted to apany him no matter what, allowing herself to be put into the quarantine and endanger her life...who knew what would have happened to him...

    Barbara immediately lowered her head and deeply bowed, speaking softly, "Please forgive me...I did not wish to cause any trouble back then...Yum-Yum saved my life and I am simply grateful for it, yet the thought of his symptoms being even worse than mine, pained my heart...that much I will tell you. I am ashamed. I would never forget that failure of mine forever."

    Fischl stiffened, seeing that Barbara legimately seemed regretful of what she''d done.

    Both Barbara and Fischl were young girls, prone to emotional instabilities and saying things without thinking through the consequences first.

    Yet they seemed like they finally understood each other, being simr in age and circumstances.

    "I''m sorry...the only thing I can say is that I did not wish for anyone else to fall ill, I swear on Barbatos, and the Gunnhildr n." Barbara swore sincerely, hoping that these words would be enough to settle the turmoil in their rtionship somehow.

    "...It''s fine." Fischl brushed away her tears and shook her head apologetically, "Pardon mein outburst...it was unbing..."

    Fischl put the bow away and sighed deeply. She knew that her anger towards Barbara was misdirected.

    At the time, she returned from her long quest, happy to be finally back, only to hear that Yomite fell ill to the same illness that Barbara had contracted during the visit to the vige. This led to her irrational rage and frustration. She didn''t know how else to express her emotions and needed a victim to me.

    All that aside, Barbara was innocent after all, she never intended to make anyone sick in the first ce and even went to try and heal the vigers of the infected ce because she simply wanted to help on her own behalf.

    It was Fischl who targeted her and med her inside of her mind, yet after thinking about it calmly, Barbara was just a young girl, that suffered the same fate as her beloved. There was no need for any of this in the first ce.

    Her rational side told her that now she and Barbara actually understood each other better after they have resolved their misunderstanding through talking out loud.

    Yomite sighed in relief. For some reason, this brief interlude calmed his worries and fears down, the tension inside of him eventually disappearedpletely. Yet his exhaustion was still evident, all of this drama could have been avoided but it was better that there were no longer any grudges or any enmity between them and that everything was resolved...

 Chapter 178

    "Thou wagerth thy future as soon as thou heart beats thine blood." A profound sentence left her lips, one she had read many years ago in an old, cursed book. The pages were stiff with age and the ck ink of the writing ran together like liquid wax, but those words had held meaning that she could never escape.

    Barbara put her hand over her mouth in surprise. "...Wow! You''re so proficient in poetry!"

    Fischl chuckled softly at the sound of praise, "Tis only natural for Prinzessin Der Verurteilung, The Sovereign of the Immernachtreich, omniscient and eminent judge of all the world''s iniquity to speaketh the crimson of the midnightnguage of Gods."

    Barbara nodded along out of politeness, despite not understanding almost anything Fischl just said. Barbara simply paused when she got to the part of Prinzessin Der Verurteilung and she was immediately lost afterward.

    Funnily enough, the two girls quickly became friends after what transpired just a few minutes ago.

    Barbaraplimented Fischl on being great in poetry and Fischl seemed delighted. In return, Fischl mentioned how she could imagine Barbara wearing the same clothes as her, as they were the same height and their body type was also almost identical.

    They hit it off pretty well, much to his surprise.

    This convinced Yomite that women simply changed in a matter of seconds, further reminding him of the fact how much of an angel Barbara was when he first met her, only to be currently near a thin line of psychopath or a Yandere, neither of which she was currently disying...

    They went up the stairs into his room, and it was empty and bare except for the three beds and a couple chairs ced here and there. The rest of the room appeared to be kept in an unused state,plete with empty closet shelves and drawers.

    From what Fischl mentioned, all of the girls were currently in Lumine''s room, ying cards and chatting among themselves,ughing merrily and having fun without being worried about him.

    Barbara peered around the room with curious eyes.

    "...Oh, this room is really nice," she murmured, "It gives off a cozy feeling."

    Yomite gave her a brief nce and took a step closer to the window. He ced his palms against the cool surface of the ss and enjoyed itsforting caress. The view outside wasn''t worth mentioning; it was still the dull streets, now bare of passers-by.

    Barbara clenched her fist, taking a deep breath before letting it slowly release. She gathered her courage, though she felt flustered and nervous, then tried:

    "You know, Yum-Yum..." She couldn''t help herself from voicing out what was going through her head; "The beds here are pretty big andfortable..." Her voice dropped to a whisper, yet was audible enough for Yomite to catch.

    Her cheeks reddened slightly under his gaze as she sat down on a bed and patted the cover lightly with her hands.

    "This one especially seems...very fluffy..." Sheid down on top of it, stealthily whiffing the soft fabric beneath her nose and holding back a grin when a masculine scent rose to greet her nostrils. "So nice~" she said to herself. It filled her senses, a smell much akin to natural male aroma, with notes of raw masculinity underneath.

    This was his bed, she was sure of it. His bed smelled exactly like him.

    She slowly dragged her fingers across the soft material, and her tone turned sensual again, "Maybe you should...lie down too, to rx a bit?" She whispered, trying not to sound too eager.

    Despite her best efforts, her blush grew hotter at the thought.

    Yomite nearly choked on his next inhale. He quickly stared ahead, coughing loudly while trying to keep a straight face and maintain a very proper demeanor, "I-I''m fine, thank you..."

    "Mhm, but it''s just so~ so~fortable...I almost wish to fall asleep here~ Such a good bed." She giggled, cocking her head towards him as she wiped away her sweaty forehead.

    Yomite didn''t even need a second to realize what she meant...

    If he was single, he would want nothing more than to just join her on the bed and ravish her senselessly right here and now, taking pleasure in the pure feeling of feminine curves beneath him, her sweet warm skin pressed against his own.

    But he wasn''t.

    He had two beautiful women, one of which milked him dry on daily basis with submissiveness while doing everything else possible to appease him, squeezing him of his life essence, and another who was an adorable ball of shyness when it came to moving towards the final step in physical intimacy.

    Throwing caution to the wind to just getid with a new girl wasn''t worth it.

    (Aaah...An invitation...An invitation...the old me would have probably epted right away...but she''s a Yandere. You simply don''t stick your dick in a crazy...I''m sorry, I will have to sit this one out...)

    He nced at Fischl who didn''t have any reaction, probably didn''t understand what Barbara just said. At least he thought she didn''t.

    (Alright, Barbara...It''s the only choice now...I am sorry...but...Inner Ichika Inbound.)

    "Ah...Yeah... It''s a... It''s..a good bed. Very good...good parameters...familyfortable...this is a high quality inn, after all! It''s only natural there would be high quality beds as well!" Yomite rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

    It never urred to him he would be trying to act like a dense idiot. But this was the only option...for now at least.

 Chapter 179

    There were too many thoughts whirling in his mind at the moment.

    Yomite took a seat on one of the chairs in the room and sighed loudly, feeling of tiredness washed over him again.

    He tried to ignore Barbara''s sexual innuendos, her overtly suggestive tone and the innocent look on her face whenever he made eye contact with her, refusing to give in and agree.

    However, it was obvious she wasn''t deterred by his refusals either. Rather, it looked like she was definitely getting attracted to him even more, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

    Seeing that it wouldn''t lead anywhere, Barbara stealthily took out a perfume from her bag and sprayed it on his pillow, achieving her goal, she hopped off his bed and smiled at him kindly, fixing the ribbon on top of her chest.

    The moment she finally left his bed, Yomite immediately noticed arge sweaty spot on the sheets left by her shapely buttocks.

    And it definitely had some traces of warmth as well, leaving behind a tempting amount of heat and an enticing scent of pheromones of a young woman that suggested a certain excitement.

    "........"

    ...

    ..

    .

    It was really humid inside of the room, which was caused by Barbara not having any air conditioning at all.

    A constant stream of hot air gushed through the window directly into the room, causing the sweat on her body to umte quickly.

    This also ''forced'' Barbara to loosen her white frock for a second to release the umted heat in her chest area, freeing her growing breasts out of its structure and sticking her soft flesh against the fabric.

    She removed the ribbon in hopes to alleviate some of the difort of being surrounded by such a hot atmosphere.

    The smell seemed so strong that he could swear he could feel her arousal scent invading every inch of his nostrils as it drifted through the room. The clear invitation had already been set on his pulse.

    (Amitabha, Amitabha. It''s hot inside here after all...She couldn''t help it...Yes...I don''t have enough self control for this anymore...I need to rest... It''s a tough day today, and it''s only been half a day...)

    Barbara and Fischl seemed to have noticed the exhaustion in his posture. Both of them looked at each other and smiled.

    "Your Lordship, thou seem exhausted," Fischl ventured softly.

    "Yum-Yum, when you are tired, hugs usually help you replenish your energy!"

    The two girls sat down on each side of hisp and both leaned forward to hug him tightly, their cute smiling faces seemingly in anticipation.

    "Mhm...Feels nice." He sighed contentedly before wrapping his arms around the two girls

    They massaged his shoulders while pressing their bodies closer to him, nearly leaning against him, clearly trying to use the strength of the full muscle group of their arms to strengthen the spindly arms of their short bodies.

    (Such adorable little creatures... Thank you so much, but while it does help me rx...I am getting hard...I don''t think hugging like this will be able to fix the problem...I might attack you both.)

    It brought a warmth through his body that helped ease his exhaustion even more.

    In a way, it felt nice having them both sitting so close to him. Up close, they both looked absolutely captivating.

    To have such gorgeous goddesses touching him so intimately, so respectfully and gently, was probably the sweetest thing ever...and he wanted to repay them...but he held himself back.

    They were as cute as expected; the scent of both of their skin wafted onto his senses, and the soft warmth of their touches started soothing his stress once again.

    But still, the worries inside of his mind lingered.

    (Nah, I promised myself not to worry so much. Let''s just rx for now.)

    Yomite''s eyes seemed to ze over, staring forward nkly, in a trance-like state. It looked like his mind was elsewhere entirely, perhaps lost in memories of past or thinking about something very important...or maybe...just using every ounce of his strength to hold his boner from popping.

    Fischl wondered what he was thinking about when they were doing their best to cheer him up by massaging his shoulders.

    It only took a second for his gaze to clear, however, turning to look over at her with those golden orbs, and she immediately felt relieved.

    Her lips curled into a gentle smile, stretching her full mouth into something truly weing, hiding any lingering unease and sense of worry she had for the boy.

    She held out her arms invitingly, cing a tentative hand on his shoulder, hoping that her touch would be warm enough to feel soothing to him.

    Leaning forward, her lips brushed the side of his face lightly before kissing him softly, closing her eyes at the familiar taste of his skin and scent.

    Barbara stopped with the massage and put her hand on her mouth in suprise. "Oh my...you two seem...rather close."

    "Correct, he is my...lover."

    Fischl''s voice was calm yet somehow deep, seeming to carry a certain authority thatpelled attention and respect.

    She seemed perfectly fine answering her question, unbothered by the intimate nature of their rtionship nor felt any shame.

    "You guys..." Barbara was stunned by the sudden reveal being presented so casually, making out with someone was usually quite explicit and intimate. Yet there they were, snuggling up to each other right in front of her eyes...

    The pair waspletely ignoring her presence now, being in the world of their own making.

    "...Are you truly alright?" Fischl asked him softly, her usual melodic chuuni voice and speech pattern bing nonexistent, bringing forth the inner Amy who was just a normal girl in love.

    She waited until he gave her a reassuing nod in return.

    "Everything is fine. Thanks for worrying about me. Let''s go and call the others. We are in Liyue to enjoy ourselves, after all. No need to get stressed." He replied calmly, waving his hand with a dismissive gesture.

    He hugged Fischl as he stood from the chair, keeping his hand firmly wrapped around hers as he led her outside of the room.

    Barbara also followed them wordlessly, her eyes narrowing curiously as she observed the pair.

 Chapter 180

    Everything was going great. Except it wasn''t.

    Barbara was following them in silence. It seemed she was thinking about something.

    Yomite was already expecting an attack from her side with arge knife straight into his back, knowing Yanderes.

    After all, he did just kiss another girl on the lips right in front of her and he assumed Barbara must have be enranged after such an act of ''infidelity'' and would now try to take vengeance for being ignored by either brutally stabbing him in his back, or by having his throat slit open when he least expected it.

    Or chopping off his...manhood...to keep as a pet for herself, or turning him into one of those strange machines that required human sex organs to function. And he knew Yanderes were not afraid of anything or anyone, even if they appeared timid or weak most of the time.

    But so far...

    Absolutely nothing was happening.

    (Barbara is way too weird...I don''t understand her at all...One time she is cute like a shy maiden, or a puppy, but then she is bold enough to make my blood boil with lust and when she is alone, her stalker tendencies are activated...but at least she seems to be...softer than usual Yanderes...Thankfully...)

    As soon as they stepped into the Lumine''s room, they saw that the girls were still busy with the card game.

    The first to spot him was his adorable pet fairy, Paimon, who immediately floated over, sticking to his left arm happily. "Ah! Paimon told you Good Tattoo woulde back!"

    His etherealpanion giggled excitedly.

    "Hoh? Good Tattoo? Been a long time since I heard that one. Usually it''s just, Bad Tattoo or Womanizer or other interesting things."

    "Ehehe~ Paimon is simply d you''ve returned! You must have given that poo on a stick a nice beating he deserved!"

    "Is that so? In that case, here is some Mora, you can buy some snacks with itter." He handed her a small pouch with about fifty thousand Mora inside.

    "Nyehehe! Paimon can finally buy the Ultra Burger with this!" She cheered in delight and quickly snatched the pouch away.

    (Paimon...the Ultra Burger is at least thrice your size...Good Luck...) Yomite smiled faintly, scratching the little fairy''s cheek fondly.

    "Party Leader...you made it safe and sound." Lumine murmured happily, almost shining radiantly at the sight of him.

    Yomite gave her a small wave of greeting, and an unexpected pat on her head, ruffling her golden hair affectionately.

    She felt it was far too tender, and oddly intimate, yet Lumine didn''t seem bothered by it. Maybe it was just her.

    And soon, his favorite loud girl also weed him.

    "Ah, if it isn''t my beloved, one and only Assistant! So? How much did you get your butt kicked on the scale of recklessness and showing off~"

    Hu Tao seemed like she was nonchnt about him going to fight Childe, but deep down she was also worried because Childe had Trump cards which could prove to be a bit problematic even for her, even if she was confident in beating him.

    But the moment she saw he returned safely, she had her usual cat-like grin stered on her face as she threw herself onto him in a tight hug, making Yomite give a baffled look at her sudden disy of affection.

    "He was tough, but we are not done yet."

    Once he let go, she rubbed her hands together in excitement, "So-So, how much money did we rob him of?"

    With augh, he waved his hand dismissively. "Not that much, actually. Just enough to feed Iris for two weeks."

    "That''s a nice number!" She pped her hands happily, earning augh from the rest of the party.

    Iris also smiled softly, her gaze fixed on her Master, a rare show of happiness from her.

    Childe was looking at Iris with the intention of eating her, Hu Tao teased the poor dragon, but she also added that her Master went to beat him up because of it.

    Iris was moved by her Master''s kind gesture and found herself beaming even wider.

    He provided her with a ce to stay, food, and he also beat up anyone that wanted to eat her!

    Her Master was incredible!

    Eventually, after everybody wasforted and reassured he was fine, they sat down on the beds to discuss, as everybody was seemingly interested in what happened with the fight and how he met the person who was currently sitting next to him.

    The Deaconess Barbara, everyone but Iris was familiar with her.

    Barbara looked along the party in unison, smiling politely, rubbing the back of her neck with her index finger idly. "Um, nice to meet you."

    As their match was interrupted, Yomite only mentioned some tidbits and the way Childe fought to make them understand his moveset, if they were to encounter him again.

    All in all, his lips were sealed tight when it came to Barbara and how her presence mysteriously moved from Mondstadt all the way to Liyue...

    (I still have to apud her determination to follow us through this hot weather...She is truly something else.) Yomite thought inwardly.

    Just as he finished speaking, Lumine also exined what Childe told them.

    Yomite wasn''t there when Childe mentioned he knew about Lumine''s brother and his wherebouts. The fact that Childe wanted Lumine to join the Fatui was...frankly, dumb.

    Knowing what kind of people they were, Lumine wouldn''t budge even if it...

    ...

    ..

    .

    (Wait...)

    It took him a moment to process the information, but it finally dawned on him...

    Lumine''s whole reason for joining his party, was to find her brother and once she did, she would leave. That was an undeniable fact he shouldn''t forget.

    (Would she leave if...)

    ...

    He had to admit he would be sad if she left, but he had no right to force someone to stay in the party.

    Once she attained her goal, she was free to go and do whatever she wished. Even if that meant leaving the party behind altogether...leaving the world even...

    But Fatui wasn''t the ce...

    He wouldn''t allow it.

 Chapter 181

    Lumine agreed without hesitation to allow Barbara stay in their room when he requested for the small favor.

    Minutes flew by, and it was time for lunch and yet another terrible blow to Yomite''s wallet.

    "Rest in peace, Dear." He murmured under his breath, wiping his tears away with his free hand.

    "Hm? Did you say something, Party Leader?"

    "Nope!" he shook his head sharply and gave out a bitter chuckle.

    "Nothing important at all! You go ahead and eat lunch, I''m just going to meditate awhile longer��"

    Lumine giggled gently at his crestfallen expression, throwing him a soft smile, before continuing to eat.

    "This Jueyun Guoba is delicious."

    She responded with her voice full of delight. She had no doubt that the food in Liyue was equally as heavenly as in Mondstadt. Anything better than eating mushrooms in a forest for a whole week...

    Yomite bought them all lunch and the party was currently feasting.

    The meat Lumine was eating was Jueyun Guoba, one of Liyue''s speciality delicacies. Stir-fried ham and Jueyun Chili sprinkled atop a crispy Rice crust created a meaty snack that elevated the simple Rice to a sizzling treat for the travelers from afar.

    Yomite took another look at the meat they were offered since Xiangling''s familiar, the young girl they had previously rescued, was also nicknamed Guoba.

    (Did they fry a panda?)

    "Assistant-kun? Why do you have such a lightplexion? Do you need to go to the bathroom again? Are you having any issues ''down there'' that you''re hesitant to tell us about~"

    Hearing her vicious words, Yomite retorted immediately, "You said that on purpose, right? That can''t possibly be the case, and you should know better than I do at this point!"

    "Nyehehe, you might be right��" she chuckled, "After all, my butt still hurts after you impacted it yester��"

    "��Kindly stop yourselves when we are feasting!" Fischl scolded them after their inappropriatements.

    Barbara covered her lips using her palm, her cheeks flushed and eyes wide open. "...so mature and obscene..." she managed to squeak out quietly, wiggling in her seat like a small fish thrown into water by its muchrger predator.

    The people around her were all older and so much more mature than her...

    She was still in her growing phase, she could tell that was the case.

    Lumine, who had also heard theirment, suppressed a cough and smiled wryly. The two lovers were open about their rtionship, and Lumine couldn''t avoid hearing about it because they were a group that went everywhere together...

    "Womanizer..." Paimon said softly with a disapproving look while slowly stuffing herself with the Ultra Burger.

    "Yeah, yeah��my bad. Just like always...right?" Yomite chuckled lowly. "Cuz I definitely wasn''t a victim here...Oi Iris! That''s my meat! Hand it over!"

    "It''s not Master''s when its already in my stomach." Iris replied back, pulling away from his grasp.

    "Since when did you be so disobedient!?"

    The girlsughed softly, sharing a knowing look amongst themselves.

    And so the rest of the day passed...with a great deal of noise andughter of his cheerfulrades.

    Once the night struck, Yomite went outside to take a breather, leaving Fischl and Hu Tao alone in their room.

    "Myom, myom, myom mhmmm." Sounds of meditation from her nose echoed throughout the room, and while she might have appeared to be meditating, Hu Tao wore a slight grin upon her face.

    "My Assistant, is a real piece of work."

    "Why?" Fischl asked her curiously, with a flushed expression. She took a bath just now and quickly changed to her pajamas while Yomite was out for a walk.

    "He is a collector!"

    "A...collector?"

    "That girl, Barbara. He said she would stay with us only for a while, simply because she healed him, yet I saw through his intentions! She would end up having a permanent residence in our mansion soon enough. He only wants another girl to warm his bed!"

    Fischl was in disbelief. "...W-What are you saying!?"

    "Just think about it...It was just him and me at first, then he picked up Lumi-Lumi and Paimonon, and then you, Fishy-Fishy, and finally Irisus. There are no guys in his party! Only girls! He is collecting girls like socks!" Hu Tao remarked as she grinned devilishly.

    "S-Socks!? Surely that''s not the case! He even ignored the advances of Barbara earlier today! I could tell!" Fischl eximed while stepping aside in shock, waving her arms around frantically.

    She was protecting the vulnerable boy! It was inhumane to spout such lies about her Prince!

    "That might be the case...for now...But we don''t have to worry about anything! Because we''re winning! We''re his favorite socks!" Hu Tao boasted loudly, ignoring Fischl''s outburst.

    Fischl huffed, "Demon King of Salvation! Speak not another ursed word!"

    "I''m kidding! I''m kidding! Only I am the special one!" Hu Tao proimed while raising her chin proudly, her hands sped together tightly.

    "Hmph! This Prinzessin will let you know just how special she is after she bests you in Magic! Ozvaldo! By royal decree, reveal thyself and ry the cards! The battle of life and death is about tomence!"

    The purple raven materialized into existence in front of the duo, his sharp eyes gazingzily in the direction of Fischl and Hu Tao.

    "Mein Fr?ulein...Lately you never summon me to battle...I want to feel the thrill of battling against actual opponents...I do not wish to take part in your boring little love affai��"

    His speech was cut short when he noticed Fischl getting dangerously close towards him with her hands raised. He broke in cold sweat and coughed a few times, "W-Well...if mein dear Fr?ulein desires so...it shall be done, no doubt..."

    "..."

 Chapter 182

    Walking the streets of Liyue after nightfall, a slight heaviness hung in the air. The onlynterns left lit were the cheap paper-covered ones on street corners that people have bought from vendors so they could feel safe even during the darkest hours of the night. Their warm light illuminated the empty sidewalk with a yellow glow; it was quiet, except for the sounds of his feet crunching across the pavement.

    Some people weren''t quite ready to go home. The strong scent of beer and smoking pipes filled the streets as young men came outte for what they had been promised would be a night of fun, maybe a few lucky girls to take back to their ce for a good time, or just to relieve stress.

    Lots of shops were still open for business as people were not yet ready to call it quits.

    Yomite walked down one side of the street when a woman called out to him.

    "Well hello, you''re looking rather fetching today. Care to take a look inside Scent of Spring? I''m sure you''ll find something unforgettable~!"

    A mature female voice rang through the air. Yomite craned his head back to see her smiling brightly in the faintntern light. It wasn''t until he noticed the deep cleavage of her bust that he realized what kind of ''service'' she''d offer him.

    "Is it...that kind of shop?"

    "Of course! As you would expect. The real deal. You didn''t know? They let us open our own little hideaways, nothing to worry about. Just imagine, the warmth the bodies, the smoothness of the curves under your hands... we''re open only during the night, however. During the day, we sell all kinds of ointments and perfumes. If you''re interested in the night specialty, here is the list of services."

    She handed him a catalog of services offered by the shop.

    Yomite read through the catalog at his leisure, never having visited the shop before this point.

    ��������������

    [Beginner''s Package = 10k Mora]

    - Full Body Massage

    - Happy End Footjob (Ends after first shot ??)

    - No Pration

    ��������������

    ��������������

    [Intermediate Package = 500k Mora]

    - Full Body Massage

    - Entrance Teasing

    - Footjob

    - Happy End Blowjob (Ends after first shot ??)

    - No Pration

    ��������������

    ��������������

    [Enchantress Package = 10 Million Mora]

    - Full Body Massage

    - Nuru Massage with special Gel

    - Being Stepped On & Licked

    - Guaranteed Gentle Manhandling and Pampering with Teasing by choice

    - Essential Oils

    - Erogana Soap

    - Shower Intercourse

    - Sensitivity Arousal Candles

    - ve and Master Roley

    - Footjob

    - Blowjob

    - Hairjob

    - Rimming ??

    - Onsen Rxation

    - Happy End Intercourse (Unlimited shots "Only Inside" ??)

    ��������������

    "Whoa, what the...The prices did a huge leap there..." Yomite gaped at the price tag.

    It went without saying that the most expensive option meant the most luxurious one. The rate for each sexual service was listed based on the package selected.

    He looked again at the long list of services.

    (Not too bad, actually...)

    In addition, the woman in front of him was very pretty, with chestnut brown hair that was tucked behind her ears and nice breasts that gave off a soft bounce with every breath she took. Even her waist was slender and shapely, making him think that her stomach was definitely smooth and t, maybe even slightly concave.

    (10 Million Mora? Is she serious about this? I have more than enough but I don''t think it''s worth to spend that much... Isn''t this a tad pricey? Seems like a scam...not to mention...I might contract some disease...)

    However, there was also a guarantee of ultimate satisfaction in return for the payment, plus the rxing body wash and oils, and an enticement to provide absolute sensual experience to the clients.

    Moreover, the woman in front of him looked veryfortable taking charge of someone else''s sexual desires. Her entire demeanor showed an air of self-assured confidence while being gentle towards others.

    She gave off an aura of sensuality, allowing Yomite to assume that she was well aware of her sex appeal. When he felt that she was looking at him from the corner of her eye, he could see a soft smile ying at her lips, as if she were enjoying seeing how the young man in front of her would tremble from embarrassment any second now.

    "It''s alright, isn''t it? It''s natural for people your age to feel nervous, especially those who haven''t done anything like this before. However, since we''ve already established the price, why should you hesitate anymore? The service is perfect for an innocent virgin boy like you to get some experience."

    There was a cheerful quality to her manner that made him want to start chatting up with her immediately. Her smiles were charming and intimate, free of any arrogance. She talked to him freely, putting no hidden hints into her words.

    "Ah, youngdy, I am more experienced than you think..."

    "Aw, you''re so cute. To call me a youngdy, what a sweet thing to say~ But please be aware that I''m old enough to be your mother. I''ll be thirty nine this month!"

    That drew a chuckle out of her.

    "My name is Ying''er, what''s yours, Cutie?"

    She started fiddling with the ends of her hair, cing the loose locks behind her ear, a habit many women did when they were interested in someone they found attractive.

    Her eyes seemed to flicker over Yomite from top to bottom, appraising the young male''s appearance with visible appreciation.

    "It''s Yomite."

    He could tell that she was wearing some perfume that smelled lightly of vani andvender.

    He recognized the scent from somewhere, though he couldn''t ce where. The scent was thick and delicate, rich enough to smell faintly on the air, clinging to his senses while distracting him from his surroundings. He wondered what she used it for. Maybe it was intended for public use to draw in more customers.

    She propped herself with right hand against the countertop, her bosom pushing forward and outwards, barely concealing the swell of her full flesh.

 Chapter 183

    Ying''er was without a doubt a true milf that would pamper any man into oblivion, she did so with such charm and tenderness. Every move she made seemed calcted to appeal to her target, but at the same time; it also seemed genuine and sincere. There were no wiles or tricks in y, only sensuality and youth in abundance. A strangebination that could easily fool even the most seasoned predator.

    Everything she said sounded amazing...

    But even if that was the case, Yomite couldn''t bring himself to part with so much money for it...Not to mention, the risk of getting venereal diseases was high and he didn''t want to risk it.

    Besides, he already had two beautiful lovers at home. Why would he want to get entangled with anyone else? There would be nothing but trouble ahead...

    With those thoughts weighing heavily on his mind, he nodded to the woman politely, declining her offer and turned towards the inn.

    "A shame indeed. You''re missing out on a lot~"

    His eyes strayed back to her breasts; he couldn''t help but wonder how they would feel beneath his fingertips, still covered by their modest veil.

    "You shoulde again sometime, handsome!" Ying''er offered teasingly as she watched him leave, shing him one more flirtatious smile before turning away from him. "I''m sure you''ll enjoy it!"

    The thought of pinning her down caused an unwanted spark of arousal to re within him. It onlysted for a few moments before he shut down that fire as quickly as it ignited.

    Maybe he would try out that service, somehow, someday...but not now...

    After he returned to the inn, he went to take a shower and changed his clothes before going to his room.

    Fischl and Hu Tao were ying some card game on the table, with Oz, the raven sitting on the window sill, all dejectedly perched there, observing how the card game unfolded. His face lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw Yomite had returned. His eyes were practically begging him, "End my suffering."

    Yomite smiled and sat down beside Fischl, his body having no energy left in it after the hard work of the day.

    He yawned and watched Fischl''s hands slowly shuffle the cards, attempting to put together a winning hand...

    Once she ryed the cards, Fischl studied them thoroughly, carefully rearranging them into perfect lines.

    Her gaze was serious, her lips pursed as she gathered everything from her head, looking over the entire table before finallyying down the most perfect hand that could possibly be arranged.

    She grinned triumphantly and raised her arms in victory, waving her fingers dramatically.

    "Oho! It seems I''ve got you this time..."

    That earned her a yful wink from Hu Tao.

    "Did you~?"

    "Huh?"

    Her attention turned to Hu Tao, her mouth open, momentarily confused by her words. Once she nced at her cards, however, her face turned pale, her posture faltering as if a sudden gust of wind blew through her soul, and her eyes grew unfocused.

    From Fischl side, it was the best hand that was everid down so far...and yet...

    She lost miserably to Hu Tao once more.

    "W-What is this conspiracy!? You''re cheating!" She demanded indignantly, her voice rising an octave as Hu Tao beat herpletely.

    "It''s not cheating as long as you''re not caught~" She responded cheerfully, flicking a piece of hair out of her face.

    "Tch! What a best friend thou are!"

    Fischl was looking a little sad as she looked across the table, seemingly bothered by the oue. Her brows were furrowed, turning her pretty face downcast.

    Yomite hugged her suddenly, resting his chin against her head as he cuddled her to his chest.

    "Don''t worry about losing. It''s just a game after all. It''s not worth scrunching up your pretty face."

    Heforted, rubbing her shoulders gently.

    The mention of ''pretty face'' brought a smile to her lips, which seemed to lighten her mood slightly. She pulled back enough to peck his lips affectionately, letting out a sigh as she felt the wetness in his mouth against her tongue, the gesture almost bashful and shy.

    The kiss lingered longer than normally, making the small squeake from their mouths when they parted..

    "I''m d you''re here, with me, Yomite..." She added softly. "It makes me happy whenever I see you around."

    "I''m equally pleased to be by your side, Amy." He replied sincerely, his tone warm and inviting.

    "You always make me happy too."

    The way he called her ''Amy'', which was her real name...he somehow made the moment seem personal...so intimate...she loved him so much.

    Fischl shifted on the chair next to him, moving closer. They shared another gentle kiss before pulling apart.

    "Hey! You''re having fun by yourselves!" Hu Tao protested loudly, putting her cards away before getting off her seat to sit next to him. "I want a kiss well!"

    Yomite snorted and shook his head, smiling widely at the brat.

    "That kiss will cost a hundred million Mora if you keep wanting one every minute."

    Hu Tao pouted and closed her eyes, moving her lips near to his. As she approached, Yomite put a hand over her mouth and waited until her cheeks puffed out of anger again before releasing her.

    "Why am I being excluded now!?" She whined and returned to her seat, throwing her cards onto the table impatiently, resting her chin in her palm as she observed the goings-on between him and Fischl with a pout.

    Fischl then proceeded to y a whole game of rounds, while being hugged by Yomite, sitting on hisp and failing every single time before eventually winning over Hu Tao.

 Chapter 184

    When the card game ended, Yomite gave Fischl a goodnight kiss, running his fingers through his woman''s hair and marvelling at how soft and silky it was.

    She giggled and rubbed herself against his touch, their kiss quickly bing heated and hungry.

    When they parted, he looked to Hu Tao, she was jumping in ce excitedly, waving her arms and pointing at her mouth for him to kiss her right away.

    "What about me? What about me!?"

    But Yomite only gave her a chuckle, indicating that he didn''t intend to give in to her cute face.

    She immediately deted and sulked to herself.

    "Please..." She begged, softly biting her bottom lip, "Do you not love me anymore..."

    The disappointment that apanied her request was evident, and it tugged at his heartstrings, causing him to drop his teasing fa?ade and to do what as she requested.

    "Well, if you beg so nicely.." Yomite muttered before closing the distance between them. "Of course I love you." With a yful sigh, he slid down to her level.

    His lips fell upon hers immediately, his tongue invaded her mouth and searched for hers eagerly, licking hungrily at the glistening liquid residing there. He watched her expression change to that of surprise as his tongue spread across her mouth, sweetly touching hers briefly. The sound of flesh meeting flesh was like music to his ears, sounding very erotic

    She squealed softly and tugged at his shirt to pull him closer, feeling her lower half surging in excitement and yearning to connect with him physically, but he moved away first. He had to control himself, he couldn''t allow his hormones to ruin his careful efforts towards approaching Fischl in a sane manner, even if it meant not having sex with Hu Tao for a while.

    It wouldn''t be fair to Fischl, after all.

    He was never in a serious rtionship back in his old world, much less in a serious rtionship with two women at once. If things went south, then he would have two broken hearts on his hands and would undoubtedly suffer a huge amount of guilt. There would be no good way out of this.

    It took all his willpower to refuse his instinctive craving to make love with Hu Tao as she gazed up at him expectantly, breathless and waiting. When he felt his resolve crumbling yet again, he turned his head from her gaze, feeling lost and caught between wanting to protect Fischl''s feelings. Even his heart ached, begging him to take her to bed and embrace her until dawn; the image of her curled up next to him with her legs tangled with his, skin to skin filled his mind like an evil spell. But he knew better than to sumb to temptation.

    "Good night, girls."

    ""Good night!""

    He shared another loving embrace with both of them before he let them go.

    "Goodnight to you too, our amazing Oz!"

    The raven bird preened himself at thepliment, ruffling up his feathers proudly.

    "Thank you, Lord Yomite. This humble raven wishes you sweet dreams."

    Hu Tao nced over her shoulder once more, waiting for him to turn around and continue where they ended off, but he merelyy down, not looking back at her.

    As he fell into his pillow, Yomite buried his face into it, a pleasurable smell bathed his senses.

    (What is this smell...)

    It was a pleasant aroma, simr to jasmine flowers mixed with incense, evoking sensual images that invaded his imagination.

    His eyes widened as he focused his nose to better sense it, the flowery smell increasing in intensity until it became almost unbearable.

    (This...wasn''t Barbaraying here today? Man...the perfume she uses is...incredible.)

    He was a sucker when it came to smell of women, be it a perfume or natural smell.

    He admitted to himself.

    Once a woman gave off that divine odor, it embedded itself into his senses, unable to resist its sweetness...

    And that was exactly how Hu Tao, Fischl and now...Barbara smelled like.

    His willpower would crumble under the heat, causing him to lose himself entirely in their presence...

    (It''s a ploy from her side...guaranteed...whether intentional or not...Barbara...)

    *

    **

    ***

    On the other side...

    Iris wasying on her bed, one arm dangling off the edge, staring into the dimly lit room with a zed look on her features, only aware of the faint warmth and quiet in the air. She hated wearing clothes, but since it was a stern order from her Master to wear them, she had to wear clothes when she was outside, but as long as she stayed in her room, she was fine without any cloth to cover her gorgeous body, she always enjoyed being nude and exposed.

    She was very interested in her human body''s changing appearance, bing more mature with every passing day. At the moment, she was lying down to sleep and feelfortable,pletely nude as usual, having absolutely nothing covering her body.

    Her eyes closed slowly, the night breeze giving off a gentle caress as it stirred her bare limbs.

    While days in Liyue were as hot as desert sand beneath a burning sun, nights were nothing but cool breezes and inviting nkets of coziness.

    She could feel the summer night wind bathing her body gently, making her blood rush slightly faster than usual as though taking notice of her rising temperature.

    Luminey on a bed next to her, hugging Paimon who was already fast asleep with a few traces of drool clinging to her cheek. It was unknown whether it was drool of the small fairy or Lumine...

    A smile formed on her lips as she tilted her chin in the direction of the fluffly fairy with cute pajamas. Iris wasn''t quite certain why she loved this little creature with ever fiber of her being, but she did. Adorable in every aspect of the word and so edible.

 Chapter 185

    I''m kind of back kind of not. My child was born, so I can use that as an excuse, bite me.

    A short PARTIAL smut chapter to expand on her character since she still seems way too dull to me.

    ***

    Soaring the skies as the dragon she was��All those times ago��She felt odd, ufortable in her own skin, and alone.

    Poison coursed through her veins, forcing Iris to bury herself deep within her shell, unable to cope with such pain.

    The only friend she had, ''betrayed'' her, and disappeared, and she was suffering at the hands of both humans, and the poison from the evil dragon Durin itself.

    Over the course of five hundred years, the Abyssal poison in Durin''s veins that Iris ingested continued to torment her while the people of Mondstadtpletely forgot about her existence and regarded her as a threat, attacking her and harming her further.

    The Abyss Order took advantage of this to corrupt her mind even further, inciting her to attack Mondstadt and earning the dragon the name "Stormterror."

    If it wasn''t for her old friend Venti,ing back, and her Master rescuing her, she would have been long under the control of the Abyss order, killing innocents in her wake.

    She felt her power increasing with each moment, soon to reach a point where she would be able to transform into a dragon once more to soar the skies��but did she really want that? Would she be happy if she gained ess to her old form? She didn''t know.

    Remembering pain was something she wanted to avoid, and kept herself safe by shutting herself off from her old memories that still haunted her sometimes, sending her down dark tunnels of despair.

    Her current form was lovely. Having human hands and feet to walk with, along with human vocal chords that allowed her to talk properly, was a dreame true for someone who was alone for over hundreds of years.

    Back then, she didn''t get to experience such luxuries either, but was forced to ept solitude and survive by herself until she was eventually rescued.

    The human form also allowed her to move swiftly with precision and grace, which made it easy to navigate terrain, hunt for food and monsters, and spy on enemies unnoticed.

    Her stomach grumbled slightly out of hunger and sent her into mild agitation, creating a headache that started to thud loudly in the back of her skull. Iris tried to ignore it as she pondered on what might happen should the daye where she became a dragon once more��

    She looked to her right, towards Barbara''s bed, seeing some sort of movement in the darkness.

    Her eyes possesed the ability to see in low light conditions or even total darkness so she adapted quickly enough to the pitch ckness around her.

    It came as no surprise when her eyes adjusted enough to see in the dark, but she never would have expected to see this sight.

    The girl that introduced herself today as Barbara the Deaconess, was squirming and rubbing a pillow against her crotch area, groaning every now and then with the motion of her hips.

    Her chest rose and fell heavily as though gasping for air, clearly wanting relief.

    The grunts were bing more frequent as well, telling Iris that the movement of Barbara''s body and arms as she attempted to rub something down there against the pillow provided a lot of agony.

    (Is she injured?)

    Frowning, Iris wondered if she was in pain, but when she turned her head slightly towards her shoulder, she saw the girl massaging one of her breasts with her free hand, asionally pulling on her small buds with force.

    Iris blinked, trying toprehend what was happening, but could not find an exnation.

    The expression on Barbara''s face was somewhat feral and unrestrained, like a beast, and she seemed very much reluctant to stop and appeared unaware of the attention she was getting.

    Her pajama clung to her body as the sweat poured from her, giving her a little less of a privacy than she had initially anticipated, especially after the vivid arousal and ufortable nature of this encounter.

    Iris couldn''t tell what exactly was making Barbara rub her crotch hard against the pillow; whether it was difort or pleasure that the girl was feeling. It was difficult for her to decide how she should proceed, but seeing Barbara act so strangely with her disy left her with an uneasy feeling within her belly.

    She was barely an acquaintance but she seemed really close to Master, so if something were to happen to her, her Master might be sad.

    She decided she would observe for now, her slit-like eyes slightly flicking upwards at the sounds of writhing.

    "Ngnh��"

    A loud gasp slipped past Barbara''s lips, a small trail of drool leaked from the corner of her mouth, running down her chin, leaving a clear mark on the front of her pajama top that made her look less than a graceful nun and more like a lustful seductive sex-ything in need of redemption.

    Her soft breaths were making small shushing noises against the covers as she moved around the bed in an almost erratic manner.

    It wasn''t umon for women to want relief during their menstrual cycle, having such intense sensitivity to their lower bodies.

    However, this had a slightly different vor to it, this heat and urge was definitely sexual in nature and Barbara seemed driven by urges of desire unlike any normal woman experiencing such feelings.

    She was like a starving animal, frantically hunting for stimtion and distraction in order to stave off the urge to feed upon its body to satisfy its primal needs.

    Pushing the thought aside, Iris focused on keeping calm, observing what Barbara was doing.

    Barbara thought she was safe doing it inplete darkness, but was oblivious to a simple misstep. Iris could see in the dark.

    Barbara asionally did small circles around her nipple and then pulled on it roughly, even more so than before.

    There were tears forming near the corners of her beautiful eyes that looked truly gorgeous, the cheeks of her round and perfect chin quivering at the sharp and rough treatment of the firm flesh.

    The girl''s breathing was louder now, heavier and faster. She bent her knees further apart, creating a nice V-shape as she kneaded her breast forcefully, pushing harder against the pillow and struggling to continue this action.

    The smell of sweat and arousal filled the air surrounding the bed.

    She was desperate for relief, yearning for orgasmic pleasure and wanted to drown in it.

    Iris followed every movement of the girl, watching every second and minute of her shaking body, eager to understand her purpose behind this action, yet unsure how she should interact with it.

    "Mngh!" Another moan escaped her lips, simr tost time. This one was apanied by a forceful contraction that caused her crotch to grind against the cushion with a sharp jolt.

    "Ahn!"

    One of the girl''s legs came up high to grab onto the pillow, sping it tightly between her thighs and closing her legs together in hopes of strangling the object and muffling the moans that escaped her lips.

    "Ahn..nhgh��Yum-Yum..."

    Finally, it dawned upon her what Barbara was doing.

    A self centered version of the term ''Human Coption'' called ''Masturbation''.

    Lumine told her about this once, apparently it was a normal act most humans did to release stress when they were very anxious or troubled and as she was a humanoid entity on her way to full Godhood she was no exception to such feelings.

    Soon enough, Barbara''s body jerked uncontrobly with the pressure of holding onto her pillow as she came in rapid session, and she muffled her voice with all the strength she could muster, clutching the pillow as tight as she could.

    It seemed to help, as the cramps eased and the aftershocks began to slowly fade away.

    A translucent liquid coated her crotchpletely beneath her digits and dripped slowly down her thigh, smelling sweet and slightly sticky like warm honey.

    It reached the thick cotton of the nket covering herp as it ceaselessly trickled down, sinking into the fabric until the substance had soaked into it entirely, making it look as if she wet herself with such arge puddle of juices leaking out from her insides.

    The pillow was fully soaked through and nted ever so slightly to the side, stuck underneath her weight. As the slimy mess seeped through the cushion and collected on the bed sheets beneath, Barbara fell back onto her elbows, freeing the moistened pillow out of its misery.

    The warmth was pleasant, softening her muscles and allowing her body to feel morefortable and less stiff.

    She took several deep breaths before straightening her clothing with care. Her crotch waspletely wet and glossy with her juices, soaked through the fabric.

    She stared at the wet spot with panic, looking back and forth to try and dry it off before realizing there was nothing to use.

    Giving up and opting to leave it alone, she simplyy down and let it be. It would dry out by tomorrow either way.

    Feeling content, she fell asleep.

    Iris eyed therge damp stain on Barbara''s bed, mildly curious by the amount of fluids dripping from the subject, and the look of ecstasy disyed by Barbara''s expression as she clutched her pillow tight earlier.

    She noted how the girl trembled and flushed deeply, aroused.

    Did this type of excitation create such a marked physical response?

    She was already very much aware of the fact where her urine came from due to Lumine''s teachings, but she never tried the other variant avable to her��

    The so called masturbation of human beings intrigued her, knowing it was a subconscious practice of dealing with certain issues that gued their mind.

    Dragons never did that. They didn''t have a need to do it.

    Curious, she followed her example, and reached out her hand towards her groin, intending to gently feel her own arousal, to see how simr or different the process waspared to Barbara.

    She started rubbing her crotch lightly with her fingers, feeling it twitch immediately.

    Although she had always known that her main body produced urethra fluid and menstruated frequently, this kind of feeling waspletely foreign to her and unfamiliar as she got used to the new sensation.

    Curiously enough, she couldn''t feel anything to distinguish whether she had an actual itch or just felt the ufortable stirrings within her body, as if her very essence was stirring and moving around.

    Slowly, an image of her Master came to her; she closed her eyes and concentrated, remembering his face, the delicate glow of his skin, and his scent.

    Hisughter in particr brought back a feeling of giddiness, a bubbling sensation of joy that spread throughout her whole body, sending goosebumps across her skin and making her heart race.

    "��"

    Seeing him happy, made her happy as well.

    "Master��ngh��''

    Her finger circled around her clit, now excited and curious, desperately seeking something she knew so little about.

    The thoughts about this new discovery had not surfaced yet, but it was obvious that she needed more knowledge about these things before deciding on how far she would go.

    For the first time in her life, Iris was sexually aroused, although her arousal was iparable to the kindness of her Master.

    The fact that he appeared in her mind when she was touching herself only meant one thing: Her Master was far closer to her heart than anyone else.

    It was inevitable that the desire to imagine him must havee from the deepest parts of her heart.

    Yet this only added fuel to her fiery passion, not stopping it.

    It would only enhance the intensity, the height of the longing and her desperation to make him happy.

    To see his smiling and giddy face in her mind when she masturbated was arousing and desirable to her, begging her to pursue the idea that had surfaced in her imagination so quickly.

    To fulfill her fantasies would surely please her Master, perhaps bring him more satisfaction than anything else and also satisfy the painful memories of the past that had been tormenting hertely.

    Just when she wanted to indulge further, she heard movement from a nearby bed.

    Her heart skipped, unsure of what the noise had been and she turned towards the source, messily covering herself up with a nket like a teenager caught masturbating by their parents and desperately wishing to disappear��

    She gasped when she realized the sight before her, and found that it was Lumine.

    Luckily, The blonde haired traveller didn''t see anything. She swiftly took of her pajamas and got dressed. Her clothes materialized out of thin air.

    Looking around one more time, she left the room with a quick pace, silently exiting the room and heading down the hallway.

    (Where did she go?) Iris wondered to herself, moments after her departure.

    The heart attack she was inflicted a couple of moments ago was enough for her to lose all of the arousal she slowly built up, so she just decided to take a nap instead.

    She never would have thought she would feel fear from something like this.

    What was she even afraid of?

    Was it just an instinct?

    (I fantasized about my Master�� I hope he won''t be angry.)

    She''ll have to conduct more researchter��

 Chapter 186

    Early into the morning.

    Paimon woke up to sunlight shining through the window, dazed with sleep still lingering at her peripherals. She escaped the tight clutches of Lumine who was hugging her into her chest for warmth, and climbed out from under the nkets.

    She snapped her fingers and her clothes changed from pajamas to the usual long-sleeved white jumper and boots that she wore to keep her feet warm on their journey.

    "Now then what should Paimon do when everyone is still asleep?" She asked herself aloud as she stretched, catlike, in front of the full length mirror.

    Soon enough she smelled some weird odor hanging in the air and hurried over to open the window. It took all her strength but she pushed it open enough to let cool air blow across her face and shoulders.

    "Ah, Paimon knows! Paimon will go explore her stash!" She said, strutting around the room in all her glory.

    There was still quite an amount of Mora left behind from the sack Yomite gave her yesterday. She bought herself the Ultra Burger with it and she nned to store the leftover money into her secret stash.

    She picked up the coin pouch and emptied it into her main pouch.

    However, momentster, something unexpected happened.

    A colorless amulet that was buried beneath the coins caught Paimon''s attention. The sharp edges of its corners, even though coated by dust, were still visible and distinct against the surface of the cash pile. It appeared to be a relic with glyphs written upon it.

    Paimon picked it up, curious about what this new item could be.

    "Eh? Isn''t this...Eh? Eeeeeeh!?"

    She quickly turned to Lumine and tried to wake her up, however to no avail.

    She lightly poked her cheek but only got a faint grunt as response.

    "Am...tired...Paimon...let''s eat youter..."

    "No! No! Paimon won''t be eaten! You need to wake up! Paimon got a Vision! Wake up Lumine! Traveler!"

    Lumine groaned loudly as her eyes popped open. "Whaaaa...?"

    She looked around with blurry eyes before settling on her surroundings. Her eyes flickered back to Paimon. "...Traveler...I''m sleeping too much...sorry..."

    "No! You are the Traveller! Not Paimon!"

    Lumine''s tired body hugged Paimon as she buried her head into her.

    "Give Paimon a few...more minutes..."

    "Hey! You''re not Paimon! Paimon is Paimon!" Her small hands grabbed onto Lumine''s cheeks and stretched them, but after seeing she couldn''t do anything, she gave up.

    Being hugged like this felt nice though, and she felt happy for a moment.

    Eventually, Lumine somehow woke up.

    She sat straight up in bed, looking at Paimon for a long moment before nodding to herself. "Good morning...Yes...You''re right. I must be the Traveller..."

    "Obviously! What have you been doing the whole night!? You look as if you''re worked overnight in a mining cave!"

    Lumine''s was tired, she could see it in her eyes. There was also a look of vulnerability there, one that told of someone that has seen defeat but did not want to dwell on it. "I was...busy during the night...and couldn''t fall asleep."

    "Hm...weird...Oh! Paimon almost forgot!"

    Paimon reached out her hands and showed her the spoils of war.

    "Paimon received a Vision!"

    Lumine stared wide-eyed at the itemying in Paimon''s hands.

    "A Vision?"

    Paimon smiled brightly and nodded excitedly.

    "...Paimon, where did you find it?"

    "Ah, it was in a coin pouch Good Tattoo gave me yesterday... ah..." Paimon immediately put two and two together.

    "That... Rascal! Bad Tattoo was lying about not having a Vision! He hid it away and gave me the pouch with it by a mistake!" She concluded and floated towards the door, opening it with some difficulty.

    Lumine followed her and they stormed towards his room. They tried to open the door but it was locked from the inside, luckily, Yomite gave Lumine a spare key in case of emergencies.

    Once they entered, they saw that the boy was sleeping peacefully, and even snored softly. Lumine nudged him lightly, watching him twitch in his sleep.

    She leaned her lips to his ear and whispered sweet words while Paimon quietly floated behind her.

    "Party Leader...wake up...Party leader..."

    He didn''t seem to move or stir, just gave a dreamy murmur.

    "Party Leader...Yomi��"

    His eyes opened suddenly, he woke up a bit startled and nced about the room. His gaze found them again. Lumine froze up in ce, her face was way too close to his nose now.

    She wanted to back off swiftly but the tips of their noses bumped against each other.

    The sudden flush crept up her neck, along her cheeks and settled somewhere in between her lower lip and chin.

    "I-I...I didn''t mean to..." Lumine began speaking timidly, watching how Yomite''s eyes roamed down over her figure, before looking back at her with confusion.

    "What is happening? Do you want to join me in bed or what?"

    He looked puzzled and rubbed his eye sockets. At first he thought Hu Tao or Barbara were whispering to him...but it appeared he was wrong.

    Lumine was still in her pajamas, and if he didn''t know her better, he would think she was jumping him right now at the dawn of the day.

    His hand lifted slightly to touch her hair which made her stomach feel fluttery. She looked away, hiding her burning blush further.

    "I-I...Mmm��"

    She felt like she wanted him to continue, so she closed her eyes in anticipation. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes again, a bit disapointed.

    Yomite lifted his head and yawned, stretching his arms above his head. He pulled himself up with his elbows resting on the bed as he sighed loudly.

    "So...Did something happen for you girls to barge into my room in the morning?"

    "I, um...eh...umm..." She stammered nervously, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear as she peeped over at Yomite''s inquiring eyes.

    Paimon rolled her eyes at Lumine''s reaction, before turning her head to look at Yomite with a pouty expression. "We came here to punish you!"

    "Eh? Me? Why?"

    "Don''t y dumb! You were hiding a Vision and you never even told us about it!"

    "A Vision? Me?" He repeated with disbelief in his voice, "I''ve never had a Vision..."

    "Then what is this!" She handed him the colorless amulet, it immediately lit up in green once his hands touched it.

    "Huh?"

    "It was in the coin pouch you gave Paimon yesterday!" She added in exnation.

 Chapter 187

    Looking closer, the object was indeed a Vision. An Anemo Vision of the wind.

    "I have no idea at all how I got this..." Yomite mumbled to himself. "You say it was in the coin pouch I gave you?"

    Paimon nodded. "So even Bad Tattoo doesn''t know where it came from...weird..."

    (Come to think of it, I did hear some weird whispers back then...I could have gotten it around that time...)

    He wondered if it happened while he was kissing with Fischl.

    He was sure that the Vision was his, because from what he knew, the Visions would glow when a user worthy of them touched them, but once someone else did, their light would fade into nothingness.

    "So what now? I should probably just keep it, any objections?" He asked, almost grinning.

    Gaining a new power wouldn''t be bad, but he had yet to utilize his old one properly. He knew he was a failure at that.

    Still, training two powers at once might be too tough.

    (I might have to look for Lisa again. I hope she''ll help me with this. I could also ask Iris since she seems to be knowledgeable about elements but I feel like Lisa would be a better alternative in the long run because she graduated in a famous university for mages.)

    "It belongs to you, Party Leader. It''s yours to keep."

    Lumine hummed sweetly, giving Yomite a brief smile.

    She didn''t know why but whenever she looked at him, she just felt like smiling for no reason. It was like he was her good luck charm.

    He stirred emotions within her, strong ones, feelings of warmth and fondness and an unwanted desire that took root in her chest every time he looked at her.

    But she always managed to repress those emotions deep within her, remembering her own words.

    (He won''t live that long. It''s pointless. I''ll rather stay alone. So stop fantasizing. Focus on getting stronger and finding your brother.)

    He was like her barrier. Heryer of protection. As long as she stayed in one piece, as long as his image never left her mind, he would always be there to protect her.

    ...

    ..

    .

    Just like a true friend should.

    .

    ..

    ...

    Was he truly just a friend? Yes. In his mind, he considered her a friend, but could she say the same about herself?

    Despite it being hard to admit it, she wasn''t quite as easy to approach.

    She seemed timid whenever she spoke about feelings, afraid of losing control and revealing things. Not everything she said about herself to others was correct either, to put it bluntly.

    She wondered if his mask ever fell down every now and then.

    Just like hers.

    If he ever felt like breaking down and crying from all the stress that''s been piling up on his shoulders like rocks weighing him down, surely a weak voice amongst many could probably call it victory or liberation.

    Maybe underneath his cheerful and funny exterior, he was just like everyone else. A lonely guy who needed friends, someone to hold on to, to reassure him. Someone to set him free.

    (Stop fantasizing.)

    There was just something ''special'' about Yomite. Something she could detect right away whenever they met.

    (Stop it...)

    She wasn''t a mind reader after all.

    Yet, everything about him screamed familiarity andfortability to her and it made her want to hug him at any given chance, wherever it may be.

    (Why can''t you just...stop?)

    It irritated her when these kinds of thoughts clouded her mind like foggy waters. She wanted to fight back, make herself numb, block all sorts of intimacy.

    Those empty promises her thoughts were making sounded so childish, but deep down, she always wished there could be more to their rtionship than friendship, that their distance was unnecessary.

    That he was just as willing to go deeper into a closer bond with her, despite already knowing it would never be able to go beyond that.

    The way he teased her and cheered her on so subtly, it became clearer to her that she wanted more, but her weakness always got in the way of her goals.

    If she wasn''t so weak, she would have already found her brother.

    If she wasn''t so weak, she would have already sorted out her feelings.

    If she wasn''t so weak, she would have already gone into that direction she desperately desired. But her weakness ended up dragging her down into an endless pool of meaningless inner struggles that made her feel smaller, worthless, and unloved, unable to heal from all her pain and scars from being alone for so long.

    She should instead need to remain apart from him, until all that wasted energy was spent, until her journey ended.

    Eventually, she would meet the end of it.

    Eventually, she would realize what she wanted to fulfill.

    Eventually...she would start loving him, realizing her affection for him without reservations.

    Only then would she be free to join him...

    ***

    The loud discussion about Visions woke up both Fischl and Hu Tao from their sleepy haze.

    Fischl was a morning person and actually enjoyed being awake earlier than she had to but somehow, she overslept her usual 4 Am wake-up time by more than 6 hours...

    While both were confused as to why they had been awakened, they had enough sense left in them that they hurriedly moved out of bed in case something bad happened.

    "Morning, girls."

    ""Morning.""

    Fishing through the cupboards they found four slices of bread and milk for breakfast.

    After filling themselves up, the two girls excitedly jumped around, wishing to go on a quest at any moment.

 Chapter 188

    Visions have been received in many different situations, ranging from near-death experiences to the mundane.

    Fischl mentioned she received her Vision after a heartbreak when she was younger. She didn''t mention specifics or give any hints to exactly which feelings caused it but rather imed it just appeared suddenly when she was reading a book in a library after she had a fight with her parents.

    Hu Tao said the Vision just casually appeared in her bag one day, but she seemed to be hiding something behind those words. It seemed she was ufortable discussing it too much for unknown reasons.

    So far it looked like it was random for everyone although there seemed to be some corrtions such as acquiring power through certain forms of enlightenment, or desire? An ambition, perhaps?

    Power was linked to mastery and aplishment, achieving it was paramount regardless of whatever form of Mastery came with it.

    Desire was connected to higher aspirations, mastering oneself in order to achieve higher levels and scale greater heights to the pinnacle, where the stars would shine brighter than anyone else for all eternity.

    An ambition came along eventually, even if it took years and years, once it finally came knocking at the door, the wait would certainly be well worth it when it did, Lisa once mentioned.

    Was it possible he already had an ambition, for him to obtain a Vision?

    One that he had no clue about?

    (I just want to rx...is that truly an...ambition? Seems more like a mood orziness speaking...)

    Yomite thought about the mysterious Goddess that sent him into this world, all those months ago, but still couldn''t understand her motives.

    Did she do it as part of some grand n?

    All he knew was that she loved reading books, so it seemed like her intentions were to have fun, but her ultimate goals remained unknown.

    She mentioned he could help the sibling, which was Lumine, and interfere with her so called "perfect ending" where everyone died, but she still wasn''tpletely clear on what his specific role in this world was supposed to be and thus failed to fully satisfy his curiosity.

    "Now that my Assistant has a Vision, maybe he''ll finally be able to beat me during a spar!"

    Hu Tao was excited as soon as she heard the news. Following after, she sat with Fischl on either side of him, leaning onto his shoulders in hopes of stealing a first morning kiss.

    "I already beat you into the groundst time, remember?"

    "That was only lucky! I''ll get you next time!"

    It worked out surprisingly well.

    Yomite was surrounded by very cute girls though the sexual tension between them was stifling, not wanting to start anything.

    They looked so happy and contented that it just couldn''t be helped so he eagerly kissed both of them on their lips, holding them tightly while he leaned down to take turns with each partner respectively.

    They acted so adorably he wanted to do something to them so badly.

    Yomite squeezed their thighs gently, hoping to tease them a little, causing them to react loudly.

    Fischl almost dropped from his bed from the surprise attack but Yomite held her by the hips carefully while he hugged her from behind.

    Finally she let loose a loud girlish moan.

    "Wa-Wa-Wait...You can''t just ...do that...Mhm..Hn..." The girl was panting for breath, searching her memory for all the advice and knowledge from the book she used to read, but none of them had an answer as what to do in a situation like this...

    He barely touched her and she shrieked loudly before trying to push him away in embarrassment.

    As for his other lover, as expected, he saw intense lust appear in Hu Tao''s pupils after he''d done that.

    She wanted to do it badly since yesterday when he rejected her advances, but her patience was running out too quickly.

    She needed to be filled up by him urgently. Her love meter was off the charts and currently hovering close to the point where it would explode uncontrobly unless the fulfillment she longed for was bestowed upon her soon.

    Obviously, there were two unhappy onlookers in the room. They should have put in a word so that the trio of lovers would stop, but neither of them bothered putting in effort anymore.

    One of them being Lumine, who was abashed by her Party Leader''s sudden show of affection towards the two girls beside him, lowering her head further as the three began hugging each other like a couple of rabbits in heat.

    She wondered whether he felt any sort of shame for making out with them in front of others. Probably not.

    Paimon was the second one. She stared at the scene with judging eyes, "A Womanizer! An Animal in heat! Animal Tattoo! You received a new Vision! Go try it out! Don''t be azy bum and stop indulging in...in...you know what!"

    But under her snarky facade, there were hints of flustered confusionced with bewilderment towards the behavior of every single girl around him, be it from his party or casual women on the streets...

    Just how embarrassing was this going to get?

    It was as if he naturally generated some sort of aura that made every girl in certain radius be interested in him instantly upon taking to him for a bit...

    He didn''t seem to be aware of it, but whenever that "touchy petting" happened, girls became consumed by ''something'', practically throwing themselves at him as soon as his fingers caressed their hair, or when he gave kisses to their foreheads and cheeks.

    His effect on them seemed automatic. His victims seemed unable to resist him, luring them like flies into a big bowl of sugar water.

    "This is getting ridiculous." Paimon muttered, stomping away in the air.

 Chapter 189

    For girls of any kind, Yomite was an irresistibly good looking boy with kind heart, prestige, wealth and charisma to fall for. What more could a woman want from a man? He seemed way too perfect...

    Faced with these facts, most girls viewed him as irresistible, like some god sent to rule over them.

    He waspletely oblivious to the fact that he was drawing close to temptation, unknowingly producing a field that attracted potential desires and affection towards him.

    And whoever stepped in that surrounding area wouldn''t stand a chance....

    (How is it possible...Has he received a divine gifting? From where? From who?)

    Paimon wondered, since she also became affected by him so easily...

    Was he gifted some special attribute?

    Or was it just his charisma?

    Maybe, since he became incapable of concealing his original character, it was just natural that this strange quality would show itself. Was it the reason why women suddenly melted for him?

    His mere presence caused blood to rush in her veins and intoxicate her whenever he kissed her on the cheek. And that wasn''t normal in the slightest either.

    She was often watching over him while staying invisible, when he talked to women and she came to the conclusion that he wasn''t aware of it at all.

    Whenever he bought something from a street vendor and brushed some women''s hand by ident, she could see a sudden spark in the woman''s eyes for a few seconds before it dissipated.

    When he paid for food and handed her Mora, touching her again, the owner blushed brightly for a second before looking away awkwardly, doing her best not to stare into his eyes, avoiding contact as best as she could.

    It was the same for all of the girls around him...

    Their need for him overtook their will to resist. He yed havoc with their souls without knowing it himself...

    As a result, women were dropping left and right as they found themselves following him around by his starry gaze and strangely captivated by him, curious and enraptured in hispany...

    It wasn''t that women fell for him at the first sight, but first touch...

    The first touch, be it a friendly pat on the back, or a hug, or a kiss on the cheek, or running his hand through their hair... Every woman felt drawn towards him instinctively.

    It wasn''t enough to spark romance or fall in love with him immediately, but enough to spark their interest in him or make them feel something inside of them, which could potentially further develop and grow based on his actions and attitude into a full-blown rtionship as seen with Fischl and Hu Tao...

    Which was an incredible y on the charisma card in fact, because Paimon remembered how charm had sessfully transformed the antisocial and sociopath prankster Hu Tao, into a woman that fell in love with him and wished to cuddle every second of her life...

    Paimon had a few abilities up her sleeves that could allow her to witness the changes within their behavior and around herself.

    Paimon sensed some sort of divine intervention thaty low within his body.

    Precisely this made the girls around him to dissolve into giggles from the familiarity and close proximity, all desperate for some lovely experience from the "Hero".

    She wondered just who he truly was...

    "What are you thinking so solemnly about Paimon? Come here!" Yomite swiftly reached out his hand and brought her towards his chest.

    "N-No! Wait!"

    Tears formed in Paimon''s eyes at howfortable it felt to lean her head against his chest. For a moment, she drifted off into nothingness to the sense that they somehow bonded together...

    Once again, she couldn''t escape his clutches...

    Yomite was dangerous, and he wasn''t even aware of it...

    She had to stop him somehow or else she might never be able to leave him for good, entangling her to the essence of the Hero forevermore...

    ***

    **

    *

    "I think we should visit the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor today!"

    Hu Tao nced at Yomite eagerly. It''s been more than four months since she visited her home and she wanted to take a look at how the things were going without her supervision. She hoped the Parlor was prospering and everything was running smoothly.

    If it wasn''t profitable then she''d have to take some measures to save it.

    Naturally, Yomite agreed and replied, "Sure, I don''t mind."

    "Uwaaah...Funeral Parlor with a cemetery...Paimon is getting chills..."

    Once Iris and Barbara woke up, they ryed their n for today and Barbara agreed without hesitation to join in. Iris was of the same idea, but she would follow Yomite no matter where he wanted to go. Stealing a few nces his way, she was wondering whether to tell him what she didst night, and if he would be angry about it.

    And just like that, they were currently walking down the streets of Liyue as a ratherrge group that attracted eyes of others wherever they went. A group of beautiful women that caused the local men nearby to panic and oogle them openly with looks of arousalcing their pupils, whistling lewdly from afar and even stopping by just to look, as they observed them passing by.

    They wanted to be with them instead of struggling for daily existence of their boring lives.

    Several of them probably wishing they had a chance with those goddesses for one night stand they were admiring. Or perhaps attempting to seduce them in turn just for one fun time with no strings attached and no responsibilities afterwards, like fortune cookies which served their function yet provided hope along with short memories and sweet desire.

 Chapter 190

    A simple nce their way and many men in the vicinity had abandoned whatever little manners they might have learned throughout their lives as men in exchange for gaining opportunities with these women.

    After all, it was such an abnormal urence to see a bunch of pretty girls traveling on foot in this heat, their feminine curves sculpted perfectly to showcase seductive youthfulness and gloriously soft skin under the bright sun... a flock of heavenly creatures meant to be worshipped and bowed to...

    "These perverts..." Paimon muttered under her breath. "If they get closer, Paimon will unleash her true power and smack them!"

    The girls were visibly ufortable with such attention from everyone staring at them, but those were the disadvantages of beauty and modesty. It always guaranteed attention regardless of whatever effort or difort they took to avoid people''s gazes, especially when walking down roads which were more frequented by the opposite sex. Especially on such a crowded day.

    Some of the men even decided to spy on the group covertly, undoubtedly having intended something. A few of them went down to try and tease the group of young women under some pretense...Calling them cute and beautiful, offering their services, only to run away in fear once Yomite had enough of their disgusting behavior and beat some of them down into the pavement, which scared the rest to shut up immediately.

    With one such powerful man in front; meant that no one would be brazen enough to try anything again. They could only hatefully stare from the distance.

    Not that many people recognized the girls, nor the intimidating man yet, but they sure recognized the woman in the front as the troublemaker that bothered them a lot. Hu Tao of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the menace...

    The girls were happy Yomite took care of the weird men, they were d to have him around.

    "Good Tattoo! Paimon loved how they begged for forgiveness!" Paimon''s eyes gleamed brilliantly. Her mood also improved considerably, and she was already happy enough to bring out food.

    "That sounded scary Paimon...I didn''t think you would have this kind of sadistic nature hidden beneath the cute surface." Yomite remarked thoughtfully as he studied the malicious twinkle shining in her eyes.

    "Paimonon truly does nothing but eat though! Look at her! Not even few minutes had passed and she is eating something again!"

    Hu Tao grinned once the little fairy started stuffing her cheeks with sweets.

    "Hey! Paimon does what Paimon can to regenerate the energy from floating around all day!" She wailed loudly as her stomach rumbled louder than ever. "Paimon is working extra hard since it''s hot outside!"

    "Yeah! Don''t act like that, Hu Tao...Paimon is actually the sole reason this party even exists. I''d like to take a moment to say that these adventures we''ve had together, wouldn''t be possible without someone like Paimon. She is a very supportive and amazing guide, whose advice I always hear out, as she''s so full of wisdom."

    Yomite managed to break out a grin as his voice grew deeper.

    Paimon stopped mid-air, taken aback by the kindest words she''d ever heard from anyone before, "Aw...that''s the nicest thing you''ve said to Paimon so far! Paimon thanks you dearly fo��

    "��Of course, I''m not a liar so I''m not gonna say any of that."

    "...Hey! Ugly Tattoo! Ugly!"

    Paimon yelled loudly as she brought her arms up above her head.

    Yomite dodged her iing assault with ease.

    Her buzzing could get annoying, but he had a cure for that.

    *Chu*

    Kissing her cheek or her forehead made her go unusually quiet for a whole day, so that tactic worked wlessly...

    35% of the time...

    "Uweeeh....! Traveler! Bad Tattoo is bullying me again!"

    "There, there. Paimon is amazing. Party Leader was only joking, we will beat him upter."

    Lumine hugged her like a caring mother would hug her young daughter, or an infant who cried excessively, being caressed attentively until she wasforted.

    "...You promise?"

    "I promise."

    Being so energetic, Paimon smiled endlessly after she got her confirmation, like a small child who hadn''t encountered their favourite friend in a long time would.

    "You girls starting some assassination attempt or something? Should I be afraid?"

    Just when Yomite was about to burst intoughter, he could feel a couple of eyes watching them intently. He looked around himself and noticed tens of narrowed eyes that were twisted in disgust as they whispered between each other.

    "Look who it is again...the weirdo from funeral parlor..."

    "I thought she finally disappeared a few months ago...why did she have toe back...?"

    "Quickly, let''s hide or else she might try something again..."

    The people red at Hu Tao while keeping their distance, whispering, despite the fact they were loud enough for everyone to hear.

    Their words could not go unnoticed by the people around them and yet the young woman did her best to ignore the people who despised her.

    "She''s here again, I thought she would have left by now!"

    "Is she really human? She asked my grandpa a few months ago whether he wanted a coffin and he died the next day!"

    "Despicable! That girl isn''t normal!"

    With anger and hatred bubbling up within them, they turned away from her with cold eyes. They kept casting hateful nces towards her as they continued on their way without saying another word to one another.

    Hu Tao really did her best to stay calm and not react; but despite being used to stuff like his, there was a problem.

    Yomite and her friends witnessed this and clearly heard every word that was spoken.

    The feeling of shame brewed within her, she couldn''t help but let out a frustrated sigh. If she was alone she could care less, but now that she actually had people she cared about, it was indeed humiliating for them to hear all of this...

 Chapter 191

    When performing a rite for someone''s - or anyone''s passing for that matter, it was usually always a solemn affair. And Hu Tao knew the moments for solemnity, the sanctity of the whole affair. But what Hu Tao also knew, were the joys of a peaceful death, one where family members mbled together with tears in their eyes, wishing to say a happy goodbye to their loved ones onest time. Mourning the loss of the people they had known for so long.

    It only brought the family and friends closer to one another as each of them treasured every second they spent together with the person who left them far behind.

    Yet people of Liyue didn''t understand this feeling, and instead feared her intentions, suspecting that once the rite had passed, the dead person would be defiled in the afterlife, simply because the director wasn''t taking the ritual seriously.

    A suspicion caused by personal beliefs, held and taught since birth, carried out like a sacred pact, telling them that the mood during funerals should be dignified and serious, not letting some child throw jokes into the wind. Funerals weren''t supposed to be anything like that. No happiness, only sadness and pain-filled mumbling by rtives about the deceased.

    They weren''t even supposed to hold any happy thoughts towards the departed. Just nk expressions and tears.

    If not else, Morax, the God Of Liyue himself would surely resent their careless attitude.

    But with Hu Tao around...it was a tough thought indeed.

    They were very much afraid the funeral rites would turn into something unholy, the moment the solemn mood was lifted by happiness, jokes and fun.

    Yomite, who was walking alongside Hu Tao, was unable to immediately respond to the remarks.

    He initially believed he had misheard things, but this was not the case.

    People simply didn''t give a damn about Hu Tao and had no qualms about ndering her right in front of him.

    The wave of surging emotion behind Yomite''s trembling pupils conveyed the raw emotion of anger in a way dry sentences alone never could have aplished.

    He suddenly felt likeshing out, right on the spot. To shoot them down with such angry words.

    It was almost unbearable to be so objectified to such a point. Yet he managed to suppress his actions for now and simply red at those crowds as if he were taking aim for their immediate deaths.

    He quickly attempted to form an idea to quell his rage, only to find no concrete reasons to keep it from building up inside him.

    The environment he found himself in was rotten to the core, and made it hard to hold on, even with all of his inner strength. "These bastards wil��"

    And yet, Hu Tao simply shook her head and held his hand.

    Her gaze turned back to the road, hoping to distract herself from these people.

    The girlsforted her afterward, and her entire body jolted after Yomite suddenly pulled her towards him and lifted her on his shoulders, surprising everybody as his arms wrapped around her thighs.

    "Woah! So high!" She eximed with shock as her hands quickly hugged his face, afraid of falling.

    "You''re so much shorter than me��" He muttered, "You should look into improving your height to be as tall and intimidating as I am to shut those fools up. Now that you are sitting on top of me, we are crazy tall, they wouldn''t dare to do anything again."

    Her iling legs were instantly caught by strong hands grasping onto them, after which they continued to walk through the crowds of confused people, who just watched them in wonder and amazement at the unorthodox feat.

    "Let''s go, let''s go, let''s gooo!" she ruffled his hair with her fingers while squeezing his neck with her thighs in excitement, insisting that they keep moving forward as quickly as possible with a merry shout. "I love you!"

    Hu Tao was simply enjoying the ride, helpless against her sudden predicament, yet still happy he was trying to cheer her up, she really loved him dearly.

    There were no more people harassing them after they reached the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor''s region. It was deathly silent.

    Arge mansion loomed ahead, seemingly waiting for them. It greeted them as soon as they came within its environs,rge enough to house fifty people in addition to a huge garden and a cemetary for mourning rituals. There was probably no ce better in all of Teyvat to bury the dead than this location.

    They made their way towards the mansion, when they noticed a woman d in Wangsheng Funeral Parlor attire, simply standing near the entrance, unmoving.

    "..."

    "Hello."

    "..."

    "Um...Hello?"

    "Oh...are you... are you osting me, by any chance? In Liyue it''s generally not customary for people to speak to those of us from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Therefore... you must be ounders. Or are you... something...else? Something from the other side? Is it my time? How unfortunate, I still had so many things I wanted to try... Oh well. Take me, O Entities of life and death..."

    "..."

    Did this woman seriously think they were some apparitions or something?

    Heck, just how infamous was the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor for people to not even willingly talk to the employees...

    "I serve the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Come to think of it, I haven''t spoken to anyone that isn''t from there in a long time. Even when I''m working, I don''t speak to the family of those who have passed out of respect for the old customs and while I wou��"

    It was only then, that the ferrdy noticed Hu Tao, the Director that went missing months ago, sitting on his shoulders.

    She blinked a few times, as if she didn''t believe what she saw.

    "...Director...? I see that you''ve returned...Wee."

    "Heya! We would like to pass through!" Hu Tao squeezed her thighs against his neck once more, replying cheerily.

    Ferrdy looked straight at Yomite in fear and thought for a moment before pulling out her talisman and pointing it at him, "I am sorry, but just to make sure...I stare death straight in the eye when others dare not. I have nothing to do with what has led you here. I have nothing to do with where you shall go. Go, lost soul. Into the light!"

    "...."

 Chapter 192

    "You''re so much prettier, Director. I almost didn''t recognize you right away."

    "Eheheh! Is that so~?" Hu Tao smiled widely, "What can I say, what can I say...This Honorary Director has climbed the steps to adulthood and fully matured!"

    The ferrdy nodded swiftly before ncing at the man, whose shoulders Hu Tao was sitting on, and the ratherrge group of women behind him.

    She seemed to figure out something immediately.

    "Director, I see you''ve entered a harem. Congrattions. I always wondered where you''ve been all this time. Turns out you were just enjoying yourself and escaping responsibilities..."

    Her voice was rather monotone. She sounded as though she didn''t really care one way or another, but she seemed thankful to be able to talk to someone after so long without anyone saying a word about anything besides work.

    "That''s right! This is my dear Assistant whom I really love and these are my friends!" Hu Tao waved proudly.

    "I see, wee then." The ferrdy nodded again.

    As expected, it came unnatural for Hu Tao to mention the word ''friends'' out of nowhere.

    People normally kept a sort of distance from the little Director, as she was often the sole object of some dislike.

    But seeing how many people were with her, and didn''t deny her words, now filled the ferrdy with an overwhelming sense of happiness that someone, somewhere, had finally seen the truth and didn''t trust the rumors and truly cherished her despite what everyone else said about her...

    "Excuse me." Yomite broke the silence as he and the surrounding girls approached the ferrdy.

    "Can we pass, now that you know we aren''t evil entities or something? We would like to enter." he informed the ferrdy clearly and patiently, attempting to sound extremely polite in his request for her blessing.

    The ferrdy narrowed her eyes momentarily before raising a finger into the air.

    "Please wait outside a bit. I shall gather a small surprise wee first."

    The ferrdy bowed and went inside.

    (Is it truly a surprise if we''re aware of it...?)

    Soon after, staff members from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor all came to the sides to greet the Director with bows.

    "Wee back, Director."

    "Greetings, Director."

    "May life and death be with you, Director."

    The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor undertakers all said this greeting in unison and exchanged bows and courtesies.

    "Mhm! I''m back in business! I''m d this ce is more lively than ever!"

    After having gathered themselves and stood up from the corners they had upied in the back, the undertakers resumed their job and made their way to take position at the front entrance of the Mansion, preparing a coffin for transportation as they carried it away.

    "Uwaaah... they''re carrying a dead person in there...scary..." Paimon muttered under her breath.

    "Paimon, we''re fighting scary monsters every day...why are you only scared of dead people and ghosts?" Lumine wondered aloud.

    "But, but, but! You can''t fight with ghosts unless you''re an exorcist! Normal attacks don''t work on them at all! And dead people are scary because they won''t die if they''re ever turned into a Zombie! Unlike living people! That is indisputable!" Paimon added, somehow making sense and being quite ridiculous simultaneously.

    Barbara giggled hearing her response, "Paimon is a scaredy cat~!"

    Iris frowned, "Can''t you just eat them?"

    "Paimon won''t be eating any spirits! Ptui!"

    "Paimon, Thou shalt noth fear death nor apparitions, thou shalt respect them." Fischl murmured solemnly.

    "Very profound thing you have discovered there, Fishy-Fishy. It is as you''ve said. Remember... no matter where, no matter when, no matter what the reason...one should never poke fun at death. Only once you know and respect death can you truly understand the value of life."

    A profound statement that made all of them ponder for several seconds, much longer than Hu Tao was willing to actually give them.

    She smiled sadly, and drummed on top of Yomite''s head to dismiss the conversation.

    She clearly didn''t wish to ruin her day or trouble her friends with philosophy.

    Yomite knew Hu Tao must have seen some disturbing stuff in her life at multiple asions, otherwise she wouldn''t have this cheerful disposition.

    It was usually the most cheerful one''s who suffered the most and experienced the worst fate.

    It was hidden within the happy smile, so people always thought the person was fine, but underneath all that surface of optimism,y the inevitable misery and suffering. An individual that went through traumatic experiences first.

    After passing through the torment of their lives, they''d begin to ept everything going on around them and smile not to worry others; they''d treat it so well and contentedly, along with smiling warmly at everyone, like they were trying to stop some heavy doom from materializing.

    But Hu Tao''s currently smile, was more radiant than ever. She was truly happy to meet so many amazing people in such impossibly big world and she was grateful for it!

    As they were about to enter the Mansion, Yomite noticed a wooden bulletin board near the entrance with a few nk wooden tiles hanging from it.

    He walked towards it and flipped one of the tiles to the other side, revealing a hint of written writing. It read: [...Buy one coffin and get one free for the holder of this tile!]

    "..."

    Yomite looked up at Hu Tao with an annoyed face, seeing her grin widen, apparently, it seemed like she was the one who made them.

    "Go on, go on! Flip them! They are all masterpieces of a writing!"

    Yomite gave her the benefit of the doubt and flicked over another tile, which showed another text. This, however, proved to be dumber than the one before...

    [Ohohoh! Dear customer! You''ll end up DEAD if you don''t stop COFFIN!!! The holder of this tile gets 20% off for the uing coffin purchase!]

    [What did one casket say to the other casket? Is that you COFFIN!?? The holder of this tile gets 40% off for the uing coffin purchase!]

    [People from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor really seem to like caskets...They are literally DYING to get in!!! The holder of this tile gets...eh...gets to pull once more!]

    "Trash."

    Yomite threw the tiles aside.

    "Eeeeeeh!?? What do you mean by that!? I think it''s funny!" Hu Tao cried out, furious, and squeezed his neck with her thighs tighter, an obvious habit that was developing more frequently after she got used to sitting on top of him.

 Chapter 193

    "Aren''t you supposed to be a genius? You said so yourself, right? Aren''t these a littleck luster?" Yomite asked teasingly, shaking one of Hu Tao''s legs as retaliation to the squeezes.

    She nodded to his inquiry, "Of course I am! The best one there is!"

    "Think of something better then, maybe something like...[What''s the difference between a coffin and a pile of dead bodies? I don''t have a coffin in my room...]

    "..."

    ...

    ..

    .

    Hu Tao''s mouth opened in shock and her shoulders sunk when she heard his line.

    "T-That''s amazing! That''s so amazing! You finally unlocked your full potential to be my true Assistant! Wow! I need to write this down somewhere immediately!" She excitedly squeezed his neck once more.

    "Anything for my lover, I guess."

    "Hehehe~ You are so kind...I love you~" burying her face into Yomite''s head, too embarrassed to even look anywhere else, Hu Tao could feel her cheeks grow hot as sheughed timidly while pressing herself onto him.

    From behind, Barbara let out a dry cough, "It seems like they are in the world of their own again...Is this a normal urence?"

    The other girls couldn''t help but nod in silent agreement at the scene.

    This happened all the time, although it wasn''t usually as adorable as it was today...

    The girls felt that Yomite was truly doing his best to make Hu Tao happy after she heard those statements from the townspeople earlier today...

    Still, Barbara admired Hu Tao in more ways than one, loving the nature of how devoted she was to him.

    There were also moments she admired how easy and straightforward her rtionship with Yomite was.

    Unlike her failed attempts to make his heart beat for her, Hu Tao managed to win him over, and it was mutual too.

    She was openly affectionate toward Yomite without having any reservations. There was no hesitation on her part to be intimate with her partner in front of others, either.

    Perhaps that was part of their natural connection as well. Their hearts just seemed to move along together without a problem.

    Maybe that was because they both liked tomfoolery and goofiness after all.

    As far as she could tell, Barbara was convinced she was far from the only one to have fallen for him with more passion thanmon sense.

    She saw how cuddly he acted with her new friend Fischl, yesterday.

    They even kissed each other quite passionately right in front of her.

    Which surprised her at first, but also gave her hope that perhaps she still had chance with him, if he followed polygamy convention standards from Mondstadt.

    There were only girls in his adventurer''s party thus far, which begged a question...

    Were they all a part of his harem and were they interested in him, or did they simply share amon goal of being heroes and adventurers?

    Perhaps, Yomite held no interest in other girls from his party?

    She needed to do her research...

    ***

    **

    *

    Hu Tao forgot all about the meanments from earlier, as she was currently ted.

    Resting on her Assistant''s head like this was beyondfortable.

    His hair was so fluffy, soft, delicate and thick; she just wanted to keep her nose buried deeper into his scalp to inhale the intoxicating scent of the shampoo mixed with his natural scents.

    For some reason the smell and texture was far too good to ignore.

    His head was better than any bed she slept on, letting her exhausted mind rx in peace, feeling secure as if surrounded by plush clouds.

    The spot on his head was alsofier than any pillow she would hug at night, and she refused to climb down from him, so he was forced to bring her inside like this.

    After they entered the parlor, a young man with a goatee weed them quickly and efficiently, greeting all of them.

    "Wee back, dear Director. We''ve patiently awaited your return. The elders were worried something might have happened to you, before you sent us the letter, numerous search parties were dispatched to look for��"

    Was all the rookie undertaker known as Meng could utter, before noticing that the Director he was talking to was currently sitting on shoulders of some giant.

    He turned all white and what came next, startled the crap out of Yomite.

    "DIRECTOR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO A CLIENT!?"

    Meng yelled in a panic and started rapidly bowing in a frenzied manner, as if he''d done something wrong, with a desperate pleading expression on his face.

    In reality, he was apologizing in Hu Tao''s stead, thinking she climbed Yomite without his permission.

    (Jeez...His shout gave me a fright... I''m getting too old for jumpscares... don''t try this on me...)

    Yomite calmed down his rapidly beating heart.

    "I''m terrible sorry, dear customer...Please...Director...Please get down...I apologize...our Director is rather...''cheerful''...but I''m sure you''re already well aware... please don''t mind her... she''s not a bad person or a bully..." The novice undertaker apologized sincerely, while shaking in fear of repercussion.

    Hu Tao sighed and rolled her eyes...

    "Meng, you dummy! We haven''t seen each other in half a year and you''ve still not matured enough to see through a situation! These are not clients, but my friends!"

    She confidently puffed her petite chest out with arms thrown over her heart, still sittingfortably on Yomite''s shoulder as though she belonged there.

    "...Eh...Friends? Director...you actually have friends...?"

    It wasn''t his intention to sound rude, it was a genuine inquiry he presented withplete disbelief.

    Soon after, he started trembling unconsciously, tears flooding like waterfalls from his eyes.

    "Our Director actually found friends...This undertaker doesn''t dare believe it! It''s a miracle! Thank the Archons!"

    "H-Hey...I-I wasn''t ''that'' alone... I could get friends whenever I wanted! Stop it! You''re embarrassing me in front of them! Stop it!"

    Yomite and the party looked on with a warm smile upon their lips.

    Even without them, Hu Tao seemed to have individuals who cared about her, indicating that, contrary to popr belief, she was never truly alone.

 Chapter 194

    Meng dashed back to the mortuary room to finish his duties after a brief chat, promising to speak with Hu Taoter.

    Meng was an old acquaintance she made over a year ago. He initially joined so he could ask the director, Hu Tao, to help him search for his deceased childhood friend called Big G.

    But so far, searching for Big G in Spirit Realm and in the Mortal World became fruitless and unsessful, leaving Meng to wonder whether his childhood friend already passed on or not...

    ...

    ..

    .

    With a smile, Hu Tao invited everyone into her office upstairs.

    Once they entered, they took notice of a rather tall and handsome gentleman sitting inside, reclined on a leather chair, seemingfortable as he sipped his cup of tea in silence.

    He was dressed very nicely for a funeral visitor or an employee, wearing a long dark brown tailcoat with dragon scale patterns, gold and silver ents, and golden tassels.

    Underneath the coat, he wore a beige dress shirt, a brown and amber waistcoat with ck trousers.

    His posture was perfect and erect, resembling authoritybined with elegance, a contrast that enhanced a stately presence.

    A square face with prominent chin lines gave his features a respectable appearance, giving no room for doubt in their definition, which was aplished by his overly noble eyebrows, that lifted upward at the arrival of Yomite''s party, leaving room for skeptical curiosity.

    "Director Hu, pleasure to see you again. I hope today too shall be prosperous."

    The man elegantly ced the cup of tea on a table beside him and stood up, bowing deeply, keeping eye contact with the group throughout, his bold gaze remaining unyielding in its intent.

    He seemed professional, sincere and polite, full of business airs yet impably refined, conforming neatly to whatever task needed to be done during funerals and visits.

    "Ah, Zhongli! No need to be so stiff! I''ve returned to make the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor prosper after my months of absence, once more!" Hu Tao smiled broadly with confidence.

    She continued, "This is Zhongli! He is a consultant here, at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor! His knowledge is vast and profound...So thorough...although he tends to use a lot of archaic words so you might not immediately understand what he wants to say, but I can guarantee you that he is like a walking encyclopedia!"

    "A walking encyclopedia? So he''s like Paimon?" Lumine guessed.

    Paimon crossed her arms atop her pitiful chest with a stoic expression.

    Her lips became tense as if disapproving of Lumine''s remark

    "Hey! If anything, Paimon is a floating encyclopedia! Not a walking one! Also, Paimon prefers the term, ''Mascot'', more than ''Emergency food'' or ''Encyclopedia''."

    "Is that seriously any better...?"

    Zhongli stayed silent and continued looking through the guests, nodding now and then in recognition, until his eyes befell on Iris; just staring off at her as if he was trying to gather memories from somewhere deep within his brain...

    He could feel a familiar irritation starting to bubble inside his stomach, sensing that it must''ve been some decades since he''dst interacted with someone with this kind of energy...

    "..."

    Did he know her from some ce before, or perhaps...?

    How strange, he was almost certain of having seen her somewhere before, yet he couldn''t remember exactly when or where...

    Shoving that thought aside, Zhongli narrowed his eyebrows and remarked upon Iris.

    "How may I adress you?" He politely inquired in a light voice, though maintaining control of himself.

    Iris was looking around and didn''t even register someone was speaking to her, saying nothing in return...

    "....."

    Yomite waved his hand, "Don''t take it to heart, she never really pays attention unless ites to food. Her name is Iris, I''m Yomite, and this behind me is Lumine, Fischl and Barbara. As for the flying cutie, that''s Paimon, our flying dog, and you already seem to be familiar with the creature on top of my shoulder."

    He made a short introduction that earned him a squeeze from Hu Tao''s thighs, and an angry look from Paimon before continuing...

    "We''re from Mondstadt, and we came to visit Liyue to rx for a while, and also to take part in the Rite of Descension that''ll be happening any day now."

    "Mondstadt...I see. Rite of Descension. A great timing indeed. Tomorrow shall be the day." Zhongli responded, appearing uneasy at this statement.

    Although it did strike Yomite weird that this Zhongli person kept on staring at Iris, it didn''t feel like he was trying to be rude, but rather examining her; like dissecting every single pixel on her body. As if he was trying to remember whether they ever met before.

    But something about him was very strange...his appearance even, reminding Yomite of something...

    (Amber eyes...amber eyes...where have I heard that description before...)

    ...

    ..

    .

    (Ah.)

    He warily eyed Zhongli, and felt unease sprout in his innards at the exact striking resemnce to the person they''ve been looking for...

    "Lumine..."

    Yomite whispered while waving his hands discreetly.

    "What is it, Party Leader?"

    She wasn''t sure why Yomite called out to her all of a sudden, but he seemed to be rmed about something.

    "It''s him. Grab a rope...we are jumping him..."

    "Eh? Eeeeh!?"

    She was visibly panicked at the prospect of tying Hu Tao''s friend with a rope, but once she calmed down, she immediately realized that the description did fit...

    In less than a second, a finely woven rope materialized in her hands. She held it between both of her palms, preparing to grab it tightly.

    Anything to get information about her brother...

    Some radical means were indeed necessary...

 Chapter 195

    Lumine gave Yomite one of the ropes she materialized a few secondster and he nodded with approval before carefully examining Zhongli.

    Hu Tao fixed herself on Yomite''s shoulders and soon, a look of confusion graced her beautiful features.

    "Eh, Assistant? Lumi-Lumi? Why do you guys have a rope in your hands...!? What is going on!?"

    "Rude Tattoo? Traveler? What is happening?" Paimon interjected from behind,pletely oblivious to the situation unfolding around her, just like everyone else...

    Fischl was also curious and appeared to be concerned, whilst Barbara eagerly peeped from behind, watching the "conflict" unfold in front of her.

    "Yum-Yum? What is happening?"

    "Starlord Yomite, ist there a problem...?"

    Yomite sighed heavily, "There is something we need to check with...Mr. Zhongli..."

    He looked towards Zhongli, the man standing at a distance with an air of authority��most noticeably��immediately fixing his eyes on him.

    (...I want to know.)

    He needed to confirm his suspicion right away...

    ��������������

    Name: Zhongli (Morax/Rex Lapis Vessel)

    Age: 28 (6400+)

    Title: Geo Archon''s Vessel, Prime of the Adepti, The God of Commerce, Lord of Geo, The God of History & Wealth, The Groundbreaker, The Warrior God, The God of Contracts, The God of ughter, The God of Diligence, Oldest of The Seven Archons, The Emperor of Domination, The Undisputed, The Silent Whisper, Vaga Bond, ����������������������������, ����������������������������, ����������������������������, ����������������������������, ����������������������������, ����������������������������, ����������������������������

    upation: Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Consultant, Adeptus, ������������������������������������, ������������������������������������

    Hobby: taking walks through Liyue

    Likes: ������������������������������

    Dislikes: Sea Food

    Dream: ������������������������������������

    Current mood: Unhappy

    Rtionship Level: None

    State of Rtionship: Hostile

    ��������������

    "Kindly cast your prying gaze away."

    The man, no, the God, politely told him before closing his amber orbs.

    A small hint of hostility within the whisper...But, otherwise, very pleasant to listen to.

    His voice was deep, spoken well and calm, giving him authority like a king that rulers desire, and demonstrating immense poise at the moment.

    Yet Yomite, was immediately rmed...

    (He knows I''m checking his stats? This is the first time this happened since the Paimon incident which was quite scary... and also like...how many titles does he even have?)

    He counted more than ten, some of the info was even nk, possibly some top secret stuff Yomite didn''t have permission to see...

    The God, Morax had the stance of grace and vigor from what his movement implied; as though no one was his equal in strength, nor in elegance or ss. As though no one could even harm him.

    When observing his image, Yomite couldn''t deny being disturbed; feeling inferior as though expecting a fate like annihtion once daring to attack him.

    Compared to a failure of an Archon like Venti, Zhongli felt on a whole different level, unapproachable, unquenchable, unfathomable...

    "..."

    Zhongli stood in silence.

    Slightly curious to how a potential enemy would act once his identity was discovered, slightly intrigued to find out if they would dare attack him or not.

    And, to his surprise, two people came up to him with ropes in hands.

    ...

    ..

    .

    After checking his stats, Yomite was more than reluctant to tie him up, but Lumine seemingly had a different n and casually approached him.

    Yomite was afraid Zhongli would attack her, but he let her approach and tie him up without any resistance whatsoever, not even when she put a gag over his mouth.

    Yomite only wanted to tie his hands up, but Lumine said that as a precaution, they should just blindfold him, gag him and envelop him entirely with the rope, so that he couldn''t even move a muscle...

    ording to her, these precautions were necessary so there was no possibility of misdirection, allowing him to possibly escape or doing harm to them.

    Thus, the Morax also known as Rex Lapis, the God of Liyue, got tied and gagged up within half a minute after they arrived at Hu Tao''s office..

    But to Yomite...

    This particr type of rope technique...seemed very familiar...

    "Say...Lumine..."

    "Hmm?"

    "Where did you learn this... ''technique'' from...?"

    Lumine turned and regarded him curiously, puzzled by his question.

    "Why do you want to know? Want to learn it with me? I''ll teach you."

    "Nah, I was just curious."

    She shook her head before fixing his eyes back on Zhongli.

    "I saw it in a book Lisa rmend to me. Apparently, it''s a great way to improve blood flow and since the asion has presented itself, I wanted to try it out on someone, as I''ve never done it before. It seemed like a great way to restrain someone."

    "I see...Lisa...no wonder..."

    There were no more doubts in his mind, that the technique Lumine unconsciously copied or learned from the book was how to make a bondage...

    Bondage; a sexual technique where a dominant figure would dominate another by restraining them into ufortable positions and limiting their movements, hence gaining obedience from the oppressed subject and also a form of satisfaction to have conquered the subject''s body thus physically enving them.

    It was usually done on women during sex that involved erotic scenarios such as BDSM, spanking...non consensual sex roley and so on...

    So seeing a God, restrained so weirdly on a chair in front of him made himpletely baffled and he was starting to wonder whether he lived in a simtion or not...

    (I really wonder just how did Lisa manage to fool Lumine into learning how to do this...I''m pretty positive Lumine wouldn''t read stuff like that by herself...curse the milf witch, now I have to bleach my eyes...why couldn''t it be a cute girl that got restrained... why did it have to be a guy...?)

 Chapter 196: Announcement

    Chapter 196: Announcement

    First off, I would like to apologize for not updating recently but the matters regarding my child and work kept me very busy, and now, it��s even worse since as many already know, I��m a soldier and since Russia is at war with Ukraine, it��s a wake-up call for every soldier. Including me.

    Now, my country is nearby Ukraine and they have borders with us, and ever since a few days ago, me, and a few others are guarding the borders to Ukraine in order for no one to trespass illegally or in the worst case, bring forth their weapons or vehicles for something malicious.

    That being said, I have postponed the updates both on webnovel and p atreon, but it just feels way too unfair to people that paid for the tiers on p atreon so much money to not get anything for so long, therefore I��ll try to spam as many chapters as I can today and tomorrow ON THE P ATREON, be it in my free time or while I��m guarding the borders and continue working as much as I can to catch up.

    When ites to guarding borders we have 12 hour shifts meaning I would spend 12 hours from 4 AM to usually 4PM at work and then Ie home and take care of the kid plus some more work that I brought from work.

    Updates on webnovel are��I am not sure. I want to do so much stuff. I want to continue this fic, I want to make a new fic, I want to make another one shot. I want to write. I have tons of ideas for this fic as well, which might make someoneugh at least even if it��s dumb.

    Yet there are so many responsibilities I have. That I simply can��t do what I want.

    So for those three or so readers and those ten haters who are still reading this garbage story, I��ll return. I don��t know when, but I will.

    If there are any people from Ukraine here or on my p atreon, I hope you are safe and sound. DO NOT give me any more money on *******, safekeep whatever you can. You will need it. Good luck and I hope everyone stays safe.

 Chapter 197

    Near Yomite''s side, everyone present exchanged meaningful nces, from concern, to anxiety, to confusion.

    "Paimon wants to finally know what is happening! Traveler! What kind of indecent...rope usage is that!?"

    Paimon frowned at Lumine in disappointment.

    "Hm? What do you mean?"

    "...No matter how Paimon looks at it...it looks very... ufortable..."

    "It should be. He''s tied up in a rope, after all."

    "No, no, no! Paimon meant... ufortable to...look at..."

    Lumine nced at Zhongli for a moment before looking back at the troubled fairy, "Does it look weird? I''m pretty sure I remember the steps perfectly though..."

    "Again! It''s not like that! Ugh... let''s leave it at that..."

    Paimon held her head in her hands before averting her gaze, shuddering at seeing what actually went on in front of her...

    Zhongli was calmly seated and tied up in the bondage that bore into his bound body, specifically into his expensive looking clothes;pletely shackled around his neck, torso and legs...

    The sight was depressing to look at, and if it was leaked that someone as grand as the Geo Archon, was bound into a bondage, without resisting even, Liyue would surely beughing stock to everyone in the world.

    Which was already in the making since Paimon was a huge bbermouth so she was bound to spread some nasty rumors in the uing future once she realized who this bound person actually was...

    "...This will be very awkward..."

    Yomitemented under his breath.

    At least Morax wasn''t bound up..."That" badly��It could have been so much worse if Lumine managed to master higher forms of techniques regarding bondage...he thought, grateful that she seemed somewhat of a beginner.

    (I really need to stop Lisa from turning everyone around me into weirdos...The girls are all naive and believe everything she says to them...)

    First it was Jean, with her "Special" kind of books, that were rmended to her by Lisa, and imported by Lisa from Sumeru and Fontaine.

    Jean was a hopeless pervert and her little sister was turning out to be one too... although it seemed that at least that wasn''t Lisa''s fault...

    Next was Hu Tao, who somehow knew the term "Anal sex" without having ever heard it prior to meeting Lisa...

    Then it was Fischl, whoter confessed to him that she was pretty nervous during her first date with him, so she asked Lisa for help, only to get a book with sexual positions that detailed about the most intimate parts of each individual couple''s bodies.

    Despite knowing full well Fischl would bepletely embarrassed reading those kinds of things, despite knowing that words like ''Exhibitionism'', ''Masturbation'' and other more naughty terms were within the pages, Fischl still insisted to read that certain book in hopes there would be something about dating that could help her...but there wasn''t.

    And now, it was Lumine''s turn. She also easily fell for her ploy and started learning the art of bondage without even realizing what it truly was...

    Lisa was bing more and more dangerous, literally contaminating the girls around him with bizarre and twisted forms of practices and igniting their inner lewd thoughts.

    Lisa needed to be reigned to make sure she wouldn''t poison any of the girls around him any further.

    (I''ll try talking to her about itter.)

    But now wasn''t time for such thoughts.

    Hu Tao was impatiently tapping on top of his head repeatedly before asking worriedly, "Did Zhongli do something to you? Is he our enemy? Couldn''t be, right? I mean, he''s just an old man with a dusty personality and knowledge, he wouldn''t harm a fly! I''m sure of it!"

    "No. You''ll see."

    Yomite replied.

    Lumine stepped forth and removed the gag from his mouth, starting the questioning, "Are you...Rex Lapis? The God of Liyue? If so, I have a few questions I wish to ask."

    Silence reverberated and soon after, all hell broke loose...

    "Rex Lapis!? You mean...One of the seven original Archons!?" Paimon''s announcement froze the room into an eerie stillness that shattered intoplete chaos when the word triggered its effect upon everyone present...

    "Muhahaha!"

    Fischl let out a violentughter while crossing her arms around her chest while holding onto her sides in suppressed hysterics at the audacity of such a deration��

    "Ah, so lovely, to think that with this finale, Rex Lapis'' true identity is revealed atst to the mortals around me! This Prinzessin no longer needs to pretend she isn''t aware of his existence! Ah certainly indeed, this Prinzessin could feel the damned energying from this vessel of the rock...bound by millennium of loneliness and internal conflicts...and now here we stand today with this morose excuse of a divine, suffocating us inside our own existence! This quilt can no longer bear the tainted souls of the foul ground because we put ourselves into his control!"

    She then let loose a scoffingugh, "Woo unto thee, Rex Lapis! This glorious destiny was led to you through selfless dedication of my loyal subjects. Suffer wailing exaltations of a timid soul who seeks atonement for past sins, enjoy thy doom at the hands of Prinzessin Der Verurteilung! Everyone! Let us break him like dried bloodstain upon sand and erase every fragment of oneself..."

    "Not again��" Yomite muttered under his breath as he sensed the immense quantity of chuunimentsing from his girlfriend.

    She seemed to havepletely switched back to normal when she was with him and only asionally spoke weirdly once they started their rtionship, but it seemed like it that was only reserved for people who she was familiar andfortable with.

    With strangers, she still acted just as always...

    Yet still...it was hard to miss her trembling legs. She was very nervous!

    Somewhere in the middle of that chaos, Lumine put the gag back into Zhongli''s mouth and nodded to herself at the good rope technique.

    (I''m improving!)

 Chapter 198

    Read ahead!

    Chill with us!

    ***

    "He is...Morax? The original Archon like Lord Barbatos? But howe? I heard every citizen of Liyue knew Morax as a dragon that descended once per year. Lumine, could it be that you''re mistaken? He''s clearly a human."

    Barbara raised her eyebrows sceptically at Lumine''s usations, unable toprehend that such news could be true.

    "We''re certain that the man before us is either Morax himself, or a part of his body and I need to ask him a few questions for my...selfish goal..."

    Lumine softly uttered.

    She was close, she could feel it. It was only a matter of time until she met her brother. Although she didn''t trust his words much, Childe already told her he was alive and well, and while someone like Venti had no idea, Morax, the oldest god, might be able to locate him somehow with some divine methods.

    Zhongli turned his head away without responding, seeming to show some difort with the unexpected exposure but certainly showing no fear of anyone present.

    "Once again, are you Morax?" She reiterated, noticing that her first question hadn''t met with an answer. "Or maybe merely a temporary aspect? Could that be it? A temporary vessel you overtake right before turning into a Dragon for the Rite of Descension? Please answer, Barbatos told us you can help me..."

    "...Bawbatows?"

    The sentence must''ve caught Zhongli off guard because of his sharp intake of air through the gag, conveyed by his gasp.

    But he wasn''t the only one.

    "...Lord Barbatos...sent you?" Barbara''s eyebrows furrowed as she looked alternatively between Lumine and Yomite, neither of them confirming her assumptions.

    Though this surely had been kept a secret that hadn''te to light till now in front of outsiders, Lumine mentioned a very crucial secret info in front of Barbara which couldn''t mean any good things...

    Taking the awkward silence as a yes, Barbara turned back toward Lumine with bright eyes.

    "N-No way! Is it actually true...? W-Where have you seen Lord Barbatos!?" She eximed, leaning forward in excitement.

    Yomite facepalmed, there was now another issue at hand...

    (Lumine...how could you just let it slip...he told us to keep his identity a secret, especially from someone from the church...and you must have spilled the beans in front of the biggest fanatic about him... Although at this point I''m not sure whether she''s a bigger fanatic about me than him...)

    "Eh...Barbatos? I-I meant to say...Barba...Barba...Barbara..." Lumine began awkwardly. "N-Nevermind, it doesn''t matter."

    Barbara gave a short sigh at her pitiful attempts at hiding stuff before speaking, "Please don''t try to lie to me...My whole life, I''ve spent praying to him, as a thanks for the actions he did in the past, and also because my father told me to...If you''ve met someone as amazing as him... please tell me how you did it...I really wish to do so as well to meet him and thank him for everything in my life...How was he like?"

    Yomite almost choked on his saliva.

    (Amazing? Him? That ''thing''? Never! Ever! Call! That! Thing! Amazing!)

    He screamed internally but he decided to suppress those ungodly thoughts. (A trap drunkard that only brings trouble to everyone around him, steals their money, food and alcohol and is the weakest God I''ve ever seen! Don''t call it amazing!)

    He nced at Zhongli who also made a sour face at the mention of the drunkard bard.

    (Even the God of Liyue knows what''s up! His face ispletely filled with disgust! Don''t be fooled by him, Barbara! Barbatos isn''t who you think he is at all!)

    "I-I..." Lumine tried forming words but it was difficult. No good things came to her mind when thinking about Venti.

    "Uh...He is...a very unique and... interesting...individual...but I am not sure whether you would get along with him..."

    "Ah! Is he as graceful and as powerful as the legends foretold? The stories speak of his beauty and virtues as none others couldpare! Of course I would want to meet him! To seek him, if possible..."

    "Barbs..." Yomite grimaced, as he stopped her there, "I''m sorry to burst your bubble...but the Archon you''re so eager to meet.. isn''t anything like you''re imagining..."

    Even worse, he was far, far from it.

    "What do you mean? Lord Barbatos is nothing like...the myths?"

    Her voice rose and seemingly distressed her more with the realization.

    "Do you know his whereabouts, Yum-Yum?"

    "Well...I don''t know where he''s currently at...but I can tell you that you''ve met him before...multiple times even..."

    Her eyes widened at his sudden disclosure, excitement turning into disbelief.

    "..M-Multiple times!? I did!? Are you saying...Are you really telling me the truth?"

    Yomite sighed a long breath, shaking his head side to side before replying, "Do you know a bard named Venti?"

    "Venti?"

    Barbara thought for a moment.

    She''d certainly heard of the name before. He was a fairly popr bard and she heard his songs several times. Poking fun at the old very of Mondstadt in his songs with ways she''d never heard before.

    "I''ve heard of him...Ah! Come to think of it, wasn''t it the green bard that broke the Holy Lyre Der Himmel!? Now I remember!"

    Barbara huffed.

    Destroying an artifact of Barbatos himself, the bard was lucky to get away with a few warnings from her sister Jean.

    "The Knights of Favonius better punish him one day fo��"

    "So yeah. That''s him."

    ...

    ..

    .

    "...?"

    Barbara froze up instantly at his statement.

    "Pardon...?"

    "Venti the bard is Barbatos. The God of wind and the God you all worship."

    "...No way..." Barbara exhaled in disbelief. "...That..that...that can''t be true..."

 Chapter 199

    Read up to 17 chapters ahead!

    Chill with us!

    ***

    This situation was reaching to absurdity levels already...

    "Uh huh." Yomitemented before adding, "Look, there are many things in this world that are off, but Venti...that God is a mistake, no doubt about it...Let me pick you a random homeless person from the streets and they''ll be more productive than that pile of giggling femboy energy that calls itself an Archon..."

    Barbara barely understood what he was talking about, yet her psyche was shook to the core of her stomach as she just stood there stunned, shocked about this revtion and almost felt like she was drowning in her newfound perspective of reality.

    A minute ago, the news that the man in front of her was Morax, the God of Liyue already shook her to her bones, but to think that Venti the Bard was The Barbatos...

    It wasn''t easy for the girl to take in this new piece of information but unfortunately for her, it happened to be true. It would also exin his knowledge about various songs she never heard before, and so many other things, that she was certain they weren''t lying to her...

    Barbatos was rumored to know every song ever created, be it in the past, present or the future...

    He was the epitomy of music, who was the patron of all, possessing not only the abilities to create but to also destroy, and whose actions affected the heavens themselves.

    Barbara was getting dizzy to the point she thought her eyesight might suddenly go blurred and empty, and her body might fall over sideways as a result.

    Her mind nked. In that state, for some unknown reason, the words ''god'' and ''drunk bard''bined and sounded repugnant in her ears. It was going against everything she believed. At this point, it felt like most of her existence was shaken apart and thrown to pieces into a muddled mess that looked downright frightening...

    "...Impossible..." She spoke half aloud in her distress. "Lord Barbatos is...a prominent and a gentle figure...he even gave me a Vision...and from then on...I started believing in him wholeheartedly...but this..."

    All the color drained out of her face immediately afterward and a sick feeling traveled down her throat. Everything she''d learned since the beginning... everything taught to her by the nuns and her father...was starting to fade slowly into thin air..

    Yomite was about to reply but he noticed that Zhongli wanted to say something so he took the gag and the blindfold off.

    "...Venti? Is that his current sobriquet? Barbatos...That drunkard is a disgrace to the arts..." Zhongli grumbled lowly under his breath.

    Yomite smiled after hearing the remark.

    (d to see someone agrees with me!)

    Zhongli sighed and continued, "I finally remember the feeling I felt from the young woman over there...Dragon of the East, Dvalin, are you not? Intriguing, it seems to me you''ve had quite the story to tell. Mind sharing it with me sometime?"

    Iris nodded without saying anything else. Her history with Morax wasn''t anything worth borating. They barely interacted in the past, yet she felt that his figure was lonely, perhaps as lonely as she was before meeting so many amazing people...

    Zhongli eyed Yomite and asked, "Your powers, are far from ordinary. I could feel foreign threads drawn through the link formed with you and something else...something that does not belong here...What is it you wish to achieve by restraining me here today? Do you wish to harm this world? Does it have to do anything with Barbatos?"

    "Not exactly, no. I do not wish to harm anyone."

    Yomite shook his head. This God was truly the real deal. The fact that he could practically tell with a single nce Yomite wasn''t of this world was kind of scary, even more so...the rope restraints from Lumine were practically pointless in the first ce. This God willingly let himself be restrained, and he could leave his confinement whenever he wished for it, yet he didn''t.

    (He could probably take care of us in a few seconds if he wanted to...)

    This kind of mindset brought more tension to the table than a clumsy gust of wind.

    Yomite coughed and answered him, "Venti...ah...Barbatos only told us to look for you if we wanted help in finding someone. We are searching for a man, blond hair and golden eyes...His name is Aether and he is spitting image of Lumine here. Her sibling was missing for quite a while apparently and we would like to know if you have any means of searching for him."

    "A person?"

    Zhongli murmured intrigued, tilting his head curiously, "Lumine...Luminous...Able to bring light forth...with that title, the presence of great abudance extends to produce and illuminate the skies...how odd...Unfortunately, I have to disappoint. Despite being a part of this world for a few millennium or so, I am still oblivious about any person that matches your description, and searching for one soul amongst passels of people, would be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

    Upon the revtion, Lumine seemed disappointed. They had travelled so far, and yet it was all for naught...Why did it seem like all of the Gods they met so far were inept?

    Or perhaps, this God was just as ipetent and ignorant enough not to give them any details whatsoever, just like Venti.

    With Venti, she could feel like he was dodging her questions, but this Zhongli person seemed to not care about anything whatsoever...

    Were all Gods like this?

 Chapter 200

    Read up to 17 chapters ahead!

    Chill with us!

    ***

    "No...Lord Barbatos can''t possibly be...him..."

    Barbara couldn''t stop pacing back and forth now.

    Like a dog agitated within its cage. She evenpletely disregarded the fact that Morax just called Iris the Dragon of the East, Dvalin...or maybe she heard it, but the initial shock from Lumine''s revtion about Venti being Barbatos, which shouldn''t really even affect her brain in the slightest, clouded her mind...

    "Darn it! Please don''t be him.." Barbara muttered as her fists clenched tightly.

    It was rare and unexpected to hear Barbara actually getting angry about something, or to curse for that matter, but the urge to kick something to death may have been starting to loom inside of her upon the revtion.

    Yomite decided to stir her blood, somehow trying to suppress how uneasy she was, "Hey,e on. Anger? Even I can feel it radiating from you now, Barbs."

    "...I''m sorry...It''s just... I''ve heard so many repulsing rumors about that bard...that I simply cannot ept he is Lord Barbatos..."

    Barbara said in a determined manner even though her heartbeat was definitely already speeded up as the anxiety rushed down from her higher parts...she prayed silently for her heart rate to calm down because the emotions pouring into her were bing more and more intense...

    "What kind of rumors?"

    He was visibly interested in her thoughts despite her reticence. Hopefully, hearing it directly will cool off Barbara''s thoughts and senses a bit.

    "...One time I overheard two women talk in church...saying...saying that they saw him undress in front of people in the Angel''s Share Bar...and that Mr Diluc Ragnvindr barely managed to restrain him before he took everything off..." Barbara recalled the story so vividly it almost felt like they were reliving it all right now in person...

    WHICH HE DID NOT WANT!

    "...Ugh...yeah...he is like that...freedom I guess...I stopped trying to understand him a long time ago." Yomite remarked half-apologetically as Barbara realized he must be extremely close with Barbatos, based on the talk before.

    "Say, Yum-Yum...how is he actually like?" Barbara found herself asking once again.

    "Venti is pretty dumb...and a clutz at that! His physical skills are either zero or embarrassingly terrible inbat. As such, he relied mostly on us during battles. He does have some qualities to him however, he is able to perform witty retorts and puns at will, and his songs are nice to listen to."

    Hu Tao replied with an answer already established, before Yomite could respond.

    Yomite squeezed her thigh and added, "Yeah, that''s basically what I had in mind as well. I am a bit interested why you''re not reacting at the fact that Zhongli is Morax? I thought you knew him for a while already."

    "Why? You jelly~? In any case, I already had my suspicion about him for a while now. He looks young, but his personality is a bit dusty. Knows everything, but doesn''t fret over anything. Which was why I thought he was an Adeptus, but to think he was Morax himself...huhuhu, simply great."

    "An Adeptus? What''s that?" Yomite gave her a curious look.

    He was urging her to borate further to exin the foreign word Yomite never heard before, but s for him, she refused to expand on her answer any further.

    "Ahhh! No exnation needed. I am toozy to exin! Don''t worry, Yommie, I''ll exin it in more detailter when we''re alone together~!" Hu Tao teased, giving a slight smile, as she rubbed herself against the back of his head with a giggle.

    She was deprived of his touch since he rejected her approach yesterday, yet there she was shamelessly approaching him again...her adorable, juicy lips approached within inches of his ear and licked it in a suggestive manner.

    This little goddess wished he hadn''t resisted further at all...She would do just about anything right now to get that soft flesh of his to melt her insides.

    ...But nevertheless, those fiery orbs filled with mes peeked into his field of vision again with a much, much harder stare. A sign, that all her teasing was serious and she was in a heat again.

    As soon as Yomite caught on her intentions and realized the situation, he instantly pped the both of her buttocks in unison to warn her.

    However, she let out a moan as a lewd squeal escaped her tiny frame, and took it as a confirmation.

    The best thing about her was that she was so hot-blooded...He was d to witness a woman so actively inviting sex like this with the same energy and zeal that spilled over from his own sexual attraction toward her, but he still needed to sail the Fischl route before that happened.

    A healthy rtionship was impossible without passion. Without their hormones singing out to each other, love would cease to exist...which may very well make couples grow indifferent, uninterested, unloving...unproductive.

    She leaned forward and whispered a filthy solicitation towards Yomite to show her willingness towards epting sex immediately, followed by putting her small hand on the side of his face. "If you keep refusing me like this, I will attack you tonight~! Believe me~!"

    Her gestures left no room for doubt on how much she hoped to make up for lost times. Though considering only thest night had spent the evening with abstinence...she wouldnt wait any longer to feast upon him.

    It was obvious she wanted it desperately...that part of her burning desire also radiated across her skin in palpable vibrations...Even with her hands closed around his body, he could sense her aggressiveness, unrestrained. Just wanting to be eaten by him. Lusting for lustful feelings, craving fulfillment.

 Chapter 201

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    ***

    It looked as if the need to satisfy herself immediately burned within every crevice of Hu Ta''o sweet, feminine being...

    Yet she wanted him to decide on how far they went. If he obliged, they would start immediately as soon as they returned to the inn tonight.

    She would dly massage away the wearyness and stress umted over days with fervor and zest.

    However, if he was hesitant, she would attack him in his sleep and ravish his own boundaries with ferocity, and satisfy herself with so much pleasure he might never be able to resist no matter how hard he tried. Bind him down into eternal dependency of lust.

    But now, was not the time yet.

    She had to wait.

    Besides, there was still a situation at hand only someone as amazing as her could resolve, or else it might blow into some conflict or deadlock by itself for hours without an end in sight and she still wanted to show them around the magnificent Wangsheng Funeral Parlor...

    She jumped down from Yomite''s shoulders and walked towards Zhongli. With a single sh of her spear imbedded with the power of her pyro vision, the restraints around the man tore apart in a loud popping sound, turning into ashes right away before disappearing altogether.

    Lumine looked on with a sad look, her hours of practice going to waste.

    The God of Liyue was now set free.

    "...Director Hu?"

    Zhongli hummed inquisitively as he raised an eyebrow seeing how Hu Tao freed him.

    "I must apologize, Old man. My friends are a little bit weird, but we meant no harm! Your identity must be important to you, hence we will keep it a secret! Lumi-Lumi just wants to desperately find her missing brother, so please understand. She''s a good person."

    "Hu Tao..." Lumine could barely contain herself as an ever-present warm smile emerged onto her beautiful face.

    She was thoroughly moved by Hu Tao''s consideration for her, especially since they weren''t particrly close, and it felt awkward for her to seek assistance from otherstely.

    The only person Lumine was very close with was Paimon...and maybe Yomite. The rest of the girls she aknowledged to be there...yet she didn''t seem to find a subject she could discuss with them.

    Fischl was too difficult for her toprehend, and reading books wasn''t Lumine''s calling anyways.

    Hu Tao was way too cheeky and she never knew what she was thinking about or whether she was interested in talking with her.

    Iris waszy and usually only replied with nodding or shaking her head if she didn''t have to speak...

    And as for herself...

    Lumine was someone who was unable to properly articte her feelings, an ocean of emotions drowning within her mind.

    And yet, she held genuine concern for people around her. The desire to ensure everyone was safe drove her actions; despite showing barely any signs of affection she often offered a helping hand even if a situation seemed like a simple errand, ensuring the sess of those endeavours, be it against a group of bandits...Or to ovee monsters.

    But socializing wasn''t her specialty.

    Even someone like Iris, thezy dragon somehow got close with Fischl, yet Lumine wasn''t sessful in making any close friend in the party. She was just kind of..."there" like a third wheel in a group of best friends.

    So she wasforted to know Hu Tao cared for her even if they weren''t that close.

    "You''re a precious employee of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Nothing will change that. I treat my employee''s the same! With kindness! Even if you''re a much, much older Grandpa of a blockhead!" Hu Tao continued and pped Zhongli on the shoulder multiple times to set the man''s spirit at ease.

    "Is that so?" Zhongli let out a small chuckle as he stood up slowly. "Perhaps I''m getting old, but if it''s like that, Director Hu, I shan''t bear grudges. I could feel no ill will from them, I wouldn''t hurt them. Please rest assured."

    Then smiling as his gaze scanned from Yomite to Lumine, "Unfortunately, as stated before. I do not know where he could possibly be found. You are free to look for him anywhere in Liyue, I will not interfere, however it''s unknown whether it would bear fruit at all. Try as you might, I do not posses the means to locate anyone within the city."

    Lumine was quiet for a second before she nodded. She knew she shouldn''t ask for impossible. If it was once stated he wasn''t able to do so, then she should ept it.

    Miracles rarely happened.

    Fischl''s single eye that wasn''t covered by her eyepatch trailed over Zhongli to cast its cold gaze upon him again.

    "Hais, this Prinzessin awaited a grand battle...Let justice be served upon the fragile shard of straw. For all who truly suffer shall receive mercy. Before the One known to man and god alike, as the Prinzessin Der Verurteilung freiheiteworden was set free."

    With that she hid behind Iris in case of a sudden attack.

    Still, despite resolving the situation, being regarded as "weird" by "Hu Tao", truly did some emotional damage to everyone around her. And to Yomite, especially.

    (Lord forbid, I am still a normal person.)

    "Alright, then. It seems we''re done here," Hu Tao held out her palms upstretched and shed a powerful gesture to everyone. "Let''s leave me with the Old man alone! I have some things to ask him myself! I''ll show you my room in the meantime and you can stay there for a bit!"

 Chapter 202

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    ***

    Hu Tao shooed them away into her room immediately and closed the doors behind her, leaving the air inside feeling as stagnant and hot as the chamber was outside.

    Zhongli once more took a seat on a cushioned chair nearby, crossing his legs at an elegant angle in order to disy grace whilst restingfortably, as he tilted his chin up to focus his attention upon the Director.

    "So~ Let''s talk business!"

    The cheery Director made herselffortable in a chair in front of him with her arms casually draped across the armrests. A blissful expression upon her pretty features that bordered on smug yet pleasant gleamed forth upon her.

    "So~ I''ve been away for quite a while~ How are the things around here? You guys did not bankrupt my Funeral Parlor, now did you?"

    For a few moments, Zhongli noticed a mischievous glint in her eyes.

    "Director Hu...? What is your goal?" His tone was lighthearted but also serious, holding weight and meaning in it. He was somewhat curious why she didn''t bash him out of the parlor when she learned about his true identity a few minutes ago.

    He thought she might be angry he was keeping things from her, but that didn''t appear to be the case.

    "I mean~ you must have lost so much money without me~" She grinned, "I used to run around the city to advertise our beautiful Parlor many times a day! I doubt someone else could do that! But worry not, I''ll save the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor from it''s debt and get back to work immediately!"

    "I do not think you should be worrying about that...From the reports, we''ve noticed a sudden and enormous spike in profit, right after you''ve left Liyue, Director Hu..."

    Hu Tao nked out herrge red eyes in disbelief, cringing at the blunt statement.

    "...I-Is that right..." she murmured, "Nah! You''re pranking me, aren''t ya! You''re pretty good at that, I admit, but right now we should act mature and more serious about this. We must have suffered massive losses~"

    "Mm...I am telling the truth. Ever since Director Hu left on your journey to Mondstadt, employees were thinking about expanding our business." He started off, lowering his voice a bit. "That young rascal Meng is of talented mind, and he saw through what he called as ''an inefficient handling'' around funeral affairs from your side and handled it ordingly. I consider myself as a being of lesser intellectual brilliancepared to truly exceptional minds like him. He came up with a few solutions that raised our profit, and poprity exponentially, within weeks."

    "M-Meng did!? Hey...Old Blockhead...now is truly not time for jokes...Meng is a dummy...there is absolutely no chance he could suddenly get so smart!"

    "Do check for yourself, Director Hu."

    Zhongli pointed his slender finger towards a stack of papers on the table in front of him.

    Hu Tao stood up and ransacked through them.

    She examined them closely, her eyebrows knitted together.

    "Hmm~ Hm." Her lips pouted in deep thought, flipping through several sheets of legal writings intermingled amongst themselves with vigorous gestures.

    Then, looked up at Zhongli with a sour expression atop her pink lips. "People...really no longer need me here, huh... Turns out I was the reason for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor''sck of poprity after all..."

    Zhongli gazed upon her, not saying anything in particr. He let her think her way through it on her own for a minute or two.

    However, Hu Tao didn''t need that much time, as she seemed to have already grasped the whole thing.

    Hu Tao was really quite dumbfounded by the news, but she always felt deep down that she was the issue.

    She assumed the problemy in the stubborn people who were afraid of disrespecting the old traditions and funerals, but the truthy hidden beneath all these excuses she held up for herself, and a harsh realization kept mounting up on top of each and every one of them.

    "I have decided."

    Her knowledge and etiquette for funerals was iparable to anyone else out there, but still. It was something she simply loved doing, not because she was talented enough or refined enough in it, but because it just represented who she was as a person.

    "I''ll fully leave the Parlor in the hands of Meng and other capable members. From here on, my ns are quite modest. They are rather basic principles I wish to uphold. Though people continue to fear the bloodstains and death adorning their walls, they don''t want decorum... I''ll stick to just ceremonies and partings. I''ll no longer advertise the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."

    As though finally realizing her mistakes, her tone was extremely calm and collected.

    Zhongli knew she had to be frustrated and deeply saddened at having been cast out as the ck sheep despite being the Director of the Parlor, but the results were loud and clear, and she wasn''t stupid.

    He knew full well there wasn''t much use in discussing matters right now, so it was best to switch subjectpletely.

    "Director Hu, there is one topic I wish to inform you about. I would like to request for a temporary leave tomorrow, would that be eptable with you?"

    Hu Tao regarded him curiously for a moment.

    "Leave? Tomorrow? Sure." She nodded her head softly, raising her eyebrows. "Ah that''s why... Tomorrow is Rite of Descension, isn''t it? Are you going to show off your cool dragon form in front of audience?"

    Zhongli inclined his head a little to one side, as if considering something, before averting his face a slight amount.

    "...Indeed. This Year''s Rite of Descension will mark the start of a new era for Liyue."

    It seemed like there was something burdening him, although the connotation remained veiled...

 Chapter 203

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    ***

    Meanwhile, Yomite''s group was resting in Hu Tao''s room, being encouraged to take as long as possible before returning home, as it was gettingte.

    The room wasn''t anything special and was simply decorated, with only the basics included to make it cozy.

    ssic wooden furniture adorned most surfaces: such as a nice wood coffee table with some potted nts. Two silknterns hanging near the ceiling and delicate curtains that could be drawn and opened as required.

    In fact, everything about it was barebones, unlike something you''d expect for the residences of those who lived extravagantly wealthy.

    The one thing that caught everyone''s attention was the bed...or rather...the absence of one.

    Instead, arge wooden coffiny dormant in the middle of the room, inscribed with the name ''Hu Tao'', using calligraphy elegantly rendered.

    The glossy wood reflected small waves of sunlight of the setting sun brilliantly from time to time.

    "Say...Paimon is wondering if anyone else sees this huge and creepy coffin just casually sitting there with no real exnation?" Paimon murmured faintly, tilting her head with a nce upon the group. She seemed disturbed.

    "You know, I''ve just been thinking about that...I wonder how many Paimons would fit inside...I would say about fifty." Yomite whispered with a creepy grin, startling the little fairy.

    He saw Paimon roll her eyes slightly, almost helplessly...

    "Hey! You shouldn''t joke about that! Or else something bad might happen to Paimon! Besides! You can''t get multiple Paimons! There is only one Paimon!"

    "Well, if it everes to it, I can fish out another drowning Paimon from ake." Lumine added with her smile showing.

    She was referring to their first ever meeting, where Lumine was starving and tried out fishing for the first time in her life, only to be disappointed to catch Paimon instead of a fish...

    "Not you too! Why did you betray Paimon! Paimon thought we were allies!"

    "This Prinzessin deres that if something ought to happen to the Flying Emergency Sustenance, her wrath would definitely burn Liyue to ashes," Fischl chimed in a stern voice as she crossed her arms. It sounded serious, but it also carried an edge of yful smirk.

    "...You know, Paimon was almost touched by your kindness for a moment...before you called Paimon by that...weird nickname... you''re bullies..." Paimon flickered out quickly and vanished into thin air before anyone could hear her final remark, simr to the way she liked to fade away during a battle.

    The cute voice of Paimon''sints made Barbara''s mood significantly improve.

    While the situation with Barbatos was still clouding her mind, and she was contemting about her life decisions, one thing that she found calming was the short while she spent with this adventuring group that treated her kindly and openly.

    Back home, there wasn''t anyone she was particrly close to, only a few nuns she talked to regrly, but they all seemed distant from her and acted professionally at all times, which she found suffocating sometimes.

    There was, however, one nun, that waspletely... special.

    Rude, unkept, andzy. A woman with so many negative characteristics, that it was a miracle she was still alive.

    She was scary to approach at first though.

    That woman taught Barbara about afternoon naps and ways she could skip work instead of working diligently for each task that needed to be done.

    And yet, she enjoyed talking with her all the same.

    She even dared to share with her the reason she was taking a break for a while.

    (I wonder how Sister Rosaria is doing...We haven''t talked in a while. I miss her so much.)

    ***

    Mondstadt.

    Within the halls of the Favonius Cathedral, managed by the Knights of Favonius, stood two nuns.

    "Sister Victoria...I told you many times over. I am simply unfit to sing in a choir... it''s a pain in the ass. Spare me of this shit..."

    The nun that spoke first, was known as Sister Rosaria.

    Rosaria was somewhat intimidating woman who had a rather unorthodox idea of piety...

    She was a tall adult with ghostly pale grey skin. Some people assumed she might have been a partial Zombie, or a so called "Vampire" from legends but either way, she hadn''t fed on any human beings or creatures ever, so those ims were deemed false.

    She had wine-colored hair cut short in the back, with some strands of her bangs colored a darker red. Noticable heavy eye bags under her eyes implied she didn''t get much sleep.

    Her pure ck dress unted great beauty in proportion and silhouette as it hugged her slender, yet curvy figure; ck pants covered her legs wlessly, as did high heels which supported her taut frame perfectly.

    If one looked at her, they wouldn''t think she was a nun but some sort of mercenary. Instead, the image one would get would be of a beautiful mature woman with grim outlook on life.

    An evil prodigy princess waiting to eliminate the world...

    Even someone like Sister Victoria had a problem not averting her gaze when looking at her due to her obscene choices of clothing...

    "Watch yournguage! You''re on the Holy grounds! How can you even utter such words...and please...change your outfit... I am sure you''re aware of your "charms" but we can''t have the men visiting the Church oogle you at all times...It''s a sin ...Sister Rosaria... please visit meter."

    Rosaria clicked her tongue impatiently and left the church immediately afterward.

    "When sines knocking, judgement will soon follow. Take what I''ve said as a warning. Repent and you shall be forgiven. Lord Barbatos is merciful!"

    She heard Victoria''s voice behind her in the distance.

    "Dress code heh, as if someone actually looks at me during the visiting hours...Choir this, praying session that...without her, my work has trippled...I swear to Barsibato...I will strangle that little midget Barbara, and her stupid boyfriend once she returns!"

    Though the former couldn''t help but look forward to meeting with Rosaria again, thetter was looking forward to seeing Barbara for apletely different reason...

 Chapter 204

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    ***

    Paimon floated towards Lumine and sat on her shoulder.

    "Paimon was wondering...where did you go yesterday? You seem very tired to Paimon." the little fairy inquired.

    Lumine giggled slightly, lifting her hands off herp to caress Paimon''s small head affectionately.

    "Where did I go? Well, I didn''t actually venture anywhere important...you don''t have to worry. I amplely fine." She smiled and flicked Paimon''s forehead gently.

    "Hey! That hurt..." The little fairy let out a yelp, wiggling her head away.

    Despite what she said, Paimon knew something was wrong with Lumine.

    While she might have appeared to be rxed, Paimon noted her sporadic trembling.

    Perhaps something heavily weighted on her mind. Even so, Lumine refrained from bringing it up herself, so Paimon could do nothing but watch silently and wait for her friend to open up and talk about whatever it was troubling her...

    (Maybe Rude Tattoo might help...)

    ***

    With Zhongli''s departure to prepare for tomorrow''s Rite of Descension, Hu Tao hastily gathered up her thoughts.

    To think that all this time, Zhongli was the God overseeing Liyue affairs��

    How exciting!

    This was a new opportunity for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!

    The ce would truly shine in history!

    After she finished checking documents of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, she walked along without haste towards her room where her friends currently resided.

    As a precautionary measure, the funeral parlor had an established second floor and was therefore secluded. Additionally, all necessary activities took ce underground and they hardly experienced the light of day.

    Unlike the average business parlor and guild house that flooded every corner with foreign customers, locals tended to avoid this cepletely.

    "Heya! Everyone! How did you like my amazing room~?"

    Hu Tao barged into the room without awaiting their reply, eyeing them all briefly before facing Yomite in particr.

    "It''s pretty average for someone who leads a business." Yomite replied naturally, noticing Zhongli wasn''t with her.

    (Did he already leave? Shame, I still wanted to ask a few questions. Oh well, he works here so I''ll have plenty of time for that.)

    "Let me correct you~! Someone who ''led'' a business~!" She waved her hand subtly as though wanting to imply something.

    Yomite knitted his eyebrows slightly in response. He stared at her nkly.

    "Did something happen? Why do you speak in the past tense?" His head tilted questioningly to one side.

    "There is nothing specific to talk about in particr." Hu Tao sighed lightly as she sat down on hisp affectionately and hugged him around the neck.

    The atmosphere around her became warm and lively, but something was wrong.

    Seemingly unsatisfied by her answer, he let out a troubled sigh, "Something''s worrying you, anyone can tell."

    Smiling softly to himself, he wrapped his hands around her body and squeezed gently in return, leaving her with an overflowing feeling. She couldn''t hold back her sweet words of apology...

    "Silly! Don''t worry. Everything''s fine. I''ve just decided on an important step for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!" Her expression warmed instantly, like a flower blossom that was released from its reserve.

    "From now on, I''ll be fully in your care! Without any responsibilities from the Parlor! I''m done!" An excited expression grew across her features as she smiled happily.

    Those sparkling eyes shone even brighter, and yet her real thoughts might have been concealed tightly within the grinning veil.

    (Did she abandon the position of the Director just to be with me... Is she really alright with that...? She must be sad... In that case...)

    His tight hold around her sides grew tighter for a moment until he opened his mouth carefully.

    "...So that means you''re quite free now, huh. When do you n on bing my wife?" he lowered his lips onto her forehead with a gentle kiss, smiling lightly while holding her hands with both of his own.

    ...

    ..

    .

    "...Huh?"

    It took a few seconds for her to register his words, then she gasped again, "W-What did you just say!?"

    She knew exactly what he meant...

    But it came so out of nowhere, and he said it in such a cool tone that made it seem he waspletely serious about the matter...

    Hearing him say those words caused the trembling within her chest to escte further than ever before.

    She blushed heavily at the sudden question, but that statement had exactly the desired effect on her.

    It struck her heart and made her forget about the matter of leaving the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor altogether.

    She immediately rose from hisp while backing away sheepishly. The blush went deeper with her sudden change in demeanor.

    "Wh-What are you saying all of a sudden!? Ar-Are you crazy!? Y-Y-You don''t have to prank me like this!" Was all she could manage to spew out before turning her face away, hoping the others weren''t watching even though she knew they were.

    That hope indeed proved futile for Hu Tao, as Fischl immediately rose up from her seat.

    "B-Before that happens, this Prinzessin shall get another date! Our m-marriage...shalle...afterwards...hehe..." She uttered with a giggle, imitating Hu Tao''s expression perfectly.

    Now there were two embarrassed girls in the room...

    In contrast, Barbara glided between them and walked towards Yomite in a hurry.

    Blushing bright crimson, she slowly turned to meet his stare. She lowered her gaze in shame as his bright golde eyes pierced straight through her, quite dumbfounded.

    "In that case I...I want my promised date as well!" Barbara blurted out without even realizing that it was a secret between them alone.

    "You promised me!"

    They had agreed on a date during the time where she was close to dying, and she took that promise more than seriously.

    Her heart was beating frantically within her chest.

 Chapter 205

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    ***

    Barbara nted her head into his chest fully in a weak attempt to press herself closer to his warmth.

    Taking this as a one in a lifetime chance, her nose took in his unique scent deeply.

    "...Yum-Yum...You smell so good." Her entire being was engulfed by happiness and held tightly to him.

    His steady heartbeat caused hers to beat hard within her chest, creating a symphony of lustful love from both her inner and outer dimensions.

    "Eeeh!? W-Wait? Since when did the two of you get so close!?" Hu Tao gasped dramatically, yet she didn''t sound entirely surprised, more like excitedly intrigued. She immediately dashed towards him and climbed on his back, using his body as a bridge to ess his shoulders, seating herself on top of them while hugging his neck with her legs.

    "This Prinzessin also wasn''t aware thou two were like that!" Fischl eximed with obvious confusion before running up to Yomite and hugging him as well, as if afraid he would be stolen.

    This action prompted a blush to spread across her cheeks. Her sudden action surprised even herself, but there was no stopping it.

    Fischl was falling behind Barbara, a girl who was with him for only a few days, she had to show her genuine feelings for him before it was toote. She couldn''t afford to fail now...could she...?

    Butstly, the most unexpected urrence happened and made everyone drop their jaws, when Iris silently crept towards him and began patting his head as if he was a small animal. It was almost endearing and rather innocent.

    Maybe she was simply fond of him as well...or maybe she thought it was her duty tofort him when her Master was troubled by someone, in this case the three girls clinging onto him...

    Not caring either way, she suddenly leaned over to give him a loving kiss on the cheek before whispering to his ear, "Master please forgive me but yesterday night I''ve..." her voice got incredibly low to the point where he could barely hear it but he still did...

    "...while thinking about you. Are you mad?" Her expression was filled with innocence, searching deep inside for an excuse to defend herself, and fear of making him angry intensified her expression.

    Yomite was taken aback by the affectionate kiss she gave him, and the thing she said left himpletely speechless.

    (How do I even repond to that? How do I repond to the fact she was doing ''that'' while thinking about me...? I don''t think any woman ever told me that with a straight face like this...)

    He had to admit Iris'' body was godlike and extraordinary, her whole physique full of abundant grace and delicate curves fit perfectly in front of her mesmerizing, splendid figure.

    Her breasts were firm, giving shape to thatrge and beautifully bust and her bottom looked magnificent, starting from her smooth, slim waistline right through her bubble buttocks...Simply iparable, well rounded and inviting...

    Not to mention, he always wanted to touch her horns as he never saw a demihuman other than the cat bartender Diona and her Father.

    The horns looked so interesting and added an exotic feeling to her appearance, they represented a gorgeous addition to her beauty.

    Yet today, just as much as always, Yomite tried to remain calm and collected. Looking at his face, only one emotion clearly surfaced from the man behind thatposed expression; something else no one but Hu Tao seemed to notice.

    He was puzzled, and unsure on how to proceed with this matter. He frowned softly to himself in attempt to dispel his internal dilemma.

    Yomite knew about the fact that Iris was the old Dvalin, and that she basically belonged to him now.

    Which was very tempting and he surely wouldn''t be able to help himself, especially if she asked him to touch her or do something else...

    But no matter how enticing those temptations might have been, he always tried to keep up proper morals...at least to some point.

    As long as he was drawn into her charms, whenever he looked upon her amazing body, he would always remember the fact that after she was defeated back then, a part of her memory was either altered or sealed, and she currently had a mind of a rather young child.

    While her virgin body was more than mature, ready to be explored thoroughly and stimted, her mind was still that of a little kid, and he wasn''t willing to cross the line simply because of that fact...

    So unless that was fixed somehow, and unless she emotionally matured enough to understand stuff and everything else, he wouldn''t try anything.

    Iris was extremely naive and pure and her intellect and mentality were not well developed for something like sex or a rtionship. That much was clear, however it seemed that her sexual instincts were awakened and she acted simrly to an ordinary human teenager...

    (She sure is making it hard for me...)

    As soon as he overcame his internal turmoil, he raised his arms cautiously around Iris and gave her a brief pat on the head.

    Her anxiety gradually fell away, reced with another brand of affection once he reached out to caress her hair.

 Chapter 206

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    ***

    Yomite sighed in a quiet breath. He was ttered by the fact that so many girls liked him and wanted to be with him, but this certainly made the decision of deciding how much time of his day to give to every girl harder than ever.

    "I am not angry at all...but this is really something you shouldn''t be telling me...yeah...you are making it really hard for me to hold back. You should talk about it with other girls...not me. They may be able to help you with stuff like this." Heughed awkwardly and directed his eyes to the other three girls who were still gazing at Iris in confusion.

    "Assistant-kun..." Hu Tao called while leaning onto his back with her full weight...

    "Huh? What is it?"

    "Since when were the two of you like this!? Did youy hand on Irisus as well!?"

    A beautiful pout adorned her expressive features. While she told Fischl about the whole "Socks" theory yesterday, she was joking for the most part. She didn''t think it was actually the case. He was truly collecting girls like socks!

    Barbara and Fischl also nodded as if they too were pondering about the same thing. They stared deeply at him, wondering how to interpret this turn of events.

    "No, even if you ask me, I haven''t thought that far...I-"

    "Yum-Yum..." Barbara looked at him with a judging eyes, befitting a wife who caught her cheating husband right in the act of adultery with another woman. He was a dead meat.

    Fischl also wasn''t the happiest to see another rival in love pop up immediately... "Starlord Yomite...so you have "thought" about it...you have thought about it..." she mumbled and pointed her finger at Iris, announcing, "This Prinzessin will duke it out with you! Prinzessin Der Verurteilung shall be the winner! Mark my words! The day of reckoning shall eventuallyeth to thy!"

    "..."

    Iris narrowed her eyes at her for a moment and snorted before looking away, regarding her as if she was an insect.

    "D-Did thou see that! Shepletely ignored this Prinzessin! Art thou in puberty!? Cometh sie here!"

    (She indeed seems to be in puberty...) Yomite concluded, almost subconsciously under the pressure of multiple thoughts rattling inside his mind.

    "Girls...look..." He nced at the four women, all demanding his attention. He truly had his hands full with all of these cuties, but with all four of them clinging onto him like this, the feeling wasn''t bad at all and surely he''d survive somehow.

    "...Hold on, okay? I know I have promised stuff and I will deliver, so bear with me, okay? I promise I will fulfill all of your wishes or requests one by one, just give me some time to n everything out and organize it..."

    A wide smile formed across their faces, "W-Well...bing your...w-wife can wait a bit...I don''t mind..."

    "This Prinzessin shall also await for the fated matrimonium...the pact to be husband and...and wife forever...hehe..."

    "Mou...Yum-Yum, if you say so...then it can''t be helped. I will wait!"

    "Master isn''t mad, I''m d."

    Each in turn murmured ordingly before finally releasing his body with a content sigh.

    "Womanizer." A single word came from Paimon''s mouth, while Lumine didn''t say anything but let out a sad smile instead.

    And Barbara knew exactly why Lumine seemed off. She had noticed before that Lumine seemed to be interested in him, anyone could tell if they spent a few minutes with her.

    However, Yomite seemed to be ignoring her feelings on purpose since the very beginning. Perhaps he knew something about Lumine she didn''t?

    Yomite on the other hand, smiled wryly at Paimon''s remark. (Womanizer, huh. At this point she is pretty much right...)

    His eyes briefly revealed a crack of humor which didn''t escape the notice of Hu Tao.

    "W-Wait...there is no way, right!? Assistant-kun I will get mad! You surely didn''t do something perverted with Lumi-Lumi and Paimonon as well! Right!?"

    "Huh? Wait what?" He blinked in confusion, raising his eyebrows. What was this girl using him of right now!??

    "Starlord Yomite! How could you! Even the poor little Emergency Sustenance...how would that even fit into..." Fischl began to pace back and forth, with a blush on her face.

    Simply imagining it was nearly impossible for her due to how lewd it sounded...

    "Paimonon is way too small...You can''t be like this, Assistant-kun..." Hu Tao gestured helplessly with her own hand, shaking her head.

    Hu Tao knew too well how he treated her in bed. She was like his ragdoll and Hu Tao''s butt still hurt ever since thest time they did it.

    As much as she enjoyed it, she knew he was dangerous in bed. The poor Paimon must have beenpletely destroyed.

    Poor thing.

    Barbara only shook her head knowingly. In this situation, Yomite simply didn''t have any excuses left...as usual. But to think that the "size" didn''t stop him at all from doing it...

    "...To think you would even force the small Paimon into this...I''m disappointed...Yum-Yum..." she ced her palm against her forehead in embarrassment.

    Even without wordsing out, it was obvious there was a strong sense of disgust emanating from Barbara at that moment.

    "Huh!? What!? I didn''t even do anything! I would never do that! What the hell are you talking about!?" Yomite honestly couldn''t imagine what else they were insinuating about him...

    He looked at Paimon and Lumine in order for them to resolve the misunderstanding but neither of them did.

    Lumine looked away from him and Paimon revealed an evil grin of victory while seemingly saying ''You got what you deserved.''

    (Are you joking with me right now??? Is this some sort of vengeance from their part!?)

    A punishment? Or a retribution? For what!?

 Chapter 207

    Read up to 17 chapters ahead!

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    ***

    The feeling of not being able to speak at all and defend himself because three girls were shouting through him was depressing to say the least.

    After about fifteen minutes of exining, the misunderstanding was finally resolved and Yomite was left off the hook.

    Paimon thoroughly enjoyed his suffering until thest minute though, that smug look remained on her face till the end.

    (Just you wait...I am a petty person, I will get you back for this you little flying runt.)

    Yomite swore to himself.

    "So~ Yommie...Can I ask you for a favor?" Hu Tao asked right after everyone calmed down, still sitting on his shoulders.

    "...What is it...also what is up with that nickname...why is everyone giving me ely?"

    He waspletely exhausted and mentally drained right after their heart-to-heart discussion.

    He thought he was finally done for today, but it appeared he was wrong...

    What did Hu Tao want now?

    "Ehehe~ Getting new nicknames is essential in developing rtionships or so I''ve heard~! In any case, I would like you to bring my casket with us to the inn. I''ve been using it as a bed for a long time and I feel nostalgic."

    The girls and Yomite all took a quick nce at each other before turning to her.

    "So it was your bed after all...go figure..."

    "It takes courage to sleep in a coffin."

    "Paimon knew it! You are scary!"

    "Of course not silly! I am as friendly as I can get! Sleeping in a casket is incrediblyfortable! You should try it out sometimes!" Hu Tao joked before leaning over his shoulder and giggling loudly.

    "I think I''ll pass on that..." Yomite responded somewhat defeated despite the oddity of the request and declined her idea outright.

    "But yeah, ask Lumine, I''m sure she will put your coffin into her inventory or something. I am sure there won''t be much trouble with that."

    "Yuppie~! Also..." She leaned closer towards his ear to whisper, "What do you say about locking ourselves in the coffin for the entire night~ Tight enclosed space where both of our bodies rely on each other~"

    Yomite gulped at her proposal while nodding slowly, not expecting a heated offer like this.

    Making out in a coffin...

    A unique proposal if he ever heard one...

    However, before he could reply to her request the other girls noticed some disturbance in the force and immediately frowned, as if being frustrated that most of his attention was always on Hu Tao.

    (This is... going to be hard...but they are right. I should prioritize someone like Fischl foremost now.)

    Hu Tao was pampered the most out of every girl who was interested in him, hence the stares of protest when the two of them were so close and ignored everybody else...

    In the end, Yomite shook his head at her proposal.

    "Maybe one day...it sounds exciting, but not now." He softly replied much to the protest of Hu Tao and gently pushed her chin down so she wouldn''t make such stubborn faces anymore.

    His gaze lingered on Fischl for a moment, before he spoke up again.

    "Do you have time tomorrow? We could go rx together if you want to."

    Fischl stiffened upon the request, obviously shocked by the proposal.

    "Wha-��!?"

    She hadn''t expected another date with Yomite that soon! She wasn''t prepared for it at all! Despite the fact that she wanted one, she certainly wasn''t expecting Yomite to put forward something quite definite already.

    Her mind was once again in shambles...

    (Why does he always catch us off guard like this!? What are we going to do! We don''t have any clothes for the asion!)

    Fischl internally screamed, and weirdly enough she got a response.

    (Had thee forgotten? The manifestation of exterior facade ist not essential in achieving true romantic happiness! Lasteth date confirm''d this fact! You heathen!)

    It was her other self, scolding her mentally once again...

    (I know, I know! But I wanted to do something special for him...)

    (...Something exceptional...you say? Hmm. Very well then. In that case, this Prinzessin Der Verurteilung shall bestow upon him the greatest honour of "that".)

    (W-Wait..."that" are you serious? I-I can''t just do that! That''s...t-too embarrassing...I am not sure if I can pull it off...)

    (Thou ought to believe in thyself. Go forth! Prinzessin of the darkest abyss and capture thy Princes'' heart!)

    Fischl''s internal conflict led to a downward spiral, panicking all the more, causing her hands to tighten into fists.

    "I-I...I would love to go..." Her voice quivered as she voiced her consent, still torn between happily giggling and swallowing her embarrassment.

    The other girls in the room barely kept their surprise hidden when he proposed this idea, but the answer was clear!

    Yomite was beginning his n on fulfilling all of their requests!

    "Eh? Why does it seem like Fischl is speaking weirdly...?" Paimon suddenly questioned. "Her usual response should have been like: Hahah! This Prinzessin shall take over the world with you! Muhahahah!" sheughed in an evil tone that somewhat resembled Fischl''s normal pattern of speaking.

    "Paimon, she seems to be very shy about her feelings. For some people, it''s not easy to convey their true feelings to someone they adore..."

    Lumine replied to Paimon, almost as if she was hinting towards the hidden truth...

    Just like Fischl, Lumine was also someone who wasn''t able to express herself either verbally or physically in her desires. Communicating with her emotions and expressing her deepest thoughts or opinions upon others was hard.

 Chapter 208

    Read up to 17 chapters ahead!

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    ***

    Barbara fidgeted in anticipation.

    "After you are done with Fischl, could you go on a date with me?" she spoke casually and smoothly, wanting to grab a chance with Yomite while she still could.

    For her first date ever with a man, she decided to get dressed up as cute as possible to show off her appeal.

    While she knew she was inferior to her big sister in many ways, she still hoped he would see her charms beyond the failure she saw in her mirror everyday.

    Outwardly she presented a calm demeanor, but inside there was no doubt she was waiting for a reply toe out of his lips to answer her question immediately.

    Yomite seemed slightly hesitant for a split second, before he eventually let his response pour out of his mouth.

    "Well sure...I did promise that...but please...don''t make it sound like I have some sort of shopping list and I scratch off items one by one...It''s not a chore really, I want to go there with you girls to have fun."

    Barbara silently bit her lips as she heard those reassuring words, wondering if he actually meant it or not.

    Surely a wonderful hero like Yomite would agree to that casual phrase to "give credit where credit was due"?

    "In any case, we need to n out what we should do overall. Now that we know where to find Rex Lapis, and even his identity, our primary goal for this trip was fulfilled albeit not sessful." He nced at Lumine who had turned her eyes downcast towards the floor.

    "While we didn''t get much information about Aether during this short trip, we learned he is at least alive, which is good." He sighed and brought up the subject of her missing brother again.

    Then again, the info came from a Fatui Harbinger Childe himself, so while there was possibility of it being fake, they would rather cling on the hopes that it wasn''t.

    "Now that we have nothing to do, I take requests and suggestions on what you girls want to do next. In my opinion we should do the same movement as you did before in Mondstadt with the missing posters, and then there is the fact that some higher-ups might be coborating with the Fatui directly so they might know something about Aether as well. What do you think?"

    "We could go fishing!"

    "I want to do some quests tomorrow, if that''s alright."

    "Rxing at home seems good enough to Paimon, of course we need to buy sweets first!"

    (So casual...) Yomite scratched the back of his neck in defeat.

    "Alright then it''s decided. Tomorrow, Fischl will go with me on a date, the day after Barbara gets to have one. You girls can do whatever you want in the meantime."

    He reached out towards his adventurer''s bag and pulled out a few sacks full of Mora.

    "Now that we have this out of the way, here is some Mora. Most of our wealth was left back in our mansion, so I only had around 10 million Mora with me, but thanks to an anonymous donation, we obtained more than 100 million, therefore go enjoy yourselves fully!"

    """Yaaay!"""

    Back then, before they fought, Childe was robbed by him.

    (That bastard seems to have even more money on him...He is the bad guy, so if we meet again, I should probably capture him instead of killing him and beat him up until all of the coins pop out, like a pinata.)

    Yomite grinned ear to ear. It would be hard for the current him to defeat Childe into submission without any sufficient training of his newly found Anemo abilities, but if they ganged up on him with his party, he would stand no chance.

    (We will get you.)

    He stood toe to toe with him before, but he knew Childe still had something else up his sleeve, therefore Yomite without a doubt needed more time developing his abilities and gainingbat experience to actually defeat him.

    (I should do that after the dates. It''s time to train seriously with the goal of overpowering him.)

    Meanwhile, the girls looked at him from the distance with weirded out looks.

    "Uwaaaah...there it is again...that evil face of my Assistant...He must be nning something terrific again."

    "The Devil of the Rhine, showed itself once more in thus sacred grounds!"

    "Paimon is wondering why people of Mondstadt even call him a Hero and not a viin...his face is scary..."

    "He is so cool!"

    The girls looked at Barbara with expressions bordering between utter fascination and disbelief. It seemed like she was adoring him no matter what he did, which was in a sense pretty weird in itself.

    She was a cute nun, that much was certain. Her blonde pigtails were adorable, and even women had to resist the urge to just reach out and pet her head when they passed by her.

    They wondered what Yomite aplished to make her fall in love.

    What exactly did it take for some people to fall madly and utterly in love with someone? Especially a prestigious person like Deaconess Barbara.

    And why would they do that in the first ce?

    They''d heard it before; Deaconess Barbara was so kind and sweet that it must have been her way of saying "thank you" for saving her life. Not love, just a way to repay a favor.

    At least that''s what they thought happened when she temporarily joined the party, but it didn''t seem to be the case at all.

    She was serious about her feelings.

 Chapter 209.1

    Read up to 17 chapters ahead!

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    Following three chapters will all be smut parts. After that 10 or so chapters something else, then Fischl date and so on.

    ***

    By the time they returned to the inn where they were staying, it waste at night.

    They were all fatigued to the point of exhaustion, and after spending the previous several hours in the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, they felt it was best to get some sleep.

    Thanks to the help of Lumine''s inventory, Hu Tao''s casket was brought with them and brought into their room.

    There was a bit of a problem when a cleaningdy came into the room and saw the casket, but after a short exnation from Hu Tao''s side, thedy swiftly left in a hurry.

    He really wondered why she left in such haste. Was she perhaps terrified?

    If not terrified, then at least a little bit disturbed, given how unexpected it was to see such a thing in a casual room.

    Later on, Hu Tao informed them that the Rite of Descension would be held tomorrow night, but there was no longer any need to go because they had already spoken with Morax.

    Still, Lumine and Paimon seemed to be interested in it, so Yomite decided they would go and check it out after all. Right after his date with Fischl.

    He went all outst time, so this next date would be a rxing one. To smoothly enter thest stage of his rtionship with Fischl. He was looking forward to tomorrow''s date tremendously.

    With those thoughts in mind, Yomite proceeded straight into preparing for bed.

    ***

    After giving his girls a few goodnight kisses and plenty of affectionate hugs, hey down on his bed before passing out.

    The bed seemed too soft and fluffy, causing his tired body to rx greatly as soon as he fell asleep.

    However, his peace didn''tst for long...

    An hourter, he woke up feeling extremely stiff.

    He felt as though his body was made of cement, refusing to bend for even a single centimeter, much less allow him to open his eyes.

    Soon, a light giggling and a heavy breathing reached his ears, rousing him from his trance.

    He cracked his eyelids open halfway and blinked in disbelief at the girl staring right at him.

    His quirky lover, Hu Tao was watching his every move.

    There was a creepy, unsettled look on her cute face.

    She was standing there, unmoving, and just gazing at him with lustful and ravenous eyes.

    Even her eyes seemed to glow in red light from within.

    (Not this scary shit again!? Sleepwalking!? I was happy it stopped happening, so why is she at it again!?)

    Yomite cursed in his mind as he silently prayed to whatever god might be listening at that moment to guide his stalker back to her bed and to make him fall asleep peacefully without anyone staring at him throughout the night.

    (Please God, Jesus, Buddha, The Jade Emperor, Odin, Osiris, Anubis, Zeus, Obelish, Turbaned Zarathustra, Gilgamesh, Maria, Sealed Exodias left arm, right arm, head, shoulder, feet! I beg of you, please send hel��)

    However, before he was able to finish the prayer, he soon awakened to the sudden realization of what was happening to his sleeping body.

    His pajama bottom was pulled down past his knees, allowing his magnificent package to clearly be revealed to him.

    Tearing his gaze away from his proudly shaped shadow lurking just below his waist, he squinted at Hu Tao.

    He was about to be assaulted, while still clothed, and without his consent.

    Apparently, that was not enough to keep her from going for the kill...

    Her cute puppy dog face crinkled up into a teasing smile that resembled a hungry wolf scenting prey in its territory.

    There was no fear or hesitancy in her bold and seductive expression.

    It was just pure animalistic appetite and hunger; looking forward to eating anything it wanted.

    If he allowed her to continue doing what she was doing, there was nothing to stop her from outright devouring him with a raw passion. That was undoubtedly what he was seeing now.

    Seeing him hesitate, Hu Tao lifted her pajama top just enough for him to catch glimpses of her tiny but perky breasts.

    Her small pink nipples formed by two sulent buds on their little peak proudly showed off their existence and her eagerness for sex.

    They were desperately seeking attention as if crying out for care and love.

    No words could describe how aroused he became just from the sight of it.

    If it continued like this, he would probably begin to lose control of his lustful urges, seeing how proactive the girl was at enticing him to begin with.

    His member started rising slightly, as if begging for permission toe forth and rise to help out and y an active role.

    Hu Tao took off her pajamas and climbed into his bedpletely, revealing exactly what she really wanted him to see: her bare body enticingly awaiting for its pleasures was right before him and he was given the chance to plunder her thoroughly

    With no ability to halt it whatsoever, her hand reached up towards his penis and started stroking it leisurely.

    She looked seductively at him as she continued to massage his pride, twirling his warm manhood between her fingers.

    Arousal red within his ming furnace of desire.

    The same heat emitting from the inferno that consumed him at all times erupted and red wildly throughout his entire body.

    Soon he was fully erect under her yful fondling. The tip stood proudly, pointing upward with moisture steadily dripping from its crown, oozing a string of clear pre-cum dripping down the shaft along its length.

    Yomite couldn''t believe how quickly this was happening, seeing that her hands had now began pushing him closer and closer towards climaxing despite his best efforts to halt it.

 Chapter 210.2

    Read up to 17 chapters ahead!

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    ***

    "Hu Tao... I''m d you''re so proactive. I love you, but I did tell you that I wanted to pause for a bit for Fischl''s sake. I know you two had formed some sort of pact or whatever she said and that we could technically do it, but..." He ended his sentence leaving the final part unspoken.

    While he would love nothing more but to indulge in sex for a whole day with his lovers, their love making schedule needed to be set up carefully.

    Besides, he didn''t pass the final goal of the rtionship with Fischl yet...

    At this point, he was pampering Hu Tao a bit too much and he was aware of it, yet it seemed like she required that much of an attention in order to be happy and in a good mood.

    While he was contemting, Hu Tao presented her butt for him to lick with a simple grin from her face.

    She wasn''t trying to speed things up anymore, but rather letting the flow take its natural course by herself�� probably enjoying the anticipation alone.

    Instead, she looked back at him with a crooked smirk simr to something akin to a hunter, signaling him she would be taking the lead in bed tonight.

    Something she failed in doing so far.

    His eyes lowered, unable to help himself in checking out her honeypot.

    His manhood eagerly reacted to the show of arousal in her mannerisms.

    While he loved to dominate and lovingly take the lead in bed, he also wanted to experience being served and teased by a woman in bed once in awhile.

    The duality of his personality emerged evermore evident in his reactions to other stimuli.

    It was so contradictory, but then again, everything with him was simply one big contradiction in many aspects.

    These contrasting desires caused his body temperature to rise dangerously high.

    Once he reached base line, it was only natural for him to hit a critical moment of release at which time his seed spurt freely from his endowment.

    Sexually, he craved making her feel good and happy.

    What more better way than making her orgasm using his magnificent tool as he held her down firmly underneath him, thrusting his erection against her supple and weing entrance with utmost passion and sincerity as it pleasured her physically as well as emotionally.

    But on the other hand, there was another side of him who deeply desired to simply be one with his partner.

    To experience being intimately bonded together to be indelibly imprinted in each other''s hearts and minds, even if at the price of being teased mercilessly in bed by the person closest to his heart...

    Funny how both of these two sides operated simultaneously inside of him...but then again, life was often weird and colorful like that.

    That was most definitely the source of his unique mindset and perspective.

    Tonight proved to be no exception as Hu Tao seized the opportunity he provided.

    She aggressively pushed him down on his back, spreading his thighs wide and purposely massaged his heated throbbing organ without hesitation, giving him no choice but to rx while she took control over his manhood.

    He was being teased relentlessly by such sexy devilish charm, forcing him to gasp due to constant tension produced throughout his body, as if expecting his imminent arrival at crisis point.

    As he moaned loudly in pleasure, waves of love and happiness surged through him, soothing his internal turmoil.

    Their respective sexual urges were the fuel driving their love to burn brightly.

    His immense erection did beg her to offer him some oral satisfaction, but she seemed to not care, and continued stroking it slowly but energetically.

    Once in a while when she felt him move his hips, she stopped her movement altogether and grinned at him without letting him release his pent up tension and drive himself to ejaction by force alone.

    In order to keep that overworked piece of meat in her hands from exploding due to her tease, she slowed down the movement of her hands to gradually lessen the stimtion she was delivering.

    "This little brat...just you wait..." His vision zed over, seeing images and feeling sensations fading away one by one.

    He felt like he was losing grasp of reality, disconnected from his physical being to the highest degree.

    All he could do was shiver violently as he trembled weakly in ecstasy.

    As a revenge, Yomite''s tongue dug in eagerly onto her pink folds and swept around, covering her inner area so that her juices leaked out onto his tongue and trickled down his throat.

    Every ounce of blissing directly from her center, the tastiest nectar pouring from deep within his mate''s sacred flower, drove him insane as wave after wave crashed across his senses and knocked him under.

    The overload of intense euphoria from his sharp intakes of oxygen kept pushing him into a dream-like state.

    As this took ce, Hu Tao was caressing his crown jewels with utmost care and gentleness, while keeping the pressure on his penis consistent and building it up until he couldn''t take anymore.

    Then, she rxed her hand and swiftly pulled it back to torture him again, slowly increasing the stimtion as she used only the bare minimum necessary to provoke him at a gradual pace.

    Gradually, that delicate pressure turned into unyielding hardness and tightness.

    Sensing the tiniest movement or slight friction from her methodical stroke, his body responded ordingly.

    As she entered deeper into her devious ploy, her eyes lit up as well.

    The desperation and urge to release himself grew ever louder, somehow a priority to prolong the teasing phase.

    This cycle repeated itself several times, and at some point, it was driving him crazy beyond bearing.

    He moved his hips up and down as if pleasing for mercy, asking to let hime quickly, but she ignored his feeble request.

    The cumtive pleasure reached an unbearable level, which he knew was enough to create sexual overload for most men.

 Chapter 211.3

    He wanted the sweet release right then and there, unable to hold it in longer.

    He always knew Hu Tao was the type to tease people, she was amazing at that.

    It was only a matter of time before she brought her knowledge of teasing into the bed and turned it full circle.

    He now experienced firsthand how she would absolutely tease him mercilessly in their future rtionship.

    Finally, it seemed as though he could take it any longer and started growling at her as the pleasurable waves sent shivers through his hardened body.

    Hu Tao giggled triumphantly at hearing his uncontroble moans approaching their imminent climax.

    She knew she was winning and never had expected such desperation toe from someone like him so fast.

    He was almost ready to spontaneously burst with an erection which could deliver loads upon loads of cum.

    She decided it was finally time for him to get his reward, and brought her mouth close to his throbbing organ.

    She closed her lips gently around the tip and started sucking him out passionately with slow motions, using her suction power to convey different speeds of movement to better titite him while savoring every inch of her favorite taste.

    Then, with absolute confidence, her tongue snaked out to swipe across his hot interior, stirring and painting his entire core with luscious vor and exhrating sensations.

    All the while she kept her perfect jaw mped tight, waiting for his flow to be raging torrent.

    When she sensed it was the right moment, Hu Tao abruptly took his entire length in her throat, down to the base, cing him perfectly inside of her mouth, attempting to drive his erection as deep into her mouth as possible.

    That was the moment when the dam broke. His glorious semen exploded forcefully with great gushes, overwhelming Hu Tao with explosive amounts of intoxicating jizz.

    Suddenly filled with passionate heat, he didn''t allow her stay in ce for more than an instant, plunging himself forcefully into her mouth until he felt her choking on the load she swallowed whole, attempting to suck up everyst drop of sperm which was filling her mouth in seconds.

    At that precise moment, both of them held their breaths, his strong arms wrapped around her head and he plunged into her throat without any mercy as her mouth greedily sucked his massive load up.

    Her mouth continuously milked him with incredible slurping sounds, drowning him in his own satisfaction.

    Like a delicious cream, still fresh and vibrant in quality, his cum streamed freely and continuously from his balls to deposit himself inside of her warm and juicy mouth, bathing her tongue with his sweet nectar.

    And just as anticipated, she enjoyed the taste tremendously, reeling him in, she devoured every minute amount of cum with extreme intensity and vigor, swallowing the load whole without gagging, as if eager to consume all of his precious essence.

    His penis remained in her mouth for several minutes.

    Not even after he finished releasing all of his seed in her mouth was he allowed to withdraw.

    Even the slightest intention of pulling out resulted in a yful nibble with her teeth on the sensitive flesh of his still quivering groin, merely marking it as hers before kissing the tip sweetly to apologize.

    Hu Tao slowly swallowed his copious seed until she had achieved her aim of depleting his abundant supply of rich essence.

    Finally, she released him from her mouth and sighed contentedly after gulping down the entirety of his bountiful load.

    Soon, there was nothing but a thin line of her saliva mixed with sperm still hanging at the corner of her lips, followed by another spurt that overflowed down her chin andnded directly onto her heaving breasts.

    Yomite copsed against the pillow beneath him with profound sighs. His body tremored heavily as his muscles copsed inward, overwhelmed by his intense orgasm.

    At one point, he thought his heart might have stopped beating.

    Every ounce of his precious semen became squeezed forcibly between those stubborn lips of hers.

    After releasing his deted penis from her mouth, she switched positions and ced her bare feet on his crotch.

    Yomite was too exhausted to notice what was happening, for his eyes were closed tightly.

    Only once he felt she was caressing his manhood again did he manage to open his eyes.

    It appeared Hu Tao wasn''t done with her teasing yet.

    Her feet were rubbing his ball sack softly, gently tickling and ying with his sensitive skin and flesh with the softest brushing touches.

    The teasing act he was used to just now was reced by this slower and gentle touch of degradation.

    "...a footjob?" he murmured faintly and heard how hoarse his voice sounded.

    A groan escaped his lip and rose in volume when Hu Tao ced her bare heel atop his groin and left it there, teasingly running over his limp form with endless loops.

    He wasn''t much of a fan when it came to feet and footjobs, but it was eptable if it was something his lover wished to try with him.

    Especially if it was a woman like Hu Tao, whose whole body was adorable and gorgeous.

    He already liked thighs and legs, so feet weren''t that far off. If that was what she wanted to try, he didn''t mindplying.

    Besides, the hint of extreme lewdness in her eyes spoke volumes.

    She definitely was enjoying herself, at least judging from her dirty tricks, provocative behavior, the naughtiness hinted at through her actions, and the sinful look on her face.

    He couldn''t believe she could be like this while sleepwalking. Wasn''t she basically awake at this point? Was she only lying to him? Or pranking him? There was no way she was still asleep, right?

    No matter, he didn''t have time to contemte about stuff like that, he was busy being serviced.

 Chapter 212

    Japan.

    In a hospital room, a doctor and a nurse stood over a man as hey there in aa. Both of them showed the face of pity and sympathy.

    They were sad but not desperate, for that would mean there was no hope left for him.

    They waited for what seemed like hours for him to respond. But he never did. Just like in the past months.

    "No good today either...huh..." The doctor sighed and stepped back from the bed.

    "I''m sorry, Doctor...I called you immediately the moment I heard some weird noise...but it appears he is still not with us..." The nurse muttered under her breath while ncing over at the doctor who wore the expression of worry again.

    Her eyes fell upon the unconscious man once more...

    It had been roughly about 5 months since the patient arrived here.

    The state he was in at the moment was pretty scary, but not as terrifying as the day he was brought here.

    A couple of tubes went into his stomach and one into each arm to drip into the veins, attached to little bags that looked like they should be hanging from IV poles.

    His face was caved in on one side and skin sagged off leavingrge folds of flesh on top, just below his eyes.

    Both of his feet were amputated above the ankle, extending past the knee.

    His left hand was missing fingers, and the hand was held onto its wrist by only two remaining digits.

    In other words, this was a state a human being could possibly die in when "peacefully drifting into death".

    He had received multiple blood transfusions because, though nothing showed, a lot of his bodily functions had gone away��some organspletely ceased functioning due to being deprived of oxygen for too long, others have malfunctioned due to too many factors.

    The main one being, the reason why he was in this hospital in the first ce.

    "You said you heard...noises? Could you tell me about them?" The Doctor asked while squinting his eyes slightly.

    "...Um..." The Nurse slowly turned towards the doctor before answering, "Well...it was simr as before...it sounded like voices." She paused momentarily.

    "But I feel like it was far more clear than usual." She remarked while looking down.

    "Really? Then, what did he say?"

    "He muttered something...like... ''Who Though'', or Whu Thao or something simr."

    As if something strange had happened to make him say it.

    "Whu...Thao? Was he perhaps calling for some rtive of his?"

    "No, that couldn''t be the case...all of his rtives had passed away a long time ago, and he didn''t have friends..."

    The Nurse did a thorough investigation about him, and the ident that urred to him.

    "I see."

    The Doctor seemed to have noticed that the Nurse had something else on her mind and reached out to touch her shoulder to grab her attention. "Hm? What''s wrong?" He inquired in concern.

    "Oh... it''s just..." she replied, still staring at the bed without making eye contact. "He seemed to look so happy...when he muttered those words...Even showing a small smile...I truly wonder what''s happening inside his mind..."

    "So you think he''s having a good dream?" He hummed and tilted his head.

    She nodded without hesitation before replying, "I think so. I don''t think we should cut off his life support yet. We should give him some more time."

    The doctor considered for a split second before nodding slowly.

    "Let''s wait then... Hopefully, he found happiness even if it were all a dream."

    Let him have his eternal peace.

 Chapter 213

    Read up to 17 chapters ahead!

    Chill with us!

    ***

    Her feet dutifully massaged his penis with great sensual touch, without saying a word or breaking the silence.

    Her loving care and tender treatment was making it difficult for him to focus on anything else other than her delicate toes grinding against his now, erect penis.

    Just thinking about the sheer intimacy of those things caused him to snap out of his slumber mode and woke up his libido again.

    The sweet massage didn''t need to feel any more delightful, the pleasure enhanced even further by the current situation.

    After twenty or so minutes of massage however, Hu Tao started getting impatient.

    Despite being caressed and teased extensively, the rxed state of his penis had remained in norm.

    Either way, the footjob wasn''t helping. Her feet certainly weren''t capable of stimting his package to any significant degree. That said, her tender movements were extremely erotic and subtle, spreading sexual fire with ease to inme desires with overwhelming sexiness.

    If anything, the adoration and devotion she expressed towards him during such teasing contributed to stronger arousal and ultimate pleasure as opposed to rxing him from sensuality.

    After the rtively slow but steadily increased pace at which her feet moved along his crotch, the gentle and constant meandering movements of her feet and toes over his penis changed into sudden rapid movements.

    However, even with the eleration, the overall stimtion stayed the same.

    His penis was fully erect, but it was nowhere near the point where anything close to climax could happen. It simply wasn''t yet able to reach orgasm even after being touched so lovingly by her feet.

    So the next logical thing was surely...

    Something else was needed to be done to increase stimtion to some optimal point...

    Happily reaching out his hands, Yomite seized hold of her tiny waist, lifting her up and out of the ground and in the process, revealing her supple thighs andpletely edible pussy underneath.

    She spread her legs apart with ease andid them on top of his torso.

    The idea came easily and naturally. With utmost haste, she sat down hard on his penis while remaining upright.

    As soon as her sitting position hit his bulging manhood, he buried himself balls deep inside of her.

    Both of them gasped in loud delight at the sudden sensation of friction.

    Thus... after repeated attempts of deeper pration, using her ass in hisp as leverage, and working Hu Tao''s legs apart as further aid, his massive length impaled the heaven''s gate within her weing uterus.

    Hu Tao held onto the sheets on either side of her bed, supporting herself.

    He felt her sweet walls engulf him tightly like warm liquid silk as they slowly parted for his aching erection to be granted with ess.

    Her entire core was dripping wet, all the better to give him a warm wee to her garden of pleasure causing him to pick up the pace.

    She arched her back, letting out little whimpers and moans throughout their blissful union as she picked up the pace and instinctively pulled on him, wanting more friction in her small hole.

    Eventually, Hu Tao''s soft wails changed into high pitched moans as they matched each other''s beat in full swing of the action.

    The sounds of sweaty exertion filled the bedroom entirely. They didn''t even speak to acknowledge each other in their joyous state.

    With long strides and every stroke being apanied by wicked sound, both of them rocked backwards and forwards violently.

    Her hair swayed wildly with every pose of their wild rocking movements, hypnotizing her lover who desired to see her beautiful features inplete splendor.

    Yomite''s digits suddenly clutched her neck aggressively and hard enough for him to leave imprints of bruising behind.

    He supported her small body as he ravished her thoroughly, focusing on the blissful twitching of her thighs and groaning cries.

    She grabbed onto him tight, holding him firmly in her and entwined around him like a wire.

    He began thrusting firmly into her while taking slow measured steps towards that moment of heaven.

    A soft whimper and twitch of her body alerted Yomite that she was close to climaxing. Without letting go of her, he brought her over the edge to join her.

    The deep pulsing motion flooded her being with another wave of intense pleasure beyond her capacity to bear, inviting her to release waves upon waves of ecstasy that only became stronger with each sessive convulsion of his powerful shaft plunging into her sweet folds of joy.

    Every twitching sensation amplified with greater intensity, making Hu Tao''s cries more hoarse and desperate as her orgasm continued to build and overtake her.

    Her skin seemed to sparkle as her warm juices burst forth to coat his penis; in turn, he flooded her inner sanctum with his delightful essence, recharging it to peak with renewed vigor.

    As if ejacting on demand, she surrendered into every dribble of sperm emitted from his glistening pole.

    Together, they held those deep mutual moans of satisfaction, slowing and strengthening their erratic pacing whilst reveling in their shared intimacy.

    His climax finally subsided into a tidal force, caressing her delicate walls tenderly as she clung onto him lovingly to let everything ebb away inside of her sensitive nooks.

    Upon being able topletely withdraw his spent shaft from her glistening insides, she lowered herself down on top of him, her tiny breasts resting on top of his sweaty, chiseled chest.

    While Hu Tao looked more than satisfied by their passionate coupling, Yomite was hardly overflowing with enthusiasm.

    Again.

    He had done it again.

    Even despite promising himself to be better, he still couldn''t resist the lustful urge and hold himself back for Fischl''s sake.

    He simply couldn''t refuse an invitation that tempting without at least once having a piece of ass in the end.

    He had simply proven himself incapable of suppressing his urges and desires, in favor of bending to his own selfish whims instead.

    (I''m really a piece of shit...)

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214: Sheeesh

    Jeez, people, raaax.

    Chapter 212 Cruel Reality was meant as a joke on the first of April.

    Most of you realized while some of you went ahead and called me retarded ??????.

    Either way, it��s a troll chapter I wrote in 10 minutes while taking shit, it��s not to be taken seriously.

    Peace.

 Chapter 215

    Read up to 17 chapters ahead!

    Chill with us!

    ***

    Again.

    He had done it again.

    Even despite promising himself to be better, he still couldn''t resist the lustful urge and hold himself back for Fischl''s sake.

    He simply couldn''t refuse an invitation that tempting without at least once having a piece of ass in the end.

    He had simply proven himself incapable of suppressing his urges and desires, in favor of bending to his own selfish whims instead.

    (I''m really a piece of shit...)

    He knew it all too well, and was definitely epting the harsh truth.

    He was greedy.

    Greedy to the point of shamelessness.

    Greedy to the point of breaking any promise.

    Greedy to the point of death.

    Despite getting an amazing girlfriend who loved him unconditionally, unlike those fakes back in his old world, he was greedy enough to want another one immediately.

    Hu Tao, and then Fischl.

    A brand new trophy to add to his shelf of conquests to satiate his fiery beast.

    He wanted to at least show his love to his other girlfriend as well, but failed to hold himself back.

    Not to mention, he was already full of thoughts regarding the other two girls who seemed to have showed interest in him.

    As two lovers weren''t enough, right? He needed more trophies to aplish the task to satisfy his needs.

    "..."

    That long rumination carried on for awhile longer with his brows furrowed, lips contorted in dissatisfaction.

    (No, I''m not like that. This world is different. Has different rules. Polygamy is a normal thing. I don''t collect throphies. I''m serious about every woman and I care for them very much...)

    He acknowledged himself within his heart and sighed.

    He would make sure to give all of his love to Fischl as well, in order to make it up to her hundredfold.

    Finallying back to reality, he realized he was being watched by Hu Tao.

    He cleared his throat and looked down at his naked lover with concerned eyes.

    "...Hu Tao?"

    She seemed somewhat off ever since the beginning. Of course, she was still sleepwalking, but now that he seriously looked at her, she seemed strange.

    Not long after his question, a white light began emanating from her smiling face, causing him to be anxious about it.

    "Hu Tao...?" His voice came out slightly more apprehensive now, feeling uneasy.

    Something wasn''t quite right. The thin veil of silence shrouded the room, as the bright light from her body was intensified in magnificence.

    "...This is!?"

    "Kyu!"

    Suddenly, a childlikeughter burst out from within her.

    A white entity flew out of Hu Tao''s chest, floating around the room.

    "Isn''t this...the ghost of the little girl which Hu Tao keeps at her side at all times? I was wondering where it disappeared to as I haven''t seen it in a long time..."

    "...Eh? Assistant? Why am I in your bed?" A tired voice spoke out to Yomite.

    It was Hu Tao, who was looking around in confusion at her surroundings. It appeared she was no longer asleep.

    Thest thing she remembered was kissing Yomite and then everything went nk.

    But now, she found herself in his bed, covered in his fluids and cuddling in his warm embrace.

    Not that she minded.

    "Wait....what happened? Why did that ghost of yours fly out of you?"

    Yomite furrowed his eyebrows, trying to grasp what was going on.

    "Eh...I don''t remember~"

    That statement alone gave him clear confirmation that Hu Tao had been awakened from her sleep walking trance, no longer dreamwalking within it.

    (But something''s strange...why would shee back to normal when the ghost flew out of her...was she perhaps being possessed?)

    The scary thought caused him to clutch hold of her hand tightly, although his worries died down quickly as she smiled brightly.

    "Are you okay? Could it be that the reason why you''re sleepwalking is because you''re being possessed by this little runt!?" His hostile gaze was aimed at the little entity that hid itself behind Hu Tao''s back.

    "I''m okie dokie! No worries, silly!""

    She offered a thumbs up and waved it off, suggesting nothing terrible had urred to cause her distress.

    Although she seemed fine now, it was probably best to resolve this issue immediately.

    Ghost possession was no joke.

    Something like that happened in horror movies all the time, and for it to be happening to his dearest one made him frantic. He never imagined it''d ever happen in real life. Although with ghosts being real in this world, it was probably only a matter of time before something like that happened...

    Still, there must''ve been some sort of reason why it was happening.

    Perhaps, because she was a worker of a funeral parlor, her connection with the dead was stronger than average or maybe it was due to the influence of Hu Tao''s spirit��

    (But this is still rming.)

    Whatever it was, if it were to continue, then there would certainly be a risk for her health.

    Hu Tao noticed his worried expression and smiled cutely.

    "Aw, are you worried about me? How cute ~"

    She squeezed his hand reassuringly as she gave him a yful smile, picking herself up from atop of his physique and straightening her back with a groan.

    "Of course I am...do you think I''ll be able to ignore something of this degree? Your sleep walking happened many times before, and if a possession is the reason why it''s happening, then we need to resolve this issue or else something might actually happen to you."

    Even though his voice sounded stern, it was evident that his true concern was for her wellbeing.

    The situation required immediate action.

    If they failed to handle it properly, the consequences could possibly spiral out of control.

    He wasn''t the type to stand by and watch his beloved suffer a potential deathbed through careless neglect.

    If he couldn''t figure out something himself, he would ry the info to his party members and maybe they woulde up with a solution.

    "Now, now! I''m telling you it''s all fine and dandy! Stop looking so grim! This litte girl is harmless, please don''t be angry with her!"

    She reached out her hand towards the white entity and hugged it in her arms.

    "Kyu!"

    The little ghost responded reverently before snuggling in her embrace like the most treasured gift.

 Chapter 216

    Read up to 17 chapters ahead!

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    ***

    Yomite watched the disy in a dilemma. What should he do? Should he take charge of the matter and get rid of it?

    Was the little ghost truly harmless, despite what just happened?

    Regardless of his decision, he still didn''t want his little troublemaker to get hurt.

    "..."

    "...Now then...if you''ll excuse me, I''ll go ahead and take a shower!"

    "Ah? Wait a minute! Tao, this is a serious matter! You can''t just walk it off!"

    He tried pulling her back into his arms and wanted her to understand the severity of the situation.

    However, he received only a muffled grunt in response, following up with some gentle huffing.

    "Nope, nope! Listen to me! Listen to me! I''m much older than you are, after all! Age equals wisdom! Respect your elders!"

    "Huh...? But in most cases that''s not true at all...besides, I am not even that young..."

    "...You said you were 17 when we first met, remember? I am 21 years old now! That makes me the winner! Besides, I''m a genius, remember~"

    (Well...my body is around 17 years old...the spirit however...)

    "..."

    "Nyehehe! See youter~"

    With that, she swiftly entered the bathroom.

    The door shut quickly, not allowing for any dialogue between them to ensue.

    ***

    Once she closed the door behind her, an evil smirk shed across her beautiful young face.

    "Everything went just as expected! Hehe!"

    Her soulful voice echoed happily within the spacious bathroom, getting a pleasant reaction from the white apparition that floated around her.

    "Kyu! Kyu!"

    The small entity giggled delightedly, waving its little hands together in happiness.

    "Kukuku, a ghost possession? So silly! I somehow managed to convince him not to care about it...but it all worked out in the end! My little n was sessful!"

    After a couple of days of being refused to enter his bed, Hu Tao thought of a devious n to get what she wanted.

    It was a silly little prank to make him think she was being possessed, while she indulged in pleasure.

    Although she had to admit that the terrified look on his face when he thought something bad happened to her was simply priceless as well.

    "To think he would be so worried over such tiny little prank. Aiya! So cute, so cute!"

    She caressed the head of the little apparition in her arms with a grin.

    "Kyu! K-Kyu!!! Kyu!!!"

    The apparition epted her affection happily, but soon, squealed in fear, as if it wanted to warn Hu Tao of something...or someone...

    "...A prank...So it was a prank...I see...you little brat!"

    Yomite eximed, anger rising from his chest.

    "Wha��! Ahhh!?"

    She swiftly turned around in horror to see him standing there, with his arms crossed in front of him and annoyance written all over his face.

    "A-Ah...my...my dearest assistant...what brings you here...I was just about to...take a shower here..."

    She turned on the faucet for the water, trying to block out the frightful sight of him, gazing down at her.

    "It was...just a silly prank...is all...don''t be mad, I love yo-...? Why are you looking at me like that...?"

    She was caught red handed in her ploy, which led to her words escaping before she realized it.

    "Bend over."

    "...H-Huh?"

    She tried to remainposed, although her heart thumped rapidly in her chest as if attempting to break free from its confines.

    "I said, bend over."

    His authoritative voice made her stomach tremble slightly, as she felt goosebumps form on her skin. She began to shrink in guilt.

    "O-Okay..."

    Forcing down herints, she followed orders wordlessly, careful not to trip and fall on the wooden floor. Her bare butt was presented to him.

    "...W-What do you intend to do?" she anxiously gulped, averting her gaze downward. A slight excitement red within her subconscious mind, rushing to her naughty parts.

    Was he really going to attack her here? In a bathroom? And out of nowhere!?

    (He really has interesting kinks~)

    She was on all fours, fully exposed now, having scrunched herself up awkwardly, desperately watching as his footsteps drew nearer to her backside.

    Her breathing sped up, an attempt to distract herself as she heard him approach. It was a bit shameful, yet exciting at the same time.

    Once he was right behind her, he raised his hand high, and brought it crashing down onto her bottom.

    *p*

    Her hips bucked forward, resulting in a firm whack upon impact.

    "O-Ow!? Owie!?"

    She bent and cringed instinctively. As soon as his fingers pped against her tight buttocks, they jiggled softly.

    The blow made her whole body shudder, leaving her twitching in pain.

    "Giyaaah! Ow! Ow! Owie! Th-That hurt! What was that for!?"

    *p* *p* *p*

    Ignoring her protests, he proceeded to smack her a few more times on the round cheeks.

    "Owie! Not so hard!"

    "Do you have any idea how worried I was!? And you simply made it all up!? Not to mention, that means each time you were sleepwalking you were doing it on purpose to mess with me and annoy me! Do you know how many hours of sleep I missed because of this!? Give them back!!!"

    "N-No, no, sorry!! I''m sorry!" Her tongue became tangled inside of her mouth as the excruciating pain from his first hit never faded away.

    "I think it''s time to give you a lesson you won''t ever forget!"

    Now his hand repeatedly beat against her tender flesh with vengeance, assaulting every other inch of the bubble butt he held firmly within his grip.

    "...S-Stop!! Nooo! Ugh! Uhh! Gyaahhhhhh!!! Gooow!"

    She gasped loudly, wing at the air like a dying swan with bubblesing from her mouth.

    With each strike of his fingers, she tightened up her rear cheeks more and more to suppress the sharp tingles of pain coursing throughout her lower body.

    Despite begging for mercy, he continued with savage abandon.

    To call her cringing plea ''begging'' would not be enough to describe her desperation. He simply didn''t stop his assault.

    The night was filled with cruel despair, while the sounds of the running water around them washed away any attempts to call for help...

 Chapter 217

    Read up to 15 chapters ahead!

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    ***

    It was a peaceful day��or more urately, the dying days of lingering heat of Liyue were the same as ever...

    "Ozzie, my dear familiar��"

    "��"

    The raven gave his master a questioning look. Whenever her Majesty called him by his nickname, something bad was about to happen.

    "��''Ozzie?'' not again��Mein Fr?ulein��you are about to request something outrageous just like two day ago, is that correct? What''s gotten into youtely��"

    "Her Majesty beseeches you to unfurl your blessed wings, and with them block out the heavens, plunging the world into eternal night��forever��"

    "If you didn''t bring your parasol with you, that''s your own fault, mein Fr?ulein! You knew that Liyue is a hot country! You''ve been here before!" Oz huffed and disappeared into thin air, as if wishing to cut off contact.

    "��No, don''t go!" Fischl pleaded.

    She reached out her hand but was unable to stop him, since the temperature was so hot it rendered her almost unable to move at all.

    Fischl slept like a log yesterday, and had no idea what urred during the night.

    She thought she wouldn''t be able to fall asleep at all due to her excitement for today, but once she hit the bed, sleep overtook her instantly, as if the Goddess of darkness was forcing her back to her own realm.

    Today was her date! She had to move at all cost!

    She couldn''tze around any longer. If she didn''t go now, he would surely be gone by then!

    She went to take a quick shower to get her nerves down and make herself presentable.

    It didn''t help that she was also nervous about the "thing" she nned for him. A secret way to capture his heart, so to speak.

    Once done with her shower, she quickly brushed through her hair in an attempt to tame it a bit but failed miserably. Once finished, she headed back out to put on her bizarre outfit, as well as the gorgeous earrings she received from him on theirst date together.

    Sometimes, the earrings seemed to be as if, calling out to her��

    They seemed to posses an ethereal power that brought them a life of its own; a mysterious existence of unknown origin.

    Her gaze shifted between the pair, wondering who they belonged to before she received them as a gift.

    "Ahhh! They are so pretty! I am so happy!"

    (Silence. Thou art making a fool of thyself yet again.)

    She heard her other self scoff loudly in her mind, using her again of acting incredibly stupid.

    A particrly high-pitched ringing echoed through her ears, causing her to sway wildly.

    "It is I, Amy who will be going on a date with him, not you! You had your chancest time! Don''t tell me what to do now!"

    Somewhat annoyed, she shouted back.

    (Hmph! Bear in mind, should thou fail for the uing reckoning, the Prince shall be taken by me on the asion of the falling moon! It''s only a matter of time for this pinnacle of a Electro Hunter Queen really. For I am Prinzessin Der Verurteilung, and everything about him belongs to me!)

    "Yeah, yeah, now sit quietly in the background and don''t interrupt my date or I''ll be mad."

    (Hmph! If only this Prinzessin had a real body capable of withstanding the power of darkness, and didn''t need to rely on you to sustain herself��I would have dealt with thy post-haste.)

    "Woah��My other me is trying to kill me��I must truly be a weirdo to even lead this conversation��" She thought with an awkwardugh, shaking her head.

    She really wondered what he even saw in her at this point. Any normal person would have backed off after talking to her for a few minutes, and then ignored her.

    But he didn''t. He was willing to talk with her, adventure with her, spend time with her and actually tried to understand how she felt.

    He epted her for who she was; he understood that she was unique and maybe even a bit crazy in the head to the point of roleying fictional characters in real life conversations.

    And she loved that about him.

    "But I guess you''re not exactly a normal guy either, huh?"

    His identity was a mystery to her.

    He never personally said it, but she always had the feeling he simply wasn''t of this world.

    No one else seemed to share these suspicions, and she didn''t want to pry much.

    He would tell her once he was ready.

    She just wanted to enjoy hispany and be with him as they traveled the world together.

    Yomite had be a constant presence in her life now. They were practically attached by the hip.

    He''d be her first friend, her first crush and now her first lover.

    He was someone she could trust unconditionally, someone she could love unreservedly.

    She smiled as she remembered their first kiss. It was very memorable and romantic.

    Although it was a little bit sloppy andcked a certain amount of finesse, it still gave her butterflies as she fell asleep on hisp while he caressed her hair softly.

    Straight out of a fairy tale!

    And today was the day, when she nned to give everything she had to him.

    Her mind wandered briefly to where she would do it, and when she finally decided on a good ce, she started imagining her and Yomite lying down against each other while kissing.

    Her lips curved into a smile as she pictured themying together and cuddling, holding hands and whispering sweet words to one another.

    The soft sounds of their breathing and their gentle kisses filled her ears as she imagined it.

    "He will hug me, and caress my hair...and then he will kiss me like that...Aaaah! So embarrassing!" Amy flushed deeply and muttered to herself.

    (Thou incarnation of obscene demoiselle! This Prinzessin forbids thou from spreading thyne thirst any further!)

    As soon as she tried putting her hidden desires out there like that, both she and her other self suddenly cringed.

 Chapter 218

    Read up to 15 chapters ahead!

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    ***

    Yesterday night.

    While Yomite was busy teaching Hu Tao some respect, or rather, beating some respect into her, other members of his party had a life of their own as well...

    In the girls'' room...

    Iris was fast asleep, while Barbara went to take a shower. The only other person awake in the room was Lumine who also currentlyy down on her bed, gazing at the ceiling with Paimon rxing on her arms in afortable but unsolicitous manner.

    A string of saliva ran down Paimon''s chin, dropping silently onto Lumine''s arm as she slept peacefully.

    Lumine smiled wryly and wiped it away with a handkerchief before resuming her previous fun activity of staring at the white ceiling.

    At this point, more than a friend, Paimon was like her child. She was used to take care of her as if she were one at least.

    Lumine wondered whether she would ever have a kid of her own in her long life. But even if she did, with whom?

    Perhaps not, considering the nature of her issue with wishing for mortality.

    *Sigh*

    "What are you so hung up about?" Barbara suddenly asked, once she emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam.

    "It''s.... nothing important...I''m really tiredtely..." she lied, folding her legs beneath her.

    "..."

    Barbara sighed as she walked past her without saying anything else, wearing only a towel wrapped snugly around her waist.

    Once she sat down on her bed, Barbara nced at Lumine one more time before saying, "You should talk with Yum-Yum if you''re feeling down. I''ve noticed it before, but you seem to be very distant from everyone in this party, although I''m unsure why that is. That being said, I only joined recently so I might be wrong."

    "...I''m just...not a social person...so talking is very difficult...in fact..."

    Lumine paused briefly to reflect on what she nned to say next. Then she just blurted it out,

    "...I''m weak. I get sad easily sometimes...thus I like keeping my distance from people. They will notice, thinking I must feel threatened by them...I''m a nuisance...I don''t want them to worry about me. I want to deal with my problems myself."

    Immediately, Lumine felt anxious upon speaking about these personal matters.

    Having been relying on her brother for most of her life, Luminecked experience in dealing with pretty much everything, and she was doing the same exact thing with Yomite.

    She kept on relying on him, without even knowing why.

    Maybe she was unable to grow emotionally?

    Maybe she was actually afraid that she''d end up alone again?

    Or maybe she just still needed someone to rely on?

    Either way, she had to be strong herself to make sure she wouldn''t be a bother to anyone anymore.

    To aplish that goal, she was even more determined to do whatever it took...

    "...Oh."

    Barbara nodded while digesting the exnation.

    Now that Lumine finished, Barbara didn''t know how to respond further.

    After taking another look at Lumine sitting on her bed, Barbara got off her bed and then proceeded to sit beside her.

    Just two souls seemingly seeking a connection between themselves, not hearing each others thoughts but merely sharing silence.

    "...Is that all?" Barbara voiced, straightening herself and then peering back at the anxious Lumine.

    "I don''t believe anyone thinks you''re a nuisance. I''ve been here for a few days with you all, yet I''ve never heard anything negative about you." Barbara replied rather directly, provoking another brief silence.

    ...

    ..

    .

    "...That can''t be true. It''s my own fault. I don''te off as friendly or loving towards people...and in return, people treat me poorly as a result...I just want to get stronger and find my brother..."

    A wave of sadness washed over her from inside. After trying everything possible, she couldn''t find him.

    Yet after joining Yomite''s party, they got a lead about him rtively quickly. Did that mean she was failure that wasn''t able to do anything without receiving anyone''s aid?

    Was she supposed to stay a passive participant forever and get all of her problems taken care of by him, as if she didn''t have the strength and courage to stand on her own?

    She suddenly felt that feeling of disappointment once again, causing her mood to sour.

    Even worse was the pity Yomite showed.

    She was aplete stranger to him, yet he let her join the party, fed her, gave her a ce to stay without asking much as apensation and helped her at any turn...

    All she had to do was fight the monsters for him...

    He treated her like family, as if she was already someone close to him.

    And just like that...

    With little to no reluctance, she had let him into her heart and lost herself there.

    Those pleasant feelings were blooming somewhere within her chest for the first time ever.

    "Say...Barbara...why do you like him?"

    Lumine felt awkward once again upon realizing that she blurted those words out as she looked over at the girl sitting beside her.

    Barbara paused for a second and put her finger on her chin, closing her eyes.

    "That''s an easy question...Do you need a reason to like someone?"

    "Eh? So you don''t have one?''

    "I never said that. I have plenty. It''s just, love happens and it simply does. I realized it not too long ago and I made sure he understood my signs even if he were to reject me. You can''t hold it in, it will ruin you."

    "..."

    With that, it was quiet and Barbara returned to her bed.

 Chapter 219

    Read up to 15 chapters ahead!

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    ***

    Half an hourter after Lumine had her intimate talk with Barbara.

    Lumine looked around the room, her eyes adapting to the dark as night arrived and light disappeared.

    When everything around her started turning ck, she grew hesitant whether to go or not, but in the end, she decided it was time.

    She quietly got off the bed and crossed through the empty living room towards the door, not making much noise along the way since she was the type that was used to sneaking often.

    Once she left the room, Barbara lifted her head and followed her silhouette along the path, moving quietly like a cat.

    Lumine didn''t notice her at all and quietly entered the bathroom.

    Once she was there, a bright light shone inside, illuminating her entire form.

    Once she noticed the light, Barbara rushed inside the room, but found nothing.

    Lumine was gone.

    Not only was the room vacant, but no signs of her presence could be found anywhere either.

    "Did she perhaps..." Barbara inquired with a frown, treading lightly over the tile floor.

    There was no sign of human presence anywhere, leaving her in total bewilderment.

    Lumine did not return that night.

    ***

    **

    *

    **

    ***

    When Fischl woke up in the morning, a sorry sight greeted her.

    Hu Tao was kneeling on the floor with her feet ced neatly underneath her butt, right in front of her coffin with a sign that hung around her neck, reading,

    [I am a bad dog. I did a terrible thing. Do not feed me. I deserve it. This is my punishment. Goodbye cruel world.]

    It was immediately clear to her that Yomite somehow taught her a lesson for some reason...

    Looking around the room, he seemed to have disappeared entirely, no trace of him whatsoever.

    As she met the zed puppy gaze of poor Hu Tao, Fischl came up to her to ask what had happened.

    "Fishy-Fishy! He beat me up! He beat me up! Can you believe it! My lover beat me up! My butt is in such a pain I''m surprised I didn''t pass out! It''s on fire! Fire!"

    "...You probably did something to deserve it..." Fischl responded, caressing the back of her head affectionately.

    Hu Tao cuddled closer to her with desperate chuffs.

    "...I-I did, but he still beat me up! Only I am allowed to p him on the back! He abused my butt to the maximum!" she muttered sadly, crying as tears ran down her cheeks. "My butt is on fire! I swear to Zhongli that I will make the greatest prank ever to get my revenge!"

    "...Isn''t your prank the reason why you are like this in the first ce..." Fischl whispered softly, cutting Hu Tao off mid-sentence.

    Hu Tao stopped crying for a moment before ncing up at her nervously.

    "...It is."

    She didn''t even deny it...

    Fischl sighed, giving her a hug of reassurance before heading towards her bed. She picked up some sort of a sk and returned back to her.

    "Fishy-Fishy, what''s that?"

    "An ointment, go lie on your bed, I will apply it directly."

    "E-Eeeh...but I would have to show you my butt..."

    "...We are both girls...why does it even matter..."

    Upon hearing those words, Hu Tao nodded andy down on her bed, before taking off her shorts. Usually she was the one teasing everyone, but for some reason it felt embarrassing to let someone else other than Yomite stare at her butt.

    Her backside exposed in front of her best friend''s full gaze, no joke seemed funny anymore and her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

    As if for protection, she squirmed over until Fischl stopped her from moving forward, wrapping an arm under her back.

    She felt ashamed having her backside seen like that. Yet as she did so, Fischl spread the ointment all around with no hesitation.

    "...T-Thank you Fishy-fishy...I-It''s cold..."

    As Fischl stared at the red p marks on her butt, while the deep pink bruises were in the way, she had to admit Hu Tao''s buttocks were big and round like a perfect piece of fruit ripe for picking.

    (I did hear Yomite say he loved her butt...I have to admit it''s pleasant to look at...) Fischl giggled to herself at the thought.

    Spreading the ointment over Hu Tao''s buttocks for five minutes...both hands working slowly at first, until she had finished covering the entirety of her behind, she changed the frequency of strokes based on her whimpering to rub it in softly. It hurt a lot for some time and Hu Tao squirmed on the bed a lot, but soon enough the treatment was done.

    "Ouch...it still hurts, why-"

    "...Justy there and don''t move. It will be fine after a couple of hours."

    Fischl sighed with exhausted look, hoping to relieve her friend''s suffering.

    "Umm...thank you for helping me Fishy-fishy...I love you!"

    "...You''re wee."

    Unable to stay awake any longer due to both physical and emotional exhaustion, Hu Tao gave in and fell asleep as soon as she could.

    Fischl just observed her friend from afar, feeling pity once again.

    She must have angered Yomite to a boiling point for him to do this.

    (I wonder what was happeningst night...Ipletely slept through it...)

    She had an inkling that Hu Tao must have attacked him during the night which resulted into this. Hu Tao told her she would do it soon, and she most likely did. Although it did not end up well for her...

    "I will ask him about it during our date today. I am sure he will exin it..."

 Chapter 220

    Read up to 15 chapters ahead!

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    ***

    Early into the morning, Yomite was taking a walk through the streets of Liyue looking into shop windows and debating whether to try buying things in themter or not.

    His desire to find something special outweighed his caution towards going to high price establishments.

    "Something for today''s date would be nice. Then again, it shouldn''t be normal to buy expensive things for your girl on each and every date, right? Or is it?"

    He recalled the expensive gift he bought Fischlst time.

    Thinking back on how warm her smile was when she received the gift, he realized that he loved to make people around him happy.

    That was something worth mentioning.

    (Yeah i should probably buy something after all...But what could I buy...maybe a ne this time?)

    He began an important debate in his head when he spotted a charming shop selling curiosities.

    Their name immediately drew his attention: Mingxing Jewelry & Antiques. He ought to be able to get a gift for Fischl in there.

    It was a four story building, although the main area for shopping appeared to be an open ground outside store.

    A ck haired clerk beauty in her early twenties was resting her tired head on the counter, eyes half open.

    She lookedpletely worn out and slumped over ever so slightly.

    He could sympathize with her. The heat in Liyue was unbearable.

    Even today, all he did was walk around a bit and sweat dripped down his back profusely.

    His clothes clung to him ufortably and he was sure he would take a shower before going on the date, just to feel fresh again.

    At the sound of his entrance, the clerk looked up and appraised him thoroughly.

    Something about her assessment caused Yomite to feel uneasy.

    The clerk noticed his golden gaze dwell over her and she stiffened slightly upon seeing it.

    "...Wee to Mingxing Jewelry. What would you like? We are well established within the industry, even if we are only taking advance orders on artifacts and gems right now. We do have some other items in stock however. Other than gems, a few odds and ends. Are you a traveler? Perhaps we have something that could be of use for you on your adventures... "

    Her bored tone most likely implied this was her daily routine of throwing boring questions at new potential customers in order to fill some sort of quota.

    Her name was Xingxi. She was the owner of Mingxing Jewelry & Antiques.

    From how out of it she looked at this point, one would think it had been weeks instead of mere hours since her shift started. Judging from her haggard face and hoarse voice, her workload definitely couldn''t be light.

    "Uh��" Yomite stared at the woman in silence, unsure of what to say.

    "Ah, no...I am an adventurer, but right now I''m just looking around to buy a present for my girlfriend. I''ll tell you if something catches my eyes." he responded politely.

    "A girlfriend? Ugh, what a normie..." The girl groaned, her fatigue giving away she was in a state of deep depression.

    "...What?"

    He thought he heard wrong, and he turned to look at her.

    "Sheeeeit��" The girl sighed harshly, leaning closer to the counter, "Pardon my words, please go on and look around the shop." a fake smile graced her face in reply.

    There was an underlying hint of dislike evident in her voice.

    "..."

    (This woman is a weirdo...how does she even know a term like ''normie''? Is that something a woman in her twenties should say?) Yomite wondered silently.

    As he began browsing the store, he found himself captivated by the variety of rings, nes and bracelets in different shapes and designs and colors.

    Each piece was exquisitely made and beautifully decorated, ranging in size and price.

    Many were elegant, containing fine gemstones such as silver or gold and diamonds.

    He also found a number that contained unusual material he''d never seen before, simr to sapphire or emerald.

    However, none of them shone in a green light, meaning none of the items present were artifacts.

    They were all just for show items with no real purpose other than being aesthetically pleasing.

    His ability, The Tempus Of The Heart was able to pick up on anything infused with special quality or properties by sensing the existence of magic.

    These old jewelry pieces didn''t contain any. Therefore, he would never be able to find anything useful in here...

    "I have a question. Do you only take advanced orders on gems and nothing else? Does that mean I can buy normal jewelry without a problem?"

    "Of course, jewelry isn''t a problem, but gems are not possible. I apologize for the inconvenience. We often find ourselves unable to meet the demand for our goods here at Mingxing Jewelry...Trade routes closed down, and the mining ce in the Chasm was also closed down..." Xingxi sighed, stretching once more and rolling her bloodshot eyes irritably.

    These past few months were like a hell to her in terms of inventory turnover, and she knew this was why they were having a difficult time finding buyerstely.

    Yomite stared nkly at the speaker as she spoke in her sleep-deprived tone.

    (...Now that I am here, I might as well ask about ''that'' thing...People in Mondstadt weren''t able to help, but maybe someone in Liyue might be able to...) He thought to himself.

    ''I want to know.''

    ��������������

    Name: Shivada Jade Gemstone

    Rarity: 5*

    Description: Gemstone dropped by an adult Cryo Regisvine. Could be grinded into powder and consumed to increase the potency of a Cryo Vision Avatar.

    Also contains a message on the back of the Jade - Sorry...������������������������������������

    �������������� my bitter cold ���������������������� ������������ burn away �������� world ������������

    ��������������

 Chapter 221

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    ***

    The Shivada Jade Gemstone was still in his possession, and he wasn''t sure what to do with it.

    After killing the Cryo Regisvine, this gemstone dropped as some sort of mineral residue of its core.

    (The gemstone could be grinded into powder and consumed to increase the potency of a Cryo Vision Avatar...So is it basically an upgrade for a Cryo Vision User? I see no other possible use for it. The only Cryo user I''ve met was Kaeya. I might give it to him as a gift or something. No...wait...)

    Kaeya wasn''t the only Cryo User he met.

    There was one more person...

    A person he wasn''t very fond of meeting in the first ce, actually.

    (There is still that bitch from Mondstadt who defended her uncle. E or something... Then again, I wouldn''t give it to her in the first ce so it doesn''t really matter.)

    Remembering her face only brought back bad memories, so Yomite forced himself to put those thoughts aside.

    He still nned on paying that uncle of hers back in the near future though.

    (What an asshole that was.)

    He nced at the clerk and noticed her peering out suspiciously behind the counter at him again.

    "I would like to ask, do you have any idea how to restore the text on this gemstone," He handed it to her, "It''s one of the items I found during my adventures, I would pay you well if you could repair it."

    She took the gemstone and looked at it closely. As soon as she did, her expression shifted into shock.

    "Isn''t this from an adult Cryo Regisvine!?" she eximed, a touch of fear coloring her tone. "...and a gemstone in a near perfect quality..."

    "Eh...?"

    "��I can''t imagine...How did you manage to collect such a rare gemstone from a monster that old! How is that even possible!? They usually drop small fragments if they even drop anything at all...and even those small fragments are sold for a fortune! This huge chunk can easily buy you a piece ofnd in Liyue!"

    "Is that...sort of a big deal?"

    Yomite was in the dark on why this jewel had such importance.

    He believed he had more than enough money to buy a piece ofnd at any time, but why would he do so when he already had a mansion?

    Still, the fact that it was expensive brought him joy.

    "A big deal? A big deal!? It''s an adult.....an adult Regisvine core...of course it''s a big deal! Are you dumb!?" She growled at him, now in visible anger, "There is no more than twenty people in Liyue who could hunt a monster that strong! In all of Liyue!"

    Yomite furrowed his eyebrows. Something seemed oddly off about that statement.

    (Was it truly that strong? Sure, we fought it as a group, but I''m sure all of us could take it on alone after so much training in the past months. It''s not impossible...)

    "...Erm, either way...thank you for exining."

    He wasn''t really sure why she was so mad at him though, so he decided not to push the issue.

    Of course he would be clueless about a lot of stuff, it''s been only about five or so months ever since he''d arrived to this world, while the woman in front of him had lived here her whole life...

    "You are wee. But honestly! What kind of idiot would choose to battle with such a dangerous creature?!"

    "..."

    She continued staring at him for a moment before she sighed and replied, "I don''t know where or how a dork like you got this from, but this is priceless. Not only is it an expensive material for alchemists, it''s also used to make special artifact jewelry...and to top it off...there seems to be some history, written on the back...Is that what you wanted me to repair?"

    "Yeah, if possible, I''d appreciate that."

    He was getting annoyed by her attitude by now and how impolite she acted, but seeing that she most likely knew far more about this topic than him made him shut his mouth for now.

    "Alright, I should be done in a few days. What should I do with the residue of the gemstone?" She inquired, holding the gemstone carefully between her hands.

    "Residue?"

    "Once I sessfully polish it, there''s bound to be a lot of dust or remains after I''m done. Do you want me to scrap them, or should I keep them for alchemy? You don''t look like an alchemist, but the remains are still very much valuable."

    Yomite saw no harm in keeping the residue, so he agreed.

    "Hm... I have no alchemy skills, but I want to ask...is it possible to turn the remains into a jewelry instead?"

    She tilted her head slightly and replied, "Perhaps. If I''m allowed, it should be done with ease. What kind of jewelry would you like? A bracelet or a ne?"

    "If possible I''d prefer you to make two rings."

    Her eyes widened, "��why two rings?"

    "For two of my lovers. I was thinking of... making them happy soon."

    There went the pride in his voice, that two amazing women wanted to spend the rest of their lives with him.

    "Two...lovers...?..." She muttered in disbelief.

    "Yeah, two," Yomite repeated without borating further.

    It was a personal issue and nothing anyone else needed to know in detail.

    She eyed him inquisitively for a moment, like she was evaluating whether or not he truly meant it.

    "Um, hm. W-Well then��let me think about it. Pleasee again next week when it will be finished..."

    Yomite nodded at her, before asking, "Do you need to know the size for the rings?"

    "No, it will be adjustable. Adjustable setting is getting poprtely, therefore I''ll do it like that."

    While she was keeping a straight face in front of him, deep down inside of her mind, the clerk was screaming.

    (This man isn''t a Normie?! He is a Monster Normie!!! Two women!? Two!? Polygamy in Liyue!? No...he must be from Mondstadt...There is no other exnation...)

 Chapter 222

    Read up to 15 chapters ahead!

    Chill with us!

    ***

    As Yomite''s order was ready, all that was left was to pay for everything.

    "So, let''s negotiate the price. I would say��"

    "Is 40k Mora good enough?"

    "��about 15k Mora would be usible, what do you thin��...Eh?"

    She blinked at him as she realised Yomite had interrupted her mid-sentence with a much better proposition than she had in mind in the first ce...

    Her face went white with shock.

    *Cough* *Cough*

    "...I-I-I meant to say...60k Mora...Yeah it was a slip of the tongue..."

    Before she started freaking out and speaking gibberish, he reached out his hand and touched her shoulder to stop her from fidgeting.

    "Yeah I guess...if you insist...so, 10k Mora right? Is that okay for you?"

    "Wha��!? I said 60k Mor��"

    "��Ah, my bad, my bad, 8k Mora, right?" He interrupted her again.

    Looking at the pattern, she knew he saw through her lies and that her paycheck would only go lower and lower...

    "U-Uhh," Her words sounded strained, as if she was about to cry or choke on her own saliva in regret.

    "O-Of course. 8k Mora will...do...."

    Her insides were being torn apart by the amount of money that escaped her grasp.

    "Perfect! Your prices are so cheap! I might return here to buy some things once in a while!" Yomite dered, pulling his hand back.

    Her face immediately stiffened, (Come again...? No! Please don''te back again!)

    As he was leaving, he turned back one more time, and gave her onest smirk.

    "Fix your attitude towards your customers, and I might just raise it. Customers are Gods after all~"

    She narrowed her eyes at him, obviously trying to make aeback, but nothing came to mind.

    Somehow, she didn''t even dare to utter a word.

    However, she couldn''t hide her desire to pout in frustration.

    (W-What a miserable bastard...!)

    She was never this humiliated in her life.

    Her insides felt like they were on fire.

    If she wasn''t working at the moment, she would have broken something out of sheer anger...

    ***

    **

    *

    "Perfect, while I won''t be able to give Fischl anything today, I can just say her gift is in the making. So I got that out of the way. Now, it''s finally shower time!"

    Saying that, he started walking down the street towards the inn, when he saw a familiar figure in the distanceing his way.

    "So we meet again, Mr. Zhongli," Yomite greeted him politely.

    "So it would seem, Mr. Yomite. Would you apany me for a brief moment? I wish to buy a few things." Zhongli questioned him back respectfully.

    "Sure, I still have some time to spare...also...please, drop the honorifics, it makes me look like I''m an old geezer..."

    Zhongli chuckled at that, and walked closer to him.

    "Very well, Yomite. I shall do as you desire. You may call me Zhongli. I am wondering though, is there something wrong with being an elderly? Old folks deserve to live in peace too, not in lonely shacks by the riverside."

    "There is nothing wrong with being old, I am just way too young to be called a grandpa...I am sure you are aware of my ability...I took a look at your age, and I feel like you are closer to being an elderly than I am..."

    A being over 6000 years old smiled lightly, "Age is but a mere number, I don''t wear it like a crown or disy it like a g. Corrosion stains my appearance, yet has left me free to maintain agility. I, myself, admire an aging human physique more, rather than an inorganic body like mine. This appearance is but an outer shell, a mask to conceal my true self. However, my peace was invaded by you, who desired to peek at something buried within it."

    That statement felt somewhat unsettling, so the conversation stopped there and it was quiet for a bit...

    ...

    ..

    .

    Zhongli was the one to break the awkward silence, "So...how is he...? How is Barbatos..."

    He had some difficulty asking that question due to some conflict of the past, however, he was still interested in how his old friend was faring.

    He hadn''t been in contact with Barbatos for quite some time, and this was his best opportunity to understand what was going on in Mondstadt.

    "Ah, to be frank with you, I am not sure where he is at the moment. He kind of just disappeared like he always does..." Yomite replied and started retelling everything that transpired in Mondstadt...

    ***

    **

    *

    *

    **

    ***

    "I see. So that''s what happened with the young Dragon of the East..."

    "Indeed...We were forced to fight Dvalin due to it being controlled by the Abyss Order, but luckily we managed win."

    "...I found myself in the same situation as he did in the past..." Zhongli interjected thoughtfully, before adding, "I was also forced to fight someone I didn''t wish...I would rather not remember such pain, but the memory still holds well..."

    Yomite noticed Zhongli was feeling off, so he decided to switch the subject back to Barbatos.

    "Still...for a God, Venti was pretty useless during that fight...in the end, we had to defeat Dvalin ourselves...Could you tell me, why is Venti so weak? Isn''t he a God?"

    Zhongli stopped abruptly at his words and looked him directly in the eye.

    He leaned forward slightly, eyes searching for a particr emotion, before proceeding to answer with authority,

    "...Venti...As you put it, was weakened due to certain factors in y. Barbatos however, was never weak to begin with. Mountain peaks moved at his will and river crests dripped like waterfalls. Barbatos ttened the mountains that onceprised the regions around Mondstadt with his winds within seconds and moved the Pilos Peak over to the current location of Mondstadt effortlessly. If anything, he has enough power to obliterate entire cities and districts with ease. Never call him weak." Zhongli exined calmly.

    Yomite looked bewildered by the intensity of his narration and had remained silent until this point.

    From his words it was evident Barbatos was described quite differentlypared to the Venti he was familiar with all this time...

    (Venti was that strong in the past? It''s hard to believe...but if the God of Liyue says it...it must be so...but what caused the change? Something must have happened to him...)

 Chapter 223

    Chill with us!

    ***

    For a little while, there was nothing else to say on the subject regarding Barbatos, only allowing them both to walk without a word.

    However, although neither of them tried toe up with new topics to discuss, that did not mean both Yomite and Zhongli suddenly lost interest in talking.

    Their brief interaction ended, but neither of them took any notice of the silence.

    If anything, they were both processing the information they exchanged together while walking along.

    Both men made their way to the entrance of a store that seemed to be selling items rted to gems and antiques, entering the building.

    In a way, the shop was simr to Mingxing Jewelry, it was most likely its rival in business.

    Zhongli looked around the store, looking for something specific and soon enough, he spotted what he wanted.

    A blue gemstone, wless and pure.

    "Ah, this Noctilucous Jade is small, but a beautiful shade of translucent blue. It would be a shame not to buy it."

    He nced at another item in the same vicinity and widened his eyes, "Pasting a Windwheel Aster to wet ze before it is fired in the kiln? Fascinating. The flower turns to ash, but its shape is forever retained. Such genius �� it would be a pity to not purchase this."

    It was a green vase with simple wavy lines painted across its surface. Not a majestic work nor aplex work, it didn''t stand out amidst other more costly works, and carried no aesthetic beauty at all.

    Yet its brilliance made a sharp contrast with it''s casual elegance, almost like a soulmate of stone among gems.

    Once he bought the second item, he soon found himself taken by two orange colored crystals behind a counter...

    "Cor Lapis is itself hard to gather. It must have taken true skill indeed to unearth two pieces so alike. I should definitely buy them. Could you get me two of those?"

    "Sure!"

    A ck-haireddy with sses presented the items to him, and Zhongli put both of them into a bag.

    And just like that, Zhongli bought three different, expensive things within a few minutes of entering the shop.

    Yomite was just stunned by everything he''d just witnessed...maybe it was that his brain was fried because ofck of sleep, but the entirety of the experience suddenly dumfounded himpletely.

    (Is this God a woman or something!? Why does he buy everything he sets his gaze on!? Is his budget limitless!?) His thoughts practically echoed loudly within his head.

    "Yomite," Zhongli began, turning his attention to the younger man next to him, "It may be fate we met yesterday. As a payment for your information regarding Mondstadt, I present you with this gift. Please ept it."

    When he finished his speech, he pulled out a box wrapped elegantly in red velvet and handed it to him.

    Yomite unrolled the paper wrapping, which was held shut using silk string, before peeling back the golden sp to reveal a pair of gorgeous chopsticks with jade handles and glinting goldcquer along their ends...

    "I''m unsure whether you''re familiar with using chopsticks, however, please allow me to present you with this tool of longevity." Zhongli stated calmly, cing his hand firmly on Yomite''s shoulder.

    "I do know how to use chopsticks, but I have never had the asion to hold chopsticks this precious before. Thanks for the gift."

    This was probably the first time sinceing to this world, where someone bought something for him, but he didn''t know how to react properly.

    Even back in his old world, there was hardly anyone who would buy him something as extravagant as this.

    As if sensing his doubts and hesitance, Zhongli spoke again, "You do not have to thank me, Yomite. One day, when fate allows, we can share some memories together, once more."

    Zhongli''s gaze remained fixed on him until he turned away, "Before we part ways, I want you to know that I shan''t go against anything you do in this world unless it goes against my contract, but remember one thing. The currencies that flow through thisnd are my flesh and blood. For thus did I be the guarantor of the people''s hard work, wisdom, and future. This is the trust I have ced in them. Betray it, and you taint my blood."

    With that, Zhongli bowed and left the shop with the items he bought, without another word.

    Yomite watched as he calmly walked away, then shook his head and shrugged off the difort in his heart.

    "...He''s giving me so many warnings about Liyue, as if he was truly afraid I would try something..e on, do I look that unfriendly to you..."

    There was indeed no doubt that Liyue held some secrets that no man should ever uncover, but that was none of Yomite''s concern.

    The situation, however, reminded him that he didn''t know too much about this world yet, so how long would it take until he could learn enough to not be a suspicious person in the eyes of others?

    "Well, it seems like Zhongli is still wary of me, but means no harm...maybe Hu Tao told him a few things about me..."

    As he was about to leave, a ck haired woman wearing sses suddenly appeared from nowhere beside him.

    "Where do you think you''re going, dear customer?"

    "Huh?" Yomite raised an eyebrow in confusion as he slowly turned around to stare at her.

    "You still haven''t paid for the fine Noctilucous Jade, Artisan porcin, the pair of Cor Lapis and the Dragon Rite Chopsticks. Let me see...It will be, 500k Mora!"

    Yomite tilted his head a little in bewilderment, "...Excuse me? I didn''t order those things!"

    "Hm? But Mr. Zhongli mentioned you would foot the bill. They were already packaged as well. We don''t ept refunds."

    "....!?"

    (...That bastard!?)

    Yomite felt his face turning red with annoyance.

    How could he just leave without paying!?

    And to say he picked him a gift!? What a bunch of nonsense!

    (Why do I have to pay for my own gift!? That little shitter Zhongli! Just you wait!)

 Chapter 224

    Read up to 15 chapters ahead!

    Chill with us!

    ***

    To his knowledge, Zhongli just shoplifted and left the area, leaving him to be the one to pay for all of the stuff he took with him as he was leaving...

    (Are you joking with me!? How can he just leave like this!?)

    Seeing his angry face, the woman with sses sighed quietly, as if she could guess his feelings from his outward appearance, "If you don''t have any currency on you, do you want me to put it on the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor''s tab as usual?"

    "Huh?"

    "I could do that, however, the debt will keep getting piled up at this rate. You guys really need to stop wasting so much money..." she scolded Yomite somewhat tactlessly, while looking straight at him from under her sses.

    "What do you mean? Debt? What debt?" Yomite narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

    "Eh? Didn''t you know? The Wangsheng Funeral parlor is 30 million Mora in debt at the moment. The Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, Lady Ningguang gave them an ultimatum. Well, they deserve it in a sense."

    The woman with sses remarked, not seeming in the least a bit apologetic about her words.

    "What!?" Yomite blurted out with a sharp intake of breath.

    "I thought you were an employee of the Wangsheng Funeral parlor when you arrived with Mr. Zhongli, but I guess I was wrong...To fill you in, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has a history of screw ups...Recently it got better and they managed to pay off 5 million Mora, but there is still a lot left to pay...I''m afraid they won''t make it in time, there''s only a few months left till the deadline. After that, the Parlor would be closed down."

    "...How do you know so much about it?" He inquired as his thoughts were spinning, unable to calm down.

    Why did Hu Tao not mention something so important to him?

    The ssesdy threw an indifferent nce his way before continuing, "Most people are aware of it. Just the fact that you don''t know about it, means you''re a traveler from afar. Lady Ningguang released the official statement on the main billboard a couple of months ago."

    "Billboards, huh... What''s the reason they''re in debt? I''m quite interested in that."

    "The reason...well, we don''t know that. There''s only spection regarding the way they spend money for and decorations to attract customers. The funerals themselves are often grand and more than 500k Mora is used in the process, but..."

    "..."

    "Well, I am pretty sure the reason why they''re in debt is because the funerals and ceremonies they n out are too expensive, and themon folk can''t afford it."

    The woman had quite a decent understanding of business matters, especially wealth. Even when she was just an employee with minimal wage, her observation abilities were absolutely brilliant.

    "The problem is, that people running the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor are understanding, therefore they lower the prices for their dear customers. The sympathy and care they express towards their clients is immense...For a funeral ceremony, they usually bring the price down to 100k Mora so that the people can afford to bury their beloved, even if the whole ceremony costs around 500k. This way, they suffer major loses...but this isn''t how a business should operate. They kept on losing funds and now they''re in a massive debt."

    "...In other words, their kindess is bringing them downfall."

    Yomite nodded quietly, his jaw clenched tight. This was a serious problem.

    "Exactly. Then there is Mr. Zhongli who should also keep it in check...he spent more than two million Mora in the past month in our shop, all of which went into the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor''s debt..."

    "Zhongli did?" He squinted his eyes and frowned.

    He took a deep breath and exhaled. "I''ll pay for the items, don''t put it on their tab. Thank you for everything."

    He paid for the stuff and gave her a 20k Mora tip for the information she shared with him.

    "Alright. Thank you~ Have a nice day!"

    Her smile was enchanting, but Yomite was already too exhausted to notice it.

    (Nice day my ass...Looks like there is more stuff to do before the date...Why didn''t Tao say anything? I would have helped immediately if something important to her was about to be closed down...The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is her whole life...if it closes down, she would be devastated...)

    ***

    **

    *

    Returning back to his room, he found out that Fischl was frantically running around, while Hu Tao was sleeping on her bed peacefully after the beating she received from him yesterday night.

    "I-I am not ready yet! Give me a few more minutes!" Fischl eximed from the bathroom.

    "No worries, take your time. I will be out for a while. I need to resolve something. Let''s say a couple of hours or so. After that, we can go somewhere."

    "Okay!"

    Yomite looked over at the sleeping Hu Tao and clicked his tongue in irritation.

    "Just how many other things are you shouldering by yourself?"

    Perhaps he was too harsh on her yesterday, she had her te full with responsibilities and her premature retirement didn''t help either, so asional pranks may have been her way of coping with stress.

    He sighed before grabbing the remaining pouches full of Mora he stole from Childe. Considering he gave away around 10 million to his party members, 90 million Mora should still be present.

    (It''s more than enough.)

    With that, he bid farewell to Fischl and left the inn once more...

 Chapter 225

    Chill with us!

    ***

    Afternoon.

    On the outskirts of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, a woman d in ck was walking silently alongside another young woman with pale blue hair, looking quite somber.

    As they made their way deeper into the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor territory, both of them seemingly ignored the heat waves beaming down from the red sun above as if it weren''t there. Neither of them looked very enthusiastic nor rxed; rather, the mood between the two was rather stiff.

    "Dear secretary of the Liyue Qixing, Ms. Ganyu...I beg of you. Please reconsider. Give us more time...two months aren''t enough to pay the debt."

    "I apologize, dear Ferrdy...I am simply following orders, for me, they are absolute. Unfortunately, two months were the stated quota...within two months I''lle back to collect the debt..I''ve only arrived today to inform you about the situation...There is nothing I can do..."

    The woman called Ganyu, let out a bitter sigh, shaking her head with a disappointed expression.

    The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

    She had been watching it grow for nearly two millennia.

    A giant standing tall as the strong symbol of Liyue, it became so engrossed with growth that it caught up with itself.

    It soon grew beyond where its gates would close shut, and it faced a dire threat: bankruptcy.

    The seeds of decline.

    She watched its power decline with sadness; almost two thousand years ago it peaked, and she was also there when the first Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was elected.

    Ganyu had seen the first Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor use taunts and humor tofort the hopeless...saving the people she came across crying andmenting.

    Time passed, and with the limited lifespan of humans, many different Directors took charge of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

    However, something unexpected happened a couple of years ago.

    When Ganyu met Hu Tao for the very first time, she stared at her in disbelief, for it was as if she met with the first Director once more.

    Hu Tao looked exactly the same as the first Director. Her appearance, speech pattern, and tone were all simr, as if she stepped right out of Ganyu''s memory. It almost felt like she was her reincarnation.

    A cheerful woman in front of everyone else.

    She was just the type of Director the position required.

    No personality trait that betrayed her own inner thoughts or wishes...never at fault forcking knowledge on procedures.

    Allowing her employees freedom and not interfering with their tasks.

    A woman who smiled easily and showed love to everyone around her...

    Now that Ganyu heard the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor could no longer meet its end goals, it pained her, but such was fate.

    She pitied them and yet, she couldn''t disagree with the order given from the main branch of Qixing, but as if pouring water into a gaping maw, she was willing to release everyone at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor from this misery, if only the debt was paid in full.

    Such was the contract, and all contracts in Liyue ought to be followed.

    If not, unimaginable consequences would arise...

    If only there was a miracle, but she feared, it wouldn''t happen.

    "Please understand, I only wish for the Wangsheng Funeral to prospect... however, the present situation at hand does not��" Ganyu paused mid-sentence as she saw a tall man in the distance, slowly walking toward her direction, while scanning the graveyard within the cemetery, clearly unhappy.

    At first sight, she thought that someone must have angered him very deeply, for it looked like he was on a rampage.

    "Dear Ferrdy... isn''t this a ce only employees can visit?"

    "Mhm, indeed it is, Ms. Ganyu. Why do you ask?"

    "Do tell, is that man an employee?"

    The stiffness that crept onto Ganyu''s face became noticeable immediately.

    Just looking at the man in question, something solid in her stomach was tightening, causing goosebumps to form on her skin.

    Her instincts were screaming at her, sending chills up and down her spine.

    That man was dangerous, she was sure of it.

    Those eyes...seemed familiar...

    Those eyes, contained a toxic essence that was directly piercing right through her heart.

    He was gazing at her with an intent to unsettle her.

    "Oh, him...not exactly. He is not an employee. It''s one of the ghosts that roam this ce." The Ferrdy let out a soft chuckle, as if the man was of no concern.

    Of course she knew him. He was her Director''s lover.

    However, she didn''t say a word. Simply because her Director''s private life was no one else''s business.

    Director Hu Tao was a woman too, after all. She needed her privacy.

    "A-A ghost? I see...Eh? He is not floating but walking normally...I don''t...I don''t think that''s a...ghost..." She looked thoroughly confused.

    Within a few seconds, the man had reached them. Being so close, he looked frighteninglyrgepared to the rather short Ganyu.

    "E-Eh...?"

    She looked up at him fearfully and noticed his intent gaze was upon her.

    Something sinister shone in those golden, bright eyes, brilliant and shiny as Cor Lapis itself.

    It reminded her of someone...

    Was he perhaps...?

    "Excuse me...Are you perhaps...Rex Lap��"

    Ganyu muttered but stopped herself, noticing the man wanted to say something.

    The man slowly opened his mouth, "They look cute, can I cop a feel?" And dropped a small bombshell, causing Ganyu''s lips to twitch in confusion.

    "Eeehhhh?!" She shrieked with surprise, but then quickly recovered herself, her cheeks coloring slightly in embarrassment.

    She then cleared her throat to cover her outburst,posing herself to give off an aloof, unaffected air.

    Trying to put distance between herself and the intimidating man, she softly replied, "S-Sorry Y...You want...what? A...hug?"

    Yet her poker face soon crumbled and her fearfulness was rising gradually with every word spoken, knowing instinctively that the severity of his request needed a sudden halt.

    "Nah, not a hug. I want to cop a feel...would that be alright with you? Of course, if you refuse, then it''s fine."

    His wild demeanor contradicted what he was actually requesting, but his hand remained outstretched, as though not giving Ganyu the right to say ''no''.

    The man was obviously Yomite, and with this, he had a goal in mind, but it seemed to be impossible to attain at this very moment.

 Chapter 226

    Chill with us!

    ***

    Seeing that he didn''t get a response, Yomite asked again,

    "Can I cop a feel?"

    Ganyu lifted her head sharply in a response to his weird and crude advances.

    "I-I am sorry but...I-It''s an inappropriate behaviour!" She protested hastily, before muttering, "Um so, yeah, uh, I was, uh...It''s something done...um...in a rtionship with your...significant other ehm...w-we just...we just met...ehm...you can''t just...do that...out of the blue..."

    "I see, what a shame. Could have guessed as much. Horns seem to be quite important, huh."

    "Yeah horns are...huh...? Huh!???" Suddenly it dawned upon Ganyu, "Horns!? That was it!!?"

    "Well, those are horns, right?"

    "N-No!!! Those are...h-hairpins I wear on my head!" She was nervously throwing in exnations...

    "Hmmm...they look like horns to me, no matter how I look at them."

    "T-They''re not! Not at all! I''m a human! A human female! Yes! Those are just bows I tie to my head!" With every additional bit of exnation, her posture and tone changed to panic, her hands shivering visibly.

    "Bows? Didn''t you say they were hairpins?"

    "Y-Yes! Hairpins! Hairpins! Hairpins! They''re totally hairpins!"

    She was repeating it so many times, that it was starting to sound like an incantation or a blinding curse.

    "I see. Ahhh, I see...you''re really a human, huh... those are surely not horns, right?."

    "T-That''s right! I am a pure human!"

    She was lying to him, that much was certain.

    Her whole body was quivering, her face flushed, and she was sweating profusely.

    Yomite didn''t know why, but he found the situation quite funny.

    All he wanted was to touch her horns, to figure out how it felt and to see whether he would get some cute reaction out of her, as in the novels he used to read, stuff like cat ears, elf ears or horns were usually very sensitive.

    Some authors even wrote the reactions they would cause inside their bodies and the emotions the demihumans felt.

    But at this point, he felt like messing with her some more, rather than to examine her horns.

    After hesitating for a brief moment, he let out a heavy breath and continued, "Hmm, I don''t know...are you really a human though?"

    "Y-Yes, I am! I''m a human! I-I-I''m definitely not an Adeptus!!! I''m a human through and through!!!"

    She was almost sobbing now, the desperation evident in her bodynguage.

    "Oh my..."

    The Ferrdy scratched her cheek, her amusement turning into sympathy.

    She was watching their exchange this whole time without saying a single thing, rather enjoying the scene.

    Until she eventually spoke up, announcing her presence, due to the fact that she might have heard something she shouldn''t have.

    Yomite also noticed the slip of her tongue.

    (An Adeptus? There is that term again...that bastard Zhongli''s also an Adeptus. I don''t know what it means, but I guess it''s some sort of race?)

    More mysteries to add to his list of neverending questions.

    (Come to think of it, Hu Tao also mentioned the word before, but refused to borate on what it meant...)

    Looking over at the fidgeting Ganyu, Yomite sighed.

    "You''re not from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, is that correct? Are you here to collect the debt?"

    "Uh....I-I was here to notify them about the quota, but i''m..."

    She lowered her gaze to stare at the ground in an attempt topose herself.

    "Alright, so you''re from that Qilixing thingy."

    "Eh...? It''s Qixing, and yes, I''m a secretary." She nodded briefly.

    Yomite made a dismissive wave of his hand.

    "Not the point. Either way, that makes things easier."

    After rummaging in his bag he pulled out a bunch of coin pouches and handed it over to the girl.

    "30 million Mora, was it? Here you go."

    Ganyu took it reflexively and nced inside, shock gracing her lovely features after realizing how much it was.

    "Is it actually...!?" She eximed.

    "That should cover the debt, correct?"

    "Y-Yes!"

    "Good."

    He then turned to the Ferrdy and handed her the remaining pouches.

    "This is 60 million Mora. Use it to reward your employees. I''m not sure what the situation is, but I assume they weren''t paid properly for a long time now, so do that as a reward for their patience. Afterward, the rest of the funds will be used for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor itself, so that you would never find yourself in this terrible situation again."

    "But what are y-" Before the girl could finish, Yomite grabbed the Ferrdy''s arm.

    "Do that for me, will you? If I find out a penny was missing from this, I''ll find out where you live."

    A threat. What a nice way of ending such a good afternoon, by threatening a woman with no options left.

    "...You don''t have to do this, I would never steal. Although this is indeed a bit too much of a responsibility for someone of my low rank..."

    Ferrdyplied with his request without objections, while Ganyu was counting the Mora one by one to make sure it was the full sum.

    As Yomite began walking away, Ganyu called out to him,

    "Could you please wait a moment...!?"

    Yomite stopped abruptly in mid-stride, taking hold of his forehead and attempting to make himself look annoyed.

    With a raised eyebrow, he asked Ganyu casually, "What? Did you finally make up your mind about the horns? Can I pet them?"

    "N-No...They are hairpins...! I know It''s a silly question but...are you Rex Lapis...?"

    "Huh? Who?"

    Yomite opened and closed his mouth once or twice before trying to recall who this Rex Lapis actually was, but couldn''t find the answer.

    "...Eh? You don''t know who Rex Lapis is...?"

    Ganyu paused before speaking out, with more intensity than ever, "Surely...you must know of his greatness! He is the Deity of Liyue!"

    "...Oh, so he''s a god?" It was then he remembered she might have been talking about Morax/Zhongli, the bastard who shoplifted and then let him pay for his own gift.

    (Zhongli had so many titles it wouldn''t surprise me if Rex Lapis was one of them...)

 Chapter 227

    Chill with us!

    ***

    After the Ferrdy ran off, Yomite and Ganyu started a short talk.

    "No, I''m not Rex Lapis, but now that you''ve asked a question, let me ask one as well. What does ''Adeptus'' mean...I keep hearing about it left and right from all directions but no one wants to talk about it...."

    "That is..." Ganyu was lost for words, unsure of where to start exining.

    She was sure he wasn''t from Liyue based on this fact alone.

    "...Adepti are more or less a group of Gods and illuminated beasts that have been protecting Liyue from Monsters, Demons and Evil Gods ever since Liyue was established. They are beings with extreme longevity and powers unlike Visions, yet very simr in concept. Their leader is precisely, Lord Rex Lapis himself."

    "Hmm...interesting." He hummed in thought for a moment. "So I assume you''re a part of that group as well?"

    Ganyu nced back ufortably, and felt deeply embarrassed to answer, "O-Oh, w-well...no... I''m just a normal human..."

    "Look, it''s pretty obvious you''re not, but I won''t pry any further. Everyone has personal issues, I''m just a stranger after all."

    He still carried that look of interest from before, but after seeing how conflicted Ganyu was in front of him, he realized he should just leave it alone.

    "..."

    Ganyu remained silent, likely contemting her reply as well, hesitant to respond to his probing question.

    But atst, "... I''m not pure blooded... I''m only a half Adeptus... It''s nothing worth mentioning... I''m not a human, nor an Adeptus...just something unworthy in between..."

    She answered vaguely, hoping the topic would end there.

    After all, this didn''t need to be told to anyone, it had its own purpose and she''d rather not add another unnecessaryyer of shame on top of what was already weighing heavily on her shoulders.

    There was silence between them once again, but this time, it wasn''t tense.

    After several seconds of simply listening to the soft sound of rushing water nearby, Yomite spoke up, breaking the quiet atmosphere.

    "That''s pretty cool, isn''t it?"

    He chuckled slightly at the odd expression on Ganyu''s face.

    "Huh...?" She looked puzzled, not sure she''d heard correctly.

    "Your lineage! If you''re half an Adeptus, aren''t you basically a Demigoddess then? That''s so cool!"

    He sounded like a proud Chinese father bragging about his firstborn child who''s been epted into Harvard to the rest of his rtives.

    Ganyu stared at him nkly for a few moments. When the gears began to turn, she quickly denied his words. "Ah, n-n-no!... I''ve never been called a Demigoddess before... I-I-I''m unworthy to be called that...I don''t deserve it..."

    Her voice shook slightly, though she tried her best to hide it.

    "You don''t deserve the title?" His voice softened a bit upon hearing her self depreciation though he remained persistent. "Howe? You must be pretty powerful."

    She shrugged quietly, looking down at her hands.

    Ganyu was a hard worker, working as a secretary for the Liyue Qixing Branch for well over thousands of years, helping out where she could with the administrative side of things.

    The blood of the qilin, an illuminated beast, flowed within her veins and she had perseverance unlike any other secretary when it came to work.

    She firmly believed that all the work she did was in honor of her contract with Rex Lapis, seeking the well-being of all living things within Liyue.

    Yet there were several issues bothering her mind on a daily basis, such as integrating into the human society properly, for example.

    "Um... it''s...not about strength... I''m in possession of some formidable abilities... however... it''s more about the fact that...I...am not social enough." She paused, feeling a twinge of shame.

    "...When our workload is light, my coworkers sometimes organize social events, but...I don''t share their interest in shopping or lively forms of entertainment... They''re also rude and rather critical of my mindset, saying it''s fundamentally different from how a normal human being acts...I''m unable to integrate into the human society, and I''m not a full blooded Adeptus so it seems like I''m missing something fundamental as well...I feel like I don''t belong anywhere..."

    Ganyu wasn''t sure why she was telling all of this to aplete stranger, maybe she just wanted to vent about how she felt to someone who had no idea who she was, but she felt oddly satisfied doing so.

    "...Do I really belong in the human world? Maybe I''m just like a Dendro Slime hiding in the earth, burying myself in numbers and reports in order to escape reality..."

    It felt good to finally get these feelings off her chest.

    Ganyu didn''t have friends other than those colleagues at work she spoke of, and bothering the Adepti with her troubles seemed disrespectful from her point of view, as most of them regarded regr mortal problems as foolish.

    Henceforth, this stranger she might never meet again after today seemed like a perfect way for her to vent.

    (A Dendro slime...I see, my nemesis. It was a long time since I''ve killed one. I guess I can visit a forest nearby, make a campfire and burn one of them in it.)

    Yomite smiled lightly to himself at herparison with the evil creature, before coughing. "I don''t think it should matter at all...Being human is a part of your identity and in your blood, and nobody can hold it against you for anything... Besides, even if they do judge you, you shouldn''t have to listen to what random idiots have to say. Just ignore everyone."

    "...Random idiots...that''s a bit crude." Ganyu couldn''t help but smile a little to herself as she repeated his words. "As an experienced secretary, I call people like that, ''inept at their conduct.''" She giggled softly under her breath.

    Heughed along with her. "Sounds about right! Professionals have standards! Some professional secretary you are!"

    "Ah, you tter me!"

    The two shared anotherugh, both feeling much lighter than they had earlier.

 Chapter 228

    Chill with us!

    ***

    "Thank you...for what you said, and how you listened about myints...I barely even know who you are, but I am thankful."

    Yomite raised his brows at herment.

    "Well, that settles it then! If we ever cross paths again, I''ll be willing to listen to you vent whenever!" He said, giving her a friendly grin.

    "Mhm, same here. I will also listen to your trouble if we ever cross paths again."

    Couple ofughster, both of them found themselves sitting next to each other on a wooden log in the vicinity.

    Yomite discovered that Ganyu had many of the same experiences as he had in the past.

    He was a book reviewer on Earth, where he had to deal with incessant stress and poor novels.

    His bosses hustled their employees and were inept themselves, yet they couldn''t fire Yomite since thepany couldn''t function without him.

    The same could have been said about Ganyu. A hard worker who, if fired, would likely throw the entire "business," or the so-called Liyue Qixingmittee, into disarray.

    She was irreceable, despite the fact that she didn''t appear to realize it.

    (I want to know.)

    ��������������

    Name: Ganyu

    Age: 3000+

    Title: A Half Adeptus

    upation: Secretary of the Liyue Qixing

    Hobby: Working

    Likes: Qingxin flowers, sounds of rain, napping, Beidou

    Dislikes: Keqing

    Dream: To fulfill her contract without fail.

    Current mood: Tired/Busy

    Rtionship Level: 1/10 - Stranger

    State of Rtionship: Just met

    ��������������

    (I swear, everyone in this crazy city I meet must be above 1000 years of age... I''m not even surprised anymore...)

    He sighed and asked, "Do you work as a hobby?"

    "Eh? Do I look like I enjoy working? I certainly do, that''s true. It''s my hobby." She said tly, arms crossing across her chest.

    "Ehm... I don''t think that counts as a hobby though..."

    "Why don''t jobs count as hobbies? I thought hobbies are supposed to be things you look forward to doing, and that make you feel good when you''ve done them? That describes my job perfectly. So what''s the issue?"

    Yomite blinked at her question before asking, "Are you serious...? No..like...I get you...but don''t get you at the same time...let''s leave it at that... nothing but respect for that... alright, on the other hand, I would like to know why you thought I was Rex Lapis, as that seemed like a very weird question to ask someone you''ve just met right off the bat..."

    (Then again, asking a woman to cop a feel isn''t the best either...that could quickly create misunderstandings...I didn''t really think about that, I kinda turned off my brain the moment I saw the horns...)

    "...I''m unsure why I did that...You had a very simr presence to him... but it was your eyes that made me feel like you were him. You''ve the same eyes as him. I''ve never seen his humanoid form, although I''ve talked to him plenty of times when he descended, hence I didn''t know what to do..." She mumbled suddenly, flustered.

    "Ah, that''s interesting...and what about your horns? They''re real right? No hairpins this time around?"

    Her cheeks paled noticeably as she ducked her head down. After that, she let out a long sigh, nodding her head "I-it...well...My horns are indeed real... I''m not sure how you noticed... usually when people ask and I say they''re hairpins they immediately buy it without any other mention... I never expected you to notice them...I''m rather...insecure about them..." She continued after averting her gaze from Yomite, feeling extremely ashamed.

    "Don''t worry, be proud! Those horns look cute and amazing. Nothing to be ashamed of, I always love to see those kinds of things. Even one of myrades has horns. They''re like twin blessings for my eyes."

    Disbelief crept onto her face at such blunt honesty and apliment from a man she''d spoken to for the first time today.

    "Yourrade has...horns...?"

    The shock on Ganyu''s face, however, was quickly reced by a pink flush when she heard thest part of his sentence.

    She couldn''t meet his gaze, instead opting on the grass beneath her.

    What was going on with her?

    Why did she feel such a strong connection with the man before her; why did it make her turn red every time he uttered a single word, as if her heart was going to beat out of her chest?

    Because heplimented her insecurities?

    That seemed like the most logical exnation she could think of.

    "Is...is that so...twin blessings...."

    She fidgeted with her fingers as her cheeks grew redder, feeling even more embarrassed than before.

    She''d never beenplimented or treated with kindness by aplete stranger like this before....it made her feel really warm inside...

    Yomite chuckled slightly, finding it cute that her reaction was quite simr to a young child getting praised.

    "Don''t be shy! I''m only telling you the truth. Either way, it''s getting prettyte and I still have somewhere to be. Not to mention, you also have to settle the debt of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, so do that and then rest well. Try not to think too much about whether you fit into human popce or not, each and every human is different and has different hobbies, part of you is a human, so consider yourself one as well. See ya!"

    With those parting words, he bid his farewell.

    "Ah! Have a nice rest of the day as well!"

    Ganyu politely responded before waving goodbye.

    As soon as he disappeared in the distance, she slumped against a tree, closing her eyes for a brief second before slowly opening them again.

    A faint blush still lingered around her face, lingering there until it began to fade away as time passed.

    ''What a kind and thoughtful man...'' She thought, her spirits raised considerably after hearing those kind words of his.

    A sense of warmth spread through her body as she felt something.

    What was happening?

    For the first time in her life, she had someone else understand her predicament.

    It was a great feeling.

    This kind stranger understood her pain.

    Well, he was no longer a stranger, it would be rude to call him that. An acquaintance sounded much more appropriate.

    Maybe a...friend?

    And that pleasant friend had a name.

    "...Yomite."

    She muttered under her breath, still standing stock still.

    The smile returned on her lips, thinking that hiding her identity may not prove to be as bad as she initially thought...

    "Twin blessings..."

    She suddenly giggled lightly to herself at the thought of how ridiculous it sounded, yet that feeling of joy wouldn''t go away.

    Her cheeks were once again tinted a light shade of pink, almost blending in with the grass below her.

    "Twin blessings...twin blessings..."

    She repeated silently, smiling wider to herself as she turned around to go and settle the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor''s debt.

 Chapter 229

    Chill with us!

    After this chapter I''ll have a small pause to catch up with ******* again as I''ve been busy to update stufftely.

    ***

    After leaving the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor location, Yomite headed back towards the town center.

    The city''s buildings and architecture had their own unique style that wasn''t quite traditional or modern.

    However, as he was looking at it from a distance, they also had a sort of timeless feel to them.

    He walked down the street with his hands in his pockets as he watched the buildings pass by him.

    A few times, there were people that recognized him due to what he did yesterday with Hu Tao, where she climbed his shoulders and sat on him and rode him like a horse, but no one approached or spoke to him directly.

    Probably because she was still very much infamous, or they weren''t interested in him at all.

    It kind of felt fresh,pared to Mondstadt where everyone knew him as a hero and bothered him at every turn, although he still missed the price reductions.

    He would have to save this city in some way to gain some free stuff. Wouldn''t be bad at all.

    As he looked around the city streets, he could see people running through them andughing like kids while having fun. It wasn''t the most peaceful ce ever, but the city definitely had its moments.

    The city of Liyue was beautiful, but there were still many impurities around, specifically speaking, drunkards, mercenaries or other gue from some young master ns who made ruckus all day long.

    Even now, there were drunkards out on the streets, bothering passerby, especially those who looked like a nice young women.

    Some didn''t even care that someone was watching them, just trying to get a piece of ass or something else they thought would please them.

    The high number of drunkards also meant that loud arguments were amon thing.

    People in Liyue had gotten used to it by now, with it maybe arousing a fewints at most.

    Under normal circumstances, at least.

    It was a different story when you could hear the sounds of shing steel in the broad daylight, and had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of one...

    At first there hadn''t been much more than just an argument, which was fine enough, so long as they didn''t actually drag themselves outside into the street and start beating each other up.

    As he was passing by, Yomite ended up joining the crowd of onlookers. Out in front of some food stall, two men were ring at each other red with anger. "You dumb fucker, the Young Master Sun is obviously stronger than any of you Yangs!"

    "What did ya say!? Want a piece of me ya boogin!? The Yang n is without a doubt superior! Now kneel and I shall spare you a quick death!"

    They yelled over each other again and again, neither one willing to concede defeat to the other.

    It appeared that both of them were members ofrge ns in Liyue.

    One was a bald-headed man with a piercing through his right eyebrow, and the other had a ponytail and a long face.

    Both of them already had their swords drawn out, refusing to back down, even as they were already pushing each other forward.

    Laughing might have been an understatement for how badly they wielded their weapons.

    Even Yomite from five months ago had a better grasp at swordy than they had...

    They were hitting nothing but air, their bnce was off and the swings weren''t in the right spots, such that by the time either of them moved to correct it it was toote, and they both ended up tumbling over onto the ground as blood started gushing out of their noses.

    "What''s going on? Is there a duel?"

    Someone from the crowd asked.

    They had their swords drawn in the middle of the road, so it wasn''t just your average scuffle.

    Worst case scenario, someone could end up dead, but it''s not like he cared about some random drunkards.

    It wasn''t Yomite''s first time witnessing a duel. Typically a duel went the way of stating his name and the reason for the duel, and then he had to get the consent of the other party.

    After all of that had been established, outsiders would refrain from butting in.

    But this wasn''t anything as sophisticated or noble as a formal duel.

    Just a pair of drunkards at each other''s throats.

    A brawl, if you will.

    It may have been clich��d, but these sorts of things happened all the time.

    Especially in Liyue.

    The city was gued by tons of people like this. Another reason not to live here and instead choose Mondstadt.

    Neither of the drunkards had any acting witnesses, so it was clearly no formal altercation, just a disagreement that turned into a full blown fight, with both pouring out their soul for ten minutes straight.

    The townsfolk were treating them like a pair of pests, too. If it wasn''t a duel, then patrolling soldiers of Liyue called Millelith would probably be around to stop it before long.

    However, the Liyuews weren''t very forgiving to making civilians interfere with a ''duel''.

    Seeing that the whole street was crammed with people who just stood around and blocked the way, really pissed Yomite off.

    "...How dumb. If they want to fight they should fight outside of the city, now I can''t even pass through because there''s so many people gathered here..."

    "Alright, where''s the smartass that said that?!" The baldy with the piercing turned in his direction, looking like he was about to blow a gasket.

    It seemed he''d overheard him talking after all. The other onlookers moved out of the way like a sea being parted by Moses.

    Everyst one of them fled as if explicitly telling him not to get them wrapped up in it.

    "Ah, here we go again..."

 Chapter 230

    Chill with us!

    ***

    "...How dumb. If they want to fight they should fight outside of the city, now I can''t even pass through because there''s so many people gathered here..."

    "Alright, where''s the smartass that said that?!" The baldy with the piercing turned in his direction, looking like he was about to blow a gasket.

    It seemed he''d overheard him talking after all. The other onlookers moved out of the way like a sea being parted by Moses.

    Everyst one of them fled as if explicitly telling him not to get them wrapped up in it

    "Cool, the path opened. Now I can finally go home." Yomite remarked as he headed off down the street.

    "I asked you something! Were you the one that called us stupid?!"

    "He called us what?!"

    "No, I said that you were dumb, are you deaf as well? Or do you simply not know the difference between the two? Mostmon grunt enemy Andy number 1 and number 2?"

    He made a small attempt to dodge away while the men were yelling at him. He didn''t have time for this.

    "What did you say!? Hold on... You''re that brat who entered the city recently, the one that''s always bein'' followed around by a buncha girls! You''ve been pissin'' me off for a while now, y''know that?! You brat! You tryin'' to show off how popr you are? How tall and handsome ya are!? You makin'' fun of the rest of us?! Well, are ya?!"

    "Yeah, Mr. Bigshot! Quit hiding behind the girls! Compared to the Sun and the Yang n, you''re nothing but an embarrassment!"

    "...I see. I''m a brat...So being an adult means getting drunk and hacking away at each other with your swords in the middle of the town? It really does make me look like the childish one when you put it that way, doesn''t it?"

    A little bit of sarcasm peppered his words.

    (I always forget my body is around 17 years of age and not 25... it''s kind of weird being called a little runt when I''m much taller than them though...)

    The two men who had been fighting mere moments ago united in their hostility toward him.

    Apparently they saw him as amon threat they needed to get rid of before settling their score.

    "This little shit, the Young Master Sun from the Sun n put a bounty on your head, lemme take it, I promise it won''t be painful."

    "Bastard... You''ve got real guts, you know that? Feel like finding out what color they are, do ya?! I serve the Yang n! One word from me and you''re dead meat! Now get on your knees and beg this Father!"

    The baldy with the piercing moved toward Yomite.

    (Ah, I still need to go on a date with Fischl, I don''t have time for this...)

    There were veins bulging on the Baldie''s forehead.

    Despite trying to appear threatening, he was much shorter than Yomite, so he ended up having to crane his neck to meet Yomite''s gaze.

    Still, the man before him had muscles like a pro wrestler. Plus, his behavior gave the impression that he was a real nasty guy.

    But in all honesty, he wasn''t intimidated in the slightest.

    All the times he fought with monsters like Hu Tao, kind of prepared him for anything and everything else out there.

    "You son of a...!"

    In a single movement, he swung his body backward, aiming a kick at Yomite.

    Yomite tilted his head to the right a little and cleanly avoided his kick.

    Using his opponent''s momentum against him, he grabbed hold of his leg and pulled in order to break his bnce before knocking him out with a punch to the sr plexus.

    The baldy who''de charging at him dived straight to the ground in a single breath, mming into the pavement with an audible thud.

    (Slower than Childe, weaker than Hu Tao, less intelligent than an insect, this scuffle is honestly pointless. I just want to pass through, man...)

    Satisfied, Yomite proceeded to turn his head and casually stroll down the road, only for the other guy to go at him.

    "C''mere, brat! Let this Father teach ya a lesson ya won''t ever forget!!"

    This time the ponytail guy rushed at him with his sword.

    "Ghah!"

    He knocked down the ponytail guy effortlessly as well, making the sword fly out of his hand in the process.

    Yomite picked the sword up and bent its shape with his hands as though it were a rubber.

    He threw the bent sword back down in front of the mohawk guy.

    "What?! Eeek!!!"

    Ponytail guy let out a squeal of terror as he crawled away. Seemed like he was so scared that he couldn''t even stand on his feet. "You goddamned brat...!"

    This time the baldy came charging at him from behind, swinging his sword down on him without a shred of mercy.

    "Should have stayed down." Yomite said calmly while stepping to his left and kicking the man off to the side, sending him crashing into the wall next to him.

    As the man slid back onto the ground, Yomite nced up and noticed that of the spectators had cleared out.

    And most of those still watching were all staring at him wide eyed as if they''d never seen anything like him before.

    That was odd.

    (Wasn''t this city known for its Gods? Was seeing something like this considered to be impressive? They were just some ruffians at best, not even worth a mention...)

 Chapter 231

    Chill with us!

    ***

    The two drunks on the ground were defeated.

    One with arge gash on his head, and one who''s leg appeared to be broken and bent in a sorry direction, both passed out for the time being.

    Their blood was mixed together, their clothing soaked in it and stuck together by some kind of fluid that coated every avable surface.

    After defeating them with ease, Yomite was about to leave when something caught his eye.

    His eyes flickered with confusion, before theynded on a woman walking towards him.

    She wore a palevender top with a high violet cor and ruffled dark blue skirt,yered under a deep violet overcoat.

    Her light purple hair was tied up into waist-length twin-tails, topped by small buns resembling cat ears.

    Her long legs were covered in ck stockings, giving her a slender yet delicate figure.

    The woman''s expression seemed stern enough that people could feel cold sweating out from their forehead just by looking at her.

    She stopped less than a dozen steps away from him, then stared at him silently.

    "..."

    After a moment or so, she spoke with a voice that sounded like silk. "Who in the world are you?"

    Her voice was calm yet firm, as if she was ustomed to having that authoritative tone heard by everyone.

    She waspletely emotionless, not betraying any signs of her internal feelings.

    "..."

    (Huh. She''s pretty.) he thought, before replying simply, "The name''s Yomite. Why are you asking? Who''re you?" He said without a shred of hesitation. She seemed like an official of some sort, there may have been trouble if he refused to cooperate with such simple question.

    (Not that I particrly care...)

    "..."

    The woman raised her left eyebrow slightly, revealing her eyes which looked like two tiny moons in a clear sky.

    She seemed to be slightly surprised at Yomite''s nonchnt attitude. "It looks like you''re an outsider...I am Keqing, Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing. I came here to investigate after aint but it looks like the trouble has been taken care of."

    She said calmly, looking at him from head to toe, then nced at the two unconscious men behind him, who seemed to be suffering from severe injuries.

    (Hmmm, I''m suddenly curious. I feel like I''ve seen that name somewhere before... I want to know.)

    ��������������

    Name: Keqing

    Age: 17

    Title: Driving Thunder

    upation: Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing

    Hobby: Shopping

    Likes: Golden shrimp balls

    Dislikes: People happy to reap the rewards without doing their fair share of the work.

    Dream: For Liyue to be independent from the Gods.

    Current mood: Irritated

    Rtionship Level: 1/10 - Wary

    State of Rtionship: Stranger

    ��������������

    (So she is that Keqing, the one Ganyu did not like in her profile. Now I know why she seemed so familiar.)

    "Another Qilixing? This day is full of surprises..." Yomite wondered aloud.

    The young Yuheng narrowed her eyes in suspicion upon hearing what he''d just said. "It''s Qixing, not Qilixing... And what do you mean another one? Did you perhaps meet someone else from the Qixing?" She asked, rather perplexed by the notion.

    "Not the point, and why should I tell you?"

    Keqing sighed softly, not expecting his answer. "Well, I suppose since we''ve already met, we might as well continue with our discussion. If you would please follow me," she motioned with her right hand, then walked past him. "I would like to discuss this incident with you, as you seem to be the main eyewitness."

    "No thanks."

    "Eh?" Keqing paused her stride, turning to look at him.

    Seeing that this would take a while to resolve, he shrugged his shoulders and continued walking back to the inn.

    There was no point wasting time here.

    "Hey! Wait!" Keqing shouted as she chased after him, grabbing his shoulder.

    "Let go. I have somece I need to be." Yomite shrugged her hand off of him roughly and continued walking, leaving her behind.

    She stared at his departing back in silence and shook her head. "Such insolence..." she murmured. "Then what about these two fallen men? You beat them up, right? You''ll get in trouble if you just run off!" Keqing quickly caught up with him again, blocking his path once more.

    Yomite turned his head slightly and red at her. "Sheesh, alright, alright! I met one of you in the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor just now, her name is Ganyu, leave me alone already, I have a date with someone! I can''t waste any more time here nor do I want to! Just grab a random person from the street, they will be able to tell you what happened here!"

    "...Hmm...Ganyu...I see...Although she''s not a Qixing, but is simply serving us, I''ll take that as a sign that you''re not lying,"

    Keqing said indifferently, before moving ahead towards the two fallen men.

    "Hmph! If I find out you were lying, we''ll surely meet again. Don''t forget that."

    "Hope to god not." Yomite muttered to himself under his breath.

    What was up with some women of this world?

    Instead of Yomite, Keqing took the two fallen men and dragged them a few yards away.

    Yomite saw that one of the men woke up and nned to stealthily attack her, but before he could do anything, Keqing kicked him and dented the man''s face into the ground hard enough to crack the sidewalk, rendering him unconscious instantly.

    Yomite snorted loudly and quickly left the area.

    (I must have pissed her off pretty badly.)

 Chapter 232

    Chill with us!

    ***

    After waking up, Hu Tao immediately got out of bed and changed into her regr clothes.

    Her butt no longer hurt after yesterday''s beating, thanks to Fischl''s ointment that was applied to the injuries caused by Yomite''s hand.

    She knew she went far after yesterday''s prank, and had even been reprimanded for it but there was nothing she could do other than to apologize again and again.

    She deserved it.

    Yomite wouldn''t ept her halfhearted apologies so easily anyway, so Hu Tao decided to apologize properly once he came back.

    Still, she was delighted he was so worried about her...

    But for now, she had other things to do.

    Visiting the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was one of them.

    And the debt rted problem...

    At any point in time, she could have told Yomite about it and let him deal with it himself but she felt a little too guilty about leaving this kind of matter to him.

    Thirty million Mora was arge sum of money, and even if he had plenty of money himself, she couldn''t just ask him for something like this.

    She didn''t want to burden him with her own problems, and didn''t want him to think she was using him for money or something along those lines.

    Not to mention, it was her sole responsibility as the ex-director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to make it prosper, and it wasn''t right for her to take his money from him, even if they were lovers.

    There were still two months remaining till the deadline, before her Funeral Parlor would be closed down by the government officials.

    If only she had the funds to pay off all the debt before then...

    But that didn''t seem possible yet.

    She had already donated 10 Million Mora from her own budget, and they somehow managed to get 5 million more, but there was still the huge sum of 30 million that she needed to settle as soon as possible.

    "Should I tell Yommie I want to do quests again? Would two months be enough to pay for it? Should be enough, right?"

    It seemed like an impossible task to her but Yomite always knew how to solve any issue in such a short amount of time.

    "I''m finally here."

    She sighed as she opened the main gate of the funeral parlor, finding herself at the entrance of the main building, where a woman d in ck was as if, waiting for her.

    Hu Tao approached the Ferrdy wearing a ck dress, who smiled warmly at her, "Wee back, Director! How are you on this fine afternoon?"

    Hu Tao gave her a gentle smile back, "Hello, Ferrdy." After thinking for a moment or two, she replied, "You''re quite spirited today, I''ve never seen you so lively and cheerful like this since the day you joined our parlor."

    Thedy in front of her chuckled, "Ah, well, It''s indeed a great day today! Esteemed secretary Ganyu was here today, to further inform us about the debt."

    Hu Tao nodded slowly at this, once again feeling a slight pain in her heart.

    She really wished she could have paid her debt earlier, but...

    There was no way she''d allow Yomite to do it either.

    "Director Hu, it doesn''t seem like you''re aware, but the debt has already been fully paid off!" The woman eximed happily, as if she''d read Hu Tao''s mind.

    Hu Tao''s eyes widened, and she could hardly believe what she''d just heard.

    "...Huh? How?" She asked, looking genuinely confused.

    The Ferrdy looked around to make sure no one could hear her, and leaned towards her ear, whispering, "Your boyfriend came earlier and paid it all off in one go, even gave us 60 million Mora to stabilize ourselves and pay the employees! How amazing is that!"

    The Ferrdy had been working in the Parlor for over 4 years. She wasn''t in need of money, she simply loved the quiet atmosphere near the Parlor.

    She and her family were both well off, so money wasn''t an issue.

    At some point, she heard about the debt and due to that, her pay got lower, but she understood why it happened and epted it.

    Helping people was above simple matters such as currency.

    She loved it here and even if the pay wasn''t what it used to be, she nned to stay here till the end.

    Hence when that man paid the debt off and ensured that the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor would be prosperous in the future, her usual calm manner changed intoplete excitement.

    "..."

    Hu Tao stood there, staring nkly at the ground while trying to process the information, unable to say anything.

    "Yomite...was here?"

    "Yep! He talked to the esteemed secretary Ganyu and handed her Mora in the coin pouches! That settled the debt! At most, there would be some paperworks afterward but that''s not an issue...Are you alright?" The Ferrdy asked, concern written all over her face, seeing how lost she was.

    Hu Tao''s eyes started watering slightly; she hadn''t realized that she''d actually cried until she felt the tears running down her cheek.

    She covered her mouth and tried to stop the crying, but she failed, and sobbed uncontrobly.

    "Shh, don''t cry. Please..." The Ferrdy cooed softly, hugging her small frame in an attempt tofort her.

    "After what I did... yesterday...he still...gave away 90 million Mora..."

    "I''m not sure what happened but he must care deeply about you. He looked very angry when he arrived. It seems like he heard about the news somewhere and immediately arrived to resolve it."

    *Hic*

    Hu Tao tried hard to hold herself together but her emotions overcame her and soon, she broke downpletely.

    She cried into the Ferrdy''s arms, letting everything she wanted to hold back flow freely through her cries.

    So many emotions ran through her body. Happiness, relief, surprise, gratitude.

    "Yomite...he paid off our debt..." She whispered softly.

    "Are you alright?"

    Hu Tao blinked several times and tried topose herself.

    "Oh...it''s nothing, it''s just..." She sniffled, wiping her eyes dry. "I never even told him about it...this feels a bit...surreal..."

    "That''s understandable!" The Ferrdy said with a smile.

    "We''re all happy for you, Director Hu! Come inside and celebrate with us!"

    Before she could reply, the Ferrdy pulled her inside the funeral parlor and everyone crowded the entrance, making her feel awkward.

    "Ah! Director Hu! Wee!"

    "Director Hu! How was your day?"

    "Greetings, Director Hu!"

    She took a deep breath, calming herself down and smiling as warmly as she could.

    "Everyone, please give me a second!"

    They all nodded and moved aside, allowing her to enter.

    A few moments passed, during which she noticed everyone staring straight ahead, clearly waiting for her to start talking.

    She cleared her throat, trying to gather her thoughts and began speaking once more.

    "Thank you all for giving me this chance. I promise I''ll try my best to make everyone here feel as loved and appreciated as I know they deserve. We''ve had some ups and downs in thest few years, but it''s all over now! This parlor will only flourish! If it weren''t for you all, we wouldn''t be here today. Thank you! Everyone, please enjoy yourselves today!"

    The group cheered enthusiastically at the Director''s words.

    It was a banquet for the entire staff of the parlor, and it was the highlight of their days.

    "Let''s make the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor great again!"

    """Yes, Director Hu!"""

    With that, everyone turned around and went back to chatting andughing, while Hu Tao smiled happily at the crowd.

 Chapter 233

    Chill with us!

    ***

    As Yomite was about to enter the inn, he felt as if someone was staring at him.

    He looked around before seeing an old granny and a rather handsome, tall gentleman looking at him with curious looks on their face.

    Yomite was very familiar with both of them.

    (The granny I met when I entered the city. I think her name was Madame Ping or something...and that bastard Zhongli!)

    Yomite''s eyes narrowed slightly before he approached them.

    His steps were quiet but firm enough to convey his presence.

    "Ah, Young''un!" The old woman greeted with a small smile. "We''ve been waiting for you."

    Yomite stopped in front of her, "Waiting for me? For what?"

    Madame Ping smiled, "Well...you see..." She turned to the man next to her, "It seems that our dear Zhongli had wronged you. Please ept our apologies."

    At that, Yomite raised his eyebrows.

    "Yeah, Zhongli! You better shit out some Mora immediately! I had to pay for my own gift and the stuff you took with you! You just left without paying!? Shit it out now!"

    Zhongli gazed at him in wonder, "Shit out? I''m afraid I''m unfamiliar with such terminology. What exactly would your request entail?"

    "..."

    Seeing that Yomite was about to blow a fuse, the old woman cleared her throat, "I apologize again, Young''un, but please allow me to exin."

    He crossed his arms, "Go ahead, then."

    The granny sighed, "Well, Young''un, the thing is...

    ************

    Around the same time...

    After interrogating the two drunk men, Keqing decided to head home and rest for a bit, so she made her way through the city streets.

    After a couple of minutes, she saw a familiar face walking in front of her.

    "...Ganyu?" She picked up her pace and quickly caught up with her. "Ganyu."

    "Oh... Lady Keqing." Ganyu stopped and turned around, but didn''t look too happy to see her. "What may I do for you? Do you have another assignment for me toplete? Just a word and I''ll do it."

    "No, it''s not work rted. I have a question if you don''t mind."

    Ganyu tilted her head. "What is it? If it''s something from Lady Keqing, it must be important."

    "I heard that you''ve been to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to remind them of their quota. Did you perchance meet a tall man called Yomite Hissha?"

    Ganyu''s eyes lit up like a star. "Yes! Of course! Although I only ever heard his given name, not his family name."

    (I see...so he wasn''t lying after all,) Keqing smiled. "Can you tell me what kind of person he is? Or something about him?"

    "Well..." Ganyu started counting on her fingers. "He was very polite, very friendly, outgoing, respectful, kind, had an enjoyable personality and was alwaysughing... He cheered me up a couple of times and evenplimented me at multiple asions. He really gave me the energy I needed to finish the day and I would love to meet him again to vent about my pro��...O-Oh, I''m sorry...I-I went overboard! I apologize Lady Keqing!"

    Keqing waved off Ganyu''s apology as if saying, it''s fine.

    Then again...

    (This sounds as if she was describing her perfect ideal husband or something akin to that...it waspletely different from the rude and insufferable man I met on the street...) Thought Keqing as she looked at Ganyu fidgeting in front of her.

    "Do you perhaps know where he lives?" She quickly added, hoping Ganyu had some idea.

    "Um...He said he was currently residing in one of the inns in the city. He is from Mondstadt and is visiting this ce only briefly to watch the Rite of Descension," Ganyu answered. "May I ask, why does Lady Keqing ask so much about him?"

    "Something funny has happened just now. He beat up two drunk men that attacked him. It was reported to me by the witnessester, that he was a target of jealousy"

    Keqing kept a tight eye on Ganyu''s expression to see how she reacted.

    And to her surprise, her face immediately changed, her eyebrows knitted together, pulling the skin tight across her forehead.

    "How could those miserable drunk heathens dare to attack such a kind person...O-Oops! I-I''m sorry, I... I''m not quite sure how that one slipped out either...Please pardon my behavior, Lady Keqing."

    Ganyu suddenly flushed bright crimson and hurriedly continued,

    "T-To summarize, he is absolutely charismatic, enthusiastic and humorous. A remarkable gentleman! So, of course I really wish to meet him again, perhaps, umm...we could talk about his worries next time." Her smile was genuine, wide and heartfelt as she looked straight into Keqing''s eyes.

    Keqing couldn''t help but notice Ganyu''s eyes were sparkling.

    There was definitely more behind the story...

    She was baffled by the entire situation.

    Was Ganyu so...interested in this stranger...? Was she attracted to him?

    It was highly unlikely considering Ganyu''s position as the secretary of the Liyue Qixings, not to mention her identity.

    They weren''t that close, but Keqing was aware that Ganyu simply didn''t have time in day for sleeping, much less a silly thing like romance.

    No, the correct conclusion was that she admired the kindness of this character, admired him to a great extent and most likely had something inmon that sparked this kind of behavior to make friends with him.

    That made much more sense.

    So, instead of brooding over her emotions, Keqing cleared her throat,

    "Thank you for answering my questions, Ganyu."

    Though seeing her uncharacteristic behavior was a little disconcerting, Keqing knew Ganyu wouldn''t let it ruin her professionalism.

 Chapter 234

    As I am simply unable to resume to the point I would be writing daily, I have decided on the following schedule.

    Monday : Genshin Fic

    Tuesday : ---

    Wednesday : Genshin Fic

    Thursday : ---

    Friday : Genshin Fic

    Saturday : ---

    Sunday : Helltaker

    I have many new ideas and stuff I want to try out, ill try to juggle it around together with my job and etc to make sure I upload at least three chapters a week of the genshin fic.

    I will release one chapter today and then begin the new schedule I set up.

 Chapter 235

    Chill with us!

    ***

    "Young''un, forgive him. Our dear Zhongli has a little trouble when ites to understanding mortal matters...I was told you already knew about his identity, therefore I shall keep it short. Zhongli doesn''t understand bartering because he has never had a need to save money or try to strike a better deal, he is also a bit behind the times when ites to money and some other things." Madame Ping spoke in an apologetic tone, motioning for Yomite to sit down across from her at the table.

    Yomite wasn''t convinced of this, "I am still confused...if he can just create money out of thin air, why doesn''t he pay with them? He just took the items and ran off!" He folded his arms on the table as he looked up to the granny.

    Madame Ping sighed, looking over at Zhongli, "As the God of Wealth, being able to conjure Mora out of his blood and shell, he can certainly afford almost anything, the problem is, he can only create Mora once per year, and a fixed amount at that. Hence its not customary for him to rely on bringing Mora with him. The old habits die hard, Zhongli was used to not care about Mora at all, as he was never missing it in the first ce. Now, however, the times will change and a new n was set in motion..." Madame Ping smiled wryly, "Zhongli...you already gave it away, didn''t you?"

    Zhongli nodded slowly, "Yes��I have indeed. I am no longer in possesion of it. I originally nned on giving it away the day after tomorrow, but I changed my mind due to unforeseen circumstances." he paused and looked at Yomite, adding softly, "I apologize if I had offended you somehow. I will do my best to keep some of the so called ''pocket change'' on me the next time we visit some establishments."

    "Wait, what''s going on? What are you talking about?" Yomite interrupted, frowning while ncing back and forth between them.

    "I''m sorry Young''un, this is a personal matter," The Granny opened up a pouch in her pocket, pulling out some weird looking teapot and setting it on the table in front of him. "Please ept this as a reimbursement. I can guarantee it has a much higher value than Mora could ever have..."

    "...A teapot?"

    Yomite gaped momentarily at this, then quickly picked it up. He turned it upside down and shook it with vigour, twirling it by the handles, then putting it on the table again.

    "I expected a djinnmp..." he murmured to himself, a bit disappointed.

    "I''m unsure what this Djinn is, however, this teapot has much better uses than what you can possibly think of." Madame Ping gestured towards the top of the ornate teapot, right towards the lid, "Take it off, and a surprise shall await you."

    Hearing this, Yomite didn''t hesitate any further and took off the lid.

    Immediately after, he felt the wind around him picking up rapidly, but it seemed he was the only one being affected by the sudden wind pressure.

    Swirling white, translucent smoke, with a scent of flowers lingered in the air and filled his senses.

    "Wait! What is..."

    The words were cut off by the gale strength of the unnatural wind.

    "I hope you enjoy your trip, Young''un. Please don''t be angry at Morax, I''m sure that within time, he''ll learn how to behave like a proper mortal." Madame Ping bowed and thest thing Yomite saw was the teapot, floating in the air.

    Then, with one swift movement, he was sucked in and vanished.

    Yomite Hissha had disappeared...just like that.

    "Are you sure you should have given that to him...?" Zhongli questioned, looking at Madame Ping with concern in his eyes.

    She smiled gently and reached over to rest her hand on his arm, "Why do you have to be so stubborn ? Don''t worry, everything will work out, Young''un looks like a good boy, he''ll take care of it well enough." she reassured him gently. "Liyue isn''t in danger with him being here at all."

    Zhongli sighed, "I''m unsure if you''ve felt it, but Yomite Hissha isn''t of this world. I''m afraid his mindset might beparably different from humans of this world which in the end, could result in a problem..."

    "You worry too much, even Marchosius took a liking to him." Madame Ping patted his shoulder before standing up and walking away, "I''ll see you aroundter, ''Zhongli''."

    Zhongli watched her leave, before gazing at the crowds of people passing by, "Even Marchosius...If that''s the case..." he murmured quietly. "Then I shall trust your judgement, my friends..."

    It was dark now; darkness, cold silence, nothing.

    Only a faint glow could be seen through the cracks in the nothingness.

    A small gap of light from the outside world shone in through the cracks, casting an eerie shadow of itself over the ground.

    Suddenly, a figure emerged out of a white smoke.

    "What just happened!?"

    The figure was obviously Yomite, who found himself being transported into a different world.

    He stared around at the unfamiliar surroundings, taking in all the sights and sounds.

    Everything was bright and pristine; the sky waspletely clear, devoid of even the smallest specks of dust or pollen.

    The temperature was pleasantly warmpared to the hot air of Liyue.

    There weren''t anyrge clouds in sight; instead, all he could see was the purest blue sky, dotted with several small white dots.

    The grass was vibrant green, swaying gently in the gentle breezeing from above.

    It was peaceful, especially considering how noisy and crowded the city of Liyue was during the daytime.

    Theparison was like night and day.

    Soon, he discovered that there was an ocean of some sort far ahead, where waves of water rolled endlessly into one another in a peaceful manner.

    The ocean seemed endless, stretching far into the distance until the horizon line waspletely lost.

    But unlike thoserge oceans, there were no waves or rippling in the water. Instead, the vast expanse looked more like an ocean from a fairytale.

    "Where did that granny send me...?" Yomite mumbled under his breath, scratching his head slightly.

 Chapter 236

    Chill with us!

    ***

    It seemed as if this different world was arge ind cluster surrounded by endless water.

    There was nothing around him except greennds that seemed to go on forever, but there was something else...in the distance...

    "A mansion?" Yomite asked to himself, squinting as he walked further.

    It was a huge structure that seemed to stretch up high into the heavens. "Well, my mansion is much bigger, but this still looks like a nice ce to live in."

    At some point, someone appeared to notice him, and arge, floating, blue Finch appeared out of nowhere, bowing politely.

    "Well, it seems we have a visitor! Good day, Mr. Yomite! Wee to the Serenitea Pot!" She addressed him, sounding very happy.

    Yomite raised his hands slightly in confusion "Uh�� I''m not really sure what''s going on here��" he admitted, looking at her, then back to the mansion.

    The Bird smiled gently, tilting her head.

    "Oh! Of course! We don''t get many visitors here! I am a teapot spirit, and you may call me Tubby! Ping summoned me here, and told me a few things about you!"

    "Madame Ping? I am afraid I barely even know the granny, what could she have possible even told you?" He asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

    He''d only met her twice in total, and he didn''t think she''d tell outsiders about such insignificant matters if she didn''t know him well enough.

    Tubbyughed, shaking her head, "Nothing special! She said that she had a good feeling about you the moment she saw you! You are a good person who wants to make things right with the world! An uing hero of Liyue!"

    "Eeh...I don''t know about that...it just doesn''t feel very right for me...The hero title is annoying...please don''t mention it again..." Yomite said softly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

    The whole "hero" thing was just in weird...he didn''t exactly want people to think that he was a hero...well, he wanted money and discounts from the food ces, but the whole idea of the hero status seemed just so fake to him...even the way people spoke about it made it sound like they were being stupid.

    Tubby shook her head lightly "I won''t speak of it again!" She promised, "At any rate, you could think of me as a maid or a butler! You may leave all matters regarding the upkeep of this realm to me. Your journey may be far from over, but at least this way, you will have afortable ce to sleep at night! If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to ask me, for there isn''t anyone else who has my services! First of all, I would like to...Eh...why are you...Eh...?"

    Tubby suddenly stopped speaking, staring at Yomite with wide eyes and an unusually stiff posture, "...Uh...Mr. Yomite...why are you petting my head...?"

    Yomite let out a loud chuckle and dropped his hand "Sorry, I didn''t mean to startle you. You are just so adorable I couldn''t help myself. I''ve never seen a Finch sorge before and I felt like I needed to touch your head because it just looked so soft." He exined with a grin,ughing when the bird fluttered nervously.

    She stared at him with her mouth hanging open, "...A-At any rate! I am sure you are unfamiliar with what Teapot Spirit even means! Therefore, I shall give you a short exnation! Usually, Adepti are capable of creating wonderful realms such as this. However, they generally have no time to operate such affairs! Thus we Teapot Spirits were created to help guard their realms and manage their affairs. And herees me! I manage tasks such as maintenance or repairs, and also tend to the garden and other nts in the area, just as well as keeping everything properly clean and tidy!"

    The Bird paused to catch her breath, "Now, allow me to exin this realm to you, Mr. Yomite! This realm is based solely on mana and the natural elements of the Adepti. There are only two kinds of mana here��one kind which flows through objects, and another type which runs through thend and makes things grow. Thetter is more active and the former is dormant. This means that if you were to use the power within this realm, you would be able to create amazing wonders and marvels with so called "Blueprints" just by thinking about the item you wish to create! Of course, there are several limitations. One of them being that, you need to find the materials that the item could be created with."

    "So you are telling me," Yomite said with a grin, "...that if I wished to create any kind of inorganic object, I''d only need a bunch of materials, and that''s it? How do I know what materials I need to craft these objects though?"

    Tubby giggled happily, "That''s easy! All you need to do is to think of an item inside of your mind, and you would immediately know which materials you need to construct such an object! The only problem is that those ingredients require a lot of energy; the more energy you use while creating a creation, the harder it will be for you to replenish it after you''re finished. Either way, feel free to try it out!"

    Yomite nodded and closed his eyes briefly, focusing hard on what Tubby said.

    Slowly, an image began forming in his head.

    After a moment of silence, his eyes snapped open, ''Hmm...alright then. I have an item in mind.''

    Soon enough, a blue light began flickering around his body, and within a few moments, a red, floating screen appeared, hovering above his head.

    �D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D

    Adeptus Hideout : LV 1

    Adeptal Energy : ��100

    Adeptal Energy Recharge : 1 per 10 Minutes

    Number of creations : 0

    Favorite items : None

    �D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D

    "A status screen of some sorts?"

    Yomite muttered as he studied the screen. ''This could reallye in handy!'' he thought to himself, grinning.'' Now, for the first item I wanted to craft...''

    The first thing he wanted to try out, was to create weapons from Earth. If this Tubby was saying the truth, then he could potentially create a tank and bring it outside to have fun.

    But first, he wanted to try something smaller.

    �D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D

    Item Creation : Glock 17

    Energy Needed : ��50

    Materials Needed : White Iron Chunk ��300, Magical Crystal Chunk ��6000

    �D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D

    ''300 white iron chunk I can understand, but what the hell even is a magical crystal and why do I need 6000 chunks of it!? Do I gotta go and mine it in caves like in Minecraft in order to get what I want...? Maybe I could buy it somewhere on the Liyue market...''

    Yomite shook his head and decided he would try to look how many materials would be needed for a tank.

    �D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D

    Item Creation : Nr.1 Leopard 2A7

    Needed Energy : ��50,000

    Materials Needed : White Iron Chunk ��800,000, Magical Crystal Chunk ��6,000,000, Starsilver ��50,000, Noctilucous Jade ��10,000

    �D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D

    "..."

    Yomite stared nkly at the screen.

    "Are you alright, Mr. Yomite? You don''t look so good... Do you require medical attention?"

    He sighed heavily "No...No, I''ll be fine. I''m just a bit...surprised...I guess."

    �D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D

    Item Creation : Bed

    Needed Energy : 5

    Materials Needed : Any Type of Wood ��12, Blue Dye ��3, Red Dye ��3, Wool ��5

    �D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D�D

    (Man...this is hard...I can''t even create a bed...I don''t have any materials. All of the materials we ever collected are in Lumine''s inventory...I need to tell herter.)

    His expression fell slightly "Well, I don''t have materials, so crafting is out of the question for now, but I did gain an understanding on how the process works."

    "That''s great news! From now on, this whole realm with everything in it, including this mansion, and me is yours! Don''t hesitate to make any changes or upgrades you want!"

 Chapter 237

    Chill with us!

    ***

    Yomite entered the mansion behind Tubby, looking around curiously.

    However, he soon realized that it waspletely empty.

    No furniture to speak of, not even a single rug to lie upon, nothing. It honestly looked a little too bare.

    Too lifeless, to be exact.

    "Does this mean I have to create furniture...for my entire...mansion?" Yomite asked quietly, "I mean, how long would that even take...isn''t there any other way?"

    "It depends..." Tubby began, "You can import items from outside of this realm into here, if you already own a house, you can simply ce it in here! Same for the furniture!"

    "Ohhh... that''s great! That means I don''t really need to worry about anything for the time being, I''ll just transfer my mansion in Mondstadt into here and be done with it...but wait...could other people also enter this realm?"

    Tubby nodded, "Indeed they can. However, they require a token of permission which they could use to enter this dimension at any time. But be wary, if a potential enemy somehow managed to get a hold of them, they may enter your realm as well. Here''s 10 of the tokens for now, if needed I can create a few more."

    He took them and inspected them carefully: it was simple.

    They all had the same symbol on them, resembling a triquetra in shape. Three ovepping triangles surrounding each other and with a circle inside of them.

    "The people that wish to enter simply need to hold the token in their hand and wish for it in their mind. Please, only give it to your most trusted allies when necessary. I have no offensive capabilities to speak of, so if someone invaded this realm with malicious intent, I''m afraid you''ll find yourself facing very nasty consequences."

    "You''re worrying too much. I trust everyone in my party and we''re all pretty powerful. I would say we could fend off anyone who came in here with hostile intentions."

    "Alright! That''s settled then!" said Tubby, pping her hands together, "If you wish to return to your realm, simply repeat the same process as before, and it shall give you a passage."

    "Alright, see ya for now, Tubby."

    He pet her head before repeating the process of removing the lid of the teapot once again, turbulent winds immediately took a hold of him.

    "...H-Have a nice day, Mr. Yomite."

    Soon enough...

    Yomite reappeared in front of the table where Madame Ping and Zhongli had previously sat, though they were no longer there.

    "Ah, now that I''vepleted my tasks for the day, it''s time for me to shower and go on my date...today was very busy..."

    He was already exhausted, but he didn''t dare to show it. After all, he had a date waiting for him to end the day on a high note.

    There were no girls in the room when he arrived at the inn.

    He went to take a quick shower before going outside to look for her.

    ***

    **

    *

    *

    **

    ***

    Fischl, no...''Amy'' was strolling the street rocking her usual outfit. Seeing that Yomite had still not returned, she decided to take a short walk outside.

    Lumine went fishing and exploring the outskirts of Liyue with Barbara, Paimon, and Iris and as for Hu Tao, she had gone somewhere unknown.

    She was now on her own.

    While she was walking around, an unknown man approached her in full view in front of a dark alley.

    Fischl took a step back without saying anything, but he blocked her way.

    "What art thou doing? Stop impeding the flow of traffic." She demanded, but the man had other ns.

    "Sure, I''ll let you go after you tell me your name, Cutie."

    The man extended his hand towards her, but it was swiftly retracted after being intercepted by a much taller man stepping in.

    "I''m Yomite Hissha. A Pisces born on February 28th. Blood type 0. Don''t touch her just because she is darn cute, she''s mine. Is there anything else you wanna know?"

    "A-Ah��no thank you��"

    After a stiff bow, the man chose to run away.

    Fischl''s eyes lit up at this, a smile crossing her lovely features and she turned her gaze to the man in front of her.

    "Star Lord!...Ehm...Yomite! I''ve been waiting!" She called, running over to him.

    His bright golden irises shifted to the girl in front of him.

    "If it isn''t Amy, I finally found you!"

    The precious girl he invited on a date yesterday. It was finally time.

    He held out a hand for her to take, and watched as her face broke into a small smile.

    Amy looked absolutely adorable with a light flush covering her cheeks.

    She took his hand and gave a small squeeze.

    "S-So what are we going to...do?"

    She asked, looking up at him.

    Amy had a n in mind, but first, she wanted to see whether he nned to do something or not.

    Yomite nced down, his gaze softening when she began to tug at her dress.

    It was such a cute sight.

    (How can she be so cute?!)

    He shook his head slightly before turning to look at her again, "I will leave it up to you this time, how about it?"

    Her eyes sparkled when she heard that, and she nodded vigorously.

    (Cute...)

    The two of them started to walk down the streets, their hands still intertwined.

    They talked casually as they strolled around, trying to figure out where they would go first.

    Liyue was vast, and there were plenty of locations they could visit, Fischl knew this well enough.

    However, Yomite had been here for a few day at most, so it was up to Fischl to pick a good spot this time.

    And so she did.

    "Have you ever heard of a ''cold spring''?"

    "A cold spring? Can''t say I have... I''ve only ever been to hot springs..."

    "Well... I''ve been thinking that...maybe we could visit it together...?"

    "Sure? Anything you want."

    Her dreamlike eyes shone brightly when he uttered those words.

 Chapter 238

    Chill with us!

    ***

    For a second, he had to stop and give Amy a kiss.

    She was just so adorable he couldn''t help himself.

    "E-Eeeh?"

    Yomite bit back hisughter when she jumped in shock and nearly bumped into him due to his action.

    "...Y-You can''t do that out of nowhere!" She pouted when heughed.

    "My mistake...I just feel like hugging you so much!" He exined calmly.

    Her petite frame was incredibly adorable, small though she was, he felt a flutter in his heart whenever he looked at her.

    He simply wanted to hold her close and never let her go.

    Amy gently elbowed him softly and raised an eyebrow at him.

    A light blush covered her cheeks, her light green irises sending messages to him without speaking aloud, yet he understood all too well.

    The pair made their way to the area she spoke about earlier, where the cold spring was located.

    It wasn''t located inside of Liyue, but rather found itself nestled between two cliffs, almost invisible to the untrained eye.

    They reached it quite easily, walking up a small set of steps.

    The crystal at its center glittered silver, almost inviting a passerby to swim within the heart of the spring''s beauty.

    The wind taunted the waters below gently, creating beautiful ripples as they spread across the surface.

    "We''re here! This is the entrance."

    "It looks pretty."

    Yomite was fighting Childe in a location near this but had no idea something like this even existed here...

    He grabbed Amy''s hips and pulled her into him, kissing her softly once more.

    "Y-Yomite, calm down!...please...?"

    Her request was almost enough to break his self-control. The faintest hint of weakness appeared on her smooth pink lips.

    "Don''t worry, it''s just my self-defense mechanism. I have to preventively hug and kiss you like this because you''re so adorable." He chuckled when he ced one final kiss on her flushed cheek.

    His warm scent suddenly enveloped Fischl as he proceeded to pull her further into his embrace.

    She closed her eyes, losing herself within the moment.

    Her hands pressed against his chest lightly, enjoying the feeling as she hummed.

    Slowly the pair dissolved their embrace.

    "I-I-I don''t know how to think properly under these circumstances��! You can''t just so that..."

    Amy faintly giggled her voiceced with embarrassment, clearly the happiest person in the world at the time.

    Her petite frame swayed side to side, trying to maintain bnce despite her feelings of innocence.

    She ran her fingers through her blonde hair, scratching her scalp nervously, her insides screaming that he should reach out to touch her, tofort her in whatever manner he wanted...to hug her as long as he wanted...yet saying her wishes out loud was impossible...

    "L-Let''s enter the establishment first!" She announced quietly, cing a slight bend in her legs so that she could walk more straight without losing bnce.

    Yomite lowered his arms and motioned for her to proceed.

    "Alright."

    Once they entered the building, a woman in her thirties greeted them politely while providing directions to the showers avable.

    They took off their clothes as instructed, took a shower and changed into towels provided next to the changing rooms.

    Of course, women and men were separated, the natural order of things.

    Amy nced at the woman behind the counter, whispering her something before the woman revealed a teasing grin, leaning forward.

    "Of course! There''s no one booked for the day, you''ll be both all alone~" She gestured to the baths "Enjoy your time~"

    Amy shyly thanked her and blushed. It seemed that the woman saw through her hidden intentions perfectly.

    They eventually found their way to the bathing chamber together.

    Both of them were wrapped in towels that covered their entire bodies.

    "Why don''t you go in first..." Amy stated softly, making sure to gaze downwards before fixing her eyes on the ground.

    Yomite rubbed his chin lightly before nodding, "Sure."

    He stepped into the water and sat down on top of a stone bench, letting the cold, soothing sensation seep into his skin.

    He slowly closed his eyes and exhaled a deep breath, allowing himself to rx.

    From there, his eyes drifted upwards until they fixed themselves upon Amy''s pretty face.

    She didn''t wear an eye patch today, instead showing off the left side of her face beautifully.

    Amy''s face was naturally gorgeous, without cosmetics to add anything more special, revealing nothing less than what nature gave her: an adorable and a fairplexion, just like that of a doll.

    The green orbs of hers almost resembled those of crystals, gazing at him intently.

    And he couldn''t deny that when faced with such a look of adoration, he could only stare back into those magnificent eyes.

    "I-It''s pretty cold..." She murmured, testing the temperature of the water with her toes, causing Yomite to chuckle

    "I''m actually enjoying this cold spring, I had no idea something like this existed. Come, let me warm you up."

    He moved closer to the surface, grabbing her by the waist gently and drawing her closer.

    His arms reached out towards her, allowing her smaller form to rest upon hisp without fuss.

    Her blond hairy upon her shoulders as she turned her head slightly sideways, leaning her back against his chest.

    Amy wasfortably resting on him,pletely epting what hade about naturally between them.

    Even if they didn''t share any sort of conversation, sitting so close to his groin like this would result in indecent thoughts being fired into his brain, and he could easily tell which direction that would likely go.

    (She''s so adorable...) He thought to himself before his arms encircled her slender waist gently, drawing her closer to his body as his fingertips brushed along her toned stomach whichy underneath the towel.

 Chapter 239

    His fingers soon came to rest on a certain part of her anatomy, her legs, causing her to squirm slightly.

    "Ah..."

    "What is it?" Yomite asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

    "It tickles..." Her voice trailed off.

    "Is that so?"

    His index finger traced the curve of her spine, causing her to moan softly.

    When he continued to explore her body, Amy''s breath quickened.

    "...Yomite, this feels really nice..." Amy sighed happily, tilting her head upwards slightly to look at him.

    "I''m d you''re enjoying yourself." He replied before nting gentle kisses along her exposed neck, the softness of her skin almost melting into his lips.

    His hands were now resting on her shoulders, the tips of his thumbs pressing down ever so slightly.

    Suddenly, something caught his attention.

    An odd symbol carved onto her skin.

    As he stared, his curiosity got the better of him, "What is this? A tattoo?"

    "Huh?!" Her face suddenly reddened, pulling away from his grasp.

    It was without a doubt, a purple ck tattoo of wings on her back .

    "I-I-I...uh..n..no..!"

    It was impossible not to notice the dark red shade spreading across her fair skin, which brought a wide smile to his face.

    "I''m sorry, Amy, I didn''t know you would be ufortable about it..."

    "...It''s fine...it''s not something I''d normally show anyway...I...just don''t want people to see it��" Her voice trembled slightly.

    "It looks cute though...it suits you perfectly. I like it very much. I can''t believe I haven''t noticed it before."

    "I...made it myself."

    "Made it yourself? But how did you manage to do that? It''s on your back after all."

    "Well...ummm..." Amy sighed, "It was a challenge and it took some time..."

    "I see. So what does it represent?"

    "..."

    "Amy?"

    "It''s..." she hesitated, "...It doesn''t represent anything...I just..."

    Amy sighed and ced her hand atop Yomite''s arm.

    "I just wanted to have a tattoo, because you had one..."

    Yomite looked at her in bewilderment.

    "You have a dragon tattoo on your arm...so I was thinking that maybe I could have a tattoo as well...so that we had something in..mon..."

    Amy buried her face in her hands, unable to keep looking at him as she spoke.

    The amount of shame that washed over her was almost unbearable.

    Why would she even bring up that embarrassing memory?

    If the situation wasn''t like this right now, she would''ve pped herself right now for bringing it up.

    Not long after Fischl joined his party, she couldn''t sleep at night, thinking about all the new interesting people she met.

    But especially about him.

    Not only did he let her join the party, he was also kind to her, and he even understood what she was saying while other people were confused about her cryptguage.

    As a sign of making her first real friend, she stayed up all night and made this tattoo as a stain of the evil lord, congratting her on making a friend.

    She didn''t think much of it since Yomite had one that was much bigger in sizepared to hers, and it wasn''t like anybody would ever see it.

    Little did she know that within time, this tattoo held a much deeper meaning, now that they''ve entered a rtionship...

    (...Incredibly embarrassing!)

    Amy shook her head slightly to try and shake that embarrassing memory away, yet that only made her embarrassed and even more anxious.

    However, her sudden confession caused Yomite''s jaw to fall open.

    "Just because of...me?" His voice was filled with disbelief, but mostly shock due to her admission.

    Her blush spread throughout her entire face as she nodded.

    "Yeah...you were my first ever friend...and I felt happy, happy that I finally found somebody that truly cared about me... please... let''s not talk about it or else I might faint out of shame..."

    Hearing what she said, his facial expression quickly softened.

    Yomite turned her around on hisp so she was facing him and leaned towards her.

    Without saying anything, he nted a soft kiss on her forehead.

    "I love you."

    "...I-I love you too...Uwaah!?"

    Before Amy knew what was happening, Yomite removed the white towel that covered most of her body and slid his hand to cup her rear cheek, holding her steady as he leaned in closer towards her.

    He pressed his lips against Amy''s in a slow yet passionate kiss, his tongue swiping across her lower lip and sliding inside her mouth to deepen their embrace.

    Their tongues danced against each other''s for a brief moment before Yomite pulled away.

    A light pink shade decorated the young girl''s cheeks. Her eyes were to his, waiting anxiously for the inevitable next move to happen.

    Amy instinctively raised one of her arms up and rested her hand on his chest, gently caressing his skin with her palm while still gazing into her boyfriend''s eyes intently, awaiting his response.

    He observed every little detail about her.

    From her bright emerald eyes, to her long eyshes, to the tip of her nose.

    Everything about Amy seemed so delicate, yet sexy and enticing at the same time.

    Yomite then brought his thumb to stroke the bottom corner of her lips ever so slightly.

    It seemed like she liked the sensation, as she parted her lips slightly, allowing him to slide his thumb through and caress her tongue.

    Her breathing became more ragged with each passing second; he was taking his sweet time, teasing her gently as he drew little circles around the tip of her tongue.

    "So beautiful..." His voice sounded almost hypnotic.

    This was undoubtedly the most intimate thing he had done to her up till now.

    "...Yomite��"

    All of a sudden, Yomite pulled back, leaving a shocked Amy behind.

    Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, cascading down onto his exposed chest, hisrge hands gently grasping her waist and pulling her closer.

    As he did this, Yomite became very conscious of the fact that his erection was now pressing against Amy''s lower half, causing him to wince inwardly.

    But he knew that this moment would be short lived; as she leaned against him, her petite breasts brushing against his bare chest, the need to satisfy his primal instinct to possess her, overwhelmed him.

    In a desperate attempt to ignore the growing difort in his groin and the desire to ravish her right then and there, he focused on Amy''s soft body and the way her eyes gazed dreamily up at him.

    "I-I think we should get out of the water and rest somewhere..." Amy whispered breathlessly.

    "Hm?"

    Her cheeks reddened, she had been hoping that her words would not make her feel embarrassed, but she knew that she was probably going too far...

    Thankfully, he didn''t seem to mind and merely nodded his head.

    "Okay, anything you want."

    Yomite lifted her off of hisp and both of them left the spring carefully, making sure not to slip on the wet ground.

    He tried to calm himself down in the meantime.

    As they exited the spring, his hand intertwined with Amy''s own, the two of them headed towards a room they were given an ess to...

 Chapter 240

    Nothing for a while. Hope you enjoy.

    Did not proofread for shit so you might find some mistakes...

    Chill with us!

    ***

    Lying on a in bed in equally in room was Amy.

    In contrast to her outstretched limbs, her expression was dyed with shame.

    Her head had dropped down into the pillow, hiding her face as much as possible from the man standing in front of the bed.

    Her eyes were squeezed shut so tight she could barely see him staring at her in amusement.

    She wanted nothing more than to hide under a nket and disappear, why did she have to try doing something so bold?

    Her body curled in on itself, as if trying to hide from the world.

    The room was eerily quiet, save for the sound of her breathing, and that of the steady beating of her heart. It was loud enough for it to be heard in the silence surrounding her.

    The man slowly approached her, his footsteps echoing throughout the empty room. He sat himself next to her on the edge of the bed, not bothering to reach out for her, he just stared at her. His bright golden eyes watching every movement of hers carefully.

    "Not afraid, are we now?"

    His deep voice questioned yfully, a grin adorning his face.

    After all, she was the one who initiated this intimate setting, invited him here, and allowed him to touch her...

    She wasn''t going to run away from him now, though; not when the opportunity presented itself.

    At first, Yomite nned on having a peaceful date, but who would have thought his cute girl would gather enough courage and force such lewd ideas upon him.

    With him being the prince of her dreams, however, he would certainly wee her n and make the best out of it to make both of them feel good.

    "I-I''m not scared," Amy defended shakily.

    "You shouldn''t be, I don''t bite. Still, you''re beautiful and so adorable when you flush like that."

    Her face reddened deeper and deeper with each word uttered. "...T-Thank you..."

    Barely able to breathe properly, she dared to nce over at him, catching sight of his close proximity, watching him gaze curiously at her.

    His sharp eyes and full mouth sent adrenaline surging through her blood.

    There was nowhere in Teyvat she''d rather be right now than in his arms. Her cheeks took on a rosy hue at the sight.

    Seeing him near her as well made her skin warm, anticipating his powerful scent mixing with hers, pushing its way into her nostrils.

    Unbidden, tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

    "��Yomite,"

    He gently tilted her chin up, gazing lovingly at her at that very moment.

    Leaning forward, he lightly brushed his lips against hers.

    His hand moved slowly along her thigh, feeling her whole body tremble.

    Without any warning, he removed the towel, revealing the faint and perfect pale flesh underneath, her smooth and toned legsing into view and weing his touch. She was nowpletely bare before him.

    He gazed into her eyes for a brief moment, as if thinking how to proceed with the gorgeous woman in front of him, before unexpectedly leaving a kiss on her thigh, tickling her. "Yomite��?!"

    Amy called out, a slight whine escaping from between clenched teeth. She was so embarrassed by her current situation, she didn''t even know what to do with herself right now.

    Touches and kisses of his on her leg made her timid reactions turn into strong response.

    However, his touch also seemed to soothe her anxiety somewhat, bringing her mind back to reality as she rxed somewhat... Her breath also hitched slightly in anticipation as she felt his fingers slowly move upwards.

    Feeling a bit bold, he continued to kiss down her knee until he reached her ankle, kissing the tender spot gently as if making sure not to hurt her in anyway.

    "Hnnn..."

    She let out an involuntary noise as her entire body trembled once again.

    It was hard for her to remain calm. It was too easy to elicit pleasurable moans from the petite woman beneath him.

    As he continued kissing her leg, his hands began to travel higher, reaching the soft parts of her thighs.

    "Ahn!?"

    Amy gasped softly, moaning as he proceeded to suckle on her thighs, alternating between nibbling at them and caressing them with his.

    He trailed kisses up the inside of her thigh, pausing every so often to nuzzle against her skin before proceeding to climb her leg higher up.

    Her breathing became heavier with each step he traveled upwards, her toes spreading apart ever so invitingly.

    The heat within her stomach grew hotter, causing her heart rate to quicken even further.

    As expected, her smell was unique and strongly arousing, sending his libido soaring higher and higher in response.

    Finally arriving at his destination, he immediately pressed his lips against her entrance.

    Before she knew it, he was already licking her most precious ce, causing goosebumps to erupt across her skin.

    A heavy moan escaped from her throat as her arousal intensified. His tongue traced the contours of her sex, teasing her sensitive flesh.

    She gasped for air, her hands gripping onto the edge of the mattress below her tightly. His tongue felt divine, incredibly soothing, mixing together perfectly with his fingers that began caressing her clit.

    This was it.

    This was what she had been waiting for all this time, albeit what she was also afraid of...

    She couldn''t help the whimper which escaped her lips as he slipped his tongue deeper and deeper inside her.

    A small cry left her throat as she felt something foreign slip past her barrier.

    Her heart was pounding erratically in her chest, causing her pulse to skyrocket. Suddenly, an odd sensation washed over her, leaving her dazed and unable to concentrate on anything else.

    It felt like a thousand little butterflies had taken flight within her tummy.

    They fluttered their wings, creating gentle beats against her insides. Tenderly, he began fondling her lower region, working hard to please her trembling core.

    A wave of euphoria passed through her and she became more and more lost within her own blissful haze.

    Everything around her wentpletely silent. All she heard was her heartbeat roaring loudly in her ears. It sounded like it wasing closer, and closer...

    Her thoughts began to scatter, making no sense whatsoever,pletely intoxicated by the feel of his light kisses.

    And then she felt it; a light tingle spreading throughout her entire body.

    Like someone had just tickled her in her belly.

    Immediately, her vision began to blur and her muscles stiffened.

    The only thing remaining within her vision was the outline of Yomite''s figure looming over her, hisrge hands caressing her thighs, massaging them.

    She felt a burst of pleasure pass through her body, causing her muscles to contract in reaction.

    The feeling of climax quickly followed suit and she squirmed slightly beneath him, her feet instinctively resting on his back, while he continued his relentless assault on her.

    The divine liquid emitted by her gushed outwards, emptying into the bed sheets underneath her as her muscles seized up in pleasure. Her legs spread wider and wide, letting go of all restraint.

    Through tear stained eyes, she looked down at the man who continued servicing her in slow and tantalizing motion...

    When her orgasm had long since gone, she felt slightly fatigued due to the excessive amount of juice being produced.

    The final sensation was that of pure exhaustion taking hold, washing over every pore of her being.

    Her loins were pulsating like fire, requiring constant rhythm.

    As the initial spasms subsided, she found herself unable to move at all.

    Her mind waspletely nk as shey there, utterly spent. It seemed that time stopped altogether once she came, but only for a short while.

    It felt as though minutes flew past quicker than she could handle.

    It was just forey, though. A preview of what would soon follow...

    What would happen next though?

    How could she even begin to fathom what awaited her?

    And how was she supposed to move when she was no longer feeling any coherent thoughts from her head?

    Her senses simply didn''t function anymore, turning off one by one, like a failed fuse box.

    "Yomite..." She whispered, trying to regain some semnce of awareness, but failing miserably.

    Amy was aware this was just the ''beginning'' of something bigger and more permanent that awaited them both.

    She knew she wasn''t truly prepared to experience anything more amazing than this moment.

    Yomite, with great patience and love, tended to her.

    He kissed away each of her tears as they slipped from her green eyes and set right onto her beautiful face.

    When his tongue finally ventured into her mouth again, Amy melted like butter.

    Another soundless groan escaped from her lips as she weed his passionate sensual dance inside her warm mouth.

    His skillful mouth was nothing short of incredible.

    But perhaps most astounding of all was the sheer power behind the slow movements of his fingers kneading her waist.

    Yomite did not desire any hasty advances; instead, he savored every minute detail of this woman''s experience and wanted to make eure she enjoyed it as much as possible.

    It was Amy''s first time having such vigorous attention given to her erogenous zones.

    Being a virgin, Amycked experience in matters of physical intimacy.

    Therefore, she was still very unprepared for the effects of passionate arousal she was experiencing within the tiny confines of the room.

    She let him take the lead, as he was clearly more experienced in the realm of sensuality.

    And the electricity between them was so sweetly natural and delicate, infinitely beautiful to witness.

    In spite of all his gentleness, however, her smooth skin turned tense under his hot hands.

    As he caressed his palms softly across her hips, she squeezed her legs closed.

    Soon after, she dug her heels firmly into the bedsheets and turned slightly sideways so as not to impede the forey.

    Everything was going well, but there was something going through her mind at this exact wonderful moment...

    "Yomite...did you have a...lover before you met Hu Tao?"

    Although barely intelligible, her voice rang clear above the crescendo of bliss he was sustaining upon her.

    "..."

    This caused an uncharacteristically awkward few moments of silence, "...Yomite?"

    "...Eh...a few..."

    Just then, his warm breath captured the tip of her earlobe, startling her.

    She tilted her neck upwards towards his touch, epting his yful kiss gently upon the shell of her ear.

    "I''m sorry if it''s personal...I would just like to know."

    Once more he paused.

    "...I''ve...been with around nine girls before I met Hu Tao and you...but..." His tone was unsure as he considered what to say before he finally made his final decision.

    She was his lover, someone who would apany him for a very long time.

    She deserved to know a bit.

    "Not in this world...I am not from this world..."

    "I know." She murmured in a gentle manner, "I knew for quite some time, and I''m happy you finally considered me trustworthy enough to tell."

    He froze in shock, staring intently at her.

    That threw him offpletely.

    His identity had been a secret for the most part, no one really knew. Hu Tao was the only one who found out by herself due to being way too smart for her own good, and now it seemed that Amy also knew the truth for quite some time.

    Maybe it wasn''t really bad to tell his closestrades of his true identity.

    Zhongli found out Yomite was not of this world the moment he saw him. If other godlike beings could see through him with one look, he saw no point in hiding it from his party members...

    What was the best choice regarding his identity?

    He didn''t know...but for now, he decided to tell his closest people the truth they deserved to know.

    "I''m sorry for not mentioning it sooner...but it''s just such an unbelievable thing I thought telling somebody about it would do me more harm than good."

    He didn''t like it when protagonists in isekai stories told other people they were reborn into their world, but he didn''t see any harm in telling his close friends in this case.

    Quite the opposite, actually.

    Amy smiled, and said with sincerity: "I understand, please know that I don''t mind that you hid it from us...that being said... I''m very interested about your world...but don''t talk about it now..." She brought his hand towards her entrance and spoke again, "Please make love to me."

    He wasn''t expecting that determined reply and nodded in agreement, sliding one finger carefully into her.

    Not to deep, just enough to preserve her hymen. She was wet enough to make it almost frictionless.

    Her eyes closed against the unbearable vulnerability of being spread out naked and fingered

    The warm finger prated her slick folds, resulting in a long drawn out groan her body was incapable of suppressing.

    "Hnh...ah...!?''

    Groaning deeply, she tightened her muscles around it, desperately wishing he''d put another inside of her instead of that single digit.

    Taking a deep breath, she summoned thest bits of energy within her, somehow finding the strength to lift her hips to meet his movements.

    The single finger moved in and out in a leisure pace, milking all the pleasure from her sensitive tissue.

    Soon enough, a second soft finger joined its partner in prating her entirely, tickling and touching ces of intense pleasure she hadn''t felt before.

    With each thrust of the two fingers moving in unison, she found it increasingly difficult to breathe properly and the sweat dripping down from her brow was beginning to dry upon the sheets below her.

    No words or thoughts left her head, her senses just focused on the purely delicious sensations rocking through her entire system.

    Her blush reached as far down as her neck by the time she finally exploded into an unending stream of wetness, her body convulsing violently and releasing a powerful flood of fluids which drenched both his fingers and the mattress below her.

    After some time passed, Yomite pulled his fingers out of her and wiped away the sticky substance with the corner of the sheet.

    Her breathing was heavy, her heart racing, she couldn''t bring herself to open her eyes for fear of losing any little bit of that overwhelming orgasm that was still swirling in her head.

    "Nnh, mwah..."

    His finger entered her once more and he gently began kissing Amy again and again, so she would rx and ept his intentions fully.

    She slowly inhaled him in, until it got to a point she couldn''t help but be overwhelmed with him.

    She surrendered, loving how pleasurable and fulfilling it felt to be taken over by him, to be at his mercy under his weight in such a romantic manner.

    He caressed her breasts lightly, wrapping hisrge hand around the petite twin peaks and fondling them to drive her deeper into heat with her submission.

    With a timid look of lust in her eyes, her nipples hardened under his caring touch, teasing his fingers along for stronger, firmer tugs. "Mm...Kiss me..."

    She gasped, clutching his shoulders to deepen the intensity.

    It seemed that kisses were what she craved, a weakness that did not escape him.

    He kissed her tenderly, turning that delicate redness on her cheeks up to mes with his sincere kiss, which radiated with care and affection for her.

    As per the passionate desire shown in her flushed face and fumbling body, it became clear her intentions had been set out.

    Slowly, deliberately, he increased his hand movements, not pushing them into hyperdrive, rather building the momentum carefully from the start.

    She yearned for the sensation to never end, she was crying, yet her eyes begged him for more.

    He flicked his tongue against her exquisite breasts, savoring her twitches and moans.

    In response to the intimate gesture, Amy clutched his hair, her nails scratching lightly against his scalp as she moaned softly, her body trembling and quivering under his onught.

    Every time he touched her, she moaned.

    He didnt know if it was simply pleasure she was experiencing, or if she was that ticklish. Maybe a bit of both.

    But it made no difference. He adored each movement, testing every inch of her skin with light feathery touches while still keeping the pressure down and consistent, prolonging the overall experience.

    For sure though, there was no pain in her cries. At least not yet.

    Yomite''s eyes remained glued to her beautiful form, with main focus being her delighted entrance.

    He knew it before...but...

    (It''s...so small...)

    He felt a sense of D��j�� vu...

    It was soaking wet, but could it really fit his...?

    Hu Tao was highly acrobatic so they somehow managed to do it without a problem, but Fischl was nowhere near as flexible as her...

    (I need to be careful...)

    As he gazed at her most precious part while thinking, Amy started to tear up, afraid he was disattisfied with something.

    His mind was racing as he stared at her and swallowed thickly, the sight of her being so beautiful was making his member throb.

    He saw she was plenty wet, but just to make sure she was feelingfortable, he massaged her entrance some more.

    Taking his towel off, he put it aside and positioned himself between her legs, gently parting them.

    Both of them were now, fully naked.

    Amy gulped down after seeing his member. She didn''t cry or turn away.

    He didn''t know whether she was moved by courage or by cowardice.

    Amy stared at his member with a hint of disbelief. "...Th-That''s...incredible..."

    She saw his hard-on when she gave him ap pillow all those weeks ago, yet seeing it directly in front of her, made her feel a bit frightened.

    She had never seen a real penis before and had always assumed from some books she read that most men had a small and slim size, in order to better enter a woman.

    However, seeing the full length of it right in front of her, was quite shocking to say the least.

    The thought of having something this big inside of her made her want to shrink away.

    But the fact that it was his, made her feel a bit of relief. It was reassuring to have the knowledge that he didn''t n to hurt her.

    "Can I?" he asked quietly, not wanting to scare her.

    Though she wasn''t exactly scared, she definitely had her reservations.

    And that included the thought of something so massive going inside of her.

    Even if it was nothing harmful, there was a chance that it might be quite painful...

    She took a few seconds to answer, "Yes..." and unconsciously nodded in reply, overwhelmed by the warmth and love he projected towards her with those sparkling golden orbs.

    Once she did, he began to slowly push it inside of her, causing her to wince in slight difort.

    "Sorry," he apologised, noticing she grimaced.

    Amy nodded. "...Don''t worry about it...Ugh..."

    Once the first inch had entered her, she gasped, immediately tensing up tightly.

    "Ah...!" she cried out weakly as she felt a sharp stabbing pain, causing her body to tense even more.

    "Are you okay? Does it hurt?" he inquired, ncing down at her in worry.

    She nodded, biting her lower lip.

    However, after a few moments, she realised that it was starting to get easier to bear, as she became ustomed to the strange invasion and began focusing more on the sensations, rather than worrying about how long it would take for the painful process to finish.

    With every inch that she pushed into him, she gradually began to rx and enjoy it, her back arching and her legs spreading wider, trying to get used to the invasion further down her body.

    Meanwhile, Yomite was in disbelief.

    He expected it to be a tight fit, but this was way beyond his expectations...

    (She is even tighter than Hu Tao...I don''t think I can go through this...)

    "Nhahh...Aaaahh..."

    She winced in pain as his throbbing penis pried open her soft, hot walls, stretching the tissue with some difficulty.

    Half of his penis was almost all the way in now and thendslide of pleasure crashing over him was unbelievable.

    Yomite took her lips, trying to ease her pain.

    He didn''t think a single kiss was going to heal the anguish and pain of losing her virginity, but at the very least, she did look a lot less pained now.

    Her prince just took her virginity.

    He was real, and not a figment of her imagination.

    He was kissing her and making love to her at this very moment.

    "You''re doing great," He praised her, "You''re amazing, just bear it for a few more minutes and the pain will pass."

    "Haah...ngh."

    The sight of the blood dripping from the point of their union was strangely erotic, stirring him uncontrobly as his erection pulsated insistently inside of her.

    Still...

    Seeing her wince so much made him ask in worry, "...Should I...wait a bit after all?"

    "Nho...ish...not that bad..." She replied, slightly breathless from the pain.

    "Okay..." He continued with his movement while lowering his head to give her a deep kiss.

    He was sure it must have been hurting quite a bit.

    It didn''t stop her from returning his passion however, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing their lips even closer together, deepening their embrace.

    Her sweet aroma filled his senses and he enjoyed her scent even more.

    Her natural musk caused excitement to boil in his veins.

    All that was left was to let nature take its course and engage with her beautypletely.

    Fischl was embarrassed, but happy.

    She just wanted to seal their rtionship as fast as possible, feeling slightlypetitive as Hu Tao was winning by a long mile and was rubbing it to her face at any asion she could...

    And he epted Fischl''s decision swiftly.

    Little by little.

    Just as he was thinking how he passed a certain threshold where the resistance on her part was weaker, his member slid right in and pressed into her deepest spot.

    Fischl''s core was so hot he felt his brain melting away.

    Rendered unable to think by the pleasure, he mindlessly leaned down to kiss her again and again.

    Fischl, still unustomed to the feeling of his penis inside of her, twisted around and took a few harsh breaths... Dropps of sweat appeared on her forehead, but in spite of her obvious difort, she looked satisfied and happy.

    Unable to bear it any longer, he slowly started to move back and forth, pushing his penis in and out of her pussy.

    Every thrust of his hips was followed by a lewd squelch noise that echoed throughout the quiet room.

    He didn''t want to check if it was from the blood, her love juices or his precum...

    The sounds added to his already high emotions, until his body temperature was spiking wildly and he did whatever he could to relieve some of that pressure.

    Her breath became hotter and hotter.

    They kissed and embraced deeply, letting themselves drown in the blissful sensations as their bodies moved in perfect synchronization.

    The pleasure of her sweet entrance around his member enveloped himpletely.

    Her erotic sighs tickled his cheek, she was so different from the Fischl he had always known.

    From gentle and cool, she turned into someone needy, ardent, and sexy, allowing him free reign and ess to her soul.

    Sure enough, everything he desired came true within the sweet haze, confirming how true these feelings were between them.

    Her strong, womanly scent and her moans filled the room and pushed him into overdrive, sending him pouding into her.

    He couldn''t stop, it felt too good, but he wanted to feel even better, so he mmed his hips against hers again and again...

    Without another word, he lifted her legs high above his head and pressed his face onto her smooth calves, licking and sucking her sweaty flesh feverishly, excited with the rush of her pheromones flooding his brain.

    He worshipped her legs for as long as possible.

    Then,pletely captivated by the taste of his princess, his mouth moved upwards to attack her feet, nting several kisses across her delicate skin.

    Just devouring them like dessert at the best meal ever.

    "Y-Yomite!?" she cried out in surprise, she was looking puzzled and embarrassed by his sudden antics, "I-I took a shower...but feet are dirty..."

    "Shush, it''s fine..." he gazed into her green eyes, "Your natural smell and taste gives me goosebumps... I''m showing my love right here right now��a little massage for my lover after she gathered so much courage is the least I can do for you."

    "...A-Alright...if that''s what you wish for..."

    Embarrassed, she turned her face away and hid behind her shaking hands...Trying desperately to hide her red cheeks.

    All her sexy parts were clean and smooth.

    Her skin was unbelievably soft and her taste was intoxicating like honey to his pte.

    Any part of her body made him go crazy and her reactions to everything were so honest, innocent and sensual.

    This girl...she just made him so damn horny...to the point he wanted to taste everything he desired...

    The genuine innocence running through her being made him incredibly turned on...

    Her reactions during sex showed just how pure of heart she truly was, and more importantly... That she trusted him implicitly.

    Unlike Hu Tao, who became extremely erotic the moment they had sex for the first time, Fischl, or rather...Amy was just so charming no matter what she did or said.

    Everything about her seemed endearing and cute, which added to her overall attractiveness.

    It was a specialbo of innocence, vulnerability and a willingness to admit her feelings that drove him wild with lust.

    Her body, slightly cold from the spring water was slowly warming up in his warm embrace, and the sound of her gentle whimpers and gasps were making him lose all rationality...

    They were melting and bing one from this.

    With each of her moans, his desire to conquer her was stirred up inside of him. He wanted to do so many things to this woman but he knew that she wasn''t ready yet for any of it.

    After several minutes of savoring her legs and slowly pumping into her with a steady motion, he picked up the pace. His hardening penis was throbbing rapidly due to constant friction with her bottom cheeks, while his entire body began quivering uncontrobly at the heavenly wetness of her.

    His erection finally reached its limit. His entire body stiffened and trembled violently. It felt like his heart had stopped beating.

    Soon enough, the sensations grew stronger and louder until finally, an explosive release burst forth from within, releasing all of his seed deep within her womb.

    He remained still for a short period before gently caressing her tender body as if she was a precious jewel.

    Both were silent, stunned, ecstatic.

    Amy held on for dear life as he filled her like an overflowing cup, pouring it all inside of her with reckless abandon, his arms tightening around her waist as shey on the bed.

    Slowly closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath of air, she tried desperately to gather enough strength to move.

    However, she failed miserably.

    Her legs locked around him tightly, their bodies connected at such a degree of intimacy...

    Amy felt as light as a feather, mostly due to the release of energy that poured into her through his seed.

    As she wringed his penis dry, he huffed in pleasure.

    The pleasure that sent a jolt down his spine.

    He slowly pulled out of her, and the cum he just pumped in started to trickle out inrge volumes.

    "Yo...mite..." Her heaving breaths drew his eyes to her chest.

    Her eyes wandered, unfocused. "Sex is...incredible..." She smiled contently, as she could still feel his heat inside of her.

    Amy felt her heart copsing, her knees buckling beneath her, her jaw letting out weak moans as her consciousness became hazy, as though she was about to give up and lose control of herself.

    She was trembling intensely due to their intense lovemaking, feeling so overwhelmed with emotion that her face was almost unrecognizable.

    But eventually, he could see that the tears were streaming down her face.

    He wiped them off of her face with his fingers, kissing her lips tenderly and holding her close to him as he continued rocking his hips into her softly.

    He could feel her body shuddering with every thrust, "You''re beautiful," he whispered into her ear. "Like a princess in my arms."

    In response to his words, Amy gave a quiet whimper and buried her face in his neck, not wanting to let go.

    They stayed like that for a few minutes.

    Their bodies both exhausted but still enthralled with the same thoughts and emotions.

    After Yomite pulled out of her, he brought hisid member to her mouth.

    Amy didn''t understand at first, unsure of what he wanted, before realization hit her, making her turn red all over.

    His member was still covered with sperm from her earlier bout of orgasmic bliss. His juices and her own were mixed together into a sticky mess that gave the most unique smell Amy had ever smelled. It wasn''t unpleasant though. In fact, she found it to be very lewd, in its content as well as by its look...

    "Would you mind?" He asked softly, trying to lift her head up.

    "N-No...I wouldn''t..."

    Her cheeks were now bright crimson, giving her lovely features an appealing red glow.

    Amy quickly worked up the courage to begin licking off the viscous residue coating his shaft.

    Her moist lips pressed to his length, forcing out a breathy sigh as it slowly slid inside of her mouth.

    Warmth and moisture surrounded his hardened crown. Then, soft licks mixed with her saliva, massaged the area around the shaft.

    She clumsily wrapped her luscious tongue around his member, tasting her first load of manly goo that still remained on the tip.

    For a second there, she kept licking and slurping at the tip with relish,pletely focused only on devouring his masculine essence.

    Eventually however, she noticed his penis was hardening, which ended up causing an unexpected change of position.

    "I''m sorry, I''m hard again. Wanna go for a next round?" Yomite asked.

    "Eh...?"

    She looked up from his glistening member, her thoughts still clouded by what just happened between them. Only then did she realize what he meant when he said ''next''.

    He was referring to having sex again...

    ***

    **

    *

    **

    ***

    The sounds of a heavy mattress creaking and repetitive sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed throughout the room.

    It''s been well over three hours since Amy and Yomite made love for the first time...though that time frame has blurred as the two lovers grew more intimate and deeply familiar with one another.

    Breathless and panting now, both Yomite and Amy slowly disengaged from their intense physical union, having their orgasms moments apart.

    Though their lovemaking session never ended, simply because Yomite wasn''t tired enough to break contact, Amy let him do as he pleased with her.

    It was a tender sex that overflowed into the nkets around them, leaving both soaked in white love juices and covered in nketed handprints left by both of them.

    They were filled with romance that encouraged both to share their most precious secrets with each other and during their love making session, they had small talks about things they never told to anyone before...sharing little pieces of themselves. They used such time to savor the sweet affectioante feelings that often grew within a short span of time...things such as how was Yomite''s life in his world, what did he do, and so on.

    Right now, Yomite was steadily nearing climax for the sixth time that night.

    Amy, who was under him at the moment, had her head burrowed in the pillow, exhausted...

    Her lungspletely caved in as she panted heavily, hands clenched over the sheets to prevent more waves of orgasmic pleasure ripping through her chest, but to no avail.

    Hisrge hands squeezed her knuckles, as he vigorously pumped into her insides to please both of them, pushing past her walls with his blunt thrusts that always seemed to hit just the right spot without letting her escape.

    Her hips continued on moving slowly at first, until every one of his movements sent seismic tremors vibrating through her body.

    But once her ecstasy levels rose to its apex, the tempo of their intercourse suddenly changed, bing extremely fast and desperate...as if they needed to drain every ounce of sexual energy left inside of their bodies.

    Yomite''s arousal eventually carried both of them over the edge, causing his member to spew its remaining contents deep inside of her entrance for the sixth time that night.

    Clutching onto one another tightly, neither wanted to move or pull away from each other...instead allowing the mingling forces of both their bodies overtake their sanity, driving them towardsplete madness.

    However, even their desperation did not give way to actual madness, rather a primal urge of mutual satisfaction took over both of them.

    Their bed sheets became a canvas for simultaneous emissions of both cum and sweat, and pillows were also stained with a variety of bodily fluids.

    "...mi...mite..." A gasp escaped her lips, as she came thest time that night.

    Her hands instinctively found her way to his butt during the aftershocks that rumbled throughout her body.

    Amy copsed under him for a while, too dazed to react properly.

    One more kiss from his side was enough to calm her down...enough to send her off to sleep peacefully.

    She could still feel a finger gently grazing her breast though, as the final sign of their new, affectionate rtionship.

    Soon, she fell asleep for real...cudding herself off to a peaceful ending.

    After a few more gentle touches of her hair, apanied by various whispers of ''I love you'', Yomite quietly and without further ado, got up from the bed and went to take a shower.

    There was still a ce he needed to be today.

    After getting ready, he covered Fischl with a nket and headed out.

    To watch the Rite of Descension which would soon urter that evening. He promised Lumine and Paimon he woulde along with them.

 Chapter 241

    God is dead.

    Chill with us!

    ***

    Yomite stepped outside the icy spring to breathe in the fresh air after ensuring Fischl was sleeping safely and soundly.

    Even though the night''s temperature wasn''t ideal, it was still refreshingpared to the hell he had endured during the day...

    The wind carried a brisk chill across his cheeks as he inhaled cold air deeply.

    Due to theteness of the hour, there were not many people out and about.

    However, there were many lit torches in Liyue in the distance, indicating that arge number of people was waiting there. A festival of some sort? Almost.

    Before this fateful day, he had never been to this section of Liyue, but now he stood on its outskirts gazing at it.

    "Party Leader! There you are. I have been looking everywhere for you." A woman with gorgeous blonde hair called out to him.

    "Bad tattoo! You''rete! Come here,e! It''s almost starting!" Another voice added with a high pitched squeal.

    It was obviously the duo of his lovelypanions, Lumine and Paimon who were waiting for him to start the festivities tonight.

    Yomite chuckled. "I''m sorry," he said. "Did I miss anything?"

    "Not really. Paimon bought many sweets for herself from the money you gave to Paimon! Aaaand that''s about it..." she replied, gesturing to therge basket in her hands, "Nothing is happening...Paimon is bored? Can we go home?

    "Now, now Paimon, rx. Wait...how can you even hold a basket that big?" Yomite asked, raising an eyebrow.

    "Paimon wanted to make sure no one would try stealing the snacks as a matter of fact! Paimon''s hands are the most reliable to guard the treats after all."

    The little fairy beamed proudly, prancing along with a satisfied pout.

    Lumine rolled her eyes at herment.

    As a matter of fact, Paimon stated earlier that she was the most trustworthy to have taken the burden of guarding the sweets upon herself.

    So dependable, she apparently desired the very first treat from the basket, as well as the second one...as well as the third...and the subsequent ones...

    "Paimon, have you ever heard of the saying, ''You''ll turn into a cow if you go to sleep right after eating sweets''? Make sure you don''t sleep tonight, or else...you might actually end up turning into one..." Lumine warned, trying her best to look stern, but if one looked closer, you could see a hint of amusement in her eyes.

    "W-What...R-Really!? P-Paimon will listen! Paimon doesn''t want to turn into a cow!" she eximed, nearly causing the basket in her hands to fall.

    "Then do your best to stay awake," Lumine replied, her lips curling into a small smile.

    Yomite couldn''t help smiling back at them,ughing at their antics as they neared the ce called Yujing Terrace, where pretty much half of the town was already assembled.

    He turned his attention towards the crowd when he felt someone bump into his side, sending him off bnce. His arms instinctively flew out to break his fall and caught himself by wrapping around the person.

    "Hee-hee, moon''s out, and so am I! Long time no see! My dearest Assistant!" he was cheerfully greeted by none other than Hu Tao, his little troublemaker of a lover.

    She then wrapped her arms around his waist, peering up at him with her bright scarlet eyes, "Where is Fishy-Fishy? You didn''t kill her, now did you?" she asked jokingly.

    Yomiteughed wryly at thatment.

    It was evident Hu Tao knew what the two of them ended up doing earlier today...

    cing his hands on both sides of her face, he leaned downwards for a quick kiss.

    "Of course not. She was tired. She should be asleep at the moment. I didn''t want to disturb her."

    When they pulled apart, they gazed into each other''s eyes, foreheads pressed against one another.

    "...Thank you for what you did today...The funeral parlor is...my everything, and nothing could have made me happier knowing that you saved it from being closed for good," she told him earnestly.

    Yomite smiled, "Don''t mention it, Tao. There is no need to talk about it in the first ce. Besides...you''re...very important to me..." He whispered, feeling slightly self-conscious for whatever reason.

    He didn''t know why, but this moment made him feel very special and...well...it was nice having his lover acknowledge it.

    Acting spontaneously appeared to have its advantages on asion, such as right now.

    His gaze lingered over her lips for another moment before he finally released her, taking a step back and offering his arm.

    Hu Tao giggled as she epted, linking her arms around his arm and walking alongside him through the lively crowds, past individuals who were standing around.

    "Look at those two again...acting lovey dovey like this! Paimon doesn''t know if Paimon''s getting giddy from the sweets Paimon ate, or from looking at those two..." Paimon muttered under her breath.

    "...Let''s go after them, Paimon..." Lumine quietly nudged her.

    It appeared as though Lumine had something to say about the couple, but she was hesitant to express herself.

    Just as always.

    Yomite turned around to face Lumine and asked, "Come to think of it, I don''t see Barbara and Iris. Weren''t the four of you together? Where did they go?"

    Lumine sighed and scratched the back of her head, "Um...Barbara went to offer prayers to Morax who will soon descend...and dragged Iris with her, saying she would buy her food..." she exined.

 Chapter 242

    Yun Che.

    Chill with us!

    ***

    ''"A praying ceremony?" Yomite asked, his head tilted.

    "You see, every year, old man Zho��...Our dear Archon, Rex Lapis, descends to give our city his blessings and to pass down knowledge. And each year, people pray right before his descension, in order for their wishes to be fulfilled. Some of them end up being ignored, some of them not. Of course, being a God, he should have plenty of power at his disposal, yet even he isn''t omnipotent." Hu Tao exined.

    "Ohh... I get it now." Yomite nodded in understanding, "Why don''t we follow suit and also wish for something? Seems fun."

    "Paimon wants an unlimited number of sweets!"

    "..."

    Lumine remained silent, but the expression in her eyes revealed everything.

    Finding her brother was her greatest desire.

    To be able to see him again was a goal she wished to achieve. No, a goal she would achieve.

    But, no matter how hard she tried, she could never seem to catch wind of him.

    "Hm...I do have a small wish of my own as well. Let''s go! Let''s go!" Hu Tao smiled as the four of them made their way towards the Yujing Terrace''s open area.

    Yomite didn''t expect anything extravagant from the prayers; knowing he was scammed by Zhongli earlier today, he doubted these wishes would evere true.

    As they walked, they saw Barbara kneeling in front of them, hands sped tightly together as she prayed earnestly. She was preupied with her prayer and was unaware of the arrival of others.

    Iris was standing right next to her, munching on something while gazing disinterestingly at a huge censer Barbara was praying to.

    She turned around when she smelled the scent of her master behind her. When she did so, her eyes immediately lit up, "Master. Wee."

    "Hey there, aren''t you bored?"

    "Indeed. But food is good. So it doesn''t matter."

    Iris answered simply with a slight nod.

    "Yo, Barbara! No need to take the praying so seriously." Yomite patted her shoulder lightly.

    Barbara smiled faintly but her eyes remained fixated on the censer.

    "These couple of days, my faith had been waning, like an empty bucket. Ever since getting to know the real identy of Lord Barbatos...and also meeting the esteemed Rex Lapis...I no longer know what to do..." Barbara admitted, a trace of faint sadness seeping into her words.

    "Since I began working at the Cathedral, I was responsible for praying and ensuring the Church of Favonius was in excellent condition. Ever since I was a young child. Buttely...my faith has been slipping away. Was I lied to this whole time? What am I supposed to do? My life has been thrown out of bnce, like a leaf that got caught between two waves. How can I make things better?" her voice broke at thest part.

    The five stood in silence, uncertain of what to say or do. Even Iris appeared troubled.

    Then Yomite took a step forward.

    "I know it must have been a shock...that''s why we didn''t want Venti''s real identity to be exposed...but don''t worry about it too much, okay?" He gave her shoulder another pat.

    "If you enjoy praying, then continue doing so. However, if it''s more like a chore to you at the moment, something you no longer wish to do because it''s annoying, then you shouldn''t force yourself to do it." He gave her a thumbs up.

    "Yep Yep! We''ll help you figure out your problems." Hu Tao added.

    Barbara let out a sigh and smiled gratefully before rising to her feet, "I''ve taken enough of your time. If you wish to pray, put the incense into the censer."

    Barbara then moved past them and sat on the stairs in front of the altar, her attention returning to the censer as if nothing had urred.

    "Alrighty! It''s my turn to pray then!" Hu Tao dered cheerily.

    She put the incense stick into the censer.

    ''For a healthy family.''

    And bowed.

    The me within the censer shone brilliantly, illuminating the area.

    With that, Lumine followed suit, but unlike Hu Tao, she used two incense sticks instead of one.

    ''To find my brother...and...''

    She nced at the second incense in her hand before averting her gaze and turning red.

    "Uu..umm...um...ummmm..." As she felt the fire''s heat scorching her cheeks, her speech became incoherent.

    Hu Tao watched as Lumine stared at her own hand in embarrassment, until she seemingly realized what was going on, "Heyaaaa Lumi-Lumi, are you gonna continue with your prayerter or what?" she teased her, leaning forward to whisper in her ear, "I know you feel the same. I bet my lovely assistant would be overjoyed if you prayed for him~"

    She winked at Lumine yfully, before giving her a slight shove.

    "S-Sssshhh Sssshh!!" Lumine shushed her quickly, her face even redder than before, "I-I-I''m just having a momentarypse of thought!"

    She quickly darted her eyes towards Yomite and sighed in relief when she realized he was too far away for him to hear.

    Before Hu Tao could say anything else, Lumine quickly threw the second incense in, and hurried away from her.

    Hu Tao chuckled. "So cute...Lumi-Lumi is very shy. I wonder why though��" she pondered, watching Lumine run into the crowd.

    Yomite observed them from the distance but had no idea what just transpired, "I guess it''s my turn." He sighed before walking over to the incense and ced it in the censer.

    Once he had done so, he bowed a little awkwardly to the altar, ''For a peaceful life. And for the people around me to be happy. Also, don''t be a scammer Zhongli, or I''ll get strong enough to kick your butt.''

    He repeated in his head. Following which, Paimon carried the incense stick with both of her hands, having a bit of difficulty due to her size.

    As such, Yomite put it in for her.

    After that, they returned to where everyone else was waiting.

    Iris wasn''t interested in praying, so currently they were just waiting for this so called ''Descension'' finale to begin.

 Chapter 243

    Ein Sof Aur.

    Chill with us!

    ***

    "Wow! I am so excited!" Someone in the crowd eximed, "This is my first Rite of Descension! To see Morax in flesh, oh I can''t wait!"

    "Did you just refer to the esteemed Lord Rex Lapis as ''Morax''? You must not be from Liyue then, correct?" A woman said with a slight tilt of her head. The people nearbyughed in agreement and some madements about how disrespectful it was for someone to refer to their God in that way.

    "Eh...I am sorry, I am from Mondstadt, this is my first time to see the Rite of Descension..." The man replied, troubled.

    Yomite raised his head the moment he heard the man mention Mondstadt to see whether it would be someone familiar, but it ended up being a normal citizen. No one he was acquinted with or even knew. Not surprising really. Mondstadt was pretty huge, although not as big as Liyue.

    "Well, let me educate you on how great Rex Lapis is! Once a year, Rex Lapis bestows upon us his divine prediction, guiding us on how to run Liyue for theing year. Mondstadt''s god is nowhere to be seen, whilst our god is forever with us. Guiding us each and every year! Given that you just left your godless city, it''s time you experienced what it''s like to be in a city whose god has walked with it through all of history!"

    ''Damn, Venti is getting his ass kicked...This woman is vicious with her words...'' Yomite thought to himself, ''Still, I wonder what the residents of Liyue would say if they saw their God, bound in a bondage...They would be so confused...Then again...a drunk femboy from Mondstadt who wishes to take his clothes off at any asion isn''t any better...''

    He looked to the ground, deep in thought, until he suddenly felt someone grab his hand; making him jolt back into reality and look to the perpetrator. It was Hu Tao.

    "Heya! Look, Look! Tianquan Ningguang is making an appearance!" She eximed loudly, "Only those who have control in Liyue can preside over the Rite of Descension. She is probably the most powerful person in Liyue when ites to business! And is also the person who gave the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor the ultimatum!"

    A tall, white-haired woman with a fair skin and thin lips walked elegantly towards the middle of the Yujing Terrace.

    She wore a white sleeveless qipao dress and looked no more than twenty years old.

    However, her eyes betrayed the fact that she had seen more than her fair share of life. She nced at the people who had gathered to partake in the Rite of Descension and simply nodded her head in a sign of respect to them.

    Ningguang was a very influential, powerful figure, but she was also regarded as one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, woman in Liyue.

    Her long, straight hair and fair skin were perfectpliments to her tall, willowy figure. Her red eyes remained a mystery to those who looked into them. She had the ability to make people think she was looking right through them, but it was only an illusion.

    Her elegant skin made her seem like a deity who had descended from the heavens, possessing beauty and grace that was utterly and utterly rare. She was beautiful and deadly, even in the face of death.

    She was like a divine goddess in a mortal world, clothed in the finest, most beautiful clothes. She was apanied by three of her finest handmaidens who always followed her around like the shadows that they were.

    Ningguang had all of a goddess'' sublime beauty, but the power that she harbored was a lot more terrifying and deadly than any of the people present realized.

    The allure of her body was radiating outwards, the severity of its effect increasing the closer one got to her. She was reflected in the eyes of the men and women around her, her beauty and deadly power bringing a sort of strange desire and attraction in their hearts as they looked at her.

    Her bare legs were a sight to behold, white and wless, the slender beauty had legs that people dreamed of, exposing them unashamedly and confidently. a beauty like no other. They were slender, yet muscr and adorned with two tattoos.

    They reminded one of waves moving on shore.

    The ink of the first tattoo was crimson and covered her left leg from her thigh, seemingly wrapping around her leg in an odd pattern. A dragon of some sorts.

    The second tattoo was barely visible around her right ankle, a golden tail.

    Tianquan Ningguang of the Liyue Qixing was so gorgeous, that even women had a hard time looking at her for too long, as her beauty was so severe that it made their heart beat erratically.

    Her presence was like the finest, purest gem to the people around her, infecting and corrupting their souls and hearts until the only thing that remained was the need to desire and worship her.

    Nobody could resist the lure and power of Ningguang''s beauty.

    "So beautiful," a man whispered in the crowd.

    "If only I could find a wife that beautiful," another muttered.

    "You wish!" An unknown woman interfered, "S-Still...I am...straight...but...Ifdy Ningguang wished..." The woman turned red and looked away.

    "She looks like yin and yang, aplete being...how gorgeous..." Another womanmented dreamily.

    Anyone could feel the sense of feminine longinging off the women present. The fact that they were all women didn''t do anything to lessen the level of their desire.

    Gentlemen, on the other hand, were a different story.

    "I know, right?!" Some man gasped, "Lady Ningguang is so divine! I would offer up my body if she asked without a question!"

    "Who wants your body you disgusting pervert!"

    "But you are also perverts! Even if you are women! How does that even make sense!?"

    """Shut it!"""

 Chapter 244

    Tired.

    Chill with us!

    ***

    "Is that her? That Ningguang?"

    "Yep that''s her! Affluent, possessing a brilliant gaze and an exquisite face, knowledgeable and able to aplish anything, this woman has it all! An exquisite beauty!"

    Yomite cast a curious look in Hu Tao''s direction before raising an eyebrow.

    "Why do you appear like you''re having so much fun talking about her when she came so close to ruining your funeral parlor? Shouldn''t you be mad?" he inquired, genuinely curious as to the source of her joy.

    "Because," Hu Tao shed a knowing smile, "She is the most interesting person I have ever met. And she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen! Not to mention," she added in a more musing tone, "Haven''t you ever thought about how interesting it would be to live the life of someone like her?"

    Yomite thought that over, then shook his head, "Important people like her usually have no time of their lives to themselves without existing for someone or something else. Just remember Jean Gunnhildr, she lives for Mondstadt. She does her utmost best to make sure Mondstadt is protected and everything she does is for that purpose."

    The expression on Barbara''s face became somewhat unpleasant the moment Yomite started talking about Jean.

    "My sister...Grand Master Jean is doing her utmost best for the city of Mondstadt...I just wish she paid...more attention to me..." She suddenly crossed her arms, her face was drawn into a pout of sorts, "Mondstadt is not everything... What about...me? I should have a bigger value than just a city...right? I mean,e on...I am her sister you know! At the very least she could be a little more attentive to me...spare some time so we could stay together...After mom and papa separated...Family should be more important than anything else, right...?" She concluded whispering thest sentence.

    Her outburst ended with a hup.

    Yomiteforted her by cing a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gently running his fingers through her hair.

    "Although I never had a sibling, I''m going to assume that you love your sister. If that is the case, might you perhaps make an effort to persuade her to make room in her schedule for you?"

    In an effort to cheer her up, he questioned her.

    She nodded in a slow, dejected manner. "Yeah...maybe..." she mumbled, sounding a bit unsure.

    "Well," Yomite said with a gush of warmth and vigour, "I don''t know much about the situation in your family, but I am sure that within time, Jean will have more free time for you, but...I am sure you already knew that, right? Hmm?"

    Barbara was broken out of her trance and she blinked slowly at him, "Y-Yeah...of course I know...that...she will..." Her words drifted off, and she let out a muffled snort.

    Barbara was well aware that it was possible that her hopes would nevere true.

    No, it was obvious in her mind.

    Jean considered protecting Mondstadt to be far more essential than being with her younger sister.

    On the other hand, Barbara didn''t want to be a pessimistic or cynical person.

    Therefore, she made the decision to exert a lot of effort in an attempt to persuade herself otherwise, which was easier said than done.

    Still, she was d Yomite wasforting her like this. It helped her calm down a little and prevent her from letting those negative thoughts take hold.

    "You seem to be doing better now," he stated with a warm and kind smile.

    "I am."

    Barbara gave him a reassuring smile, then raised herself onto the tips of her toes and sneakily kissed him on the cheek.

    Yomite cast a baffled nce in her direction and asked in bemusement, "...What was that for?" disying some more bewilderment in his tone.

    Barbara gave a shrug, turned her head away, and mumbled, "I...umm...just felt like doing that..." as her cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red.

    She said this while wringing her hands nervously and twiddling her fingers.

    Yomite''s mouth began to twitch at the corners, but he maintained hisposure and just ignored it, "...Very well then."

    ''At least she is not out to kill anyone...so far so good...''

    "Hey! Bad Tattoo has ensnared another girl!" Paimon eximed as soon as the little fairy saw the kiss, "Paimon is in disbelief...Paimon is so shocked that she can''t even say a word..." she muttered to herself.

    Once more, Barbara''s cheeks began to flush, but this time it was with embarrassment instead.

    Yomite couldn''t help chuckling at the sight. He turned back and addressed his flyingpanion, "You spoke just now though? Or does it not count?"

    The flying emergency food scoffed, "Of course it doesn''t count! Paimon is scared! Because Paimon is starting to feel like you will target Paimon next after luring Barbara into your hideout! Hu Tao, Fischl and now Barbara were ensnared already! Which is bad news, Paimon can feel it, Paimon will be next! Paimon is very worried!"

    After Yomite had finished examining her from head to toe, he scoffed "I''m sorry... There''s just no way... Never..." He stated in a voice that was decisive and unwavering.

    Paimon was way too small for any sort of an act.

    Maybe if he fed her enough she would grow up?

    "Hey! What do you mean by that!? You are thinking Paimon doesn''t have enough charm! Aren''t you!?" she protested loudly while pointing at herself.

    Yomite shrugged nonchntly, "You said so yourself, I never said anything like that."

    Paimon looked at Lumine with pleading eyes and puffed out her cheeks, "Please help! Traveler! Help me! Bad Tattoo is bullying me with words again!"

    Lumine looked at Yomite, who simply gave her a look that indicated he had nothing to do with this.

    *Sigh*

    "Paimon...you sure love fighting battles you cannot win..." she trailed off, not wanting to partake in this ''battle'' of some sorts...

    "Now, now," Yomite interrupted the conversation by patting Paimon on the head and saying, "Don''t worry; I promise that Paimon is very charming; however, not in ''that'' kind of sense."

    "Really?!" The question caused Paimon to perk up immediately. She then gave Yomite an expectant look, as if she were waiting for him to confirm it.

    Yomite sighed, "Yes really...Paimon has special kind of charm..." he confirmed with a nod.

    Paimon triumphantly pumped her fist and joyfully flew around, causing Yomite and Lumine to shake their heads in exasperation.

    ''Praising children is so simple...'' they both thought to themselves, wryly smiling.

    Of course, they had no way of knowing whether Paimon was a child or not, but she certainly acted like one.

 Chapter 245

    Yomite gazed at Ningguang from the sidelines and curiosity got the best of him.

    ''I want to know.''

    ��������������

    Name: Ningguang

    Age: 24

    Title: Lady of the Jade Chamber

    upation: Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing

    Hobby: Liyue Millennial (Custom Chess)

    Likes: Chicken Soup

    Dislikes: ?

    Dream: ?

    Current mood: Calm

    Rtionship Level: 1/10 - Curiosity

    State of Rtionship: Aware of your existence

    ��������������

    ''What does "Aware of your existence" even mean in this context...this is the first time something like this popped up...does she like know me based on my aplishments from Mondstadt? Or is it something else entirely?''

    Just as Yomite finished reading her status, he noted that her eyes met his for a brief moment before they darted away.

    ''...I doubt she even knows how I look in the first ce, but the fact that we looked at each other isn''t that great...She seems like the scheming type...''

    He didn''t ponder about it further and instead took a look at Iris, who was currently munching on snacks she stole from Paimon just now.

    ''Come to think of it...I never checked her profile after she transformed into a humanoid form from the dragon...I might as well try it out now since nothing is really happening... I want to know.''

    ��������������

    Name: Iris (Former - Dvalin )

    Age: 1 (Former - 2000 )

    Title: ��������������������������������

    Stage of Transformation: 2

    upation: None (Former - Dragon of the East)

    Hobby: Eating, Sleeping

    Likes: Food, Master

    Dislikes: People, showering, wearing clothes

    Dream: None Current mood: Hungry/Bored

    Rtionship Level: 9/10 - Adoration

    State of Rtionship: Master

    Status Effect :

    Dissonance of Memories - The user''s old memories are not properly linked to their current physical body, causing personality changes based on the memories recalled.

    Insatiable hunger - The user always requires sustenance for future development.

    Perfect Immunity - The user is immune to all diseases, toxins, poisons, venoms, drugs.

    Perfect Body of a God - The user''s body is divinely beautiful.

    Evolution - The user is capable of evolving and developing new abilities after having gained a certain degree of knowledge from the world around them without any stated limit.

    Longevity of a God - The user''s lifespan is nearly infinite.

    ��������������

    ''...''

    Yomite furrowed his eyebrows and stared nkly at the screen in front of him.

    ''Oi...This isn''t normal. What the hell is this status!?''

    He shook his head and turned back to look at Iris, still munching away on snacks.

    ''Haaah...I don''t even know what to do with you...I guess I''ll just leave it at that. It will work out somehow...I need to figure out a way to fix her memories too...''

    He soon felt a tug at his sleeve and looked down to see Lumine standing there with an uncharacteristic pout on her face.

    "Um...I want to tell you that I''ve learned a few new abilities...when I was exploring the Liyue." Lumine said softly, staring intently at Yomite.

    Her voice had a sort of pleading tone behind it, or maybe she just felt left out and wanted some attention from him?

    Whatever the reason was, Yomite couldn''t help but soften a little and ruffle her hair. "Ey? My little protagonist cheat got another overpowered ability? Great!"

    She immediately perked up, her face lighting up brightly. "I found out that if I link my will with the Statue of the Seven archons, I can borrow their element for myself...So far, I only linked with Anemo and Geo...I linked with Geo earlier before meeting Zhongli, hence why I was a bit embarrassed when we met him..." She trailed off sheepishly, ncing at Yomite nervously. "Borrowing a power without a permission..."

    "Yeah, I honestly have no idea how that works at all, but I doubt Zhongli would even care about you doing something like that...especially considering what you did to him before...I would say he has a lot of...patience...In any case, it''s great that you found yourself new powers just like me. My current goal after we''re done in here is to return to Mondstadt and ask Lisa to teach me how to use the Anemo Vision properly, you can also join me in trainingter. What do you say?"

    Lumine nodded happily, "Of course."

    ***

    **

    *

    **

    ***

    A lone and exhausted figure of a woman with "hairpins" sticking out of her head could be seen sitting on a bench of the Yujing Terrace, fiddling with her hair and sighing quietly.

    Usually, at the time like this, Ganyu would be either working or sound asleep, but she decided to make an exception this time around, as it was a special asion.

    The Rite of Descension was about to begin any minute now. It''s been a long time since she''d seen Rex Lapis in person. Thest time she saw him was a couple of decades ago.

    But that wasn''t the only reason she came.

    "Yomite said he would probably be here."

    Looking around, there were many people already gathering in the streets, ready to witness the descent of the Geo God.

    Not only the residents, but also people who came from different ces were all eager to be the ones who were able to get a chance to meet the true founder of the Liyue.

    As she was looking around, she finally found the man she was looking for, but it seemed that he was in a heated argument at the moment...

    "Paimon, I told you...if you eat any more sweets, you will get fat! I am not joking! Like I get it, sweets are nice and all, I like them too, but you could have left some for us as well!"

    "And Paimon told you, Paimon has six stomachs and that Paimon would be fine! Stop calling Paimon fat, or else Paimon will take radical means against you!"

    "That''s just a figure of speech and you know it! Do you know how huge a stomach is? How would six of them fit into you!? Or are fairies different from humans other than their size of course!?"

    "Hmpf, Paimon doesn''t need to say anything to you! When you are dumb, not even a hammer would help you, Ugly Tattoo!"

    "This little brat!?"

    Ganyu looked over, amused by their banter.

    It was Yomite with a group of people, having fun. She sensed no hostility or ill intenting from them, so their argument was more of a teasing rather than something serious.

    Sometimes, Ganyu wished to enjoy something like this too, though that wasn''t really possible. Her job was tiresome and she barely had time for anything, but the biggest hurdle was socializing.

    As far as Ganyu was concerned, the only time she ever interacted with other people was during working hours. If she needed something to be rified, she would often ask Keqing or Ningguang, but that was the only interaction she ever got.

    She knew how lonely it made her feel sometimes, feeling like no one appreciated her existence and no one tried to approach her to talk to her.

    No one asked her how she was feeling because they all assumed she was fine.

    All of this was just because she didn''t share anything inmon with the residents of Liyue.

    The mortal way of enjoyment was beyond her. Many people and colleagues told her she was simply not ''normal'' for a human being. That she didn''t think like a human being would.

    It bothered her.

    Very much so.

    Trying to fit in with humans was hard. Even for someone like Ganyu who had lived longer than many other living beings and for someone who possessed many unique talents, it was difficult.

    There were times where she almost considered giving up...and simply ignoring everything unrted to work altogether...

    As soon as she thought of this, she started feeling sad.

    ''Rex Lapis��Whatever should I do...?''

    It didn''t take much thinking for her to arrive at a conclusion.

    ''I am...lonely.''

    At once, the feelings of loneliness and solitude washed over her and she sighed again, hugging herself while gazing at the ground.

    Even though she tried not to let anyone see it, she was beginning to be more and more depressed whenever she thought about herck of friends or any human contact whatsoever.

    She got along with other adepti well, but none of them were humans...

    The closest person she could regard as a family was a figure called Cloud Retainer. An adeptus who was like a mother to her.

    Yet she was hell bent on traditions and was constantly telling Ganyu to find a "partner to mate with and settle down" as she was of that age for a while now...when in reality, Ganyu had problems even talking to someone, much less finding someone important for life...

    All of this led to Ganyu unwilling to visit Cloud Retainer often, as she was bombarded with weird questions and requests...

    Simply said, her life was full of problems and responsibilities that weighed down on her shoulders.

    Leaning back her head and closing her eyes with a heavy sigh, she suddenly noticed a faint aura of warmth surrounding her and felt her surroundings slowly rxing.

    "Hey, is everything alright over there?"

    A voice rang out and Ganyu flinched slightly at the sudden intrusion. Opening her eyes, she blinked in bewilderment when she saw a familiar figure walking up to her.

    "Yo! Nice to see you again! You seem distracted, what''s wrong? Are you okay?" Yomite asked curiously, sitting down next to her.

    That question, was what she needed to hear, since many years ago...

    Are you okay?

    Ganyu hesitated for a second before shaking her head lightly. "No, nothing happened. I am fine, but thank you. You''re kind for asking." She shyly giggled, ying with the ends of her hair, as she spoke up.

    The Rite of Descension was officially beginning...

 Chapter 246

    Also to those saying Ningguang introduction was a bad, long chapter few paragraphs just describing her and that I''m just filling the word count...you are right.

    As a gift for being right, I shall make you a 20k smut with Fischl saying her cringey, chuuni lines while having sex in the future, "Thou presently bears a burning desire...? Hmph! I shall permit you to rampant thy mes of purgatory within meinself! Ja! Ja! Schnell! Schnell!"

    Fear the future...

    ***

    "Look at him! Hanging around another woman again! Womanizer!" The group caught up with Yomite and Paimon had to immediately leave ament.

    "Paimon don''t be rude..." Yomite reprimanded her mildly. "Especially not to a person you have never met. Next time this happens, I''ll eat your sweets."

    "Hey! Talk about being rude!" Paimon''s protest caused the group to chuckle.

    "It''s fine, please don''t worry about it." Ganyu assured him with a smile. "I believe Hu Tao of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor already knows who I am, but for the rest of you, my name is Ganyu. I''m the general secretary of the Liyue Qixing. I''ve had the pleasure to meet Yomite earlier today when I went to visit the Wangsheng funeral parlor to settle the de..."

    She then realized that the people in the group may not know about the debt thing, which made her pause.

    "Oh...right...I just went for a walk and met him there." She said awkwardly.

    It technically wasn''t a lie...

    "Oh well, let''s introduce everyone,e over here! This is Lumine, the shy child, this is Paimon, the annoying child, this is Hu Tao, the hyperactive child, this is Barbara, the...the...*cough* *cough* cute child, and this is Iris, the bored child. At the moment we are only missing one more child called Fischl but she''s currently resting."

    Voices of protest came from all directions as they were introduced one by one.

    "Hey! Why does Paimon have to be the annoying child! I thought Paimon was the cute one!"

    "Master is mean...I am not a child..."

    "I''m not...shy, Party Leader...please let us introduce ourselves next time...this is embarrassing..."

    "My Assistant is being too cheeky once more! I know I am full of energy so you''re partially right, but that doesn''t mean you''re left off the hook!"

    While everyone else seemed to beining in various ways, Barbara was overjoyed because heplimented her by calling her adorable.

    He seemed to like her enough to offer such praise.

    Even though it wasn''t entirely urate, it felt good that he thought she was cute.

    That was enough for her...

    "Pleased to meet you all."

    Ganyu greeted them with a smile, hoping the introduction would eliminate any awkwardness.

    She did her best to be polite despite the fact that she was most likely the person who was least at ease interacting with strangers.

    """Likewise."""

    They all responded, looking to be slightly less tense, especially Hu Tao. She was cheerful as always.

    The group continued forward, traversing the vast za.

    Tianquan Ningguang proudly stood in the center of the crowd, surrounded by arge number of people.

    "So is this Ningguang the person you serve?" Yomite asked curiously as they made their way around the crowd. "We saw her before and she seems like a pretty capable person. To have the authority to speak to the God seems like quite the achievement in itself."

    "Indeed, Lady Ningguang is the Tianquan, and she does her job with unmatched efficiency, but her efficacious demeanor incites significant criticism. I suppose it is always simpler to criticize than to tolerate. Regardless, I serve all of the Qixings, but Lady Keqing and Lady Ningguang require my assistance the most."

    As she continued to follow the group, Ganyu exined.

    "Does that mean this Ningguang is very rich? Paimon would like to make friends with her!" Paimon looked up at Ganyu with excitement. Everyone knew she was obsessed with mora, food, and treasures. Yomite could hardly be angry with her...

    Ganyu responded to her question with a light smile.

    "Well...that aspect of her circumstance is ratherplex. Lady Ningguang may be considered wealthy, but she spends a great deal of her own mora to expand her Jade Chamber. Which is...measured in...hundreds of millions" As she spoke, Ganyu pointed to the sky, and everyone''s gaze followed the movement of her hand.

    In the distance, a vast templeplex floated above the Liyue like an ind in the cloudy sea.

    "That is the Jade Chamber. Lady Ningguang''s private residence."

    "I was wondering about that for quite some time. I always felt like there was something flying in the distance, I just wasn''t sure whether it was a mirage or not due to this irritating sun burning my eyes all the time." Yomitemented.

    Now that it was night, the pce was considerably more visible in the glow of whatever made it float through the air.

    "Wow, that must have costed a lot."

    Barbara eximed. She was wealthy herself, but upon seeing the flying pce, she realized that she would never even reach Ningguang''s ankles in terms of wealth.

    "It''s enormous!? Can Paimon go up there? Does Ningguang ept guests?"

    Lumine smiled and said, "Look at Paimon...she gets giddy whenever she sees something expensive..."

    "Lady Ningguang is very busy and she generally only epts to meet people she takes a liking to..."

    "Aw..." Paimon deted, clearly disappointed.

    "I''m sorry...you''ll need to find an alternative...Now then, let me continue. The Jade Chamber is additionally utilized for private meetings with the other Qixing. Since the majority of you are from Mondstadt, I assume you do not know what Qixing means, so allow me to exin. ording to my knowledge, Mondstadt''s government is made up of the Knights of Favonius."

    Everyone listened intently, trying to understand the concept.

    "Liyue is a little bit different. The ''Liyue Qixing'' or ''The Seven Stars of Liyue'' is a group of seven merchants and business leaders. These leaders determine the Liyue''s course of action for the uing year and resolve internal problems such as corruption, rebellion, and other internal disputes between factions, as well as economic disputes that have arisen within the merchantmunity."

    As Ganyu listed off the reasons how the government in Liyue worked, the conversation picked up.

 Chapter 247

    ***

    As Ganyu listed off the reasons how the government in Liyue works, the conversation picked up.

    "That seems a bit problematic..." Barbara spoke up, sounding somewhat dubious. "The more leaders there are, the higher chance of corruption... At least that''s what my...big sister once told me. Hence why Mondstadt only has one Acting Grand Master while the Grand Master is away at the moment."

    Ganyu shook her head.

    "Not necessarily. Lady Ningguang is aware of everything urring behind the scenes and is familiar with all of Liyue''s secrets. You won''t be able to keep secrets from her for very long... If someone was corrupt, they would be immediately removed from their position and then imprisoned."

    "I see..." After this, Barbara was silent and deep in thought.

    "...So what if this Ningguang person is corrupt?"

    Everyone turned to Iris, who had been silent thus far and had been quietly listening since the beginning.

    "Not possible." Ganyu stated tly, shook her head, and then looked at the person who made the rude remark.

    ''Who may this be...? She was so quiet that I didn''t notice her until now. Are those...horns?'' Ganyu was stunned, to say the least, until she recalled what Yomite had said earlier in the day.

    [Don''t worry, be proud! Those horns look cute and amazing. Nothing to be ashamed of, I always love to see those kinds of things. "Even one of myrades has horns." They''re like twin blessings for my eyes.]

    ''Thus, this is the individual about whom he spoke...How imposing and tall she is...I wonder if she''s somewhat rted to the Adepti.'' Ganyu mused internally as she studied the woman.

    Iris was nearly as tall as Yomite and the tallest of all the girls present, whereas Ganyu was on the shorter side and appeared quite small inparison.

    "Ehm. Lady Ningguang has a heart of gold. She struggled to amass wealth from the time she was a young child onward. With sufficient effort, she has reached her current position, and all other Qixing members respect her the most. She is therefore the most trustworthy person." Ganyu exined, her voice calm but firm, showing no hint of doubt or hesitation from her words.

    Iris nodded at this information, taking it all in, before saying, "My apologies."

    "She sounds like a very reliable person, but also pretty calctive." Yomitemented after a pause, still pondering over the information Ganyu had given them.

    ''I''m bad with calctive types...It''s hard to guess what their goal is...I would rather not meet with her...'' he thought.

    "...Lady Ningguang is..." Ganyu grimaced inwardly as she struggled to find the right words: "...You may call her politically astute, but she''s not as scheming as you might assume."

    "Seems fair enough." Yomite agreed, nodding his head. "So yeah, Ganyu, you seem like the one who would know a lot about this ceremony, mind telling us something about it?"

    "Well...each year on a very specific day, Rex Lapis graces thisnd with his prophecy, giving guidance on the economic path Liyue should follow in theing year. Rex Lapis is the eldest of The Seven, and his people have a great deal of faith in his keen sense of strategy. As a result, the entire nation assembles to celebrate his prophecies. The Liyue Qixing are responsible for ensuring that everything is prepared for Rex Lapis''s descent. Each year, a different Qixing wees Rex Lapis; this year, it is Lady Ningguang."

    Everyone seemed to take this information in, before nodding and asking Ganyu a few other questions about the descent itself.

    Apparently, Rex Lapis took a form of a divine dragon each time he descended.

    Soon enough, all of them arrived at the za and found a good spot to watch the proceedings. As soon as they had arrived, all of them set their eyes upon the stage which had been put up in the middle of the square.

    "Hey, have you heard? Apparently, all seventeen predictions from Rex Lapis givenst year made huge ripples throughout the industry!"

    "Oh man, I can''t wait! There has been a rumour going around that Tianquan herself, Ningguang, has been acting secretly in the shadows. She wants the rocks created by geo vision holders to be exempt from taxation! I wonder what she''s nning. Maybe I can marry her one day once I make a fortune..."

    "Dream on, I''ve heard multiple courters invited her to a fancy dinner, and while she attended each and every single one, none of the rich men caught her attention! What could wemon folk possibly do, when even the wealthy failed!"

    "Actually, I heard she has a lover...Has to be someone powerful from the Sun or Yang family...maybe even someone from the hidden sects!"

    The crowd began to buzz about, discussing various rumors and spection of their own as Ningguang walked out onto the stage, nked by two of her slightly better than average looking assistants. The group instantly hushed into silence as they stared in awe at the sight before them.

    Ningguang was the Goddess of Liyue. That much was known. Despite being a mortal, she exuded an aura of power and beauty. Enchanting everyone, be it men or women alike; no one could resist her charms.

    She easily took anyone''s breath away whenever she came close, making them feel as though the wind had been knocked out of them. Her beauty made the world seem more vibrant.

    The way her hair glinted in the sunlight, the way her lips curved into a smile as she greeted her audience, the way she moved gracefully towards the stage.

    It was hard to describe just how enchanting she actually was, especially whenpared to the rest of the citizens of Liyue.

 Chapter 248

    ***

    Even for outsiders, the excellency and solemnity of the proceedings and ceremony had a profound effect on those in attendance, and many feltpelled to stand and gawk.

    This was a sacred and holy event that could only ur once a year in a world filled with both gods and demons; however, in the span of a few minutes, something terrible had changed everything.

    "Now then." Ningguang''s voice was enchanting, and yet cold. She spoke with the tone of an executioner. "The hour is upon us."

    In the deepest of night, illuminated by starlight, Ningguang of the Liyue Qixing gathered the power of her Geo Vision element, and shot it up into the heavens above.

    The light from this beam seemed brighter than day, and it spread across the sky like lightning. Momentarily, the night''s darkness dissipated to the extent that people would have mistaken it for midday.

    As if sensing something was wrong, Ningguang''s eyes were drawn upward, toward a location that seemed darker than before. She strained her eyes, but all she could see was a red sh.

    She couldn''t ignore what she had just seen, no matter how hard she tried.

    The next instant, arge dragon figure crashed to the ground. It fell like a rock, and its body was still upon impact. Its ws extended like the talons of arge bird, its tail ended in sharp spikes, and its stomach bore a jagged, bloody wound. A dark stain spread over its scales as blood slowly dripped to the ground.

    Disbelief crept over the faces of onlookers. What in the world? A dragon just dropped dead, right in front of their very eyes?

    "Wh-What!? What is going on!?"

    "Could...Could it be that...Lord Rex Lapis has..."

    "The end of prosperity for Liyue...oh dear Archon, forgive us!"

    Ningguang''s face turned grim as she heard the voices of people around her. She stepped forward and knelt down beside the creature. Her hands moved with great care, examining its wounds to determine whether or not it was toote. After a few seconds, she stood up again, wariness in her eyes as shemanded,

    "Rex Lapis has been assassinated! Seal off the exits!"

    As soon as she issued the order, several nearby Millelith soldiers woke up from their shock and wasted no time in getting to work. The soldiers swiftly surrounded the area and began barricading the entrance. Another group brought out ropes and began tying up anyone they could get their hands on so that no one would not be able to struggle.

    "Rex...Lapis...?

    Ganyu''s mouth hung open slightly.

    Her eyes wandered to the dragon''s lifeless body as tears rolled down her face. It was clear from her posture that she was shaken up by what she''d witnessed.

    What was going on here? Why did this happen? There must have been some kind of mistake...

    And as more tears spilled forth and streamed down her cheeks, Ganyu realized something crucial.

    Something she didn''t notice up to this point.

    Yomite and thepany were no longer present.

    They were gone.

    They had vanished, as if they''ve never been there in the first ce...

    "Y...Yomite...?"

    This sudden coincidence...Rex Lapis'' death and Yomite''s disappearance...made her feel extremely uneasy.

    Was Yomite somehow involved?

    Was he being nice to her for the sole purpose of obtaining information about Rex Lapis by exploiting her weaknesses and insecurities?

    Was his n to assassinate Rex Lapis from the very beginning?

    ''Twin blessings.''

    Ganyu trembled as her thoughts suddenly rendered her terrified.

    Despite the fact that it sounded absurd, the timing of their meeting and every other detail were perfect, which made her even more suspicious.

    She couldn''t take it anymore; she had to know where Yomite went. She needed to confront him, ask questions.

    if it was to be true...

    If it was to be true that he had somehow assassinated Rex Lapis...

    ...She would make sure that he knew exactly what she would do to him, tearing him apart limb by limb, one piece at a time.

    The Qilin were gentle creatures who refused to harm any animal, or even an insect, living a vegetarian lifestyle, with fur as soft and fluffy as clouds.

    When they did not live in times of peace, however, they were known as the most terrifying Illuminated Beasts, willing to do anything to drive away their enemies.

    And at this very moment, the blood of the Qilin within her body was surging uncontrobly through her veins.

    The pain was so intense that she barely managed to keep herself upright.

    Pure rage radiated from every inch of her being, making her look absolutely inhuman and causing the surrounding crowd to cower away.

    She was on the verge of hyperventting.

    Without hesitation, Ganyu took her bow and left the za...

    Answers were what she needed right now.

    *

    **

    ***

    ***

    **

    *

    Meanwhile...

    Somewhere else...

    "Why the hell would you teleport us away, Lumine!?" Yomite snapped angrily. "Not only did you reveal that you can teleport to god knows how many people, you also made us seem suspicious that we just disappeared out of nowhere after Morax''s death!"

    Yomite was livid, naturally. His chest heaving with indignation, "Where are we anyway..."

    "I...I...I sent us near the Liyue ins...I just...panicked and teleported everyone...I''m sorry. I''m really sorry..." Lumine said, looking terribly ashamed.

    She knew she definitely deserved a tongueshing for doing such a reckless thing.

    "Forget it...what''s done is done..."

    "Yum-Yum...what is going on...?" Barbara asked softly.

    Lumine couldn''t bring herself to exin the situation and Barbara knew it so she asked Yomite for and exnation instead.

    "...It''s a special ability of Lumine, something only the members of my adventurer''s team knew about... A teleportation ability. You can get from a certain ce to another within seconds..." He exined, sounding incredibly weary. "I wanted it to remain secret within my circle of people...but it looks like that''s no longer an option..."

    "I...I will not tell anyone! I promise! You can count on me!" Barbara eximed.

    Yomite smiled slightly at Barbara''s determination and nodded at her gratefully. "Thank you, but at this point I don''t think it matters...we can only hope no one spotted us...but even then...Ganyu was right next to us...This justplicates things..."

 Chapter Chapter chmc: About Novel and the MC

    Author here.

    Daily chapter release : 1

    Number of words per chapter: First two chapters about 4k and 3k, then every chapter afterwards will be from 1k to 1.5k

    I n this to be a long series: Above 1000 chapters.

    Might have to rewrite some chapters and pointless info as new updates or new lore is added with the uing versions,

    Please consider supporting, it might make me release more chapters and pa treon supporters will get ess to more chapters as well:

    Please read description and tags. It will be ate smut, romance stuff, harem, but we will get there. What I hate the most is to just make all girls fall in love with mc on first sight. Its just stupid asf and boring, so I will be writing development for each girl.

    Estimated harem members around: 6-9

    Every CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is wee.

    The look of mc is here:

 Chapter 249

    ***

    Before Lumine teleported them all away, Yomite used his ability to examine Rex Lapis''s corpse and discovered that it was only a husk and that Zhongli was still alive somewhere.

    ''The likelihood that Millelith and Ningguang will detain us is quite high...I don''t know what that guy is thinking, but he''s put me in a difficult position once again. Damn Zhongli!''

    "Everyone! You need not worry; I will vouch for our innocence on behalf of everyone present! No harm shall befall my friends!" Hu Tao stated sincerely.

    "That sounds like nonsense to me...don''t you remember how infamous you are...I''m pretty sure it will have an opposite effect..." Yomite retorted.

    "Hey! You''re being rude! Either way, I think the old man is still alive."

    "Hoh? Why is that?" He replied with curiosity.

    Besides himself, he did not believe anyone else had noticed.

    At the very least, the person in charge, Ningguang, remained unaware and deceived.

    "I would be able to see him, then!"

    "Ah, right...forgot about that..."

    The fact that she could see spirits was always a bit... unnerving...

    Simply allow the imagination to run wild...

    During a shower, during sex, during masturbating, during taking a shit...

    At any moment, a spirit could be watching and no one other than her would know...

    It was a scary world out there...

    ''I really should ask her each time we start making out if there are any spirits watching...cuz it would be he ufortable if we''re being watched...''

    Setting up some sort of barrier against ghosts within his home would also be a good idea.

    "So...what exactly happened back there? If I may ask? Did the esteemed Archon Rex Lapis... actually die?" Barbara inquired while cocking her head in confusion.

    On the subject of death, it was pretty unbelievable for an Archon that strong to die...

    ''If someone as strong as him simply died...then there would be something stronger that managed to kill him...which sounds pretty absurd simply because of the fact his titles were insane...'' Yomite concluded.

    "Barbs, everyone." He started "I''m not entirely sure what we should do. If we run, we would be seen as potential murderers, if we stay we would be detained and endlessly questioned and I don''t think they would release us..."

    His words drew the attention of hispanions.

    They exchanged doubtful nces.

    However, they made a decision in their mind.

    Hu Tao was the first to act.

    And her response was...

    "Let''s juuuust run! I am as free as a butterfly! No one shall restrict me!"

    Fairly disappointing, wasn''t it...?

    "I would rather stay with you on the run, than be detained in a different cell...Yum-Yum...Ah...A tragic love story...how wonderful..."

    Barbara also seemed to have shared that sentiment.

    "...I need to find my brother as soon as possible...to do that, I need to get stronger...I cannot waste time in a prison..."

    Lumine''s answer was just as straightforward. Even in Mondstadt, she did everything she could to not get caught once they stole the Holy Lyre Der Himmel.

    As for Paimon...

    "No! Paimon doesn''t wanna go to a prison! Paimon heard you barely get anything to eat! And no sweets either! That''s like hell! W-We shall run!" She despaired when the idea presented itself and gave a straightforward answer.

    Iris would follow Yomite just as always so there weren''t any issues with her.

    "I guess we''re running back to Mondstadt then? We can ask Jean to resolve this situation for us. I believe she''s smart and trusts us and her little sister to a certain degree." Yomite proposed, but soon noticed that Barbara''s face was filled with irritation.

    "Is something the matter? Barbs? You don''t look too happy with this idea."

    "...No, it''s fine. I''m sure my big sister wouldn''t just ignore our request..." she answered while shrugging with a disappointed sigh.

    ''I knew their rtionship wasn''t the best...but right now it seems like Barbara doesn''t trust Jean anymore...''

    There were still two things bothering Yomite at this exact moment.

    One, the fact that Fischl was near the outskirts of Liyue, sleeping at the inn.

    "I forgot about one thing...I need to get Amy since she''s still basically in Liyue..."

    "Amy? Who''s Amy?" Barbara had never heard him mention that name before.

    "Ah! You know! It''s Fishy-Fishy! Fischl!" Hu Tao eximed.

    "Ah..."

    Barbara recalled their most recent encounter as a bow and arrow were aimed at her.

    However, they got along reasonably wellter on.

    "Let''s see. I''ll travel with Lumine and teleport to Liyue, then return with Fischl."

    As Lumine appeared somewhat confused, he waved at her to get her attention before pointing out the location of the inn on the map he received from the Adventurer''s Guild a long time ago.

    "Do you have any of those teleports near this location?"

    "Yes, there''s one right there." She gestured with her thumb on the map, pointing to a location not far off the mark.

    "Great, then let''s go."

    The second thing that bothered him was that an unknown woman was currently staring at them from the distance.

    She was sitting on a wooden fence, as if she had been anticipating their arrival from the very beginning...

    ck tights that adorned her appearance were the first thing heid his eyes onto the moment he nced at the girl. The sight was mesmerizing enough he could hardly keep himself from staring.

    His eyes then trailed along until theynded on her face, taking in every detail of the beauty that surrounded her.

    Her emerald eyes shone with pride and determination, her lips parted slightly as she took a deep breath and released it in a huff, as if preparing herself for some great feat she was about to aplish.

    She had long, dark purple hair, and her face was so pale it appeared as though she hadn''t eaten in several days.

    When he observed her mischievous grin, a frown appeared on his face.

    "You''ve finally arrived. I was tired of waiting."

 Chapter 250

    ***

    "Ah, atst..."

    The unidentified woman jumped down from the fence where she had been seated and yawned, "You kept me waiting for so long that I almost fell asleep." She then vanished from her position and reappeared directly behind Yomite, smirking at him.

    ''Teleportation? Or maybe a short distance instant transmission?''

    Her voice held pride as she spoke once more. "As usual, my astrological projections have proven urate, but that''s to be expected from a person of my stature."

    Arge blue circle appeared in front of her; it appeared to be a magical formation that allowed her to see things that no one else could.

    "You. Yes you. You must apany me; I have questions for you." Poiting at Yomite, she walked past his party members.

    Yomite regarded her for a moment before addressing Lumine,

    "So, where were we before? Yes, simply teleport us to this location on the map that I marked."

    Lumine nodded in response before preparing the teleport.

    Yomite disregarded the woman''s words entirely.

    When the woman realized she was being ignored, she became impatient "Hey! I instructed you to follow me! What are you up to?"

    The woman stomped towards them until she was face to face with him.

    She poked his chest with her index finger before continuing with her rant, "I will refrain from repeating myself... You, follow me. Now! I have something to talk with you about!" She then turned to Lumine and began gesticting wildly while repeating, "Actually, she should follow me as well! The remainder may stay here."

    "Why? Why would I follow an unknown woman to some secret sex dungeon? What if your goal is to get me into a trap or take advantage of my handsome self? Your left thigh has a tear, which suggests that you wear the same tights every day; your witch hat is unusually dirty, which could indicate that you use it as a pillow while sleeping near a road; and you look as pale as if you didn''t see anything remotely edible in weeks. Not to mention you...I apologize if this is offensive, but you smell a bit. When was thest time you showered? ...I feel like this is some sort borate ruse. I will not follow you, now piss off." Yomite retorted.

    "Wha-!? You little-!"

    The woman then took a menacing step forward, but stopped when she felt something brush against her leg.

    Looking down, she saw a de pressed against her thigh.

    Lumine had stepped between her and Yomite with her de at hand. The other members of the party had drawn their own weapons in case of an attack.

    "Party leader doesn''t appreciate you getting so close. Please leave. You''ve been nothing but rude so far." Lumine stated in a stern manner.

    The woman snorted and rolled her eyes, "Nothing but rude? Then that would mean he was extremely rude to me! He said I smell!!! How can you tell a woman she smells?!...Fine...whatever. Let''s see what you say about this. You, both of you, aren''t exactly from this world, are you?"

    "..."

    ...

    ..

    .

    This question rmed everyone present.

    Their focus shifted to Lumine and Yomite.

    "Yum-Yum...? What is she talking about?" Barbara asked hesitantly.

    "Hah! I knew it!" Hu Taoughed, "This esteemed Director knew all along about the fact that her dearest assistant was special, but now that it was confirmed, I am feeling triumphant!"

    "Another world!? Then does that mean, Bad Tattoo is in the same situation as the traveler Lumine?" Paimon asked out of confusion.

    Before this incident, only Fischl and Lumine were aware that Yomite was from another world, but it appeared that now everyone in his group was aware due to this woman.

    Same went for Lumine. Yomite advised her to conceal this information, but it was toote. Both had already been exposed.

    Nheless, he could still salvage the situation...

    By doing something he was bad at...

    Lying!

    He awkwardly rubbed the nape of his neck, "Uh, actually...you''ve got the wrong person...me no speak yournguage...ooga booga?"

    Yomite used "Lying"!

    A verymon, yet useful ability plenty of humans possessed, yet didn''t know how to utilize properly, he was one of them.

    "Don''t try to y dumb! I''m not stupid to fall for such a pathetic lie."

    "Mi casa es su casa? Ich bin from Japan. Yomite vagyok."

    "I know you''re lying. No one else here would be dumb enough to believe you."

    "..."

    Lying wasn''t very effective...

    Just as expected...

    There was a moment of awkward silence. Everyone else waited anxiously for an exnation, be it from Yomite or the unknown woman...

    It seemed that spouting random sentences from othernguages he barely remembered had no effect.

    ''How troubling...but I still have one more card up my sleeve. My charisma!''

    He turned to all of his lovely party members and smiled as gently as if they were the most precious things in the world.

    He had never felt more at peace before, he thought, with hisrades like this.

    "Girls, I love you all. You''re all so perfect and great. Let''s just kill her."

    Killing the problematic person who dared to reveal their hidden identity? Seemed more than fair!

    However, at that moment, everything went silent.

    His party was frozen solid by the sudden confession.

    No one made any sound.

    Until...

    "P-Party leader..said he...loves me..."

    "Ah, my dearest Assistant, I know, I know~ you don''t say it often but I know! It''s so embarrassing now~! I will give you lots of lovingter~"

    "Ahah, yes. Yes. YES! You finally admitted we''re connected by the string of love! How wonderful this day turned out to be! Yum-Yum! Through life and death, we shall never be separated!"

    "Master~ Gvruu~"

    "Y-Y-You can''t say stuff like that at the heat of a moment to Paimon...B-But if this baddie has any treasures on her...rob her blind!"

    The fighting spirit of the girls rose up; naturally intensified after his lovable remarks.

 Chapter 251

    ***

    The woman observed the situation,pletely perplexed, as she had never imagined that this obscenely boastful and obnoxious man could incite the nearby girls to fight with just a few words.

    Seeing them getting closer and closer, killing intent clearly visible in their features, she feared what fate would greet her upon meeting them head on.

    "Huh!? Wai-Wait! I didn''te here to fight! I just wanted to talk!"

    The girl, recognizing that the situation was no longer in her favor, attempted to flee from everyone.

    Six against one was grossly unfair, especially considering that she was depleted of energy from not eating for weeks.

    Not like she would admit that the annoying man was correct with his judgement though...

    She could barely escape with the remaining strength she possessed.

    Her goal was to lead a discussion with those two and make them her disciples, but who would have thought one of her future disciples was so rude!

    Telling her she smelled...

    Telling her she needed to take a shower!?

    Who did that!?

    Who ever told that to a woman!?

    ''A brute! Aplete uncivilized brute! And a disgusting Casanova! How could I ever...''

    His party members exchanged nces for a moment before preparing to fight.

    As soon as she realized this, panic struck the woman square in the chest, "Wai�� Please wait! Stop being ridiculous! Listen to me! My name is Mona Megistus! I''m here to look for my future partn��...disciples! Yes, disciples! And I''ve deducted that two of you have plenty of talent in this field! I don''t want to fight you!"

    She wished she had instead swallowed a whole lemon earlier after saying that.

    But what else was she supposed to say when five women were ring down at her?!

    Well, more like four and a quarter since the flying thing near them wasn''t really that tall or menacing to begin with..

    Still...

    If she said the wrong thing, she was certain to be murdered or robbed of her remaining pitiful pennies, and there was no one nearby who could intervene in time to stop them!

    Begging for life and exining her situation seemed like the most viable option.

    Yomite shook his head in response to Mona''s pleading, "What is it again? You know, what would you do if an unknown man appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the night and asked you to apany him to an abandoned alley? To be quiet and follow him while he yells at you. See the double standards? Wouldn''t that be a recipe for disaster? Instead, if you introduced yourself properly from the very beginning, told us your objective and kindly asked us to follow you, I may have epted."

    Mona scowled, knowing that everything this Casanova was saying was kind of true; but he didn''t have to be such an asshat of a prick about it!

    She observed that the fearless man was not exactly the courteous type when it came to women.

    She never imagined that it would ever ur that he would instruct his lovers to attack and kill her.

    Mona had quite a bit of pride so even after she faced off the girls, the woman still held herposure with admirable patience and dignity, albeit at a cost of herst ounce of stamina.

    Erudite, but prideful.

    Usually, her pride knew no bounds...

    Yet her prideful will copsed right into quicksand when Yomite put her on the spot, pulling on those strings by offering her a second chance.

    "O-Okay! I admit my wrongs and I can certainly say I was at fault! Is that enough?!"

    It certainly wasn''t something Yomite could call an apology as she wouldn''t do so without being explicitly asked; yet, he knew he shouldn''t tease the woman any longer.

    "Alright alright, girls that''s enough." The moment he pped his hands, his party immediately stowed their weapons.

    "Hu Tao, as you''re the local here, is there somece we can have a quick dinner?"

    "Hmmm~ looking around, the closest ce I can think of would be the Wangshu Inn!" Hu Tao answered back, feeling rather nostalgic about the ce.

    "How long would it take us to get there?"

    "Roughly fifteen minutes." She pointed into the distance, towards a well lit up location about a kilometer away.

    It was an inn that served as a hub for traveling merchants in the region of Liyue, and not that far from the city itself.

    "Alright, we''ll listen to what she has to say there, and then go for Fischl. The stuff that happened with Morax just now should take the priority, but I am quite interested in her, so we shall ask her a few questions first. Not to mention she seems to know too much..."

    Uneasy, Barbara observed the conversation from a short distance.

    "Are we certain we wish to travel with...her? What if she is a dangerous person? She came out of nowhere..." She asked with reluctance.

    ''I don''t think she''s more dangerous than you...'' Yomite snorted, but did not say out loud.

    "Excuse me!? You dare question me? I am a renowned astrologer you dimwit!"

    "Renowned...surely. I have never heard of you before today." Barbara replied with a sarcastic tone, "I bet you are not even capable enough to see our fortune. Some unqualified astrologer..."

    Yomite had to agree with Barbara, Mona seemed like a scammer no matter how he looked at it...

    No more than a beggar...

    Back on Earth, all astrologers were weird and the whole thing was a huge scam, luring people into joining and in turn, turning them dumb.

    And yet...she possessed information she should not...

    "Y...You..! Fine, I will read your fortune! No charge! Be honored! I don''t do this often! Let''s see, let''s see...your rtionship with your sister will go down the drain the moment you return to Mondstadt!"

    "..."

    Barbara couldn''t believe what she just heard.

    Was she actually a real astrologer after all?

    How did this person know she had a sister?

    "Oho! It also seems you have quite the shameless hobby of taking pictures! Who would have thought? Wow, so shameless! Maybe I should just tell him!"

    ...

    ..

    .

    Upon hearing that, Barbara froze with wide eyes and her mouth agape. "...Please don''t... don''t do it..."

    "Now what''s with the glum expression? Surely, you don''t believe a second rate astrologer like me to be able to see into you, right?"

    "I...apologize..." she whispered timidly, "I...just...please, spare me...if you could..."

    "Hm...hmm, maybe I should..." Mona mused aloud, "There''s no harm doing a reading right?" she smirked.

    "I believe that''s enough." Yomite suddenly interjected and hit Mona straight on the top of her head.

    She winced as a sharp pain traveled through her skull.

    "Ow! How can you just hit a woman!? Where are your manners!?" Mona red daggers at Yomite and took a step forward, wanting to lunge at him.

    He easily dodged, causing her to fall t on the ground.

    "You were making her ufortable. Now get up. I have many questions to ask you once we get to the inn. Don''t make me do it twice."

    Mona quickly rose to her feet with a re still aimed straight at him.

    "Tch...Fine..."

 Chapter 252

    ***

    No one spoke a word as they followed the dusty road to the inn.

    "There is no way.... right?"

    Yomite''s eyes widened as they entered the inn''s grounds and he realized how high he had to climb.

    He observed guests eating dinner at their respective tables on the third floor and made a mental note of it.

    "Do we really have to climb up there to enjoy a meal? What kind of inn is this!?"

    "A good one," a man''s voice answered him.

    When the group turned around to see who had addressed them, they saw an elderly man with white hair and a beard wearing green robes.

    The man greeted them with a smile that revealed his white teeth. "How may I help you young travelers? Do you need any help finding your rooms?"

    "We only came here to eat a dinner before going our own ways. Do you mind me asking, where are the stairs?"

    "Ah, right. The stairs were damaged... I do not know the specifics, but it may have urred during a terrible storm not long ago. If you want to take a bite out of something, go and visit the reception, you can use the elevator right there." The man pointed at the tform right at the walking distance.

    An old elevator made of wood, or at least... something that resembled one...

    "An...elevator?" Yomite asked doubtfully.

    "Yes, it will take you up to the reception," the old man told them. "It''s a genius invention from Fontaine! It''s still a prototype, but it worked wonders for getting customers and merchants to their destination!"

    "I...don''t know if I want to use the elevator...maybe we should just climb..."

    Barbara noticed his hesitation immediately.

    "Yum-Yum? What''s wrong? You seem nervous..." she asked, her soft voice filled with concern.

    A voice of an angel and a devil. One that was so soft that it could melt his heart, while in reality, her hidden intentions were as sharp as the des of a demon who killed thousands of men.

    "I''m not nervous," Yomite insisted. "Why would I be nervous?!" He crossed his arms over his chest, hoping that no one could tell he was lying.

    The reason he was in this world was precisely, because an elevator crushed him to death.

    He did not take any chances with the elevator''s less stable and functional prototype, even if his body was way stronger than it ever was before.

    "Assistant~ You seem frightened~ Don''t be scared~ I''ll hold your hand!" Hu Tao giggled, intecing her small hand with his.

    "Girls..e on...I am not scared!" Yomite retorted. "I just feel like climbing! Is all! I want to stretch a little!"

    "You''re afraid! How cute~ Yommie~"

    "Hu Tao...stop..!"

    "Paimon wonders why he''s so afraid. Maybe because the elevator''s so high?" she mused aloud. "Maybe he fears falling off or something."

    "Party Leader...cute."

    "Girls, I''m telling you, I''m fine. Just stop."

    "Oh? So you''re not afraid~ Well, alright then!"

    Hu Taoughed and stepped into the elevator.

    "Come to Momma~ I''ll hold you so that you won''t fall off~"

    The other girls now, noticed Yomite''s hesitation more than ever before.

    Collectively, they believed it was the first time they had witnessed him feeling fear and were intrigued by this new emotion he was disying.

    All of them soon boarded the wooden elevator, leaving him outside.

    "Girls...what...?"

    "Don''t worry, Yum-Yum! I''ll hold you! Come in!"

    "Maybe he''s afraid after all~ Poor baby.."

    The man who told them about the elevatorughed, "You have good friends! Enjoy your stay!"

    They all bid the old man goodbye as he left.

    With no other option, Yomite clenched his fists and anxiously stepped in the elevator after them.

    Still, the fact that there was an elevator in this world, baffled him.

    Compared to countries like Liyue or Monstadt, the city of Fontaine appeared to be highly developed.

    This world was very much different than his own.

    This reminded him, that he wanted to buy condoms somewhere, but no one in Mondstadt seemed to know what they were, and the same went for Liyue.

    Did the condoms not exist?

    ''Maybe the Fontaine would have some? In the worse case, I''ll have to create one myself in the Teapot I received from the granny. The problem is, I would have to collect materials for it, and while I don''t know how much it would need, considering it''s a pretty small item, it shouldn''t be much, right?''

    Hu Tao waved her arms excitedly as the elevator began its ascent.

    "This is so fun!" she eximed, "How mysterious this device is, to be able to bring us up without needing to move!"

    "There''s a nice view." Luminemented upon viewing the high mountains of Liyue.

    "Hmph, to think this Casanova was scared of something so trivial. Better note this to myself!"

    "Look, garbage woman, one more word and you''ll be thrown out. I''m really not in the mood right now..."

    "What did you just call me?! I''m the esteemed astrologer, Mona Megistus! Stop giving me weird names! Or are you not intelligent enough to remember it?"

    "Okay, Monika, shut it for now, I''ll be asking questionster, just wait till then."

    "Tch! The nerve of this guy! You''re lucky I still consider you worthy to teach!"

    Yomite felt his stomach churning nervously once more. He wasn''t feeling the best.

    But he knew this elevator wasn''t that dangerous.

    He also knew he couldn''t show any signs of difort, or else they''d make fun of him again.

    It''s not that he was scared of the elevator, he was just ufortable being in one.

    Once they arrived at their destination, the door automatically opened.

    The girls stepped out and Hu Tao immediately had to leave a teasing remark once more.

    "Good job! Amazing! You made it! Yommie! I''m so proud of you~"

    "...Tao,e here for a second."

    While the other girls weren''t looking, he called for her.

    Hu Tao tilted her head curiously butplied anyway.

    She watched him closely when he reached out, taking a handful of her buttock cheeks in his hands, squeezing them.

    It was his method of rxation following a stressful situation.

    She didn''t mind; they belonged to him after all.

    "Hm? Why are you touching me there? Are you perhaps scared of my bottom too, Assistant~? Or perhaps..." She lowered her voice, "You want to do it in front of all the girls~?"

    "Don''t get ahead of yourself." After getting his fill, he pinched her butt hard, eliciting a yelp from Hu Tao.

    "Owie!"

    The other girls looked back to see what was wrong but they saw nothing.

    They were certain that the two were acting strangely, but no one spoke up or noticed anything strange.

    Upon seeing some people eating, Paimon announced,

    "Let''s get food! Paimon''s salivating!"

    The girls agreed, eager to taste the delicious food inside of the restaurant.

 Chapter 253

    ***

    The Wangshu inn that stood at the southern end of Dihua Marsh seemed to serve as something more than just a resting ce for guests.

    Folk stories had it that even ones as august as the adepti sometimes basked in the moonlight in this very ce.

    "People say that Wangshu Inn is a haven for lovers'' moonlit rendezvous. It''s a perfect ce for us, my Assistant!"

    "Is it though? So far I''m not quite happy with the ce."

    After the group left the elevator area, the main goal was to find a reception of some sort but before they could do so, they met a well-dressed woman.

    "Greetings! My name is Yuhua, a waitress here at the Wangshu Inn. Are you in need of a meal, or a room for the night? If you are, you''re wee to use our dining room if you would like."

    The young woman standing next to the elevator spoke up.

    "We don''t intend to stay here tonight, but we can certainly eat. Please find us somece private we can talk alone. Money''s not the issue."

    Yuhua bowed before she continued to speak.

    "I have a lovely ce in mind! But first, we need to speak to the Boss. Follow me please."

    The group did as she asked and walked into the inside of the inn. Funnily enough they went down to the second floor.

    By using stairs...

    ''So you''re telling me I had to use the elevator to get to third floor and then all of a sudden there are stairs here to the second one? Why don''t they just repair the other stairs then!?''

    "Hey Boss, these people wish to speak to you about staying somewhere private for a dinner."

    As Yuhua finished her sentence, a fairly attractive woman in herte twenties weed them in the reception.

    Her face looked rather youthful, her smile and eyes friendly.

    "Wee to the Wangshu Inn, you may call me Verr Goldet. Hmm... A distinctive but elusive clothing, a tall gentleman with defined yet atypical facial features and darker skin tone, followed around by several women and a flying animal. If it isn''t Yomite Hissha. What an honor, I''ve heard so many great things about the the hero of Mondstadt."

    "Eh...how do you...know me..?"

    Yomite was taken aback.

    He was surprised when he saw someone recognize him from his fame.

    But before he got a chance to think too much, Verr Goldet exined herself.

    "Oh! Pardon me, I''m from Mondstadt myself. You''re famous after all." She smiled and added, "And I must apologize. It''s been such a long time since I''ve seen you in person that I barely recognized you. I am truly honored to see you again."

    "Oh...thank you."

    Yomite smiled back, slightly embarrassed.

    Thisdy was too kind. He didn''t know what to say.

    He was used to being recognized in Mondstadt but he never really interacted with any of the people that praised him like this, which left him in a difficult spot.

    Luckily, Verr Goldet seemed to have noticed his difort, "I have the perfect ce for your conversation, if you wouldn''t mind following me."

    She turned around and began walking up the stairs, all the way to the fifth floor.

    Everyone followed behind her in silence, but it seemed that Mona had something to say but didn''t want to say it out loud yet.

    Once they arrived, an open terrace with a few tables and chairs weed them.

    "We''re here." Verr Goldet announced and gestured towards one table on their right, "Please sit here and chose what you wish to eat from this menu. Yuhua will return soon." She straightened her clothes before heading off.

    Everyone took a seat. Hu Tao and Barbara both sat down next to him, while Mona and others were sitting at the opposite side of the table, facing each other.

    "Well that was a pretty warm wee, wasn''t it..." Yomite spoke up once Verr Goldet left.

    "She seemed like a huge fan of yours, Yum-Yum."

    "Yeah...I''m pretty bad with people like this. They usually go away immediately after saying hello, but she was different..."

    "She was lying." Mona bluntly spoke out of nowhere.

    "Huh? What do you mean?"

    Mona sighed deeply, "She''s not from Mondstadt and I highly doubt she''s from Liyue either but she does have connections with both. I haven''t properly read her as I require time to do that, but I assume she''s either from Fontaine or Sumeru."

    "...That doesn''t sound like it could be a good thing..." A look of worry appeared on Yomite''s face, "How are you so certain and why should I believe you?"

    Mona answered immediately, "Because I''m intelligent and I have the ability to observe people. Both of which you mostlyck."

    "Why do you have to be so rude to me, Monika. Still, that''s a nice conspiracy you''ve got there but you haven''t exined how exactly you''re gaining this much information out of nowhere."

    "Stop calling me Monika! Tch," Mona crossed her arms in front of her chest, "You already know my name and what I am proficient in. Astrology is a divine art where divination is a fundamental part of it. That being said, Ibine Astrology with Hydromancy and it brings forth great results."

    "Haah...this again..." Yomite sighed and shook his head.

    He still couldn''t exactly believe her since astrology was akin to a joke in his old world.

    To think he would meet someone who could utilize astrology in such a manner...

    He couldn''t help but feel slightly awed despite her being rude to him from the very beginning.

    "...Hmmm...nice tights and a big butt..."

    "Hey, hey, stop staring at me like that, that''s sexual harassment," Mona interrupted him from his thoughts, "Can''t we get past the formalities now? I''ve answered your questions regarding how I gather intelligence, now it''s your turn to be my disciple!"

    He blinked a few times, taken aback by her statement.

    "Oh, Monika...I thought you were joking back then. What makes you think I''m going to ept your offer? I already have a much hotter, more developed and mature teacher that could pamper me whenever and wherever, why would I want you?"

    "Are women the only thing that''s on your mind, you dirty Casanova!? Just ept already, would you!? Even if it''s pretending! I''ll go to Mondstadt in a few weeks and I desperately need a disciple that would represent me and help me! And who else would I, the great astrologer Mona Megistus pick as my disciples, if not the two people from another world! You should be honored I am inviting you!"

    Yomite sighed in exasperation, "...You did it again..."

    Mona raised an eyebrow.

    "Did what?"

    After the previous events, the partypletely forgot about Mona''s deration that he and Lumine were from another world.

    He thought it could be salvaged but she brought it up again in front of them...

    ''Damn it...''

 Chapter 254

    ***

    "It is as I said before! My wisdom is unattainable! To think this Director guessed correctly! Ah, I think that luck retuned to me! I might start a new business soon!"

    "Yum-Yum..? Was that perhaps true? That you''re from a different world?"

    Lumine gave an awkward smile, "It is as you say, we''re both not from this world, but the two of us are from a different ce than the other."

    ''Why would she just confirm it..e on Lumine...agh whatever...'' Yomite mentally facepalmed.

    "..."

    ...

    ..

    .

    "Ooga booga...?"

    """..."""

    "Okay! Okay! This isn''t a big deal... Ah you know...fuck you, Monika in dirty clothes... I nned to...you know...find a good ce and time to talk about this to my party and have a deep understanding discussion between us, but you ruined itpletely..."

    "...Oh, so you haven''t told them yet...? Well, that''s a bit awkward..." She murmured after a brief period of silence, before she realized he greatly offended her, "Hey! What did you just call me again!?"

    Yomite ignored her and sighed in defeat, "So yeah...I am not from this world. I do not wish to talk about how I got here, or what happened, but do take note of me, not being a local in this ce. That was why I often asked everyone around me questions to know if this world was different from mine and it turned out it was. It was very different and I am still sometimes surprised at some absurdws."

    He exined while rubbing his temple, trying to calm himself down.

    A moment of silence passed and Mona could feel herself feeling guilty for bringing up such a subject and revealing the truth once more.

    Yomite seemed pretty distressed about his secret being revealed, which made her wonder if maybe she shouldn''t''ve brought up any of these things at all.

    "I''m sorry. It''s my fault..." Mona muttered.

    Yomite raised his eyebrows in surprise, he hadn''t expected her to feel like that considering how rude she was to him when they met...but it wasn''t too strange since people tended to get aggressive over certain things.

    "It was my fault that I exposed your secret to begin with..." She added while looking away. "I hadn''t considered you kept it to yourself. I''m sorry."

    It seemed that Mona truly believed she had caused all of this mess and epted her own fault, which meant she was a good person at heart.

    "Ah well...it''s fine. I nned on telling them one day, it''s just that it was too rushed for me and I''m not really prepared..." Yomite replied, "Either way, here it is, the truth."

    He looked at each of the girls from his party, waiting for their response.

    To his surprise, none of them were angry he witheld information from them.

    Instead, they seemed interested in learning everything about him.

    "How is it like in there?"

    "Paimon is curious, is there different kinds of sweets than here? How many sweets are there?"

    "Do you have your own Archons you pray to? Or are there no Archons at all?"

    "How expensive are the coffins in your world? They better be cheap!"

    "Master, is there a ce where you can simply fall asleep and never leave your room?"

    "..."

    Yomite was caught off guard by their dumb questions, but decided to humor them anyway.

    "It''s a huge world with multiple countries that pretty much worships thousands of gods with a few of them being main ones, such as, Jesus, Zeus, Ganesha, Ah and so on. There is more sweets than you could ever hope to eat and I don''t know the prices of coffins, but I assume they are he expensive considering I knew a few people who had to sell a few of their belongings just to get one, because they couldn''t afford it, so who knows really...As for the lonely ce...that''s basically owning a house...if you chose to do so, you can end up all alone and never venture outside unless you need food, you can do the same thing in my mansion, Iris and I''m pretty sure you''ve been doing that up till now..." He finished with a shrug.

    "Thousands of Archons..." Barbara seemed troubled, "How many people are there to pray to all of those Archons...that is simply unbelievable..."

    "More sweets Paimon could ever eat...Paimon is already drooling"

    "No need to move from bed..." Iris almost flipped at the thought of not leaving a house. She was a true hikikomori to the bone that wished nothing but to stay in the house and do nothing all day buty down and eat food.

    Lumine was more than intrigued, "So interesting...please tell us more about your special ceter, I shall tell you about mine as well."

    "Why are the coffins so expensive? Isn''t it the priority to make sure the people that passsed get to be sent off peacefully with the lowest price possible to make sure their rtives don''t have to spend much money on them as they''ve already suffered a great loss? I am a bit angry at that..." Hu Taomented while frowning slightly.

    While she often joked and threw around sales for people to gain interest in the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor business, she would never overprice her customers. She was too kind to even suggest something like that, and it made her mad when Yomite mentioned the poor people who are grieving are forced to pay unreasonable sums for coffins just to part with their loved ones.

    She hated it more than anything else.

 Chapter 255

    ***

    After he shortly described his world to the girls, they began discussing the menu, as Paimon was starving.

    He promised he would tell them more, but now was truly not the time or ce to be talking about something important like this.

    "Paimon will have a Chicken-Mushroom Skewer!"

    "Lil Paimon sure eats the same stuff all the time, doesn''t she? In that case, I''ll have the Jueyun Chili Chicken. What would you like, my most cherished Assistant?"

    "I suppose I''ll have some Fisherman''s toast because I don''t want to overeat."

    While everyone else was deciding what to eat, Mona was browsing the menu and attempting to determine what she could order with her limited funds.

    "Oh, the Almond Tofu looks incredible, but it costs 1550 Mora by itself? How despicable... The price of one Chicken-Mushroom Skewer is 450 Mora... I have only 200 Mora on me... I can''t even afford the 270-dor Butter ingredient for the side dish! This restaurant is ridiculously overpriced! How outrageous..."

    Mona let out a defeated sigh.

    "Is everything alright?" Yomite inquired, noticing that Mona appeared annoyed.

    "I''m fine. Don''t be concerned... It is irrelevant... I am slightly hungry, but it''s not a major issue. Astrologers must abandon their materialistic desires. Only by ridding oneself of clutter can one see the true world around them. Sometimes, the hunger itself must be consumed." Mona stated this while coughing loudly to cover the sound of her growling stomach, which had not seen anything remotely edible in approximately six days.

    She then added an extra "Hmpf!" for a strong emphasis to show herplete determination to look like she cared about nothing.

    "Hmm, hmm..." Yomite nodded, unconvinced, but decided it would be best if he refrained from pressing the issue further.

    Yuhua, a courteous waitress, soon arrived.

    "Hello, we meet again. Are you ready for your order? What can I get you?" She spoke as sweetly as before.

    Yomite nced at her, before asking with a sly grin, "Yes, we would like to order, but first, let me ask you a question, may I?"

    "Yes, sure! Ask away!"

    "...Who are you?"

    "..."

    "..."

    "...Eh?"

    This made Yuhua slightly taken aback, however, she answered him almost immediately, "Aw, don''t you remember me? We met just earlier near the elevator, sir. My name is Yuhua. It makes me so sad that you forgot about me this quickly..." And then she dramatically shed some fake tears.

    Yomite blinked and then smiled politely at her.

    "Oh, I''m sorry. I do remember meeting Yuhua, but you''re not Yuhua, are you?"

    At this remark, the waitress'' face fell into shock before turning a bit pale, "...Sir...No...as expected of you, Hero Yomite Hissha. Not even our parents could sometimes tell us apart, yet you somehow found out immediately. I am indeed not Yuhua. My name is Xiuhua, her twin sister. We switched just now, she went to take a break. How amazing." As Yuhua''s twin sister continued speaking, her smile slowly returned and she stood straight, looking even more friendly than before.

    "Eh!? But Paimon couldn''t tell the difference between them at all!"

    "Yum-Yum is simply amazing! As expected!"

    Xiuhua bowed and asked, "Would you mind if Ie back in a few minutes? I really want to tell that this happened to my sister real quick, she won''t believe me! I''ll get your meal in a few minutes, okay?"

    "Well...sure..bute back quick...?"

    It was a weird request but he didn''t mind waiting a few more minutes...

    "Thank you so much!" Xiuhua bowed once more and hurriedly descended the stairs...

    "Wow, frankly, I didn''t think anyone other than me would notice it wasn''t the same person." Mona spoke up, sounding genuinely intrigued, "Even their constetions are almost identical. I retract my statement that you do not pay sufficient attention to those around you. Even if it was...just a pair of women...So how did you do it? Is there a trick to it?"

    "A magician never reveals his secrets!" Yomite replied and Mona just rolled her eyes, "Hmph, fine. I didn''t want to know anyway."

    "Surely you didn''t."

    Yomite''s ability to check stats was, of course, the reason he even noticed the twins had changed.

    He decided to start using his ''Observe'' more often. Meaning, he would be using it on everyone he met to train with it a bit more.

    And seeing a different name on the person who looked the exact same, but wasn''t the same person did make him a bit curious, so he decided to poke some fun at the waitress duo, and it bore some funny reactions.

    "Paimon always said that he pays way too much attention to girls...maybe that''s how he did it?"

    "Better for him to focus on girls than on guys, right~?" Hu Tao poked Paimon''s cheek with her finger.

    "Eh...weirdly enough...Paimon...agrees...? Eh...Hu Tao...Paimon doesn''t like that smirk of yours...You are up to no good again!"

    ***

    **

    *

    *

    **

    ***

    "So? Anything suspicious to report about him?" Verr Goldet asked her trustworthy employee.

    "With a single nce, he realized it wasn''t Yuhua speaking to him. He is bound to be the real deal. He saw through me immediately... I am ashamed." Still embarrassed over what had urred, Xiuhua responded.

    The twins were identical to the same birthmark on their thighs, not even their parents could tell them apart yet somehow he did. Was it perhaps smell? But even that wouldn''t work considering they used the same perfume. She genuinely questioned how something like that could be possible.

    "Hmm. Don''t fret over it. I was just curious about him. Did you perhaps happen to overhear anything special?"

    "No, not particrly; however, one of his friendsined that the prices were a bit too pricey for her. Oh, the Wangsheng Funeral Director seemed particrly angry about something as well, but I missed it."

    "Intriguing. Alright. As our lord, Rex Lapis, has been assassinated, Tianquan Ningguangmanded me to keep an eye on Yomite Hissha. What do you think about them being the culprits?"

    "M-Me? I couldn''t possibly have a say in this matter... I''m just a lowly servant..."

    "Just your honest opinion is enough. I am curious."

    "...Well...Yomite Hissha appeared to be strong, and so did the girls around him. It''s just... I don''t think someone who would kill lord Rex Lapis would be having a casual conversation over a dinner not too far away from the ce it happened... Besides, him being a Hero, and the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor following him around as his lover...it doesn''t sound right for them to be in the wrong... I do not believe they were the perpetrators, but I cannot imagine why they would flee the scene immediately after the crime wasmitted..."

    "You know, Xiuhua, you''re getting quite intelligent for someone so young. Perhaps you should leave our small gathering and broaden your horizons."

    "W-What? No!! I couldn''t possibly-"

    "I shall contact Lady Ningguang and exin the situation to her. Whatever urs for the time being, do not inform our resting guest about the death of Rex Lapis. I cannot fathom what would ur if he discovered the truth..."

    "Y-Yes!"

    Xiuhua bowed deeply, before taking her leave from the room.

    "Things are bing moreplicated; if it turns out that a Hero of Mondstadt murdered Rex Lapis, this could escte into an international conflict." As she watched the door close in front of her, Verr Goldet murmured.

    What Yomite and his little group didn''t know, was that the moment they stepped into the Wangshu inn, they stepped into a lion''s den.

    As each and every employee at the Wangshu inn.

    Was directly under Ningguang''s rule and intelligence gathering.

 Chapter 256

    ***

    "So, Monika, I presume you are aware of our ''unique circumstances'' right?"

    "Tch, yeah, stop calling me that please...I''m begging you..." she said as if it was obvious.

    Mona had known about their situation from the very beginning, but didn''t say anything before. Her first goal was to get herself a disciple, one of the two candidates at least before talking about their problem.

    "I am well aware you weren''t the ones who assassinated Rex Lapis...but proving your innocence would be difficult. While I am of great ability, I don''t think I could persuade the whole of Liyue based off of my words alone...he still died, after all."

    "I see..."

    This made Yomite think that perhaps her reading ability wasn''t as great as he initially thought it was.

    ''She knows that Zhongli was assassinated. She also knows we weren''t the one''s who did it...but it seems like she isn''t aware that Zhongli is still alive and that it was just his remaining husk...So that''s the limit of her power. Still, she could be very useful in the future. She could see through lies and has future precognition ability with information gathering... I should get along with people like her instead of getting on her bad side, but I can''t help teasing her because her annoyed reactions are so adorable.'' as he was thinking that, the waitress had finally arrived.

    "Hey, there! What can I get you?*

    The waitress smiled at him before turning to look at hispanions.

    "Oh, hi, sorry for bothering you, Yuhua."

    Yomite apologized quickly and Yuhuaughed softly before nodding. "Yes, this time it''s me! Sir sure pays attention to details huh...But please don''t be offended, we y this kind of game sometimes with my twin sister. Especially when we''re tired and want to rest for a bit. My sister works somewhere else but today both of us were here so we wanted to have some fun."

    "No, Ipletely agree. If I had a sibling I would be trying the same thing all the time. It seems like a lot of fun."

    "Thank you for understanding! Oh right! Let me take your order."

    "Okay." Yomite agreed before looking at the menus in front of him. Calcting the amount of food was necessary due to presence of Iris, Paimon and Lumine. The biggest eaters.

    "Let''s see, 50 Jueyun Chili Chickens, 100 Chicken-Mushroom Skewers, 2 Fisherman''s toasts for me and 3 Matsutake Meat Rolls."

    "...Huh? Isn''t that a bit...too much...? Are you sure you want that many...?"

    The waitress was stunned by what she had heard and Yomite felt embarrassed because his group of girls just ate way too much for him to be able to exin he wasn''t actually joking or making fun of her...

    "Yes...you''ve heard correctly. Bring all of that to us. I have enough money to cover it. No worries." He then looked at Mona, "What about you, what will you have? I was a bit rude to you before, so I can get you something."

    Mona frowned at the prices and started to ponder, "Hmm...*cough*...I don''t feel hungry tonight, bring me a ss of water. That shall suffice."

    *Growl*

    The sounds of her hungry stomach were reverberating in the area, but she acted as if it wasn''ting from her.

    Yomite nodded in understanding, "Alright then, please add a ss of water and an Almond Tofu with a sd to the list."

    "...Very well...your order will be finished soon..." With a bow, the waitress left while still thinking the amount of ordered meals was just too ridiculous.

    "Why did you do it?" Mona was confused, "You didn''t have to order me anything. I am fine with not eating."

    "I just felt like it, nothing weird about it."

    "...Also...how did you know I like sd? You''re starting to creep me out. Is there some sort of trick to this too?"

    "A magician''s secret~"

    "Tch, of course...I think I''m having an existential crisis...I''m supposed to be the Astrologer, yet you''re acting like one too, not to mention, I can''t even see through you...So annoying... Well that just means I picked the right disciple for myself, as expected of me."

    She felt proud of herself despite feeling weirded out by his gaze.

    ��������������

    Name: Mona Megistus

    Age: 21

    Title: Enigmatic Astrologer

    upation: Astrologer

    Hobby: Star gazing

    Likes: Sd, Astrology, Hydromancy, Monogamy

    Dislikes: Expensive and fancy food, Liars, Casanovas, Being called nicknames

    Dream: To peacefully research with no mundane things bothering her.

    Current mood: Annoyed/Curious

    Rtionship Level: 2/10 - Cautious

    State of Rtionship: Acquaintance

    ��������������

    *

    **

    ***

    ***

    **

    *

    Verr Goldet was deeply in thought.

    After contacting Ningguang with a long distancemunication artifact which probably cost a few tens of millions of Mora, she let out a sigh.

    Ningguang ordered her to keep her eyes on Yomite Hissha specifically, and to ignore the others in his group.

    He was the prime suspect as he was the leader who most likely told them to flee from the crime scene back then as well.

    Yet at the same time, when she was speaking, it felt as if even Ningguang wasn''t sure what to do as other than him, fleeing the scene, they had no witnesses and didn''t have any proof either.

    The whole thing was a mess but somebody had to be the scapegoat, an Archon couldn''t just die out of nowhere.

    From what she heard, Ningguang was suppressing the information leak as much as possible, so that none of the Adepti heard of the news.

    Who knew what would have happened, if they knew their leader died without a culprit.

    They may very well have turned the city upside down to find one.

    "Pardon my intrusion." Yuhua, one of the twins entered her room.

    "Did you get anything?"

    "No...but just like with my sister, he noticed right away... It feels weird... whenever he looks at me...it feels as if I''m naked in front of him...I kind of like it...it makes me feel special that someone notices the subtle differences between us sisters...Am I in love...?"

    "..."

    "E-Either way, they ordered a lot of...meals..." Yuhua shakily walked towards Verr Goldet and handed her a piece of paper.

    "W-What..!? Who would eat this much food!?"

    "....."

    "...Chef Smiley Yanxiao will have a difficult evening tonight..."

    *

    **

    ***

    ***

    **

    *

    Not far away from the Wangshu inn.

    Ganyu, who raged for straight thirty minutes felt all of her energy sapping away.

    After not being able to find Yomite to ask for answers, she lost all of her remaining energy, and peacefully fell asleep in a stack of hay, exhausted.

    No one was harmed in the process...

 Chapter 257

    ***

    Bringing in dishes one by one, the tes were slowly umting next to Paimon and Iris, who had devoured their respective meals in an instant.

    Until finally Mona''s tofu had arrived.

    "F-Fine! Since my soon to be disciple bought me this, I shall...with great difficulty...ept this meal as an offering instead of kowtowing. You are exempt of it. Be grateful."

    "Yeah, yeah..." Yomiteughed, digging into his own meal, "I guess I should thank you then..."

    "W-Wow... it''s... incredible...!" She exhaled in astonishment.

    The tofu was soft and tender, exactly to her liking. It was also seasoned with salt and pepper, which made it even more appetizing than regr food. The sd was also rather simple yet wless.

    "Thank you for this...I don''t know when was thest time I ate something like this..."

    Mona averted her gaze from him, feeling her cheeks grow warm at her words.

    She never thanked anyone for anything, nor did she have any friends, but it wasn''t a bad feeling to receive something...

    Paimon couldn''t help but snicker at her.

    "Hehe! And this is nothing! Good Tattoo also knows how to cook himself! It''s hundred times better than this!"

    "A...hundred times better...? Is that even possible?"

    "Of course it is! He''s amazing when he''s actually not beingzy and trying."

    "Okay, I feel like you''re overestimating me there...I know how to cook but that''s about it...and...it doesn''t take much effort to do so." Yomite shrugged.

    Mona smiled, "Well, when ites to me, I only cook as most efficiently as I can to save up without trying to make the dish delicious! So my cooking isn''t exactly great, but It''s enough to make me survive. I''m quite curious though, were you the on��"

    "��What''s this...why''s it so noisy in here? Who''re you intruders?" A low growl interrupted her, instantly silencing everyone present.

    As they looked up, they saw a short man with dark blue-green hair, pale skin, and golden irisesying on a branch of the tree that grew on the roof of the Wangshu inn.

    None of them were aware that someone was with them on the roof.

    His golden irises swept over all of them before he frowned "Leave. This is yourst warning."

    "How rude... interrupting us in the middle of a meal..."

    "Who''s this little punk to tell us to leave! Paimon''s not done with her skewers yet! We''re not leaving!"

    "Hmph. Leave at once after you finish then." The man demanded, before disappearing into thin air.

    "Uwaaah! He disappeared! Paimon is scared! W-Was that a ghost!?"

    "Maybe he teleported? There is bound to be other people capable of doing that other than Lumine." Yomite noted.

    "Oya? No silly, not a ghost. Wasn''t that the Conqueror of Demons? I thought he was out on patrol in these hours." Hu Tao mused.

    "Do you know this person?" Lumine asked, "He seemed as if he was in constant pain when he was speaking..."

    "He also seemed very rude to Paimon! Rude enough to earn himself an ugly nickname!"

    "Well~ Usually this stuff would be a tip top secret, but I can make an exception for my friends! So his name is Xiao, and he is an Adeptus who hangs out in this ce. I''ve seen him a few times before, but he''s su~per unfriendly and mostly stays alone!"

    "I''ve looked into him real quick and he''s very powerful, but he doesn''t seem to mean any harm to us." Mona exined, "Adepti are holy beasts and we ought to respect their wishes. We should finish eating as soon as possible and leave. If I had known there would be an Adeptus here, I would not havee, but there are a few things that are impossible to predict."

    Just now, when Yomite saw Xiao, the Adeptus for the first time, there was this inexplicable feeling forming within his chest.

    There was this...

    Cringe...forming within...

    There was this edgy feeling, Yomite was getting from him...an emo...

    This depressed and rude individual, feeling pain...with deep voice...a bit too cocky...Albeit too short...

    "I think I found him!" Yomite announced and stood up from his chair, "I found Sasuke! He exists! Come back Sasuke!"

    "Yum-Yum? What did you find? A ''Sasuke''? Is that some sort of a flower?"

    "Perhaps he needs to pee~ He sometimes acts out on impulse and says things randomly, leave him alone B-B."

    "Eh...? B...B?"

    "It''s shortened for Barbara, right? So I''ll be calling you B-B, now that you''re part of the gang!" Hu Tao exined.

    "Ah, then allow me to call you something nice as well...Let''s see...ah! A Walnut!"

    "...Uh...Walnut...? That''s a bit..." Hu Tao replied awkwardly.

    "It''s perfect! Isn''t it? It''s so fitting! Your hair is as brown as a walnut and even your name means ''A Walnut'' isn''t that right?"

    Hu Tao rubbed the back of her neck, "Umm...yeah. Sure...I suppose?" In the end she agreed, trying not to seem too awkward.

    "Goodness me, I''m so good at giving people nicknames. I''m d you like it, my friend!" Barbara giggled, continuing to eat.

    When Hu Tao noticed Barbara wasn''t paying attention, she leaned towards Yomite and whispered, "H-Hey...Assistant...could you perhaps tell her not to call me that...I''m pretty bad with that type of a girl..."

    "Forget it...she calls me Yum-Yum which is way, waaay worse...so just deal with it...embrace it, my little Walnut." He poked her stomach with his finger.

    "Hnngh!? No, no, no! You''re not allowed to call me that either!" She pushed away his hand and pouted.

    "Alright, alright..." Yomite relented.

 Chapter 258

    ***

    After everyone finished eating, Yomite was handed an 800k Mora bill.

    He did not know whether to be happy or sad, as he normally paid well over a million Mora for a mealpare to this little sum...

    And so once again, his wallet was bleeding.

    ''While I still have stocked up a lot money, I need to figure out another way of earning Mora...I don''t feel like adventuring every damn day, not to mention, I''ll be training soon, so there won''t be enough time for it.''

    He wanted to meet this edgy Sasuke lookalike but it seemed that he''d disappeared for good.

    So Yomite stopped climbing the tree and jumped down.

    "My word...are you some sort of a monkey? You''re just hanging out in the trees." Monamented on his odd behavior.

    "There are monkeys in this world?" He asked.

    Mona appeared stunned by his response, but then recalled that he was not from this world, "Not in this location anyway, the only monkey here is you."

    Yomite rolled his eyes at Mona''sment and decided to poke some fun, "So anyway, Mona Megistus." Yomite bowed slightly, "It is truly a pleasure to meet someone as esteemed as you. Are you perchance a royalty of some sort? No... looking at your wardrobe that cannot possibly be the case..."

    "L-Lay off! Don''t bring my financial status into this! Anyway, Mona Megistus is my title, it means, The Great Astrologer Mona," she stammered, trying to hide her embarrassment.

    Yomite smiled brightly, "Very well Mona Megistus, I have a proposition for you today."

    She looked wary, "What exactly would that entail?"

    "Simple enough, I have a ce you can stay, I have enough money and I desire your somewhat correct prediction ability. If I am to be your unofficial disciple, then you should join my party. Don''t worry you don''t need to go adventuring with me or anything, you can just do whatever you want. I''ll juste to you once in a while for a prediction or something and that''s more than enough."

    "I decline. Astrology is a divine art not meant to practice for materialistic reasons!" Mona snapped at him.

    She sounded offended by his words, which surprised him.

    Most people wouldn''t refuse such an opportunity, judging by her condition, she appeared to be living on the streets...among the poorest of the poor.

    "It''s indeed true my Mora is limited, but as a prophet of fate, I mustn''t use the power granted to me frivolously and for a selfish purpose!" She insisted adamantly and stood up from her chair, "I thank you for the meal, it was great. Probably the greatest I had in months. I''ll head out now, and in two weeks time, I''lle to Mondstadt which is also the time where I''ll require your assistance."

    "Ahhh...okay fine I get it, what a shame," he waved his hand dismissively, "But can I ask you onest thing before you leave?"

    "Hmm?" Mona turned around, waiting patiently for him to continue.

    "How is your butt so huge? I''ve been thinking this for a while now, yet I cannotprehend this mysterious phenomenon."

    "..."

    Yomite felt like teasing her for thest time before she left.

    "Woah... Assistant that''s..."

    Hu Tao was uncertain as to whether he should have asked a stranger this question.

    Yomite used to tell Hu Tao that her butt was big, which she took as apliment. However, if he were to say that to a stranger...

    "Rude Tattoo! How can you just ask a girl such a rude question!"

    Paimon shouted, while Lumine was nodding next to her.

    "Yum-Yum that was a bit..."

    Even Barbara seemed a bit disgusted.

    "..."

    Mona stared nkly for a few seconds until she began to exin, "My backside...is naturallyrge. Even though I don''t eat much and I''m skinny, it just always goes...there...and it keeps getting bigger... I don''t know the question to that myself, still, as expected from someone like you, you perverted Casanova trash."

    To his surprise, she was not embarrassed and calmly expressed her disgust.

    She was embarrassed when he mentioned her title, but she waspletely unashamed when he mentioned her body.

    Yomiteughed at her remark and responded, "It was just a joke, please don''t take it to heart, I apologize. Still, you really are interesting to not even react to something like that, a will of steel... If you ever change your mind, you''re wee, we will for sure amodate you. Your abilities are truly interesting."

    "Sure. I''ll be happy to see you allter."

    Despite being a loner, Mona enjoyed everyone''spany.

    And the constant exchanges with Yomite reminder her of her senile old hag of a master, so she didn''t actually mind any of his words because she used to live in such environment.

    They all exchanged pleasantries with her onest time and she left, heading towards her destination.

    "...Forgive Paimon...but now that Paimon looks at her carefully...Mona''s butt is big...no, its ginormous!" The tiny pixie gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

    The others also looked at Mona''s departing figure and they couldn''t help but agree.

    Iris, drooling, remarked, "There''s a lot of meat on it."

    "At first, I felt like what Yum-Yum said was too much, but now that I look at it...it is very big...I kind of...want to touch it to see how it feels..." Barbara mumbled.

    "It''s much bigger than mine!" Hu Tao added on, "I wonder if she would let me squeeze it..."

    Lumine and Yomite both nodded. It began as a joke or teasing, but in the end, everyone agreed that Mona Megistus had thergest butt they''d ever seen.

    "...I can hear you! Can you guys stop staring at it!? Yes! My butt is big! Stop ogling! Are all of you perverts or did you catch the pervert disease from the Casanova!?"

    Mona shouted as she was leaving, it seemed she overheard them.

    """Sorry!"""

    Right after she left, the group began discussing.

    "Paimon would want to have a butt like that someday! Heh heh heh..."

    "Paimon...her butt is almost bigger than your entire body...What would you even do with it...? I don''t think...it would match..." Yomite chuckled, feeling a tad bit sorry for the fairy to crush her future dreams.

    "Aw..." Paimon mumbled sadly.

    "Mona was very pretty, I wonder how she would look in a nun outfit. It seems like she is wearing the same clothes every day, so the next time we meet I should probably prepare something for her." Barbara pondered.

    "I would be very happy with her addition to the party! Just think about it! She could see the future of someone who will die soon, and I will be getting customers left and right! One customer, two customers, three customers! Bam!!! Business shall be booming!" Hu Tao replied enthusiastically.

    Yomite sighed, "Of course you would love that..."

    The group continued to converse until they left the inn and Yomite requested that Lumine teleport them both to Fischl so they could finally depart.

 Chapter 259

    ***

    Yomite and Lumine transported to a teleporter located close to the inn.

    He entered the inn and proceeded to the room they had previously upied.

    Fischl was still sound asleep, and while he felt bad about waking her up, he did it anyway.

    With his right hand, he gently stroked her hair while lightly kissing her forehead.

    She murmured something under her breath, but remained asleep. Heughed at this response. It was adorable. She truly resembled a kitten.

    He sat there on the bed in silence for a few minutes while observing her sleeping. Her face was so peaceful as shey there with her mouth slightly open.

    He kissed her forehead once more, and a few momentster, she smiled slightly as she woke up from the contact.

    "Mmm��. what time is it?" Her voice sounded sleepy and groggy, which caused him tough once more.

    "It''s the middle of the night," Yomite stated while softly pecking her lips, "I''m sorry to bother you, but something happened, and we need to leave. I''ll exin itter in detail."

    Yomite smiled while drawing back. He rose from the bed and took her hand. "Come on," he said.

    Fischl nodded as she stood up, but soon realized she waspletely naked.

    "Ah�� um��" she stammered, threw the nket over her body and hurriedly began putting on her clothes while blushing profusely.

    The nket created a barrier between them. Despite their intimacy earlier in the day, she felt a great deal of shame.

    "Here." Yomite handed her a dress, "Don''t be embarrassed, you''re gorgeous."

    These words caused her cheeks to be even more flushed, and she couldn''t help but let out an adorable giggle.

    "Thank you."

    Her hair was a tangled mess, sticking out in every direction, but she didn''t care at the moment.

    Upon descending the stairs, they discovered their travelingpanion, Lumine, seated on a bench.

    "Finally," Lumine sighed, "You guys took forever..."

    "I''m sorry, I had to get dressed," Fischl said, still flushed.

    Lumine''s eyes widened as she realized the truth behind what she had just said.

    How could she be so oblivious?

    The whole reason Fischl was in this inn in the first ce, was all because the two of them...they...

    They...

    She turned away from them in an attempt to regainposure after a wave of emotions overcame her.

    This was not going to go well if she kept letting those thoughts slip through her mind.

    After taking a few deep breaths, she regained herposure and teleported everyone to another designated checkpoint on the map, this time in the Mondstadt territory.

    Once they did, they saw the others already waiting.

    "Yaaay! Fishy-Fishy is back!" Hu Tao jumped up and ran towards her.

    Lumine also proceeded to embrace Paimon, her small emotional stress relief doll...

    Fischl chuckled at the nickname, "Indeed it is I, Prinzessin der Verurteilung! Did you sorely miss my presence?"

    Hu Tao nodded quickly and embraced her around the waist.

    "I don''t believe I will ever be able toprehend the rtionship between girls...Hu Tao is like a dog more and more..." Yomitemented with a slight grin as he observed the two interacting.

    "Hey, hey, hey! Stop calling me a ''dog'', I''m soon to be the first wife!" Hu Tao whined.

    "Oh really? And who exactly will be the first husband?"

    "You! Who else?! We will marry one day! You said so!" Hu Tao insisted, "Then you must assume responsibility as well!"

    "I''m not sure if I want to marry a dog...hmmm..." Yomite trailed off and pretended to ponder the issue, "I wonder what to do..."

    Hu Tao gasped dramatically, pointing a finger at herself, "You really just said that to me!? Hmph, fine! Then I shall marry Fishy-Fishy instead! How about that!" She pointed a finger at Yomite, who simply rolled his eyes.

    Was she attempting to make him envious by pursuing his other girlfriend?

    What a silly girl.

    Ridiculous...but...

    How cute...

    "Well, I guess you can try and convince her, go on ahead."

    "Alright! Fishy-Fishy, let''s hook up toge��"

    "��I apologize, but let''s break up. I want to marry Yomite," Fischl spoke, chuckling slightly.

    This type of y was her favorite, and she desired to participate in the fun.

    "I was shot down again!?"

    Hu Tao pouted again, crossing her arms and looking away.

    "Hmm, let''s see...I would love to marry Fischl, but we should probably adopt a dog in the future..." Yomite grinned, "Oh look! Here''s one now!"

    "Wha...whaaaat!? Noooo! That''s way too cruel!" Hu Tao eximed dramatically, "For thest time, I''m not a doggie!"

    "What a pain." Yomite sighed, and patted her on her hat, "There''s no need to be so concerned, as they say that dogs are man''s best friend. You''ll fit in perfectly with our happy family. Woof, woof."

    "Oh, you''re up for some beating tonight, Mister! Just wait till we get to my mansion!" Hu Tao huffed and red at him.

    "Correction: ''My Mansion,'' and yes, yes, you''ve mentioned that numerous times in the past; however, can you guess why youpletely failed?" Yomite grinned and stated, "Because you''re too sensitive."

    "T-Tch! Tonight will be different! Believe it!"

    "Okay, okay, enough with the chit chat. Let''s just keep moving or we''ll be here forever..."

    ***

    **

    *

    Meanwhile, Verr Goldet was at loss on what to do...

    "So now that they''ve left...Yuhua, Xiuhua, anything to report about him? Weaknesses, likes, dislikes? Anything?"

    The secretary Yuhua bowed and spoke, "Boss, I haven''t gathered much info. So far, the only thing I could add is that he fancies women, as all the members of his party are females, and he could discern the two of us easily."

    Verr Goldet nodded, "Hm. Well, I suppose that''s something we can work with...maybe lure information out of him that way..."

    She tapped her chin for a moment.

    "Xiuhua, do you have anything to add on your side? Friends, enemies? Goals?" She questioned while facing the second secretary in the office.

    Xiuhua responded by shaking her head and stating, "Nothing noteworthy. I looked into the people who were currently with him and discovered no information on half of them; however, two of them stood out."

    Xiuhua paused and added, "The first one was Hu Tao of the funeral parlor. She was rumored to have vanished months ago, possibly as a result of bacsh or debt. However, it appears that she and he formed a party and paid off the debt. Barbara Pegg, the Deaconess of Mondstadt and younger sister of their current Grand Master, is another intriguing member. I was very surprised about this one...To think someone so important and popr was traveling with him...Regarding the remainder, I am unfamiliar with them."

    Verr Goldet raised an eyebrow, "Is that true? That blonde girl was therefore Barbara Pegg? Isn''t that woman Jean Gunnhildr afraid something would happen to her little sister? If I had a sister and was a dependent leader of a country, I would never let my sister outside of my vision to make sure my only weakness isn''t exposed... Either way, Yomite Hissha''s likelihood of murdering Rex Lapis is practically nil now, given that Barbara Pegg is also a person who serves their own Archon. I''ll report this to Lady Ningguang then. Good job, everyone."

 Chapter 260.1

    "Ah, home, sweet home!" A young man sighed in contentment as he entered his mansion.

    As soon as he was through the door, the girls behind him followed suit with their own sighs and exmations of relief.

    Now that they were at home, the tension of the day appeared to have dissipated.

    Ultimately, the day had been quite eventful.

    From the lovely Fischl, to Rex Lapis dying, to meeting Mona...

    A lot of stuff urred.

    "Yum-Yum! May I stay with you in your mansion for the night?"

    Barbara asked with enthusiasm.

    Now that she had made some new girl friends, she was interested in experiencing what it would be like to live with someone she could get along with.

    Yomite shrugged. "Well, we have plenty of rooms, so I suppose it wouldn''t be a problem."

    He was aware that tonight would likely be awkward because she might try to do something to him, but there was no harm in allowing Barbara to get closer to the other girls.

    That could lesser the percentage of Yandere syndrome by a lot.

    Perhaps she only desired friendships.

    All of the girls in his party used to be loners.

    Hu Tao due to her reputation and odd behavior.

    Fischl due to her manner of speech and unwillingness to open up to others.

    Iris because she was a dragon who had been hunted for centuries because of a misunderstanding.

    Before meeting Paimon, Lumine used to travel alone for a considerable amount of time in an effort to locate her brother.

    And now Barbara, Deaconess of the church who despite her poprity had no real friends, and her older sister was as if pretending she didn''t exist...

    "Thank you so much, thank you!" Barbara squealed happily.

    Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she contemted the prospect of her first sleepover with her friends.

    As it was Yomite''s mansion, it appeared that the other girls already knew about the sleepover n and were simply awaiting his permission.

    "Okay girls, just don''t be too wild here, I''ll see you guys tomorrow," Yomite said as he walked away to take a shower.

    He was exhausted and it waste.

    As a single man in this mansion, he would only be getting in the way of the "Girl Party".

    "How can he just leave! I still didn''t pay him back for the doggie thing!" Hu Tao pouted as the other girlsughed. "I will show him!"

    "Now now, mein dear Freundin, thou shall not fear, thou ist aware the Starlord is just teasing thou, correct? Tonight is still long! Wings of Darkness,eth forth, sever the night from day!"

    "You''re right! We should have an all girl party! We''re free to do what we want now that my Assistant is not here! It''s our mansion!" Hu Tao joyfully jumped up and down.

    "What should we y?" Lumine asked. "I am pretty bad at chess, but we can y some cards."

    She was initially surprised by this turn of events, but after hearing Hu Tao talk about the ''All Girl Night'', she grew interested in the idea too.

    They agreed to start with something lighthearted to keep things light and fun.

    "If everyone is okay with it, we could y this new game from Fontaine called truth or dare." Barbara suggested, "Lisa, the librarian exined me the rules a while ago, but I could not y it with anyone yet."

    The simple reason was because she had no one to y with.

    "I don''t know how to y it."

    "Me neither."

    "Same. Never heard of it."

    "Don''t worry! It''s actually very simple!"

    Barbara took the initiative to exin the rules of truth or dare, and everyone agreed to participate because the game seemed interesting enough and fun for the rest of the night.

    "But first, we need some snacks and drinks! Lumi-Lumi...Please~" Hu Tao ran towards her with puppy eyes.

    "...Fine, don''t be sad..." Lumine could not bear her miserable expression and brought out several dishes, cold drinks, and wine bottles.

    Due to her Inventory skill, these dishes would never spoil and would retain the exact same temperature as the moment they were ced inside.

    After meeting Childe on the streets and realizing that Iris and Paimon were continuously hungry, Lumine decided to stockpile food and beverages in addition to wine and a few weapons as her inventory did not seem to have a limit in size.

    "Wow, I can never get used to it no matter how many times I see it...what an amazing ability." Hu Tao grinned and started distributing everything, before she ran off.

    Soon enough, she came back with something huge in her hands.

    "My Lord...what is that thing?" Barbara raised one eyebrow curiously when she saw what Hu Tao brought along with her.

    "A gramophone!" Hu Tao said with pride as she ced it on the table in the room''s far right corner.

    "That red haired guy, Diluc, gave it to us as a present a few months back! I''ve tried it a few times and its a tool that generates music! As if a group of bards was singing right next to us! How amazing!"

    She started it up and started tapping her foot along with the music ying.

    The others regarded it with curiosity.

    This gramophone invention really did produce sounds!

    "Wow, how beautiful. Indeed, inventions are fascinating!" Barbara eximed as she joined the rest of the group on the ground.

    Lumine exined, "I recall Diluc stating he acquired the item as a present from a Snezhnayan merchant for saving his life, but he never used it since he valued his solitude and didn''t want his home to feel like a banquet every day."

    "Of course, Diluc is a loner, so Paimon doesn''t find it weird for him to throw something as amazing as this away!" Paimon eximed but soon noticed the expression on the girls'' faces as she said that.

    "Paimon, I think that...all of us here, used to be loners." Lumine replied with a sweet smile. "I was separated from my brother for quite some time and before meeting you and Party Leader, I was all alone. The others here also had different circumstances of being lonely."

    "P-Paimon''s so sorry. Paimon didn''t mean it like that!"

    It sounded almost like a whimper, and as if on cue, everyone appeared to be staring at one another.

    They had all experienced loneliness, but it had vanished now that they were together.

    "Oh,e on guys, what''s up with the atmosphere! Cheer up! Cheer up! Let me start with the new game then! Ask me or make me do anything!" Hu Tao began dancing to the music and made goofy faces in an effort to cheer them up.

    After a few seconds, the entire group began to giggle and cheer.

 Chapter 261.2

    "Hey, Walnut!"

    Hu Tao stopped dancing and turned around upon hearing her new nickname; Barbara gave her this abhorrent moniker as a token of their new friendship.

    "Let me ask you then, truth or dare?"

    "Hmmm, truth!"

    "Ah, choosing the safer option! Alright, let''s see." While contemting, she ced a finger beneath her chin and then smiled mischievously.

    "Alright, here goes..."

    As she was talking, Hu Tao listened carefully and nodded.

    Then, Barbara got close to Hu Tao and inquired, "...How did your first time with Yum-Yum feel like? Did it feel good?"

    Bringing forth the haymaker, Barbara rendered everyone speechless.

    "...Eh, umm, i-it...it felt really nice? Heheh...Uhhh..." Hu Tao stuttered, slightly embarrassed by the question.

    She did not anticipate the truth or dare to be that intimate!

    This was like an interrogation about her private life!

    Unbeknownst to her, Hu Tao''s cheeks grew excessively red in front of the other girls.

    The fact that everyone was staring at her and waiting patiently for her response filled her insides with shame.

    Finally, she swallowed hard and looked at Barbara nervously, "Um...th-the first time we did it, I thought...I thought it was awesome..."

    As she observed Hu Tao bing increasingly ashamed, Barbara''s grin intensified.

    "Yes! I''m certain it was!" Barbara attempted to cheer up Hu Tao, but it didn''t seem to be working.

    It seemed Hu Tao had gotten too shy to continue; she and everyone else could tell.

    "Okay, I won''t tease you anymore. But, I can''t say I feel bad for asking! Your response was just too cute! Alright, now you can ask someone."

    "ehm..."

    And now it dawned to all of the participants in this game, that choosing the truth might have not been the safest choice after all!

    It was equally as dangerous as picking a dare!

    "A-Alright then...um...Fishy-Fishy...truth or dare?"

    "M-Me...? I don''t..."

    Fischl looked around nervously as she felt everyone''s gaze on her.

    The current attention she was receiving caused her heart to race. She used to have a social anxiety and it neverpletely went away...

    How was she expected to respond?

    Should she say the truth or the dare?

    Truth could be anything...

    Dare could be anything...

    This was a lot more pressure than she ever thought possible.

    The small, timid voice was able to capture everyone''s attention by saying, "Truth..."

    "Um...well...how many...children do you want to have in the future?"

    At this point, the room waspletely silent.

    Even Hu Tao, who posed the question, did not know how to respond if she were to be asked.

    "...t-two or three...I-I figure...two boys and one girl would be...lovely..."

    "Aww! You''re just so precious!"

    Barbara didn''t know whether she should burst intoughter or cry at the adorable way that Fischl answered such a question.

    "Woah...that''s a lot!" Hu Tao eximed loudly.

    "It would be hard to take care of them."

    Everyone agreed that caring for children was not simple, and if she wanted to have three, she would have to put in extra effort to raise them well.

    "N-Now then, Ich shall giveth thou a question, Barbara!"

    "Yes! I choose the truth." Barbara quickly responded.

    "Art thou...interested in Starlord Yomite... romantically...? "

    Everyone''s eyes widened.

    They all wondered why would Fischl think someone like Barbara was interested in him.

    To their surprise, she answered without hesitation, "Yes, I am."

    """Eh!? Really!?"""

    While some of the girls were shocked, others were not.

    Fischl and Hu Tao were aware that something was going on behind the scenes with the two of them, but everyone else was kept in the dark.

    "Paimon cannot believe it...he''d done it again...how many girls did he charm in our party already, four?" The little fairy grumbled as she sat on Lumine''s shoulder with her legs dangling in mid-air.

    Barbara replied with a chuckle, "I believe three, unless you count yourself as the fourth."

    "Nyeah!"

    As she crossed her arms in front of her chest, the little fae pouted.

    "Pa-Paimon is not interested..." she murmured in a low voice.

    "Well, then, who is it?" Barbara looked around the room and only two candidates were remaining, "Lumine or Iris?"

    ""...""

    Both of them were quiet from the start until now.

    "...Now then...let me ask you...Lumine, truth or dare?"

    Lumine looked at Barbara nervously, but for some reason, she was feeling a little bit hopeful too.

    Perhaps it was not toote...perhaps she still had some chance...

    While staring into Barbara''s eyes, she grabbed a bottle of wine and downed half of it in one go.

    She finished it off in three seconds, leaving everyone in awe.

    She drank it that fast?!

    Lumine must have been a heavy wine enjoyer! And she was, but only Yomite was aware.

    "You''re really...thirsty..." Barbara muttered to herself.

    Lumine wiped the corners of her mouth, then looked straight at Barbara and blurted out, "...Dare!"

    Barbara shed a sadistic grin and then said, "Hmm....you''re gonna regret that~ or maybe...not."

    She paused and added, "Let''s see...I dare you to go to the second floor to Yum-Yum''s room, andy in his bed with him for a few minutes!"

    The entire room appeared to freeze at that instant.

    Did she say what they thought she did...?

    Lumine''s eyes grew wide as she looked at Barbara with a shocked expression.

    Her heart skipped a beat at the challenge.

    Was...

    Was this really allowed...?

    A dare like this seemed a bit too daring...Was this...fair?

    Still, why was it that she was feeling excitement just imagining it..?

    "Paimon doesn''t believe it''s a good idea to push the traveler into the lion''sir," the tiny fairy stated, expressing her displeasure.

    Lumine, however, resolved herself instantly, "No, I''ll do it," and began walking towards the stairs.

    "Don''t worry, just lie in his bed, nothing else is necessary!"

    Just as Lumine left, Barbara curiously sat next to Paimon and asked her, "The fourth person you mentioned by mistake was her, wasn''t it?"

    Paimon initially denied it, but after being coaxed with choctes, she chose to acknowledge the painful truth.

    "Despite Paimon''s warnings she never listened to me! Now the tiger will devour her! Paimon will be next! Paimon can feel it! "

    "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure the tiger doesn''t eat Paimon!" Barbara chuckled and then ran after Lumine to check whether she didn''t chicken out from the dare, but it seemed that it was proceeding smoothly with Lumine sessfully entering Yomite''s room.

    "So, Yum-Yum didn''t lock his door after all? Could it be he was expecting something to happen...?"

 Chapter 263.3: Truth Or Dare? - Part 3

    After entering his room, Lumine immediately saw Yomite sleeping soundly.

    She approached his bed and observed him from a closer distance.

    The fact that he had his back to her indicated that he was asleep.

    Although there was one part she hadn''t ounted for...

    Where was his shirt!?

    He had pants on, but his shirt was missing!

    His broad back waspletely bare and in a way, it was exciting.

    She didn''t know whatpelled her to do this, but she felt like she needed to take advantage of the situation or else she wouldn''t have such a chance ever again.

    She slowly crept up behind him, entered his bed and reached out to touch him.

    As her hand came into contact with him, however, he instantly woke up.

    He looked around in confusion before looking over at the girl whoy next to him.

    "Look, Barbara, it''s not that I''m ignorant to your feelings or that I don''t find you charming, but you''re only 17 years old, right? You can''t just enter my bed so suddenly. Let''s discuss it tomorrow because this won''t change my mind about anyt��"

    When he noticed that the girl whoy next to him wasn''t Barbara, but someone else, he froze.

    His eyes widened as they focused on the face of the girl.

    It was pretty dark but he could tell...

    This wasn''t Barbara...

    "Lumine...? What are you doing here...?" He asked.

    The blonde girl giggled softly when her name was called out.

    "I...I wanted to tell you something...something that I have been wanting to say for the longest time...yet held no courage..." She trailed off.

    "..."

    Yomite''s initial n was to stop Barbara in her tracks and finally have a serious discussion about their weird rtionship and her goal, but instead of her, Lumine joined him in bed...

    "I-I want to be..."

    It was hard to believe, but this was actually happening.

    Lumine knew she wouldn''t be able to properly articte it...

    But maybe she''d be able to convey something through her actions...

    She moved a bit closer to him, so their faces were inches apart...

    Then she leaned forward, shut her eyes and...

    ***

    **

    *

    "Mhmhh!??"

    Lumine let out a slight gasp as she felt her lips gently touching something foreign...

    Something that shouldn''t have been there...

    Yomite''s hand.

    He ruthlessly blocked her attempt for a kiss.

    Upon realizing he denied her kiss, her lips parted and a small whimper escaped her mouth, "Why...why did you do that...? Am I...not pretty enough...? I am aware Hu Tao and Fischl are much prettier than me...but please give me a chance! I beg you...I cannot cook well and I''m a bit clumsy, but I want to be with you..."

    Lumine''s eyes zed over as she continued pleading for him to ept her.

    Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to catch his gaze.

    "...Lumine, if these are your feelings then I appreciate them, however...I smell alcohol from you... Did you drink wine again?" He questioned.

    "W...What!?" Lumine stuttered, trying topose herself. "N...No..."

    She wiped her tears away, and sat upright so she was no longer leaning on Yomite''s arms.

    "Don''t lie to me...I know a dandelion wine if I smell one...after all, I love it just as much as you do... And you seem to have drank way too much at once..."

    His hand found her cheek and caressed it gently.

    "What are you girls doing down there? Did something bad happen for you toe up here?"

    A quick check on her status showed that she was fully intoxicated, but he knew she was drunk even without that information.

    "No... we''re having fun...it''s a game called truth or dare..."

    "Truth or...ah, I get it now..so that''s why you''re here...but truth or dare isn''t really appropriate when one is drunk..."

    "...I-I...It''s true that I was dared toe here...but...I swear I came of my own volition!"

    Yomite heaved a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

    "...I...I''ll answer your feelings once you''re sobered up. I don''t mind being with you one bit, but I don''t want you to regret doing something because of influence of alcohol. I''m saying it now, I enjoyed my time with you, and me saying no right now, has nothing to do with you not being pretty enough or other insecure bullshit you''re calling yourself..."

    He couldn''t bear to hear this girl saying such things.

    Lumine was wonderful, even if she was a bit introverted. That honestly even made it better.

    She knew how to speak when needed, and was very gentle, even going so far as to help strangers on the streets without asking for any money in return, and all she wanted from him right now, was a simple kiss to establish a new mark in their rtionship.

    And so, he obliged.

    He leaned towards her, grabbed a hold of her waist and left her a soft kiss on the forehead.

    "Eh...eh!?"

    She quickly became flustered at the affectionate gesture.

    "...Now, please get some rest. Alcohol got the best of you...You''re clearly out of it."

    "O-Okay." She nodded and immediately rose from his bed, flushed.

    Yomite heaved a sigh at her exit from the room.

    It wasn''t exactly the most romantic thing he''d ever done, but he was obligated to engage in it.

    Rejecting her here was the correct decision.

    It wouldn''t sit well with him if they did something together right now, and she would avoid him the next day...

    He still had his morals, and thest thing he wanted to hear was that her feelings weren''t real and it was only because of alcohol.

    He knew Lumine wasn''t that kind of person, and that most likely the alcohol just fueled her feelings and gave her more confidence she needed to confess, but he still wanted to be careful about it.

    Sorting out feelings of both Lumine and Barbara was his main goal for now.

    He would also confront Barbara tomorrow.

    ''At this point... everyone from my party might actually be my lovers...That little rascal Paimon might have been right...except her, of course...she is out of the picture...Now that I''m back in Mondstadt, I have time for stuff. Let''s finally sort everything out.''

 Chapter 264: Truth Or Dare? - Part Final

    ***

    Following their brief, lovely exchange, Lumine made her way back to the living room in full spirits.

    "So? How did it go? Did you chicken outst minute or did anything special happen?" Barbara asked eagerly, eyes glinting with anticipation for some juicy details.

    Lumine ran up to Barbara and hugged her tightly, "Thank you...I...I got my feelings across. It''s all thanks to you! Thank you!"

    Thoughts of her confession caused her cheeks to flush crimson, but she felt her heart leap when she realized that he didn''t dislike her at all and that his rejection was only temporary.

    She could stomach it until tomorrow.

    Tomorrow, she would for sure confess in a much better way!

    "Wait...just like that? Was he awake?"

    Lumine shook her head, "No, he woke up because I touched him."

    "Oooh! Where did you touch him! He must have liked it too!" Barbara said in an overly excited voice.

    Lumine blushed bright red, "It was on his shoulder...I touched his shoulder! Don''t make it out to be so lewd!"

    Barbaraughed loudly, "Don''t worry! I''m sorry! You''re right. I should mind my own business. I was just curious..."

    Lumine nodded, trying to contain her excitement, which was now bubbling up inside her.

    "So Lumi-Lumi finally did it, huh. Congrats!" Hu Tao cheered happily, pping her hands together.

    Lumine smiled shyly, "Thank you, Hu Tao."

    "Oh, is this not a great news on such a full moon? For all of us toe here together as one beings, enjoying ourselves for one dark night before returning back to purgatory?"

    Fischl spoke, raising her hand high into the air, "Let''s drink more to our sess!"

    The group raised their sses of alcohol and drank them down.

    As the liquid entered their bodies they began to feel the effects immediately, feeling warm and energized.

    They continued to talk and joke around amongst themselves.

    They had no idea how long they had been sitting there, but for each and every girl here, this was one of the best days of their lives.

    Fischl and Hu Tao, who''d found out that both Barbara and Lumine had feelings for Yomite, were currently having a discussion to decide which days each of them could monopolize him.

    Considering there were only four of them so far, and there were seven days in a week, they could go with a somewhat of an easy, yet iplete rotation.

    "Sho lesh...gett baaaack into itt!" Lumine slurred, "Paaaimoooon~ Truth or daaaare?"

    "Daaare! Pai...mon''s not scawed!"

    Paimon replied, trying her hardest to make herself float in one ce without falling face first onto the ground.

    Her vision was as hazy as fog and her small body felt like it weighed more than a mountain.

    Her mind felt lightheaded and numb, and somehow she managed to stumble in midair and couldn''t keep her bnce after drinking two wine sses of alcohol in one sitting.

    She wobbled several times before falling straight into Lumine''s embrace, who caught her and spun her around in circles while shouting "Hoooooray!"

    "Pa...Paimon will feel na...na...na...nauseous if you continue..."

    She was so out of it, she had to repeat the word she intended to say several times before she was able to say it correctly.

    "My dear friend Paimon, I daaaaee you to go to Yomite''s roooom~"

    Lumine sang in a loud tone, her words made her friendsugh hysterically.

    Was it going to be another attack on Yomite?

    "I''m joking...jo~king! I dare you to sit on Iris''p for the rest of the night!" Lumine spoke, pointing over to Iris.

    She was currently busy conversing with Fischl and Hu Tao, who were sitting on each side of her.

    All three girls were giggling and having fun and weren''t paying attention to the game that much anymore.

    It seemed that they desired for Iris to befortable with the others.

    "So~ How about you and Assistant-kun~? Anything we should know about?" Hu Tao nudged Iris lightly.

    "Uhh..no..hmm...Master..." She started, struggling with herself.

    The alcohol didn''t seem to have any effect on her, but the whole merry atmosphere was something she never experienced and therefore didn''t know how to act with the girls who clung to her so closely.

    "Mein nemesis, Mein rival from eternal darkness! Open up thy heart and soul to me! The one who shall bring thee peace! Let me hear all thy secrets~" Fischl incoherently mumbled.

    "...Master...told me I''m not mature enough. But I can slowly feel myself being changed. So I hope once I''m changedpletely, he would not decline me." Iris whispered softly, avoiding eye contact.

    Fischl and Hu Tao looked at each other, then back to Iris, "Assistant told you you''re not...mature enough for him...?"

    Hu Tao couldn''t believe what she just heard...

    Simply looking at Iris''s body was enough to make her feel inferior in every way possible.

    Every sense of the word...

    Every single aspect!

    From her height, to her well-proportioned curves to her long legs and slender waist; Every little thing about her screamed perfection!

    How could anyone possibly describe her as "not mature enough"?

    If Iris wasn''t mature enough, then Hu Tao and Fischl as petite and short as they were, could never possiblypare to her!

    "Yes...it''s true. Master told me I have to grow up. So I''m eating a lot to grow up, even if I don''t have to eat so much. I want him to acknowledge me."

    ""...""

    So the reason she was always eating so much was because she wanted to mature?

    Such a...

    Such a...heartless person...

    Yomite was such a heartless person to ignore a girl like this!

    What did she do to him!?

    Forcing her to overeat!

    What sort of demon told women they had to grow up!? Especially when they already looked like a goddess!

    "He told you that!? That''s so unfair! I''ll beat him up tomorrow! You are so much mature than us and he never told something like that to us!" Hu Tao eximed, fuming.

    A small smile spread across Iris'' lips, "You''d do that...? For me?"

    Her face lit up with happiness, and although Hu Tao was fuming internally, she still gave Iris the biggest grin she could muster.

    "Of course, why wouldn''t I? What kind of demon would I be if I didn''t help you!? I''ll convince him!"

    "I shall do my very best as well! I cannot possibly battle my divine rival if she''s not feeling strong enough! That defeats the purpose of training!" Fischl interjected, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

    Due to the amount of alcohol in their system, none of them had realized that what Yomite meant wasn''t physical appearance, but internal mental maturity and stability, so they simply assumed he was talking about her figure, not being mature enough...

    "Thank you...thank you both my...my friends..." Iris whispered softly, hugging both of them tightly to herrge bossom.

    Both girls melted into the hug, smiling brightly, not noticing how drunk they were.

    Until...

    "Iris...boobs...boobs...big boobs! Gahhhh...stop...you''re crushing us..."

    "Divine dragon of big boobed suffocation... release me...this Prinzessin cannot breathe..."

    They pulled away from her quickly, embarrassed by the fact that they''ve almost suffocated to death by her breasts.

    *Hic* *Hic* *Hic*

    Then, they all turned towards the weird sound approaching them, and to their surprise, it was the dizzy Paimon, staggering towards them like a drunken zombie.

    This was probably the first time they had ever seen Paimon walk on the ground instead of floating.

    It seemed she could no longer muster any strength to fly.

    She looked like a toddler walking and tripping over everything in sight as she stumbled over to where Iris, Fischl and Hu Tao were.

    "Here ish gud..."

    Upon reaching the trio she sat down in Iris''sp and fell asleep almost instantly before the trio could even say anything.

    The three girls exchanged nces before bursting outughing, "I guess our lil snack over here could no longer hold it in~"

    "Starlord Yomite did mention, that Paimon seemed like a child or an animal! It almost makes this Prinzessin want to cuddle her all night long, but I shall not interfere in her rest!"

    "So...cute..." Iris chuckled quietly, stroking Paimon''s head gently.

    Much to everyone''s surprise, Iris loved cute things and wanted to hug Paimon at many asions to spoil her even further.

    However, she restrained herself, because she feared that Paimon may get afraid of her and run away.

    Now that she had a chance, she would hug her all she could.

    The party went on for hours, until everyone was feeling tired, and the sun had already risen.

 Chapter 265: Battle, Only...A Battle...

    ***

    Early into the morning...

    "Mh....pancakes...mmm..."

    Paimon murmured while sleeping. Her saliva dripped from the corner of her mouth.

    The party was officially over and everyone was tired...

    Lumine sat on the ground, rubbing her eyes. She slowly stood up, waking Paimon up by an ident.

    "Where...are you going..." muttered Paimon half asleep.

    "The toilet," Lumine replied whispering. "Just sleep..."

    "Mwkay...mwaammm."

    As if she casted a spell, the little fairy quickly went back to sleep, dreaming about pancakes and hamburgers.

    Seeing this, Lumine sighed in relief and put a hand on her chest, "I was almost caught..."

    As she left the living room, Barbara raised her gaze from the ground shey on, but did not pursue; she merely observed from a distance...

    She was too hung-over to care...

    "Lumine...?"

    But it seemed to her that Lumine went out again, without anyone, but Barbara knowing...

    ***

    **

    *

    After leaving the mansion, Lumine brought up a hologram map.

    Numerous red marks were highlighted in close proximity to the Mondstadt region and its adjacent territory.

    Each symbol represented the location of a monster. The location of her prey.

    It did not take her long to reach one of the specified locations.

    It was a vige, a Hilichurlian vige.

    They were rtively primitive humanoid monsters that inhabited the entirety of Teyvat.

    Most people had given up on trying to speak with them, as the species was hostile and territorial, employed barbarian weapons, and most critically, had a profoundly cold disposition towards humans.

    Stepping into the vige, Lumine immediately moved towards the sleeping Hilichurls, unleashing hell upon them.

    "Windde!"

    Grasping the wind''s might, she formed a vortex of vacuum in her palm, sucking in the nearby Hilichurls towards the ball of pure destructive wind, shredding them apart ruthlessly as her gaze grew icy.

    The vacuum vortex exploded, and fallen limbs of her enemies followed suit, violently twisting on impact, and tearing apart everything within sight.

    In a matter of seconds, the remains of the once-living Hilichurls hung from the trees or mockingly danced in the remnants of the storm caused by her rampage, as the wind shattered the tranquility.

    The entire vige was soon submerged in rubble. Even the Hilichurls who had just died moments before being torn aparty in a pool of blood among their discarded flesh and their shattered equipment.

    Theirst screams echoed eerily, fading away into nothingness with the gust of death that threw itself into each sessive wave of destruction.

    Without wasting a second, Lumine stepped over them, looking for new adversaries to ovee...

    She walked through the maze of blood, some of which stained nearby bushes bright crimson. The rotting stench of dposed bodies hung heavily in the air, saturating it in the foul aroma.

    At first, she hated this sight of bloodshed and despair. It tore at her soul''s core, nauseating her. Yet after seriously reconsidering her goal, she decided that it was a necessity that outweighed the loathsome sight and deepened her resolve.

    ''Anything to get stronger...''

    The corpses began piling up more and more...

    The smell was horrible, she could feel it crawling under her skin and making it impossible to breathe. Her throat was dry, and her mouth felt like sandpaper...

    No matter how many she killed, she would always find one more to dispatch...and another...another and another...

    ''To be useful to Party leader and everyone...and to find my brother...''

    And so she trained each night, to be useful and not drag anyone down.

    As much as she wished for a swift and a happy ending, one that did not include blood streaming onto the ground or hands ripping off limbs and leaving corpses in their path, all she felt when confronting her foes was contempt and determination, a bitter yet resolute drive.

    No hesitance, nothing more to consider but eradicating this filth and growing stronger every second...

    It seemed like every time someone told her of the good things about how she improved inbat and daily training, was just a lie meant to make her feel better, but it wasn''t until a few days ago when Yomite confronted Childe on her behalf that she realized how weak she was and that Yomite always protected her.

    And so she discovered the following,

    She didn''t need a practice; she needed a real fight...a physical battle in which she got hurt. To fight while her life was endangered.

    A battle of life and death where her survival depended solely on her own strength...not friendly spars that led nowhere.

    And fighting in earnest brought out her true strengths.

    Every attack of hers wasunched smoothly at a rapid speed. Each movement effortlesslynded onto its target in expert precision, leaving the battlefield scoured clean by ughter.

    She felt herself growing stronger and stronger the more she fought alone against numerous monsters. Maybe that was the secret.

    Usually they fought as a party, and she barely did anything. She only rxed as her teammates took care of the job for her and she only did something once in a while.

    But now...?

    She was all alone, depending on herself.

    In the back of her head, the words echoed through her mind.

    ''If you keep this up, you will be stronger and with that, finding your brother will be an easy task.''

    And those words may very well soon, turn into reality.

    The weight in her stomach had finally gone away and her limbs felt stronger with each passing day.

    ''Anything to find my brother...''

    She resolved herself, as she mercilessly severed the head of a Mitachurl before the monster wrapped its jaws around her injured hand with blistering, cracking force, attempting to rip her limb to shreds.

    The Mitachurl''s torso toppled backwards, pulling its whole body with the force. Its body shook on the ground for a bit, a reflex after death, terrorized of its impending fate even at death...

    ''...Frightening...Demon...''

    As ity still, the terrified Mitachurl''s mind was consumed by the thought.

    Just meters away, a look of insanity overtook the face of the demoness who slew it��

 Chapter 266: A Dose Of Love

    ***

    The following day was quite intriguing...

    Once Yomite woke up, he found out there was an intruder...or two in his bed...

    Hu Tao slept soundly by his side, using his left arm as her pillow.

    After the party was over, each girl found some sort of spot to sleep at...In this case, it was his bed...

    "Heh."

    His hand traveled slowly down her back, tracing her spine.

    The soft touch felt like heaven, and she sighed softly in her sleep.

    Her back was perfectly smooth, with no imperfections and he soon found his objective; her buttocks.

    An ample, full butt perfectly in proportion to her body size. It was firm, but felt soft beneath his palm.

    As he leisurely squeezed the perfection with his fingers, he felt her bottom flex and jerk, which made him pause and look at her from the corner of his eye.

    "Nnn��" Hu Tao groaned, moving her hand on his chest. He leaned against her as he felt her warm breath cascading down on him.

    ''Cute.'' He thought, before he continued his soft massage.

    She appeared to enjoy it, as she murmured and rocked her pelvis against him in her sleep.

    But she wasn''t the only woman in the room who demanded his attention...

    By his right side,y Fischl, who was just like Hu Tao, dead drunk and softly snoring away.

    Yep, his bed appeared to be fairly full this morning.

    With a faint smile, he once more fondled Hu Tao''s rear and then focused all of his attention to Fischl.

    He proceeded to y with her long, silky hair by running his fingers through it.

    Fischl was an adorable woman, who deserved a warm and loving caress.

    Unlike Hu Tao, who preferred roughness, this girl appeared to prefer softness and sweetness, giving him the impression that she was so fragile that he could easily break her if he wasn''t careful.

    "Yes, Yes...Immernachtreich...It had been so long... Prinzessin ist back..." She muttered in her sleep.

    He smiled.

    Since Fischl was often a chatterbox, it was not surprising to hear her talking incoherently in her sleep too.

    It was often funny to allow Fischl to speak uninterrupted in order to hear the crazy nonsense that woulde out of her mouth.

    "...Hnn...thou art already dead...thou just haven''t caught up yet..." She let out, "This Prinzessin ist most magnificent..."

    "Yes, you''re so amazing, Prinzessin..." He whispered, kissing her forehead. "How I wish you could see yourself right now, you would be so embarrassed."

    He felt her rx against him, as she curled and sighed contentedly.

    The fluffiness of her hair, her petite frame, and the timid manner in which she would sometimes speak to him made it difficult for him not to lose himself in her splendor.

    Thus, two of his lovers found their way into his bed and fell asleep on top of him, making it impossible for him to move or get out of bed without disturbing them.

    However, this did not prevent him from being awake.

    Hey awake, reflecting on the previous evening.

    About Lumine''s revtion, her resolution and determination to start a life with him and create it together. He didn''t know how to react at first, simply because he didn''t really believe she held those kinds of feelings for him.

    As he mentioned numerous times before, after she found her brother, she would leave this world.

    That was what he''d initially believed...but after she sobbed in his arms and professed her love for him, his determination to resist her was weakened.

    ''I wonder if she remembers that she entered my room yesterday. She was dead drunk...'' he mused, staring at the ceiling.

    Therefore, he hugged them for a few minutes while lying on the bed before deciding to leave the room quietly.

    He escaped the two adorable creatures'' grasp and was prepared to depart.

    Now, the moment he left the room, one of the most unexpected things of his life happened.

    As if on standby, Lumine was on her knee before him the second he opened the door.

    She was holding a bouquet of flowers and gazing up at him with devotion in herrge golden eyes, which he had always regarded as stunning.

    "Lumine..."

    He didn''t think his smile could be any bigger than she''d already made it, but apparently he couldn''t keep from doing so because now even his cheeks hurt and he had to look away from this sweet woman...

    ''Is she professing her love to me or asking for my hand in marriage...God, It''s so adorable how clueless she is about this stuff...''

    Usually, men were the ones who proposed to women; they''d say "I love you, I want to stay with you for the rest of my life. Please marry me!" bring out a ring and propose there and then, on their knees.

    But no. This was Lumine he was talking about, and she was quite serious about what she wanted after yesterday''s confrontation, so the words were all hers so say.

    "P-Please ept these!" She managed to stammer, thrusting the flowers towards him, her face turning redder by the minute, "...Y-You have been there for me times and times again... You have always supported me, saved me and gave me a ce to stay when I really needed one...you''ve never asked anything in return, and yet, here I am making this...proposal...not to repay you... I don''t want you to think I''m doing it just because of all of this. But because...you''re sp...special to me!" she added hurriedly, almost like an apology for her stuttering.

    She was still flushed when she finished her speech, and her voice broke on the word ''special''.

    Lumine was nervous, but she knew that her heart had already made up its mind, and she wanted him to know how much she meant every word.

    It felt as if she had rehearsed these words and sentences multiple times, yet she still failed to deliver...

 Chapter 267: A Hangover

    ***

    Yomite regarded the flowers in his hands before returning his attention to Lumine.

    His smile grew wider as he reached for her face.

    Her cheeks went bright red as his finger traced down her jawline and her chin, before finallynding on her lips.

    When his thumb gently grazed her lower lip, she trembled.

    The gesture was so gentle and romantic, she felt like melting.

    She stood on her tiptoes and gazed up at him with wide eyes and a quivering lower lip, hoping he would bend down and kiss her right there.

    Before she realized it, he had already lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers, granting her wish.

    Her first instinct was to close her eyes, next, she lifted her hands to his shoulders.

    As the kiss intensified, one of his hands was on her waist and the other was stroking her hair.

    She was very inexperienced...but also very eager to learn everything about Yomite she could possibly know.

    She had never kissed anyone romantically before, and she definitely did not know what to do.

    Yomite took advantage of this by intensifying the kiss, intensifying it until he hadplete control over her, until he had herpletely wrapped around his finger.

    Their tongues intertwined, exploring each other''s mouths thoroughly.

    When the kiss eventually ended, Yomite moved back slightly and rested his forehead against hers.

    Yomite could not help but burst intoughter after a brief period of silence.

    "Are you really sure? As Paimon and Monika have said, I turned out to be a Casanova. I thought you wanted to find your brother and leave this world, to go exploring other worlds as you used to. Wouldn''t getting tied down by me be such a waste? What would your brother think?"

    "I don''t have interest in any of that..." Her voice shook as her eyes met his, "Once I find my brother...we can settle down in this world... The only thing I fear...is that my lifespan is much longer than...yours. So please..let me do whatever makes you happy...and I''ll happily follow you wherever you lead me, as long as I''m able to spend the rest of your life with you."

    She closed her eyes, waiting for his answer.

    What exactly did she say...?

    A longer lifespan?

    ''Yeah..e to think of it...she is much older than I am...like...by a lot...well...The earrings that I bought for Fischl could raise my lifespan by a lot, if we figure out how to activate them...but that''s her gift so that''s out of the question...I am pretty sure I would be able to find simr artifacts or some elixirs to extend my life and the lives of mypanions, if it everes down to it. Not to mention, as my body was created by a God, I should technically have a high lifespan as well, right?''

    As though fearing his hesitation, Lumine looked up at him, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.

    "...If you are willing to give me the chance to prove myself worthy of you, I swear that I will do my best to be the perfect wife for you. I-I-I am already learning how to cook! I used to be bad...but now it''s not the worst anymore."

    "Don''t cry..." He chuckled, wiping away her tears with his thumb, "You don''t need to know how to cook, I will cook for you... Of course I will ept it, you ridiculous girl... To think that you are so willing tomit to me when I already have two lovers...this world is just too weird."

    Lumine blushed deeply, burying her face in his chest and hiding it from view.

    "Uhh, well, y...you just...you are...just, so...popr...you gave me no choice but to finally confess..." She whimpered.

    Oh yes, he had noticed that.

    Many people seemed more interested in hispanytely...

    Unlike back at Earth...

    Not only women were looking his way, but also men looked at him weirdly...

    A popr phase...?

    It was obvious to him that some of these people were jealous he was traveling with such beauties all the time, but some of the gazes he received weren''t hostile nor curious, rather...as if the men were checking him out?

    As bizarre and frightening as that sounded...

    He didn''t notice this in Liyue so far, but here, in Mondstadt...Mondstadt was full of them...

    Some of them didn''t look as scary, but they certainly were not normal either...

    Yomite hugged Lumine closer, resting his chin on top of her head, while she was still hiding in embarrassment.

    He sighed, "Let''s see...First things first, what happened yesterday? Where is everyone? Hu Tao and Fischl came to my room early into the morning and fell asleep...where is everyone else?"

    "Well..." She started, "We had the party downstairs in the living room...and so everyone is sleeping in the living room..."

    "In the living room...?"

    "Yes..."

    "...Why didn''t they go into their rooms?"

    "Everyone...drank a little too much of Mondstadt''s Dandelion Wine from Diluc, and they passed out on the living room floor..." She exined.

    "��Okay..." He nodded, "I don''t think any of the other girls besides you ever drank alcohol before... I should probably make some soup to help with their hangover...do you have any chicken or dove meat? I''m going to need something to cook it with."

    "Sorry, only a boar meat, but I have vegetables we can use," She answered apologetically.

    "Nah, boars won''t do," He shook his head, "But the veggies are good. I''ll visit someone real quick and bring some doves or something, I''ll be backter..."

    He gave her onest kiss before he hurried out of the house.

    The streets were pretty quiet...

    It was almost like it was still night time...

    But the sun was rising now, and he was sure that the man who could sell him dove meat was already up and kicking, even if it was currently around 6 in the morning.

 Chapter 268: A Favor?

    ***

    He departed from the Mondstadt without being stopped by any Knights of Favonius.

    Not because he was called a hero and granted a pass, but because security was sox that the Knights weren''t even present.

    Anyone could just go in and out, even if it was an enemy...

    "I should really mention it to Jean, not having any guards in front of a huge city like this, when there are many threats in this world is just pathetic."

    The Knights were all probablyfortably sleeping in their beds after doing nothing whole day, every day.

    He headed north-east from Mondstadt, towards the nearest vige.

    Once he was there, he found a specific house and knocked at the door...

    "I''ming to open the door! Like a normal person!" A voice soon answered from the inside.

    ''...He is still as weird as before...''

    A few secondster the door opened, revealing the owner of the voice.

    An adult man with cat ears, huge grin and a terrible ent...

    "Oh, my wonderful son-inw! You haven''t been here in awhile! Come to father!"

    He yelled with joy and gave Yomite a bear hug.

    "Old man...call me son-inw again and I might break a few bones��"

    "Ahh! Ahh! But my beautiful son-inw! You are still as handsome as ever! Tall as ever, and kind as ever! You wouldn''t do such a thing!"

    "....I''m going to say it one more time...Your daughter is simply too young, what are you even trying to pull here...? I''ll not marry her...she wouldn''t like me anyway."

    "Aww, don''t be like that! Come in,e in,e in! Let me take your coat!"

    "I don''t have a coat..."

    "..."

    "..."

    The man blinked for a few seconds before speaking up again. "Either way, wee to our humble abode once more! What can I do for you? Anything to eat? A back massage? A dowry? Or some alcohol? We have a lot of it!"

    He lowered his arms and motioned towards the interior of his home as an invitation to enter.

    Yomite ignored the dowry part and got back on the track, "Actually, I need something to get rid of hangover...I was just looking for some doves I can make a soup with..."

    The old man stared at him for a moment...and then burst intoughter.

    "...I am the bestestest hunter in Mondstadt! You''re looking for the rightestestet man then!"

    "...it''s just ''Best'' and ''Right''..."

    "Ahahahahahaha! So that''s how it is! As expected of my son inw! So knowledgeable!"

    Yomite rolled his eyes and tried to hide a smile...but he couldn''t hide itpletely.

    He was Diona''s father and a down bad alcoholic.

    That Diona, who identally made him an energy boost libido drink without her knowledge back then, thinking it would only make him more energetic throughout the day...

    Little did she know she created a masterpiece...

    She was the best bartender in Mondstadt, and was able to create wonders with the most disgusting of ingredients.

    A cute yet intimidating tsundere catgirl...

    Either way, this man here was her failure of a father...

    Still, he enjoyed spending time with this man named Draff, despite the fact that he was utterly ridiculous...

    He could talk with him for hours.

    Yomite didn''t have have many guy friends in this world. If he didn''t count Diluc and Kaeya, there was essentially no one else present.

    Perhaps Venti...but Venti was much too feminine and cute to be considered a man...He knew that was the case when even the women of Mondstadt still get his gender wrong...

    Either way, now that he was here, he might as well use this as a chance to pet Diona.

    He adored her cat ears and tail, so cute they were practically absurd. But he could not picture himself marrying her...which was why he found Draff''s requests weird.

    "Say, could we talk outside? I don''t want my daughter to hear."

    "Well...sure? As long as you don''t have any weird requests..."

    Draff led Yomite outside of his house and sat him on a bench nearby, talking about the most random things as he went.

    How his daughter, Diona, bullied him on a daily basis by hiding his alcohol.

    How he went out hunting while drunk and managed to hit three boars with one arrow.

    How he was crowned as the best hunter Mondstadt had ever produced.

    Draff seemed to be in a great mood and wanted to share some of the stuff he experiencedtely but didn''t have anyone to talk with and his daughter was ignoring him.

    "...I''m so d you came to visit us, even if you only wanted to buy doves."

    "Don''t worry, I''ll give you plenty of Mora, I know hunting can be hard and boring sometimes. I''ll also check on you guys more often." Yomite assured him.

    He didn''t know Draff all that well as they were basically strangers, but he could tell that he was that kind of man who would give away anything for free, even his daughter if he hadn''t mentioned anything about a price...

    "Ahahahahaha! Hunting is never boring! The hunt is fun! You should go hunt with me sometimes, son-inw!"

    "No thanks...that would mean I''d have to wake up even earlier than today..."

    "Aww...I know that you''d like to hunt with me!"

    Draff informed Yomite that he needed to speak with him about an important matter after they had conversed for a while.

    "Draff...You know your daughter isn''t a thing. She can think and decide for herself as to what she wants... You can''t just marry her off to a random guy you met that identally saved your vige..."

    "Hehehehe. My daughter is a wonderful girl! And I bet you''ll fall in love with her immediately! But there is something I want to tell you. I have a request."

    "Man...I really appreciate it, but I already have three lovers now...and she''s underage..."

    "Bah! She''s a grown woman now! My daughter knows how to protect herself! Look at her! Look at how strong she is! Look how adorable she is! What a good bartender and a hunter she is! Marriage is simply the next step!"

    Yomite rubbed his face, sighing deeply.

    "Is this really what you wanted to talk to me about? Because I''m not going to ept, man..."

    "Nah, that ain''t it. I just have a favor to ask you..."

 Chapter 269: Title at the end

    ***

    Yomite rolled his eyes...Draff''s request was bound to be something dumb...

    Just like before with marrying Diona...but he was willing to hear him out considering both him and Diona helped him out before.

    "So? What is it? Is it about the hunt again? I can go with you once my schedule is more free, but not so early into the morning..."

    "No, no...nothing of the sort..."

    Draff sighed, "Ya know...most of my life I''ve been drinking, whether it was to celebrate something, or to wash away stress...or to...forget the pain I felt after myte wife passed...and it seemed to have finally took its toll on me..."

    He paused for a moment...then let out a wry smile, "...I''m dying, Yomite."

    "..."

    Yomite stood stunned for a second, not sure whether he heard right.

    Dying...?

    Death...?

    Was he joking again?

    But the words seemed so sincere...so unlike the drunken man he normally conversed with.

    The words were spoken in such a somber and serious manner...

    Like the truth behind them...

    He blinked...then blinked again.

    "...What?"

    "...I''m starting to feel lightheaded and nauseous every day. My body is slowly failing me. Yesterday, I failed hunting for the first time in my life and didn''t manage to hunt a single boar... I went for a doctor''s check up and they said my liver is failing, and that...that...it''s the end... I have about a month left..."

    "..."

    There was nothing Yomite could say.

    He felt like he had just swallowed a handful of needles...

    Draff chuckled, noticing the expression on his new friend''s face.

    "Sorry, my boy! Shouldn''t have told you...I hope you don''t hate me...I know we weren''t exactly that close and that we are basically strangers...but I have no one I can count on..."

    "Draff..."

    "Hahaha...I wish I couldugh it off...but I can''t. I know it will happen soon. It is what it is. The Archons have determined my fate like this, there is no saving me."

    Yomite didn''t know how to react. All he could do was stand there...like some sort of statue...

    Hearing this sort of information made him...

    Stunned? Confused? Sad? No, none of those emotions described him correctly anymore.

    Draff was someone he genuinely enjoyed talking with for hours, even if they only met a handful of times and were pretty much strangers.

    He was someone who was kind and honest to everyone around him...and even more.

    This man...didn''t deserve to die...A lone widower with his only daughter...

    "I apologize for everything... I really love my daughter and I want the best for her...I thought...that...maybe...if you married Diona and got to know her better, you would change your mind...you would fall in love with her...and she would at least have someone...after I''m gone...I''m afraid of what would happen to her once I''m gone...Yomite. I know I was selfish."

    Draff closed his eyes and sighed.

    "...I am sorry...to drag you into such an unpleasant situation...but I really do need you here. If not marry her...please at least take her in once I''m gone...that''s my request...no...a dying plea."

    Draff then walked towards Yomite, grabbing his hands tightly in front of him and pleading...

    "...Please. I beg you..."

    Yomite stared into his pleading eyes...

    "...Can''t you heal it with some magic? There has to be a way."

    Draff shook his head, knowing it was futile.

    Mondstadt didn''t have the means to heal his liver.

    Mondstadt didn''t have a healer capable enough to heal internal organs or severed limbs.

    And the same pretty much went for every country.

    A healer of that caliber was rarely seen...

    The best healer from Mondstadt was the Cardinal of Daybreak, who went on an expedition with previous Grand Master Varka and no one knew when he would return...

    He was the most capable healer Mondstadt had ever produced, and he was Barbara''s and Jean''s father.

    If it was him, then there was a chance for recovery...

    However, he was currently away and won''t return any time soon...

    "...Yomite...no. It can''t be healed."

    Silence fell between them and Draff knew there wasn''t anything else he could say.

    "...Why me? I shouldn''t be the best choice to leave Diona with...what about your fellow hunter friends?"

    Hearing this, Draffughed bitterly.

    "Diona hates them all... They''re all my drinking buddies...if she finds out I died because of drinking, she would never forgive them...I can think of one other person I could assign Diona to besides you, but she''s busy dealing with orphanage and she won''t have time for Diona as well...not to mention Diona is already an adult and she wouldn''t fit well with the kids..."

    Yomite sighed...his thoughts were a mess, his head hurting.

    "My lovely Diona is an adult now, but I still can''t just leave her alone out there...Due to her attitude she doesn''t have any friends and that''s pretty much my fault as well...She always gets mad because I keep on drinking and that reflects on everything she does during the day...I know she would be able to take care of herself, but I want somebody to hold her, and be there for her when she feels sad...I want for Diona to have somebody, anyone, to rely on and to share her life with, but..."

    Draff hesitated, "...but I also know that your life is hard as it is...you''re a hero of Mondstadt. You are constantly fighting evil. You fight monsters every day as an adventurer to keep the city safe...you have a family of your own and responsibilities...and yet, here I am, begging you...since she is bound to live a better life with you than alone..."

    Again, silence prevailed...

    Yomite looked down, trying to hide the emotion that threatened to break through...

    "Alright, if the worstes, we will take care of her, but don''t count yourself out yet. We may find a way. There is still time."

    Draff smiled weakly and gave him a quick pat on the shoulder.

    "Thank you so much, Yomite...thank you...thank you for taking a pity on this old man..." He sighed, "...Now that that''s settled...do you want to see her? She should be still asleep though..."

    "Does she know...about it?"

    "No."

    Draff replied with a shake of his head, "Not at all...thest thing I wanted was to scare her by suddenly telling her the truth...I don''t know what to do...if I die, it has to be on the hunt, so she thinks something went wrong and that it wasn''t from alcohol...alcohol isn''t bad, it''s just my fault for being addicted to it."

    Yomite nodded... something like this was hard to deal with and it wasn''t his ce to say anything...

    Both of them made their way inside and into her room.

    Yomite saw Dionaying under the quilt, hugging a stuffed animal cat tightly and mumbling something in her sleep.

    Her pink hair was a mess and she looked exhausted... probably from the amount of stress her workce put her undertely.

    Draff approached her quietly and sat beside her, stroking her hair while she slept.

    She continued dreaming, unaware.

    It was obvious that Diona would needfort once the inevitable came...

    Something Yomite understood too well.

    He lost his mother, and thenter in his life he lost his father as well...

    Diona lost her mother and now, her father was slowly dying...

    They both had simr circumstances.

    ***

    Vol2 Chapter 179 - The Life Is As Inevitable As Death.

 Chapter 270: Teyvat Laws Are Weird...

    ***

    As Draff continued to stroke Diona''s head gently, Yomite took some time looking around the room.

    Thest time he was in their house, Diona didn''t let him inside of her room.

    Now that he took a look around, he could see why she wouldn''t want him to see this...

    Tens of cat-like stuffed animals and toys littered the floor.

    She was probably embarrassed to let anyone but her father see her room with how many cat plushies there were.

    Not to mention, there were toys people usually used to y with cats stacked next to the bed.

    ''They don''t have any animals...so does that mean Diona is ying with cat toys herself? A catgirl ying with toys has to be the most adorable sight.''

    Yomite thought as his gaze drifted from the toys to the stuffed cat plushie she was currently holding.

    Anyone would wake up if someone touched them in their sleep long enough and so did Diona, who appeared to have had enough of the petting...

    After a moment, Diona started opening her eyes...

    A small groan came from her throat as she stretched slightly.

    When she finally opened her eyes, they widened a bit and she quickly hid behind the cat plushie...

    "DADDY!? How could you let someone in my room like this!? A stranger at that!" Diona yelled, ring daggers at both of them.

    Draff raised both hands in surrender and said in a defeated voice, "Don''t worry! It''s not just a stranger! It''s the Hero Yomite, did you forget him?"

    At this point Diona stared at him nkly as a look of utter confusion crossed her face...

    She then turned her attention to Yomite and realized who he was.

    It took her quite some time, simply because she just woke up and was having trouble understanding her surroundings.

    "Then that''s even worse! Nyaaa! Out! Both of you! Out! Out of my room!" Diona shouted, pulling a nket over herself.

    ""Yes ma''am!""

    Yomiteughed and agreed with her demand and so did Draff, and with that, the two of them exited her room and headed back downstairs.

    "I''ll prepare the fowls, you just wait here." Draff said and left the house, leaving Yomite alone.

    For a moment, nothing happened...and then, he heard soft steps running down the stairs towards him.

    "I apologize for my earlier outburst, but you simply don''t enter a girl''s room while she''s sleeping! Yuck, that''s creepy." Diona said, frowning slightly as she stood in front of him.

    "Sorry, sorry, it was Draff''s idea anyway, I just followed him,"

    Diona sat down on one of the chairs in the kitchen before asking, "So what brings you down to the vige today? Not that I''m really interested or anything..."

    "Well, let''s just say my friends drank too much yesterday, and I need a few fowls to make them a nice soup."

    This answer made her perk up immediately.

    "Ew, disgusting boozehounds..." She muttered under her breath.

    "For most of them, it was their first time drinking so I was afraid they would be out of it."

    "Oh, that''s good..." Diona jumped from the chair and leaned towards him.

    *Sniff* *Sniff*

    " ...All clear! No scent of alcohol on you! Good, good!"

    She concluded cheerily after sniffing him.

    He nodded at her response.

    "You seem happy about that."

    "Hmph! It''s only because I hate that awful smell!" Sheined and wrinkled her nose, "It makes my head hurt!"

    "How do you feel now? I heard from Draff you were overworking yourselftely." He asked concerned and reached out to her, cing a hand on her forehead.

    "M-Much better! Keep your hands to yourself, Mister! My temperature is perfectly normal, no need to touch my head!"

    "Aw, shame, I wanted to pet your ears." Yomite acted as if he was disappointed to the point where the world ended for him.

    "Nyaaa!? My ears again..." Diona pouted, crossing her arms, "Well, fine...I guess since you insist...But no touching the tail! I''ll bite!"

    She moved closer to him and allowed him to pet her, which pleased him.

    ''So cute...''

    Her cat ears wiggled happily in response to him.

    "What happened to your hair...It''s so long..." Yomite mumbled.

    Diona started purring and she closed her eyes,

    "I usually tie my hair up, but since I just woke up, I''m wearing it down."

    Diona''s cat ears were undoubtedly beautiful.

    They were really fluffy and seemed to move in harmony with her movements whenever she turned her head in order to hear better.

    After having enough, Yomite let her go. It already felt a bit weird petting a young girl like that but he focused more on the cat part than anything else frankly, and as the will of mankind existed, humans would pet everything. No matter how dangerous it was.

    "Why did you stop?" She asked, sounding very upset and confused.

    "Oh, I''m sorry? You liked it? I thought you hated being pet?"

    "Of course I hate it!"

    She eximed.

    Yomiteughed.

    She truly acted just like a cat would.

    She was certainly adorable, and a true tsundere, much like most household cats...

    Yomite was wondering, whether she would ever grow up to be like Draff...

    ''No...I cannot picture Diona acting like Draff...ever.''

    "So, I assume you wanted me to make you a drink again? Otherwise you wouldn''t enter my room..." She spoke after a pause.

    "Yeah, I''d love one. Could you do the same one you did before? The Biotice or whatever you called it?"

    "It''s ''Bruice''..."

    "Yeah! That one. It was amazing. I was full of energy during the day and...even during the night..."

    He remembered the fond memories of all-nighters with Hu Tao. Those were wonderful times.

    "Even during the night? Why would you want to be energetic during the night? Didn''t you have trouble sleeping like this?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

    "....."

    ...

    ..

    .

    ''Dear gods, Venti...Zhongli...Granny...she''s so clueless it''s adorable...'' Yomite prayed.

    "...Uhhh.....you know...ehm..."

    Diona gave him a suspicious stare.

    "Hmm...you''re acting strange... something''s up, isn''t it?"

    "I''m sorry, this is for adults only..." Yomite replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

    He wanted to get out of this situation but it seemed that he hit a nerve...

    "What was that!? I''m a proud adult of the K?tzlein Bloodline! And a proud adult doesn''t shy away from the truth!"

    He chuckled nervously.

    "I''m sorry but you''re only fourteen years old from what I''ve heard...You''re too young to be an adult... you''re at most a teenager..."

    "A teenager? What''s that word supposed to mean!? Are you implying that I''m immature?!"

    Yomite tried to hide augh, but when he couldn''t, he simply shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly.

    "I didn''t mean it that way...teenager basically means a growing child ready to be an adult... you''re so small and adorable I can''t picture you as an adult..."

    "What are you talking about!? There is no teenager! There is only a child and an adult and I''m already an adult!"

    She huffed in annoyance.

    "Wait...what?"

    Yomite blinked multiple times in surprise.

    "Tch...alright then, so...let me tell you since you are a small dumbo. One bes an adult at the age of twelve. Before the age of twelve, everyone is a child. As for me...I''m fourteen years old. I''m an adult, and as a member of the K?tzlein Bloodline...whether I want it or not, my body won''t grow more than it already is...as all girls from our n were short...only the boys turn taller and taller like my daddy..."

    Yomite listened carefully to every word she said, but the more he listened the more his mouth fell open.

    Adult at the age of twelve? Was that even possible?!

    That was unheard of...

    But then again...it was another world...

    They had differentws and things people had to abide...but this felt weird...like something was not exactly right in this world.

    Not to mention, wasn''t her bloodline a curse then?

    She was a Loli, for the rest of her life...

    Unlike Hu Tao or Fischl, who were both petite yet adult women, Diona would be stuck in this body of hers for the rest of her life, never growing more mature or taller...

    An actual Loli...

    ''Some of my old co-workers would most likely drool just to see what a real Loli would be like...they''d probably be more than delighted to talk to a tsundere Loli cat girl...''

    As Yomite used to work in novel publishing...well, he knew how writers felt when working in such business...

    People were mostly degenerates, with weird fetishes, and sexual perversions.

    Many of his co-workers loved the Loli genre, even women.

    And while he never really got into it due to his taste being fixated on milfs back then, he had to admit they looked cute and if the woman just looked small, but had grown mentally, was an adult and understood stuff, well, maybe the Lolis weren''t all bad after all.

    But he wouldn''t put his hands on children who weren''t aware of anything. That was just disgusting.

    There were many women he was acquainted with on Earth, who suffered from the fact that they were short.

    One of them once told him, that when she went to ask a guy she liked out, he told her he didn''t want to date her, because she was so short he would feel like a pedo.

    That broke her heart and she stayed single ever since, without even trying to get a partner.

    Yomite didn''t understand stuff like that.

    Because no one chose how short or tall they would be even if it was unfortunate they were born this way...everyone deserved love no matter what their situation was.

    In this case, Diona was definitely a perfect example of this.

 Chapter 271: Bruice

    ***

    Diona went back to her room to make Yomite the famed Bruice,and just as she left, Draff reappeared with five doves.

    "Here, you can take them." He handed them to Yomite, who epted the freshly hunted doves with an appreciative smile and put them into a bag.

    It was more than obvious to him that five doves wouldn''t be enough to feed all of the girls, but his n was to make them feel better, not to feed them.

    As after all, a delicious soup was one of the best ways to sober up.

    "Was Diona down here yet?" Draff asked.

    Yomite nodded, "Ye, she was. We talked for a bit before she went to make a non-alcoholic drink for me."

    Draff chuckled, "My adorable girl woke up and immediately got to working again. How amazing she is!"

    The two of them talked for a bit longer, though none of them mentioned anything about Draff''s health condition anymore.

    After they finished talking, Yomite thanked him for the doves and handed him some Mora.

    Lastly, Diona finished her Bruice and gave him that ss which he gratefully took.

    "Say, Diona, is there a chance you can mass produce this in, let''s say...thousands?"

    She gave him a look that seemed to have more judgement than it did actual anger.

    "Why would you want so many drinks? Even if it''s non-alcoholic...It''s not like this doesn''t require ingredients and time to make! I can make you at most five!"

    Yomite raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, Alright. I get it. I was just wondering. Thank you anyway."

    "Hmph! You better be thankful." She grumbled.

    "Thanks for showing up,d! Please, consider the request I mentioned to you before. I''m grateful."

    "Yes."

    Yomite bid the two of them farewell and left the vige.

    Once he saw his departing figure, Draffughed and spoke, "Hey, Diona...how about you marry hi��"

    "��DADDY! Could you stop with that!? Ugh, you''re so embarrassing... I hope the request you mentioned at the end wasn''t about this! I don''t want to marry anyone! Stop talking to me about it every day!"

    "Heheh, alright alright."

    ***

    **

    *

    Now, it was a bit awkward, walking with a ss of the Bruice all the way back to Mondstadt, but Yomite didn''t want to drink it at the moment.

    He wanted to wait for a good opportunity to arise before using it.

    And for that, he would need to store it into Lumine''s inventory, where it wouldn''t go bad or lose its effects.

    Once he returned back to his mansion, he finally went to check out how the living room was faring after yesterday''s night...

    And oh boy...was there so much mess.

    First, there were the dishes, empty tesy everywhere, then there were wine bottles, both empty and half full on the floor...

    It was a terrible sight to behold...

    Barbara was passed out on the floor, whilst Iris was awake and clutching Paimon.

    "Cold floor...so nice...have more cold floors..."

    It didn''t seem like alcohol affected her in the least, but she was stillzing around on the ground.

    "...What were you girls doing here yesterday...the whole living room is... disgusting to look at!"

    It looked like some crack den, but instead of crack, wine bottlesy everywhere...

    Sighing, he sat in a chair next to Lumine, who looked very worried, "I was the one who gave them alcohol and food...Even though I knew I shouldn''t have...Hu Tao convinced me...it''s my fault, please punish me..."

    "Well...there''s no punishment, except for your cleaning duty today. Which I''ll also assist in, but first. Can I ask you to put this drink into your inventory?"

    "A drink?"

    "Yes, it''s non-alcoholic but it has special effects so please, don''t let anyone else drink it but me. And definitely don''t give this to Paimon..."

    Thest thing he needed to see was a hyperactive Paimon, drinking an energy stamina drink...that might result in him passing out from exhaustion.

    There would be no way of shutting up the fairy at that point...

    Lumine nodded and decided not to question anything.

    After putting the Bruice into her Inventory, and asking her to give him some vegetables, he headed towards the kitchen.

    It was time to make the soup.

    "You enjoying yourself?"

    "I want to know how to cook better..." Lumine said, leaning on the door frame and watching him carefully.

    Cooking had been a hobby Yomite had found himself doing quite often back on Earth. He cooked for his father, who had always seemed more than happy with it.

    "You can help me with a few things if you want to. You can peel and roughly grate the carrots, cut them into slices or cubes. The onions can be chopped as much as you like."

    Lumine nodded and went over to the cutting board where she could begin peeling away the outeryers of carrots with a knife. After several tries and failures, she decided to try again.

    "No, no. With that type of movement you would at most injure yourself. Here, let me show you how to do it right..."

    Yomite put one carrot in Lumine''s hands, and guided her gently, making sure he wasn''t holding onto her arms too tightly, until her first attempt produced some results.

    The intimate way in which they were standing together made her feel very embarrassed suddenly, especially the way he held her hands, but it was also a little warm...

    She looked back at him a few times to see whether he''d noticed, but it appeared he hadn''t; His concentration was fully on cooking, and exining the stuff to her until they''d both sessfully peeled off the carrots.

    Yomite then grabbed two sses of water and spoke, "Do you mind me leaving for a bit? I want to check on Fischl and Hu Tao to see if they''re already awake. You don''t need to do anything, only stir the soup for a bit, kay?"

    "Oh, okay." Lumine said, letting go of his hand reluctantly as he headed towards the kitchen door.

    She watched him leave and she missed the feeling immediately; she wanted to hold on to him just a little longer.

    Despite the temperature near her rising, the room seemed so cold all of a sudden when he was gone...

    ***

    **

    *

    *

    **

    ***

    As Yomite had anticipated, both Fischl and Hu Tao were already awake, albeit struggling to get up from the bed they were lying on.

    "Rise and shine! You sure messed around yesterday didn''t you? Why did you drink so much?"

    He then handed both of them one ss each.

    "Thirsty...this Prinzessin''s mouth ist as dry as the famed desert of Sumeru." Fischl said, trying to speak in between sips of water. It was praiseworthy that she still continued with her roley even now...

    Yomite chuckled a little at that, before turning to Hu Tao, who appeared to have a headache.

    "How are you feeling?"

    "Sore..." She replied, looking rather miserable.

    "You shouldn''t have drank so much, wasn''t this your first time?"

    "No...no...but this is the first time I''ve ever had a headache..."

    "Is there anything you''d like? Like...maybe an ice pack for your head?"

    Hu Tao shook her head. "No...just stay with me for a bit."

    Yomite sat down beside them and put an arm around Hu Tao.

    "It seems like you don''t feel well at all."

    She nodded slowly, closing her eyes for a moment, "I''m fine...it''ll hopefully pass soon..."

    They stayed like that for a while.

    Then, the smell of food started wafting its way upstairs.

    The soup was almost ready.

    "That smells good." Hu Tao opened her eyes a little and tried to stand up from the bed, only for Yomite to stop her.

    "What are you doing? Lay back down." He said, gently pushing her back against the pillow.

    "But...the food..."

    "We''ll eat afterwards." He reassured her, cing a gentle kiss on top of her head. "Try to rest for a bit. Don''t worry about anything else."

    Hu Tao sighed and closed her eyes again, leaning into Yomite, who continued stroking her hair.

    Fischl also snuggled close to them, wrapping an arm around Yomite''s waist.

    Her body felt heavy...she really hoped that by leaning onto him for a while, he would give some warmth and energy.

    As the two girls clung on him, he couldn''t help himself and hugged them closer. If anything, it felt good to have them like this.

    After a few passing moments, he stood up and went downstairs to check on the soup.

    "I think it''s almost done." Lumine called out from the kitchen.

    "Alright, prepare a few tes and spoons," he said before entering the living room again.

    As soon as he did, he heard a voice, "...Yum-Yum...I don''t feel so good...where is the bathroom...?" Barbara asked, sounding very faint.

    "Ah, it''s this way."

    Yomite immediately helped her up from the floor, and led her through the hallway, stopping by a door before opening it.

    After showing her the way, he returned to the kitchen and together with Lumine, brought tes of soup and delivered them to the girls who felt sick.

    The cruel morning full of hangover had finally ended.

 Chapter 272: The One Whose Name Shall Be Spoken...

    ***

    "This Prinzessin doesn''t dare believe it...this soup ist incredible!"

    Fischl''s eyes widened as the words left her mouth.

    The soup she had been served by none other than her Prince was divine in all of its glory; The broth was golden and fragrant with fresh vegetables and herbs, perfectly matched to their taste.

    It was delicious, almost too much of a delicacy to eat, and Fischl could feel her dry throat slowly begin to ease itself after yesterday''s night of drinking too much wine and drinking herself into oblivion.

    "Mhm, it''s truly good, I want more!"

    Hu Tao, who sat next to Fischl began stealing Fischl''s soup with a spoon after she ate her own portion.

    "This Prinzessin orders thou to take thy leave! How dare thou thieve from another! And to think, that one day someone I called my best friend would do this to me...the world shall pay dearly for this," she eximed with a slight pout.

    Of course, Fischl didn''t mind sharing her own portion with her, but she also wished to enjoy the yummy food.

    She was back in her old Fischl persona, saying that Amy needed to rest for a bit.

    "Ah, Fishy-Fishy you''re talking weird again...I can''t understand you that much if you talk so weirdly...please bring Ozzy-Ozzy out to trante for me! I also want to pet him a bit." Hu Tao replied while slurping up her soup, shing an innocent grin at her best friend.

    "Hmph...if anyone deserves the title ''gluttonous jerk'', it should be thee," Fischl remarked, pointing at Hu Tao with her spoon, menacingly.

    "Fishy-Fishy...Why are you pointing at my chest...?"

    "This Prinzessin ist casting a magic spell through this highest artifact grade spoon to ever grace the Teyvat, to erge thy breasts, as thou definitely need it as they''re severelycking in definition. I shall forfeit meine soup so thou grow up well."

    Hu Tao gave a puzzled look before breaking outughing at what her best friend said.

    "Fishy...if we''re talking about the chest size, then you''re the same as me! Maybe even smaller! Your boobies are so small that if I put them under the right light they''ll look like mosquito bites!" She then proceeded to smack Fischl on the chest with both hands, causing Fischl to fall back onto the cushioned couch under her.

    "W-What did thou say!? sphemy! I''m fairly certain meine chest ist bigger than thyne!"

    "Girls, stop fighting. I like both of your boobs, you''re both charming. End of discussion. I''ll make you something else to eat. I only made the soup to make you feel better, not for you to start fighting for no reason."

    Yomite stepped in, and sat between the two of them.

    His future wives were acting like children, fighting over a soup he made on a whim...

    Small breasts were cute; He loved the way they stuck out after stimtion, and how his fingers tugged and pulled on them with a yful intent.

    There was no need to fight over something so trivial... especially when both parties were t chested whether they liked it or not...

    "I shall grant thee the favor for thou hast spoken rationally, thou art right. Let''s cease this pointless scuffle at once!"

    Fischl huffed before returning her attention towards Yomite, who she was now leaning onto.

    Hu Tao turned to his other side, and ced her chin upon his shoulder, looking expectantly towards him.

    "Make me more food. Pwease."

    "Sure..."

    Yomite took a moment to respond, before giving a soft sigh.

    He nced over at the other couch and saw Lumine, spoon-feeding the soup he made to Paimon and Barbara, who both felt unwell.

    "Alright, Fischl, would you mind helping me with cleaning the whole mansion? Because yesterday, I noticed that my room is quite dusty...and the same probably goes for other rooms, and we need to especially clean up this room..."

    "As thoumand! This Prinzessin shall assist in any manner thou mayest desire!"

    Fischl rose from the couch and gave a curtsy, before rushing off to do her Prince''s bidding.

    The living room was only the start and after that was taken care off, they progressed to each room on the first floor.

    They nned to clean the entire mansion, so they had to move some stuff.

    It would be the most arduous task today��

    "I''m gonna move these things and you will clean the floor in the meantime, alright, Fischl?"

    "As thou wish, meine body ist thyne tomand!"

    She had a dust cloth in one hand, a floor mop in the other.

    After he moved the couch and other furniture, she cleaned the space underneath.

    Thatbination carried on for a while and it went pretty well��

    Until...

    "Okay...Let''s do thisst room and we are halfway done with the first floor."

    He moved the bed and at that time, Fischl suddenly stiffened.

    "Fischl? What''s wrong?"

    With jerky motion, she pointed to a space��

    There was something ck there��

    Sitting in the corner...

    "Ahh...uff...a cockroach��Haven''t seen one in a while..."

    "Hiyaaaah!!!"

    Fischl dropped the dust cloth and mop and hid behind him, while screaming.

    "Yomite! A cockroach! A cockroach!"

    He knew she hated insects but it was even worse that it turned out to be a cockroach though.

    He had to agree for sure, out of all insects, big cockroaches were the most intimidating to him��

    But it was time to be a man, and man up...Some insect wouldn''t scare him, right?

    He rolled the dust cloth in his hand and made it into a stick.

    ''Let''s fight!''

    The cockroach was moving so fast that their battle had to end within one split second, or else it would escape into some other holes or crevices and she wouldn''t be able to sleep soundly today.

    Even if it weren''t her room, the mere thought of a cockroach in the mansion prevented her from sleeping at night.

    He slowly reached out, and just before it escaped.

    *Smack*

    One blow from above and it was over, he killed the ck monster��

    "It''s over? A-are we okay now?"

    Fischl covered her face with her hands.

    She cautiously opened her eyes and confirmed that he managed to defeat it before sighing deeply.

    "Aaaaah....Meine dear Prince...This Prinzessin almost had a heart attack��I wouldn''t know what to do if thou weren''t around to save me from this monster..."

    She leaned onto his back and gave him a hug.

    Well, he understood that she didn''t want to see the crushed, dead cockroach, so he reached out to dispose of it��

    It was then...that he regretted being in the enclosed, small room with barely any space to dodge...

    *Bzzzt*

    It was then...that he heard a loud buzzing noise, of pping wings��

    The cockroach that was thought to be dead, took a flight right in front of the pair that sighed in relief of its demise��

    It was now time for the second round of the battle.

    It was now time for Yomite...to...battle��again?

    "I forfeit! I ain''t about this life! I ain''t getting close to that flying thing!"

    "Huh...!? Yomite!"

    Running on ground? Sure, alright, he would dispose of it.

    But a flying cockroach? That was equally as bad as a flying spider!

    Killing monsters? Fighting a dragon? Saving a nation? None of that couldpare to this!

    The two of them bolted out of the room immediately.

    It was now time to summon the true alpha male of this mansion��

    ***

    **

    *

    *

    **

    ***

    "Tao~ Would you help me for a bit? There is a cockroach in one of the rooms. Can you take care of it?"

    "A cockroach? Ew! I dont wanna!" Hu Tao replied with a shudder.

    "I thought you were alright with insects?

    "I am alright with insects, but cockroach is a no no!"

    "Eh? Why not? They are cute and adorable..."

    "Huh!? How are they adorable...? You call me cute and adorable all the time, and now you say the same thing about a cockroach! How can youpare us like this! I''m getting mad, Assistant! How could you say that!?"

    Hu Tao looked at him as if he was stupid.

    "Cockroaches are creepy...they have tiny little eyes, weird antennae, and long legs...all that stuff. No one wants to see a cockroach! Ew!"

    Yomite couldn''t disagree with what she was saying. He really couldn''t.

    But if Hu Tao couldn''t take care of it, then who would?

    Most of the girls present were out of the question...

    ''Iris would be able to get rid of it on mymand...but when I imagine Iris eating a cockroach...my stomach churns. She wouldn''t throw it away, she would for sure eat it!''

    There was only onest option...

    Something he heard ages ago...

    A very interesting legend...

    Yomite quickly left his house and Fischl followed right behind him.

    "What is the matter?"

    She looked at him curiously; She wondered what this could be about.

    Once outside, Yomite took a deep breath...

    He had heard the urban legend that in Mondstadt, if there was something he couldn''t fix or clean, no matter what he did...

    If he ever encountered something he couldn''t handle on his own, he only needed to yell one name into the sky, and all of his problems would vanish in an instant.

    "NOELLE!" Yomite shouted loudly.

    ...

    ..

    .

    All around was silent...the birds stopped chirping, and the animals stopped chasing each other around...

    Not even a single bug dared to leave their burrows.

    Even the clouds became still and quiet; The wind came to a halt too.

    Yomite began to sweat nervously...Was this going to work?

    Doubts began settling in, but the next thing he knew, a short maid in battle armor approached faster than anything he''d ever seen and stopped right in front of him.

    "D-Did you call for me? My name is Noelle...maid of the Knights of Favonius. You seem tired...Would you like some tea? I''ll brew you some. Do you take sugar? One cube, or two, perhaps three? Do you need to clean anything? Or take care of yourundry? I''m a maid, a chef, a gardener, a warrior, a guide...I can be anything you need me to be!" She spoke so fast despite being out of breath, she almost choked on words while making the introductions.

    Yomite was unable to keep up...it was evident Noelle ran all the way here after hearing her name...

    "What in tarnation ist this!?" Fischl questioned, "Who ist she?"

    "A maid of the knights of Favonius, that''s what she said��hey again. It''s been a long time."

    "Ah, it''s...it''s you! The esteemed hero Yomite Hissha! To think I am required by someone so incredible and brave! There isn''t anyone in Mondstadt who doesn''t know of your feats!" she said smiling broadly, as she bowed toward him.

    So much for bravery when he couldn''t even get rid of a single cockroach...

    Both of them knew each other, as they were the one''s who found out about Jean''s dirty secret all those months ago.

    Yomitepletely forgot about that, but Noelle on the other hand, couldn''t forget, and tirelessly studied the books each and every night in order to grow into the perfect knight...

    "Ah! Could it be! Are you Prinzessin Der Verurteilung? Ah! What an honor to meet someone like you!" Noelle bowed again,pletely unfazed by the tongue twister that was Fischl''s name...

    "E-Err...uhm. It is indeed I! Your visual perception ist indeed wless to recognize a higher being such as I, hiding behind an illusion, with a simple nce!" Fischl said, waving her arms in a grand fashion, as she was used to do when introducing herself.

    "Do you know Fischl?"

    "Yes! I...she doesn''t know who I am, but I know very well who she is! One of the best adventurers of Mondstadt, and a celebrity! One time, I was reading books in the library of Favonius, and I saw a book named: Flowers for Princess Fischl! At the time I assumed it was just a fantasy novel...I was so surprised to find out the main character is a real person! She is so incredible to have a whole book dedicated to her! I am in awe! One day I wish to be like you!"

    Noelle''s eyes were shining all the way through her speech, while the person in question, felt her cheeks turn red.

    Fischl wasn''t good withpliments, so she simply waved her hands shyly.

    "V-Very well! Allow us to offer resplendent blessings to illuminate thyne path! And pleasee in!" Fischl hurriedly invited Noelle inside the mansion.

    "Flowers for Princess Fischl?" Yomite repeated quietly, a light smile forming across his lips, "I''ll have to read it sometime."

    That must have been the book Fischl/Amy used for roleying. It could be entertaining to read in order for him to understand her even better. After all, they were lovers now.

    "N-No you can''t do that...! *Cough* *Cough* What this Prinzessin meant to say, ist that the book contains secret knowledge of our primordial cursed deeds. So...if thou read that book, thou will surely lose thyne mind and turn into a lifeless beast from the curse!"

    "Hahahaha, alright, if that''s the case then I better not read it." Yomite agreed.

    Fischl visibly sighed in relief.

 Chapter 273: The Cockroach Slayer, Noelle!

    ***

    After introducing herself to the group, Noelle inquired what Yomite required her for.

    She was surprised by the request to eliminate a cockroach, but she nheless agreed.

    As soon as she agreed to get rid of it, she entered the scary room.

    A flying cockroach was noughing matter; not just anyone was willing to eliminate one.

    The cockroach flew towards her as soon as she entered the room, ready to attack the new invader. However, she was able to catch it in midair with her palm, thereby achieving the purpose.

    Once she exited the room, Yomite wondered why she did so quickly.

    Noelle then slightly opened her palm and disyed the bug.

    "I did it!"

    "...Please get rid of it."

    "As you wish!"

    Noelle went outside and hurled the cockroach as far into the forest as she could.

    The task wasplete.

    However...

    Thinking that the request was too simple, she went ahead and cleaned every room in the mansion and did theirundry in under an hour on her own.

    "Noelle... you''re amazing."

    She turned around and smiled brightly upon hearing Yomite''s praise from behind.

    "Thank you. I adore doing things like this!"

    "Say... would you be interested in working with me? The mansion is toorge for us to clean on our own all the time, therefore we need a dependable maid. I would certainlypensate you."

    "Awawa..."

    Noelle was troubled, not because she felt she couldn''t do it, but because she already worked as a maid for all of Knights of Favonius.

    She was uncertain as to whether she could fit this into her schedule, nevertheless, she nodded graciously.

    "I will think about it. I''m currently a bit too busy to take care of this mansion on a daily basis, but I cane once a week to help if necessary."

    "Alright, that''s plenty enough. Thank you for everything today." He handed her some Mora as a thanks and she reluctantly epted it after some persuasion.

    After some more pleasantries between them, Noelle returned to Mondstadt, and continued doing her daily chores as a maid for the Knights of Favonius.

    ***

    **

    *

    It was almost the middle of the day when Yomite heard a knock at the front door.

    He assumed it was Noelle, and that maybe she came back to ept his offer.

    Therefore, he went there to open the door.

    "Yo! Lil bro. Long time no see! I''vee to��"

    "��No thanks! We don''t wish to buy anything, please go away."

    Yomite found Kaeya standing there, with a sinister smile and closed the door on him.

    "Come on! Lil bro! Don''t be like that! Open the door! I have something to tell you."

    Yomite exhaled regretfully before reopening the door.

    "Hey, Kaeya. What is it..."

    "Heya! Wow, you don''t look too happy to see me."

    Kaeyaughed and Yomite frowned in response.

    "Why are you here? You must havee for some reason. What do you need?"

    "What? Do I need a reason to visit my Lil Bro...? But you aren''t far from the truth. Jean told me to fetch you, apparently, she has something to talk to you about."

    "..."

    Yomite anticipated that this would ur sooner orter.

    It looked that she had finally learned about Morax''s death from Ningguang or one of her messengers.

    Currently, he had to think out how to exin the situation to her, while still concealing the fact that he had survived...As most likely, there was a reason Zhongli wanted to stay "dead".

    Although, he had to admit he kind of wanted to tell everyone Morax was still alive, but he wasn''t a snitch.

    "Oh, and by chance, do you know where the Deaconess Barbara is?"

    That sounded like another problem...

    "She''s inside. What do you want with her?"

    Kaeya chuckled, "I''m d I don''t have to waste time looking for her. Jean also wished for her toe. Apparently, they need to talk privately."

    "...About?"

    "No idea. I''m just a poor messenger running around the Mondstadt territory today. When will my tired body have some rest..."

    "I am positive you''re skipping work every day...a little bit of exercise wouldn''t kill you now would it?"

    Yomite sighed as he entered the mansion to exin the issue to the girls, and he then returned with Barbara.

    "Deaconess Barbara, long time no see. I''m sorry to bother you, but you have urgent matters to discuss with the Grand Master Jean."

    "Ah, absolutely. Please lead on then, Cavalry Captain Kaeya." She gave a weak smile, still feeling slightly unwell afterst night''s events.

    But the soup from Yomite was able to alleviate Barbara''s difort, and she felt far better than before.

    "Is there something wrong?" Kaeya noticed Barbara''s slight difort.

    "Nothing is wrong...It''s just that I have been feeling under the weather today... please forgive me for making you worry. I''m not feeling well."

    Barbara replied, trying to appear calm despite her current state of health.

    After her remark, Kaeya offered Yomite a nce that indicated he should lean closer.

    "Say... Lil Bro...you didn''t get her...you know...If so...then I must congratte you."

    "I don''t understand what you''re saying, why are we whispering?"

    "You know...you''ve spent quite some time together these past few days, right? And now she''s feeling unwell and so...you didn''t get her...pregnant, right?"

    Yomite responded with a raised eyebrow.

    "What are you talking about? What makes you think that? I didn''t even touch her...and you straight up went for a pregnancy check..."

    The lips of Kaeya curved upwards, "Oh, really? You''re telling me she was only ''coincidentally'' at your ce so early into the morning? And for her to feel so unwell, yesterday''s battle must have been hard fought."

    "You have no idea what you''re talking about...I don''t know what you''re doing to your girl, but I''m doing my best to satisfy them, not to make them feel unwell..."

    Yomite shook his head and didn''t try to convince Kaeya as it seemed that nothing would change his mind on the matter.

    ''Them.''

    Kaeya noted the choice of words, but decided not to inquire further for now.

    At this point in time, not many people were aware Yomite was in a rtionship with both Hu Tao and Fischl.

    Precisely because of this, when Kaeya heard ''Them'', he''d misunderstood the whole situation.

    In his mind, due of Barbara''s prominence and social standing, he considered her to be Yomite''s lover, whom he was currently concealing from public view.

    Barbara was walking behind them, and although she noticed they were whispering to each other, she assumed they were discussing something important she shouldn''t hear.

    She was interested, but it was none of her concern..

    Instead, she decided to focus on taking in her surroundings as she strolled, appreciating the pleasant weather and natural beauty of the location.

    The estate was not far from Mondstadt, but it was not every day that she was able to take in such a breathtaking view due to being locked up in the Church of Favonius at all times.

    Eventually they''ve arrived to Mondstadt and headed straight to the headquarters and Jean''s office.

    When they entered her office, Jean immediately stood up, greeting them warmly.

    "Wee, Honorary Knight Yomite. I appreciate you joining me today. There''s something important we must discuss."

    "Long time no see."

    Yomite returned her greeting with a smile and sat down as directed, awaiting her to continue speaking.

    After sitting down, Barbara followed suit and sat next to him.

    "Well then, I shall indulge in my own paperwork, see you around."

    Keaya disappeared from the room quicker than anyone could register.

    "Ah that Kaeya...he went toze around again..."

    Jean sighed.

    After both of them settled down, she began talking.

    "First, let''s begin by reviewing the recent usations against you. Lady Ningguang appears to believe that youmitted murder and that you killed Rex Lapis yourself... Furthermore, she also ims that you fled the scene with your group after killing him... What do you have to say for yourself?"

    "Yum-Yum didn''t do anything wrong! I can attest to this mys��"

    "��Quiet. You''ll have your turn afterwards. Don''t talk now."

    "...Huh? Wha��?!"

    Jean raised her index finger to swiftly hush her.

    It appeared as though she was enraged.

    Very angry.

    Barbara gulped in fear, she had never seen Jean so angry before, and it appeared she had something to say to her as well, once she was finished with Yomite.

    Jean sighed as she attempted to settle herself by massaging her temples with both hands.

    "I apologize, Honorary Knight Yomite...but I am bing a little dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. For starters, what happened to Rex Lapis? Why did you leave the scene after discovering his death? Did it not ur to you that you would be the major suspect if this urred?"

    Yomite knew the issue was serious, because Jean who was usually chill around him, spoke in a formal manner...

    "Yes, it crossed my mind...but we left by an ident..."

    Jean was dubious regarding his reasoning.

    "An ident? How? How could you possibly leave by an ident?"

    Yomite muttered, "Well..."

    Jean was sufficiently dependable, thus disclosing Lumine''s skills to her shouldn''t pose too many difficulties.

    "Lumine has a special ability that let''s her teleport multiple people away. And we left the Liyue like this. She identally teleported us."

    "A teleport skill...? Lumine does?" Jean wondered, not expecting her to know such a rare ability

    ''Even someone like Lisa could teleport only a few meters, but to think Honorary Knight Lumine had something like this up her sleeve...''

    "...I''m sorry. The story isplicated, I would much rather speak to Ningguang directly and exin it to her. I don''t want to bother you with it." Yomite apologized, feeling bad she had to deal with so many troublesome things at one go.

    "...I trust that you did notmit the crime, but the odds are heavily against you... Ningguang wrote me a letter expressing her desire to meet in a week or so... I''ve never spoken to her before, but based on her position, I imagine she is knowledgeable enough to recognize and not believe the spurious allegations circting about you. Consequently, I anticipate your presence and assistance in rifying the facts to ensure there is no misunderstanding..."

    "I understand. I will be there."

    "Good. That''s all. I''ll send someone to fetch you once it''s time to meet."

    "Alright, thanks for covering for me. I swear we didn''t do it. I''ll prove it to you."

    Following the exchange of farewells, Yomite exited the office.

    Barbara was about to follow suit, when she felt somebody''s gaze upon her.

    She turned round to find Jean ring at her intensely, which caused Barbara to freeze on the spot.

    The look on Jean''s face told Barbara that she definitely wanted to speak to her.

    Barbara couldn''t tell what it was though...

 Chapter 274: A Pair Of Broken Sisters

    ***

    Barbara could tell...

    The manner in which Jean looked at her...

    Something was wrong.

    Something was terribly amiss...

    After Yomite left the room, Jean narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "Barbara, we need to talk." She said sternly, her arms crossed across her chest.

    "About what?" Barbara''s voice came out as barely more than a whisper, and she averted Jean''s sight altogether.

    "Sit down."

    The interaction between them had always been strained.

    When they were young, two sisters were separated by their parents against their will.

    Forced to grow up so far apart that there was no way to keep in touch, they were now both forced to lead a conversation thatsted more than a few words, which was the norm before one of them usually awkwardly left.

    As such, the issue at hand wasn''t the usual.

    "What is it, Acting Grand Master Jean? Do you wish something from me?" Thest part sounded forced. "I can attest Yum-Yum is innocent. I was with him the whole time."

    Barbara obviously wished to leave and join him outside as soon as possible and not waste time inside the office.

    "Listen..."

    Jean exhaled inwardly.

    She knew this wasn''t going to go well for either of them, but she couldn''t simply ignore it any longer.

    "I''m sorry. Deaconess, Barbara Pegg, you''re under arrest for breaking and trespassing into the home of a man who has made himself well known by his heroic deeds. If you cooperate with us, your sentence can be reduced greatly, otherwise..." Jean trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

    Her tone had be threatening at some point while her mind ran through all of the various ways this situation could end.

    There was a long moment of silence between them.

    Barbara flinched noticeably before taking a deep breath.

    She lowered her head and spoke softly.

    "I don''t understand...what are you talking about...?"

    "You know exactly what I''m talking about." The anger in Jean''s eyes was palpable.

    Barbara felt herself shrink back slightly. It had never happened before, but she knew it wasing.

    Due to her gentle disposition, people tended to forget that Jean was one of the strongest people in all of Mondstadt.

    She was also one of the reasons why the Fatui did not wage an open war against them, as she was simply too powerful.

    Jean was certainly not the only powerful character, but she was one of the most well-known.

    No one would ever be safe if Jean, one of the most peaceful and kind individuals, became furious.

    "I-I am confused... What is going on here, sister? Please just exin yourself!"

    Jean stared straight ahead, her face unreadable.

    Her gaze seemed so far away, like she didn''t even notice Barbara anymore.

    It was unsettling, to say the least.

    Barbara did her best to decipher what was going on behind Jean''s piercing gaze, but Jean was like an imprable wall that she was never meant to breach.

    "Please..." Barbara begged. "I really don''t get it. What did I do!?"

    "Barbara..." Jean began, her expression darkening as she spoke. She grabbed for a stack of papers next to her desk, and handed it to the blonde.

    Barbara took it hesitantly, turning it over.

    Her expression immediately dropped.

    A collection of pictures was shown.

    Pictures she was well familiar with...

    "...You were...in my house?" She asked quietly, her voice shaking.

    Barbara knew it instinctively, that what Mona Megistus predicted yesterday, was actually happening right before her eyes...

    ''Your rtionship with your sister will go down the drain the moment you return to Mondstadt!''

    Those words of hers, echoed in her mind...

    It was fated, wasn''t it?

    "I was forced to go inside when I couldn''t find you! You left Mondstadt without my permission! Do you know how worried I was!? You only told Rosaria about it and no one else! What else was I supposed to do! Barbara. You need help. What you''re doing is not a normal behavior. This is just a stack of pictures, a small portion of what was found inside of your room. Tens...hundreds of pictures...of Yomite Hissha pinned on the walls. Some of them were taken while he was sleeping which means you entered his mansion during the night without his permission and vited his privacy!"

    Barbara shook her head, tears began to well up in her eyes. "N-No... No you have it all wrong! Why would I do something so horrible? You''re mistaken!"

    "To think my own sister would lie to my eyes like this!" Jean frowned, "Never thought the day woulde when I''ll have to discipline my own little sister!"

    Barbara stood up from the chair in a hurry and backed against the wall as if she was trying to find a ce to hide in the small office.

    "Don''t run away! This is for your own good!"

    The fact that she was ready to fight made Barbara cower in fear.

    "You even took some of his personal items like shirt and... underwear...which was also found in your room... it''spletely inappropriate for someone of your position as the Deaconess of the church to have such thoughts and to act like this! It''s disgusting!"

    Barbara covered her ears with her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks.

    "Stop it! Stop talking!" The blonde''s voice trembled as she implored.

    Jean walked up to her sister and grabbed the top of her hands forcing her to look at her again.

    "Do you still not understand the situation you''re in? What you''ve done? You''re like a criminal... I am...so ashamed..."

    Jean sounded beyond disappointed.

    For her little sister to do something like this, and in such a secretive manner too...

    Going so far to the point of lying to cover it up...

    It hurt her...

    Jean had known for some time now that Barbara was not quite as normal as she used to be ever since she was saved by him, but she never imagined that she would do something like this...and...with the Kamera Jean gave her as a gift nheless.

    "...S-So what!? Th-That''s my kind of love! You wouldn''t ever be able to understand it since you''ve never loved me or anyone else in the first ce!"

    Barbara responded harshly and withdrew her hands from her older sister''s grasp.

    "...That''s not true...I care about you a lot."

    Jean looked down for a moment before looking back into her younger sister''s eyes.

    "While it''s true we couldn''t spend much time together, it was because we''ve both been busy with our duties. You know that very well."

    "Don''t try to sugar coat it! We could have met at any time! If only you wanted to! Just a little bit of time was fine! I need to know, right now!" Barbara yelled and then stepped forward. "Me, or Mondstadt!? Which will you pick!?"

    "..."

    Jean''s jaw clenched tightly, and the color drained from her face.

    It felt as if chilly fingers were wrapping around her heart, squeezing it tighter and harder with each passing second.

    It was so painful that she was unable to speak or even move.

    Nevertheless, she was still standing in front of Barbara, attempting to convince herself...

    Trying to convince herself...?

    Her little sister Barbara was more precious that the city of Mondstadt, surely? She had no doubt at all about that, not for a second.

    ''For Mondstadt, as always.''

    Yet why was it, that her mother''s words kept repeating themselves over and over again in her head?

    Why...?

    Why...

    "I need to hear it! What is more important to you, your little sister, or Mondstadt!?"

    The truth was so simple...

    And yet...

    "...Mondstadt." She whispered weakly, "But that doesn''t mean..."

    Jean ceased speaking when she noticed Barbara''s expression.

    "..."

    ....

    ..

    .

    Barbara backed away slowly, and lowered her head. "...Haha...Jeez..." She let out a bitterugh, "...you know, I really thought you might care about me...at least a little bit...but I guess I was wrong." She turned and walked towards the door.

    "Yomite is a wonderful person, who I fell in love with at first sight. You wouldn''t understand it, but we''re almost lovers. I don''t care what you do with him, but leave us alone. Leave me alone."

    Jean opened her mouth slightly, as if to shout after the blonde, but she closed it and watched helplessly as Barbara fled out the door.

    The rtionship between the two sisters was severed, atst...

 Chapter 275: What A Drag...

    ***

    Once she rushed outside, Barbara wiped her tears.

    The confrontation with Jean left her feeling exhausted and lonely, but that wasn''t all.

    She grew to despise the city of Mondstadt itself.

    It felt like a prison to her.

    She didn''t want to stay here anymore.

    She soon heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw Yomite walking towards her.

    "Yo! Are you two finished? What did Jean say?"

    "Nothing important..."

    "You sure about that? Because I''m not so sure..." He noticed her eyes were red. It must have been something quite stressful for her to the point she was on the verge of tears.

    "Don''t worry about it," said Barbara, turning away from him. "I just need some time alone..."

    "Are you okay?"

    Barbara nodded slowly.

    Her face seemed pale and weak, yet she still managed to hold herself upright. "Yes, I''m fine. But could you give me a moment to be alone?"

    Yomite''s face wrinkled in confusion, but heplied, "No problem." He turned around and walked back inside the headquarters.

    Barbara sat down on one of the benches in front of the Knights of Favonius headquarters.

    Tears began streaming down her face, dripping off her chin and onto her white frock.

    She didn''t care if anyone would see her or not.

    Barbara always thought that she would only allow herself to feel depressed for thirty seconds or so before snapping out of it. That way, she could bring joy to other people at all times...

    But enough was enough...this time was different��she had been crying for far longer than expected, and felt almost as bad as when she was on the brink of death all those months ago.

    If someone saw her now, people could have called her pathetic for crying over something as insignificant as being yelled at by her big sister, but Barbara didn''t care.

    She couldn''t stop thinking about what Jean said to her.

    ''Mondstadt... Mondstadt...It''s always Mondstadt! I hate it. I hate this city!''

    The more Barbara thought about it, the angrier she got.

    She was sick of feeling imprisoned by the city.

    The city of Mondstadt was called the city of freedom, and yet it was really just an illusion created by the Anemo Archon whom she worshipped, who also turned out to be a fake person...

    She felt betrayed.

    Het entire world was almost like a lie.

    Ever since she could remember, she felt inferior to her big sister, because she knew how much better Jean waspared to her.

    Even if it had just been a simple thing like cooking, Jean always made delicious meals while Barbara tried to put together something edible.

    If it came to physical strength, Jean''s muscles were bigger than hers.

    When it came to magical ability, Jean could cast spells that Barbara could barelyprehend.

    Her beauty, too, far exceeded anything Barbara possessed.

    She was the perfect person: beautiful, kind, tall, strong, dependable, intelligent, and skilled.

    Jean had everything that Barbara could ever wish for��except, perhaps, love.

    ''Where is my ce in the world? Why am I nothingpared to her? Why do Ick the same potential as her?''

    These questions ran through Barbara''s mind again and again. She truly wondered if she was the only person to feel like this...perhaps there were other siblings who could rte to her? Perhaps not...

    She didn''t even know why she was so jealous and angry.

    Maybe it was because she''d finally snapped after years of frustration and disappointment.

    Feeling inferior from birth, worshipping an Archon who turned out to be the drunkard bard he was, then hearing her own sister didn''t love her, Barbara felt hatred welling up within her.

    She had been wearing a mask for all these years, pretending to be happy, cheerful, and optimistic, spreading joy wherever she went. But now she hated her own smile.

    She hated her own life.

    For every happy asion that happened to her, there were ten sad ones. That was just how life was.

    She wiped her tears when she realized someone was walking towards her once more.

    She simply couldn''t get some time alone for herself...there was always someone bothering her.

    Looking over, she saw a familiar face, it was Rosaria, a sister of the Church of Favonius.

    "...Barbara?"

    Her voice was monotone and emotionless as usual.

    "..."

    Rosaria stared at Barbara with her head slightly tilted downwards.

    "...is your life a drag too?"

    Barbara didn''t reply. She kept her gaze focused straight ahead as she waited for Rosaria to speak.

    Rosaria felt like she should say something, but she wasn''t exactly the type to act as a shoulder to cry on.

    She wasn''t the kind of person who could listen to someone else''s problems and offer advice or feel pity and she certainly didn''t know how tofort people.

    So instead, she sat next to her on the bench and just kept silent until Barbara finally started talking.

    "There isn''t anything I want to say to you, Sister Rosaria, but...at least, let me apologize for making your work harder in my absence."

    Rosaria raised her eyebrow at this suddenment.

    "You should be. It was hell. I hate working overtime, and because of you, I had to use up energy."

    "O-Of course. Sorry. I''ll take the me..."

    Rosaria let out a small sigh.

    "Life sucks."

    Barbara snorted. "...I agree. I think it''s an obvious truth at this point."

    "...It''s weirding from an optimist like you. You''re always happy, singing, smiling...I''m too tired for that happy shit."

    "Is that what I''ve be now? A ''too tired for that happy shit'' person?" Barbaraughed bitterly. "I guess I''ve changed."

    "You seem pretty depressed. Your usual radiance ispletely gone."

    "I agree. I can''t hide it any longer. I don''t think there''s any other way to describe it. I am just lost."

    "...Look...I''ve been doing nothing but hurting people ever since I was born, I''m not really sure how to cheer someone up...want to go for a beer or something? A cold one could make you feel better..."

    Barbara shook her head. "No thanks. I appreciate the effort though. It was a nice try."

    "...I''ll leave you alone then. If you need anything just call my name. I''ll show up...and use up my free time...even if it''s a drag..." Rosaria then stood up and walked away.

    Barbara remained seated on the bench and continued to stare nkly at her leaving figure.

    RRosaria was cold, and almost ignored everyone. She never took part in conversations, and barely seemed to remember the names of those around her. She didn''t care about prayers, or even for anyone else''s well-being; she only wanted to be left alone with her thoughts. Being a nun didn''t suit her in the slightest.

    The only time she spoke was when someone asked her for an exnation about something or ordered her to do something.

    Even then, it was a monotone statement that conveyed neither emotion nor feeling.

    Her name meant Rose and that''s what she resembled: a garden rose without its petals, all that was left were the thorns.

    Barbara heard from Kaeya, that shortly after Rosaria was born in a remote mountain vige, it was raided by bandits.

    After killing everyone, the bandits took her in and raised her to be a cold mercenary. Stealing, hunting, killing, she did everything.

    Everything for survival.

    Ultimately, the bandit crew was wiped out by the Knights of Favonius.

    As their youngest member, Rosaria was judged to have a chance of rehabilitation.

    Grand Master Varka brought her to Mondstadt and gave her the role of sister at the Church of Favonius so she would repent and change her ways.

    Sincerely hoping that she may someday fit in here and that her heart was at the right ce.

    Still, Rosaria was never the type to forgive others or ept someone into her heart, but she did help Barbara several times.

    Albeit their rtionship was quite awkward, and they started talking only a few weeks back, Barbara was the closest thing Rosaria had to a friend, and seeing her suffering was starting to bother her for an unknown reason....

    There was a weird lump forming in her chest whenever she looked at Barbara''s face.

 Chapter 276: Decomposition

    ***

    Yomite decided to give Barbara some time alone, and returned to the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius. When there was no one around, the air seemed more solemn or reverent. He was certain that there were no more than five people on duty in the building; if there were more, Yomite would have seen them.

    He knocked on Jean''s office door once again before immediately opening it without waiting for a response.

    "Sorry I''m bothering you again, Jean, but what did you and Barbara talk about...?" Yomite questioned as he entered and shut the door behind him."She seemed quite sad, did you say something bad to her?"

    "..."

    Jean did not speak as her nails rhythmically drummed across the desk surface.

    She inhaled deeply and reclined against the chair. "Yes. I inadvertently hurt someone who meant a lot to me." She rubbed her temples with both hands while staring at nothing. "I never realized how painful my actions could be until now, but it''s toote. It won''t change anything that happened already. It''s far toote..."

    "...Do you need any help? I''ll help you two, I''m your friend after all." Yomite offered, looking over at Jean who was obviously troubled by guilt.

    "A friend, huh...Thank you," she whispered out loud. With her head still down, tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes. "...But no...Please don''te near me right now. I need some time to figure things out on my own."

    "Alright then. Let me know if you need anything, alright?" He stated before leaving the room. When his footsteps were no longer audible, Jean hid her face in her arms. The sound of muffled sobs came through her fingers pressed tightly against her mouth.

    "I''m such a terrible person..." she murmured to herself. Tears flowed freely as the memories of previous event flooded back into her mind; they made her heartache even more unbearable.

    How could she say such a thing to her younger sister, whom she treasured above all else?

    Telling her that, in her view, she was worth less than a city of Mondstadt may have been the cruelest thing anyone could ever say to a loved one. This must have been much more painful than being stabbed with a sword.

    Jean wanted to find her immediately and apologize, but she knew that Barbara wouldn''t forgive her anytime soon for hurting her. It would take a lot of time for them to reconnect, which left her with only one option: waiting patiently until it happened naturally. There wasn''t much else she could do to reach out...

    "I''ll... make up for what I''ve done to my beloved sister. One day, I''ll prove myself worthy of her forgiveness..." Under the burden of remorse, Jean vowed softly.

    ***

    **

    *

    *

    **

    ***

    Yomite returned to the area outside the headquarters where Barbara was resting on a bench.

    At first, Barbara sent him away, and now Jean did the same...It seemed that both of the sisters were hurt from whatever their exchange was about...

    What was he even supposed to do in this situation...?

    "I hope you''re doing better," he greeted as he sat beside her. "You looked pretty exhausted just now."

    "...Tell me...I''m ugly...aren''t I...?" She responded quietly before turning to face him

    Her face was red and puffy from earlier crying, and the faint outline of her tears could still be seen along her cheeks.

    "Nah, not at all. You''re cute in my opinion. Why are you saying stuff like that all of a sudden?"

    "That''s..." she hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I''m always ugly in front of you..."

    "Huh...? Don''t be ridiculous. Look, I don''t see any ws on you. I kinda want to just hug you because you seem so sad."

    "You say that, but..."

    "What is it? Just tell me already...Talking to other people might help you a lot." Yomite urged her to continue.

    Barbara averted her eyes and inhaled deeply. "The time when you saved my life...I was ugly...this morning I didn''t feel well...you helped me again and I was ugly...right now I''m crying and I''m ugly yet again."

    "...Hm?"

    "It feels like each time I want to leave a good impression on you, so your interest in me would soar, something happens and ruins it for me," she said as she clutched her forehead with her hand. "I''m pathetic. I''m an unsightly, useless, unneeded, horrible girl with no talent or redeeming features, a much more inferior version of Jean and I can''t do anything right in your eyes, right..?"

    Yomite was taken aback after hearing all of that.

    It seemed that the silly girl really hated herself and her own existence. The low self esteem she had must have been eating her alive for years and years...

    He could guess why...

    Barbara was never able to ept her true worth since Jean existed.

    She was always trying to change her image to be Jean, only resulting in her bing more and more insecure and alone due to her inferiorityplex.

    She believed that she was worthless...and that was a feeling that would never go away unless she somehow became a "Better version of Jean".

    "No, no, no. Not true at all... I always thought you''re incredibly cute and lovely...These situations are normal..." he refuted immediately, "If you keep acting like this, I''ll have to p you to wake you up. Do you understand?"

    "Ahh...huh? p...me? Eh...?"

    "Uh-huh. Yes, pping. I''ll p you across your face as hard as I can until you open your eyes. I don''t want to do that but I''m telling you now, if you continue to act like this, I will. I''m going to hit you with my open palm. You got me?"

    "Ehhh?! U-um...o-okay then..." she nodded weakly.

    "See? Now you should stop being upset. You''re fine as you are. A cute nun with beautiful hair and nice eyes; I think you look great."

    Her body proportions were, to say the least, also very stunning, a sight for sore eyes.

    Despite her petite stature, she possessed feminine curves in all the right ces, and her butt was a sight to behold in her white tights.

    Barbara''s long, slender legs ended in ankles so delicate that they could be considered a work of art.

    Her thighs were sleek and supple, while her calves were toned.

    He could tell from the condition of her entire body that she spent a great deal of time exercising in her spare time. She had the kind of body that could make any man drool once her clothes came off.

    Incredibly cute and adorable, she radiated such a charming aura that it was hard not to fall for her.

    To top it all off, she was wearing a nun uniform that hid her ample cleavage behind a ribbon which he wasn''tining about either.

    A nun fetishist such as himself was living out his dream just by looking at her for a few passing seconds.

    He wondered if she had any idea how beautiful she truly was, but he doubted it.

    It seemed that for whatever reason, there were many women in Teyvat, who thought they were ugly or didn''t have enough confidence in themselves.

    A man''s fantasies came to mind, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down as he stroked her long hair.

    "....."

    Barbara nced at him in silence for a moment before disying a tentative smile.

    "Thank you, Yum-Yum. You''re always there for me...when not even Jean is..."

    "No problem. You''re really, really cute, so don''t say stuff like that anymore. Well, I guess we should return to my mansion now, before someone sees us together and misunderst��"

    Before Yomite finished his sentence, Barbara wrapped her arms around his neck.

    "Wai��?! Wait, pause, pause, pause, pause!!! Pause for a second!! I know what you''re trying to do but...!?" Yomite cried out, but it was toote.

    Her lips were already pressing firmly onto his.

    A soft growl, or perhaps a sigh of defeat escaped his throat as he parted his lips and allowed her tongue to enter. It was a very intimate kiss between people who weren''t lovers; it made him realize how badly she wanted him to reciprocate.

    While her tongue explored his mouth, she wrapped her hands around his head and grasped his hair. She sat down on hisp and used her legs to draw him closer. Their bodies were squeezed closely together as she continued to assault his mouth forcefully.

    When her small tongue met his, his mouth was filled with the vor of her saliva.

    Yomite found himself passionately kissing her in response to her overwhelming passion. His hands descended her back and settled on her butt, softly squeezing it.

    In reality, he had been attracted to her for a considerable amount of time, simply due to her persistence to be with him.

    Compared to those from Earth, the women of Teyvat were just on a different level; their physical appearance, kindness and dedication to their loved one was unparalleled.

    It was easy to be infatuated with them if they showed just a bit of interest in him.

    He was weak to them.

    Maybe it was simply because of the fact he never had a true rtionship in his past life and only hooked up with women who wanted to have a fun time, but in this life, he wanted to show his love to everyone who felt that certain way about him.

    He knew it probably wasn''t a good trait to have, but there was nothing he could do about it...

    The two of them ended up kissing for quite a long time before their mouths finally broke apart.

    "...Well, now that we kissed for the second time, I suppose we should get married," Barbara stated matter-of-factly.

    "Pardon...?" He asked, blinking rapidly.

    "Yeah, marriage. We just kissed again, after all. Are you not going to take responsibility for taking maiden''s first and a second kiss like this in the public? What if someone sees us? My tongue was thoroughly vited by yours." she grinned mischievously. "Or are you going to chicken out and run away~?"

    Yomite gulped audibly.

    This was a grave mistake.

    Barbara still wasn''t of age yet; their rtionship would be illegal under thews on Earth...he knew that very well...

    However, he couldn''t bring himself to deny her request...

    In Teyvat, the age of consent was apparently twelve. Furthermore, a woman could marry a man as young as thirteen if she so desired. No one here would question the decision. This was part of the culture here.

    Still, Yomite had some reservations to being in a rtionship and getting married to someone so young. But thinking about it logically, he shouldn''t care about the legal implications from Earth.

    He was living in Teyvat now, and Barbara was 17 years old. Back in Japan, people were already making out as young as 15. In fact, there were girls even younger who did that.

    ''Come to think of it...this body of mine was created roughly half a year ago...wouldn''t that mean I''m not even 1 year old...? In this case I am the one who''s basically illegal...''

    And yet his mouth was vited by a young girl in the public, twice, not to mention that one time in the Church where she touched his body all over...and now he''s being forced into a marriage by the very same girl.

    This was already the third time she took advantage of him in public; she was clearly ying dirty with him.

    A girl younger than him was leading him around by the nose by her sheer cuteness and charm.

    And on top of that, he was actually starting to enjoy it...

    If the roles were reversed, he''d probably be rotting in prison by now, but since it was a cute girl, everything was forgiven.

    This ce was far too lenient on matters like these...

    "...Wait one year...And I''ll marry you...okay?"

    Despite knowing thews didn''t apply here, he didn''t want to burden his conscience and wanted to wait a year before crossing the line...

    At 13, Japan''s base age of consent was the lowest of any developed country. However, many prefectures also had the local "corruption of minors" which raised the de-facto age of consent to 16-18, unless they were in a sincere romantic rtionship, which pretty much ured here...

    So technically he would be safe even on Earth...

    So even if heid his hands on her now and did it...

    ''Nah, even if I am allowed, it just feels weird...Restrain yourself.''

    The internal fight was real....

    "Oh? So you''ll agree to the marriage? I just spoke of it as a joke." Barbara giggled and pinched Yomite''s cheek yfully, "I just wanted to hear you say ''yes'' to me."

    "...You''re too perverted, you know that?" Yomite sighed, "Who kisses anyone out of nowhere..."

    "Ouch. Why did you say that for? I am an innocent maiden who fell for your charms. Should I begin regretting?" Barbara pouted, sticking her tongue out at him.

    The two of them kept holding each other for a while, until a certain Cavalry Captain passed by and almost dropped his morning coffee when he saw Barbara sitting in Yomite''sp, kissing his lips and groping his chest without a care in the world.

    Kaeya then gave Yomite a wide grin and winked at him before running off.

    Yomite was left speechless.

    ''This little bastard...''

    Kaeya was bound to spread rumours about the two of them now; he was sure of it...

    "We have a lot to talk about...What will we name our children? How many do we want...? I heard Fischl wanted three, I should go for nine." Barbara mused.

    "Err...I think that...can wait for a while while while..." Yomite replied awkwardly.

    "Why? Can''t we discuss it now?" she inquired curiously.

    ''...What the hell were the girls talking about yesterday during the Truth or Dare game when I wasn''t present...?''

    He was sure those girls were plotting something...

    He needed to keep an eye on them to make sure they didn''t do anything stupid.

    Barbara settled down nicely on hisp and snuggled her head against his chest as she stared up at him with her big, blue eyes.

    Her face was framed by her long, silky golden hair that draped over his arm. It was soft and fluffy to touch, almost as though it was made of cotton candy. Her pigtails swayed gently from side to side as she slowly moved her face closer to his.

    "...Yum-Yum, I want to be with you forever. Don''t you want to be with me forever too?" Barbara whispered softly, "Please don''t leave me...I''ve fallen in love with you, Yum-Yum."

    "....."

    "You''re so warm, Yum-Yum. You''re like a pyro heater...I can stay like this forever if you let me."

    She looked so adorable, and he couldn''t help but stroke her hair softly as he tried tofort her.

    "...I''m just worthless, but you treat me like a princess. I am nothing special, but you''re so kind to me... I''ve never met anyone like you before, and I don''t think I ever will again. I can''t imagine anyone else more perfect for me than you...I seriously cannot live without you, Yum-Yum."

    Her voice was trembling with emotion, and it was obvious that she was crying again.

    Still, there was a thought he had...

    Was this why she was so desperate to stay by his side? Because she was lonely? Was he a substitute for theck of love in her life that Jean never offered her, or was she seriously in love with him?

    Perhaps he could try to fix her insecurities, but he wasn''t sure if he would be able to...

    After all, this girl had been neglected for years. Her mental state was fragile and easily broken.

    Yomite was aware of this problem, but he felt powerless to resolve it.

    "Hmm. Maybe I''m going too fast for you, Yum-Yum."

    "Yes. You definitely are..."

    They barely just kissed, and there were already children on her mind...

    Nine at that...shockingly so...Why so many...?

    "I see... Well, that''s fine."

    Yomite was certainly surprised by her forwardness but he could understand why she was being like this. After all, she seemed obsessed with him and wanted to be with him for a long time now...

    His first impression of her was that she was a shy, gentle beauty, but ever since saving her life, she changed into a stalker like figure who was obsessed with him, and now that she found out she wouldn''t be rejected from her advances, she became increasingly aggressive towards him to get what she wanted...

    There was barely shyness left if any...

    She was definitely growing in her love for him, and it was showing itself in her actions and personality itself. The way she was pushing herself upon him was proof enough of that.

    He was just afraid that...

    Something bad might happen...

    "Hey, Yum-Yum." Barbara suddenly spoke up.

    "What is it?" he asked.

    "...Will you stay with me forever...? You will, right? I am sure you will. You wouldn''t abandon me, right? After all, I''m cute, right? You said so."

    "..."

    ...

    ..

    .

    It was as though the entire atmosphere transformed in a single instant.

    Something seemed amiss. Something wasn''t right.

    He could sense danger lurking beneathe those words; he could feel it in his bones.

    He knew he had to tread this question carefully or to avoid it altogether...

    "...Of course I will...but for now, let me ask you this...you wouldn''t hurt my other girls...right?"

    "Huh? Why would I...?"

    Out of jealousy or fear...

    A wry smile formed on Yomite''s face. He knew how Yandere''s operated, however, he still wasn''t sure if she was one, or if she just had simr stalker symptoms.

    "You would never do anything to harm them, right?" He repeated.

    The fact that he didn''t get an answer outright worried him...

    "...Of course not. They''re my friends. Why would I hurt them?"

    She seemed legitimately confused by his weird question.

    It took her ages till she finally found a few girls in her life she could get along with, why would she want to hurt them?

    That didn''t make sense!

    "Good. I''m d to hear that." Yomite nodded in relief.

    Barbara was rather unstable, and he still had reservations about her, but he opted to trust her for the time being. She was not a Yandere who would straight up hurt or murder other girls behind his back. That was a relief in itself.

    Still, it seemed that her personality was changing because of her feelings for him without a stop. He was worried about where this might actually lead to...It was hard to say whether she was sane or not, but at least she wasn''t an absolute psychopath.

    ''Just a stalker...Just...a stalker...A stalker is alright...I can deal with that.''

    But the fact that she just had a huge fight with her big sister didn''t help her mental state whatsoever either...

    He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt for now. If there were any signs of her going overboard with hostility, he would have to use force or his wits to stop it.

    The one good way to stop a Yandere was to give her whatever she desired, and then she wouldn''t know what to do. A good strategy.

    A kiss? A house? A child?

    He would do it all.

    But for now, he would need to manage things carefully one by one...

    He had to continue giving her the attention she craved for and show her that he was interested in her, just as much as she was into him.

    "So, Yum-Yum...I also have a question."

    "Mhm? Go ahead, shoot," Yomite replied

    "I know that you are very popr...but have you ever...done something with my older sister?"

    A big question. One clear answer.

 Chapter 277: The Hero Vennessa

    ***

    "I''m a bit confused by your question...What did you mean by that?" Yomite asked.

    "You know...have you ever...have the two of you kissed for example?" Barbara seemed to have been struggling with her words, and she looked at him as if she wasn''t sure how to ask the question in the first ce.

    He was taken aback, "Ah. I see what you''re asking me now, but no. We did nothing. Although I admit I was promised a date once." He paused to think for a moment. "But it never happened. And well...she''s too busy these days anyway."

    Barbara nodded her head slowly, "I see," she said quietly, "That''s great news then," she added.

    "Ehm..." he began to say, but Barbara cut him off before he could even finish his sentence.

    "It is indeed wonderful news." She smiled. "Let''s go on a date then, Yum-Yum!"

    "You sure are impatient today, aren''t you?"

    "Well, I am excited," she giggled happily.

    "Alright, alright..." he said, "I''ll take you on a date. But don''t expect anything special as I have nothing prepared. It will be quite scuffed if I say so myself..."

    "Okaaay~! Then let''s go right now!" she grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the bench.

    The destination she had in mind was the tallest tree of Mondstadt area, in the Windrise.

    The Symbol of Mondstadt''s Hero, it stood tall and proud for many decades now.

    It was a monument that meant a lot to the people living in Mondstadt, and the locals came to pay their respects to it every once in a while.

    It was believed to have grown after a great Hero known as Vennessa, ascended to Celestia, a pce of Gods in the sky around a thousand years ago.

    Vennessa led the rebellion that overthrew the corrupt Mondstadt Aristocracy and became known as the Hero of Mondstadt.

    Her heroic deeds were recorded in history, and she became immortalized as the symbol of heroism for generations toe.

    Despite sharing the "Hero" title with Yomite,pared to her, his feats were insignificant.

    Barbara and Yomite walked side by side as they headed towards the tree branches. At Barbara''s request, they were holding hands.

    "Wow...it looks like it has gotten bigger sincest time I visited," Barbaramented as she pointed at the massive tree.

    Yomite agreed with her, and he looked up at the towering tree.

    Thest time he was here, he fought the Eye of the Storm that Venti was running away from.

    He remembered how the shameless bard flew up into the air and hid underneath the tree branches, fearing for his life while Yomite was forced to fight it alone. He chuckled slightly thinking back to how weak he used to be.

    "This tree is special. My sister..es here often to pay respects. I know because I''ve watched her from the distance countless of times. She alwayses here when she needs some peace and quiet from the chaos of the city," Barbara exined.

    Yomite listened closely to her exnation, "I can see that being the case. It''s too peaceful here."

    The wind blew softly, and it rustled the leaves as they swayed gently.

    They were quiet and serene, a far cry from the noisy streets that surrounded the Mondstadt.

    "...Our parents are divorced, and both of them went on an expedition with Grand Master Varka. They probably won''t be returning anytime soon...I am...jealous of my sister...I always was. We''re like night and day."

    "You don''t need to be. She leads a busy life, full of worries and responsibilities. She doesn''t even have time to sleep. You should just stop thinking about her and focus on improving yourself. Do you know why?" Yomite asked her.

    "Why?"

    "Because only loserspare themselves to others instead of improving themselves, and you''re not a loser."

    That was precisely one of the quotes he shamelessly stole from a random manga just because it sounded cool...

    "...Hmph...Hahaha...easy for you to say...you probably have no idea what it''s like to be overshadowed by your older sibling in every deed, trait, and quality you possess....since the moment of your birth. Once our parents divorced, my dear father Cardinal of Daybreak, wished to raise Jean instead, because he saw more potential in her than he ever did in me, however, my mother had already picked Jean, so he was forced to put up with raising me..." She sat down in the shade of the tree and crossed her legs.

    "He tried to raise me well, but I wasn''t worth anything. Even though I had a Vision, I could not heal as well as he could, and I was always clumsy. All I could do was devote my entire life to the Anemo Archon while residing in the Church of Favonius, guarding religious relics, and singing in a choir...And I had no other talent at all to speak of. Just useless singing."

    "You''ve had it tougher than I thought." Yomite tried tofort her. He sat down in the shade of the tree next to Barbara and she naturally leaned onto him.

    Barbara then closed her eyes, "It made me wonder if any of my efforts would ever be worth it...or if I would ever be someone significant enough to..." she muttered to herself.

    "...to...make your parents proud?" Yomite finished.

    "To beat my sister in at least one thing." She sighed, looking sad and dejected.

    ''Oh, I see what''s this about. I think I''vepletely understood her now,'' Yomite mused to himself. ''To be better than her sister in at least one thing that mattered...it must have been really painful for her not to find that one thing all this time despite being an adult now.''

    The way she was talking made him worry for her mental health. If she kept this up, she was going to end up in some shady asylum someday.

    "But now, I think I''ve finally found it," Barbara dered with a determined look on her face.

    She looked up at the high branches of the tree, "Now that I''ve met you, I will definitely be able to beat her, or at least surpass her in one important area of life...In love...my experience in love is now much higher than hers...since she never kissed anyone, but I did...and I will do it again..."

    Barbara moved closer to him, and ced a gentle kiss upon his lips. The kiss was soft but filled with passion, and it lingered on for a while before fading away, but she wasn''t done yet.

    She continued kissing him deeper, and he felt her tongue sliding against his own.

    It was like she was trying to tell him that she was ready for more now.

    "...I think we''re getting carried away again," Yomite joked.

    "Heh, say...Yum-Yum...would you..." She whispered, her face turning redder as she spoke.

    Yomite looked at her in confusion for a second, before he suddenly realized.

    Barbara was hinting at something.

    He knew exactly what...

    Suffocating mutual attraction permeated the atmosphere...

    Her feelings were far beyond just simple attraction or admiration now; it had evolved into love and pure lust by this point...

 Chapter 278: No! No! Noooooo!

    ***

    "We...shouldn''t forget that we''re currently in public...right?"

    He pointed out that the two of them, albeit being alone, were still in nature.

    And they could very well be seen by someone if one so much as decided to take a walk down the road and pray near the Symbol of Mondstadt.

    "Aww...I was hoping that...maybe..."

    Barbara pouted, and then proceeded to unfasten the ribbon that hid away her bountiful assets.

    The white ribbon fell to the ground, and Yomite''s eyes were drawn to her breasts.

    Barbara''s bosom waspletely unconfined, and it spilled over the edges of her white frock.

    The view was breathtaking, it had been a while since he''d seen woman''s breasts quite sorge and magnificent right before his eyes, since his lovers were both quite petite.

    They were majestic mountainspared to her rather short body.

    His eyes were still glued to the sight of her chest, and Yomite wondered how he was going to be able to stop himself from taking advantage of her now.

    He was supposed to be the mature one here...

    ''Get a grip.'' he thought to himself, ''I can''t just do her like this...what am I, a sex maniac?''

    But Barbara was far too tempting, and he couldn''t resist her allure after being seduced by her at so many asions.

    With some hesitation, he reached out to grab her breasts with both hands.

    They were as firm and round as he imagined them to be.

    Her pink ares wererger than he expected, and it felt amazing to gently squeeze each nipple between his��

    "��Ahem!"

    The sudden interruption startled both of them, and they quickly looked up into the tree.

    There was someone standing there.

    Barbara covered up her chest with the ribbon and turned red in embarrassment, quickly hiding behind the tree, while Yomite just stared at the person with a frown.

    "I apologize for interrupting, but the noises were too disrupting...Long time no see, I swear I wasn''t hiding in the tree!"

    These cringe-worthy lyrics and rhyming couplets felt far too familiar not to be connected to someone...

    It was Venti, the most feminine man Yomite had ever met.

    Despite being a man, Venti''s voice was sweet and smooth, and every time he spoke, it sounded so girlish that Barbara was almost sure he was a young woman.

    However, he wasn''t...

    Yomite discovered the truth about Venti''s gender the hard way.

    "Oh...it''s just you, Venti," He muttered.

    He was kind of disappointed someone had interrupted them, but at least he stopped him from crossing the line.

    "What''s this? You sound disappointed you met me, yet you jumped around a moment ago, as if you''ve had a flee!"

    "One more rhyme and I''ming up there to p you myself. What the hell is wrong with you? Speak normally, man..."

    Venti giggled, "You can p me all you want. I love it when you get angry like that. It makes me feel like I''m doing something right, ehe!"

    "So...what did youe here for anyway?" Yomite asked him.

    He had always been able to make Yomite mad, and it seemed like he didn''t n on stopping anytime soon.

    "Hmm...Hmm, this is a holy ce and...well...I didn''t want you two to start something here...so I decided to interrupt this little meeting of yours~" heughed, but he himself didn''t expect anyone toe here and disrupt his rest.

    "Yum-Yum...is-isn''t that...?" Barbara stuttered, pointing at Venti.

    Yomite knew what Barbara was referring to immediately.

    "Yes, that''s him."

    Venti''s beauty truly resembled those legends, no matter what the angle, his face was a work of art.

    His long dark blue hair swayed elegantly, and his aqua green eyes resembled the sky and the grass.

    When Barbara saw him, she gasped audibly.

    Usually he was acting like a fool and annoying bard with no dignity, but now, within the crown of the heroic tree, he was dignified and beautiful.

    Venti smiled happily at the girl who had taken an interest in him, "Deaconess Barbara, it''s nice to see you again. I apologize for interrupting you two. Ehe! I''m quite ttered you''ve fallen for my charms on first sight, howeve��"

    "��Ew, yuck! No! That''s gross!" Barbara immediately interrupted him with a disgusted expression on her face.

    She looked like she had just eaten a cockroach, and almost spun away from disgust at the thought.

    ...

    ..

    .

    "..."

    Venti was left speechless.

    "...It was...just a joke, Deaconess Barbara, I was just kidding..." he mumbled, seeming rather depressed by her outburst.

    Even if it was a joke he made, she''d replied without any real humor in her eyes, clearly showing that she actually took what he had said as literal and gave him a straight up cruel answer.

    ''The worst she can say is no, they said...You killed him...Barbara.'' Yomite couldn''t hold back hisughter any longer and he pped a hand over his mouth to stifle it.

    He couldn''t help butugh at Venti''s predicament, ''What the hell was he thinking? Could it be he wanted to tease me and Barbara about what we wanted to do just now, but ended up embarrassing himself instead?''

    "I''m sorry, Venti, that was quite rude of us," Yomite apologized to him, "Still, how is life going? I haven''t seen you in quite a while, I thought you died or something."

    "Hmmm...My heart was stolen by a certain, cold, fairdyte at night, unfortunately, she didn''t have a great sense of humor and ditched me, lying on the streets. But s..." Venti sighed sadly, "...I am no longer the same bard you once knew. I am far weaker than before due to this."

    "Weaker than before? Is that even possible? But damn, I didn''t know even someone like you could have his heart stolen by a woman. It must have been quite good lookingdy." Yomite teased him.

    "Indeed she was...pretty on the outside, ugly on the inside...but that''s enough about me! How is everything with you, Yomite, my friend? Oh, do pardon me...I heard you''re going by ''Yum-Yum'' now. Cute."

    "Lay off, asshole, or else I''ll climb up there."

    "Oooh, scary~" Venti taunted him, "I''m so afraid, Yum-Yum~" He stuck out his tongue at him.

    ''This little femboy bastard...'' Yomite grumbled to himself. Even if he wanted to climb up after him, Venti was way too slippery to get caught.

    "Venti, can you climb down please, I have something I want to tell you." Barbara requested politely.

    She mustered up the guts to address him straight.

    It was time to confront him and ask him the question she had been wanting to ask for so long.

    "Ah, yes. I don''t mind, but please protect me from him, or else he might touch me somewhere inappropriately."

    "Tch...of course I wouldn''t! Damn weirdo..."

    Venti glided down with his wind glider,nding lightly upon the forest grass, "What did you want to ask me, Deaconess Barbara?"

    "Um...forgive Yum-Yum for this, but he revealed me your true identity..."

    "...Did he now?" Venti frowned and nced behind him, where Yomite was standing, a look of disappoinment graced his lovely features.

    He didn''t seem to take it very well.

    "Why would you do such a thing, Yomite? I thought we were friends?"

    "Well...I''m not entirely sure how it slipped out, but you can me Morax for it...Barbara was nearby when we questioned him and well...it happened...?" Yomite exined.

    "I see...alright. I''m not mad. Just disappointed. Thank you for telling me." Venti spoke, after a moment of silence. "I''m indeed Barbatos, The Anemo Archon, so please keep it a secret, Deaconess Barbara...What is it you wish to ask of me?" The yfulness in his voice was long gone, reced with a serious tone.

    "...Ever since worshipping you... I''ve always had this thought...why...just why did you give Vision to someone like me? Someone who cannot utilize it properly. Why did you choose me among other people in the world..." Barbara asked him.

    This was something Barbara has long desired to understand. Why was she granted the ability to utilize Vision and heal others?

    When she was so untalented with the elements?

    "..."

    Venti didn''t answer immediately, instead, he looked up at the sky, as if waiting for something.

    When that something didn''t appear, he lowered his gaze again to her.

    "Deaconess Barbara. I''m afraid you misunderstood."

    His eyes were filled with sadness.

    "Huh...? What do you mean?"

    "Archons aren''t the one''s giving away..." He stopped himself there and sighed deeply, "When one''s fervent ambition burns brightly, the gods will cast their gaze upon you, and grant you a Vision...Deaconess Barbara, the key is people''s desire and another aspect which I''m not allowed to mention. Know this, it wasn''t me who gave it to you."

    "What!?...I-I-I can''t ept that answer! Are you saying that... I''ve been worshipping you all this time for naught...the whole reason...the whole reason I was happy to pray to you...was to thank you for granting me a Vision...and giving me a chance to somewhatpete with my sister..."

    Barbara said tearfully, feeling that she was betrayed by something she should have never trusted. Just how many more setbacks would she have to endure in her life?

    Venti sighed once again and nodded sadly.

    "I''m sorry, Deaconess Barbara...this is the truth."

    "That can''t be...no way..."

    Yomite watched the conversation between them.

    He pulled out the Anemo Vision from his bag and showed it to Venti, "How about this? I got this recently when I was in Liyue. It''s an Anemo Vision, so you''re telling me you weren''t the one who gave it to me? I thought you were the Anemo god, right?"

    The moment Venti saw the Vision, he gasped quietly, "You...why do you have this...this shouldn''t be possible...it''s impossible...!"

    Yomite took a step back by the sudden wind pressure Venti emitted, and looked up at him.

    "...You...!" Venti widened his eyes in disbelief, "H-How did you be a Genshin? An outsider from a world beyond...how did you be an allogene...!? Answer me!"

    His voice became louder and louder, as he pointed at Yomite.

    "Why are you getting so mad...? I don''t know how it appeared, but I assume it was when I heard your voice in my head..." Yomite replied calmly, and then added, "So that wasn''t you?"

    Venti shook his head and closed his eyes.

    A sense of dread washed over his body.

    He was very well aware Yomite wasn''t the type who could uphold a lie, so he knew he was speaking the truth...

    "You were...deceived...it''s toote now. The whole reason I entrusted Dvalin to you in a form of a contract, was because you didn''t posses a Vision...and yet...you have one now...how...how could this have happened!? Please...throw it away. Do something!"

    Venti pleaded.

    "Throw it away? You''re asking me to throw away something that could be beneficial to me in the long run once I master it and gain more strength? With more strength I can protect Iris better, no?"

    Venti didn''t reply immediately, and instead, stood still with his head hung low.

    "It''s dangerous...You cannot destroy a Vision. The only way to get rid of it is when you wish for it to disappear. So please, bury it somewhere and never think about it ever again."

    "Nah, I''m keeping it. I don''t see a need to throw away something so valuable."

    Upon hearing that, Venti''s face turned pale, and he grabbed onto Yomite''s arm.

    "W-Wait...what are you doing?" Yomite tried to pull his arm away, but Venti was much stronger than expected.

    "Oi!? What are you doing��!?"

    They both somehow fell to the ground, rolling around until Yomite managed to push Venti off.

    "Yomite...please listen to me...!" Venti''s desperation had now escted, "Please understand...Vision is too dangerous! I don''t want my friend Dvalin to be around danger! You included!"

    "Danger? I''m fine with that. I''m an adventurer after all, and I''m not afraid like you. I am sure Iris would agree with me."

    Yomite answered coolly, making Venti scoff in anger.

    "Stop it! Don''t be stupid now and listen to me��!"

    "��I''ll be alright, my friend, Barbatos."

    Venti stopped shouting for a second when someone interrupted them.

    A figure of a tall woman with horns emerged from the forest.

    "Dvalin..." Venti breathed out weakly, "You''re here...?"

    "Iris? How did you find us?" Yomite asked, surprised that she appeared out of nowhere. Could she even teleport now?

    "...Whenever Master says my name, I''m be able to tell your location. I hurried over because you mentioned it shortly twice in a row, so I assumed you were in danger and needed my help." Iris exined.

    ''Does that mean she has like a GPS installed somewhere? Maybe it''s moreparable to Voldemort name trace?''

    Yomite thought to himself, that his Dragon girl was way too overpowered...

    "Iris...what are you doing here?" Barbara was also shocked to see Iris.

    The whole situation was just so bizarre she didn''t know what to do and just stood there, watching it unfold.

    ''Yum-Yum is fistfighting with an Anemo Archon, Barbatos...how amazing. As expected of him!''

    If someone from Earth had witnessed this and tried to make aparison, they might as well have stated Yomite was battling Jesus Christ...

    "Barbatos, I am touched by your sincerity and concern for me, but I will be okay. Ever since bing humanoid, my life was so much better than ever, and if there was a threat capable of harming this lifestyle, I''ll crush it."

    "....."

    "Please rest. I''m sure you''re hurting right now, for going against your ideals of freedom and forcing my master to give up the Vision..." Iris smiled gently at him.

    "...You''re right. I should have considered your feelings. I was selfish." Venti apologized sincerely with a sigh, "It''s your decision...after all...I was powerless to stop it yet again..."

    "...Man...I was surprised that even you can get angry...youpletely caught me off guard there." Yomite spoke, "But my point still stands. If Visions are a ploy from gods, then we just need to use their gifts and kill them."

    Silence followed for several seconds and Venti broke it.

    "Very well, if that''s what you''ve decided on, then do so. However, please spare the other Archons."

    "As expected of Yum-Yum! Killing gods! How exciting!" Barbara eximed joyfully.

    "Barbara...is this really the best thing to say right now?" Yomite asked, worried for her.

    "Yes!" She responded without hesitation, "It''s so cool! I want to help Yum-Yum! I need to get stronger..."

    "I actually nned to train with Lisa again, so if you want to, you can tag along..." Yomite offered, and Barbara''s eyes lit up.

    "...Of course! I''d love to!"

    "Good."

    Venti turned to Yomite and spoke, "I want to apologize to you for everything that happened just now. Please ept this as my apology..."

    He stepped closer to him and hugged his arm tightly.

    The move was weirdly intimate for the two men, and Yomite didn''t like where this was going.

    Venti gave him a shy smile before standing on his tiptoes and giving Yomite a quick peck on the cheek, which made him freeze instantly.

    "No...no, no, no, no! We''re not going this route! There shouldn''t be any gs raised here! Don''t even try something like this! I''m not attracted to men!" He shouted, but it was already toote.

    "Ahaha...ahaha..." Ventiughed.

    "What are youughing about?! This isn''t funny! This was just weird!"

    "Weird? Why so? Don''t friends kiss each other on the cheek when they greet each other or want to apologize? I''m sorry, I must have been mistaken then. That was all a mistake~" Venti replied with a big grin.

    "No one kisses their guy friend on the cheek! And if they do, they don''t walk up to them like this and hug their arm! Let go of my arm, you pervert!"

    Yomite tried to pull his arm free, but Venti held on tight.

    "I saw it in Master Diluc''s tavern, that men kissed each other on the cheek sometimes. It''s a custom of Teyvat to do so~"

    "That''s the biggest lie I''ve heard! You little perverted Archon brat!" Yomite shouted, trying to push Venti off, but he wouldn''t budge.

    Yomite was far stronger than Venti when it came to pure strength, but for some reason, Venti was able to hold onto him for longer than expected.

    "Hey, stop it...! Let me go...let me go...!"

    "Why? I just want to hug my friend!"

    "Let me go, damn it! I''m not gay!"

    "Anything goes in Mondstadt~" Venti teased. "One way, or another."

    Barbara and Iris gazed at them with a fervor in their eyes.

    It seemed that they had be fans of Venti''s and Yomite''s rtionship and wanted to see them progress it...

    "This is a first for me...I''ve never seen two boys like this before...So this is it...boys love...how wonderful. Noelle mention it to me before...but to think it would be this exciting seeing it right before my eyes...A beautiful feminine god and a tall handsome giant. They''re sooo~ cute together...!" Barbara eximed.

    Iris nodded, she didn''t know what she was currently feeling but she couldn''t deny the urge to watch and see what would unfold next...

    "Good luck, Master!"

    "Help me damn it! He is using Anemo power to stick close to me! What am I supposed to do!? Kill him!?"

    Yomite shouted in frustration, while Venti giggled cheerfully.

    "Ehe~ I am so d to have met Yomite. My life would be so much harder if it weren''t for him! What do you say, I am far prettier than any girl, would you take me in as well? I''ve heard you''re building a harem. I can be very useful."

    "I''m not building anything...and I believe I already told you, I am not into guys! I''m only interested in women!"

    "I see, so you are not into men...Then, you won''t mind if I was a girl, right? I''ll be a woman for you!"

    Yomite rolled his eyes, "Stop joking around! I would reject you either way, please leave already!"

    Venti showed a big grin.

    "I''m not joking around at the moment! I''m serious. I''ll be a girl for you, Yomite. For everything you''ve done for me. You deserve it. I highly value you and I could imagine myself spending time with you."

    "No way in hell! Absolutely not! You''re crazy! It would be too weird! Why are both of the Archons such weirdoes!? I don''t want to meet the other Archons if this is what I have to deal with constantly!"

    "...But...you like girls...Then you won''t mind if I became one, right? This body doesn''t have a fixed gender, I can change it at will. I am a wind spirit, and thus my body isprised entirely of Anemo energy, I can change the shape at will. I can transform into anyone and anything you want."

    "..."

    ...

    ..

    .

    ''He could transform into anyone I want...anyone I want...that does sound...tempting�� NO! Do not fall for it!'' Yomite''s mind screamed.

    He heard way too many weird things today and he could no longer operate normally.

    He almost considered epting...

    "...Even this form I am currently taking is modeled after a good friend, who perished to make Mondstadt a better ce..." Venti said softly, "Me, willing to change it for you, should tell you how serious I am."

    "...I don''t know what to say..." Yomite replied, "I just don''t understand what you''re thinking...Just keep this appearance...don''t change anything and stay...my friend..."

    ...

    ..

    .

    "Alright, if that''s what you want. Don''t worry. I will always be by your side."

    Those words made Yomite feel relieved.

    Not because he was happy Venti had his back, but because he was relieved that he wouldn''t try any weird stuff anymore...

    Despite that, for some reason, Barbara seemed to be pouting.

    She went over and hugged Yomite''s other arm and red daggers at Barbatos.

    Her well endowed breasts pressed against his broad chest.

    The two were engaged in a devious, indiscreet little hug which somehow felt right.

    "I would say that''s enough, Lord Barbatos..."

    Seeing them be intimate, Venti felt a bit ufortable and finally let Yomite''s arm go.

    "H-Haha, yeah yeah. I apologize...Well...you guys enjoy yourselves. I am d to have seen you all again...I...I have to go now...Oh, and before I forget, Deaconess Barbara do not worry, I haven''t seen anything of you back then. I only saw Yomite''s eyes pop out of their sockets when you showed him ''that''! See ya allter! Goodbye, Dvalin!" He waved to say goodbye and took his leave.

    "Whose eyes popped out of their socket...little bastard...He finally left...say, what''s up with you all of a sudden?"

    "Well...I may have gotten slightly jealous that you spent more time with Lord Barbatos on MY date, than you did with me! This date was supposed to be about me! I guess I forgot myself and let it show! I apologize."

    "Fair enough...I''ll make it up to you on some other date then," Yomite replied, smiling faintly.

    Barbara squeezed his arm a little tighter and leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

    "Maybe...tonight...?"

    "...Yeah, tonight...we will have a good dinner."

    "Huh...?" Barbara asked, "What do you mean...? That''s not what I..."

    "Let''s wait until you''re 18 years old. Hawk."

    "Nooo! Why was I rejected when everything went so smoothly before!? How can I wait a whole year! That''s too much! Yum-Yum don''t run away! Say something!"

    And so, Yomite and Barbara had their first date as a new couple, and all three of them returned to the mansion.

    Yet even now, Yomite was still wondering why Venti acted as he did earlier.

    He didn''t quite understand the reasoning behind today''s actions, but he had one thing he knew for sure:

    Something wasn''t right about Venti.

    Visions...Iris and Venti''s fear...

    ''Was he perhaps so afraid about something happening to Iris, that he wished to be my woman so he could keep her safe and live with us in the mansion...? Nah, that''s too deep...Probably thinking way too deep into it...but there had to have been some sort of reason behind his actions...what was it...'' he thought to himself, and he couldn''t get rid of the feeling that something was amiss.

 Chapter 279: Chess

    ***

    "Yum-Yum...I can''t wait a whole year...You know how I feel..." Barbara glued herself to him, pecking his cheek like a bird at a feeder full of seeds.

    ''Damn! Her cuteness is off the charts!'' thought Yomite. ''If this keeps up, she''s going to eat me alive with her love. It''s gonna be tough to resist.''

    Iris who was walking alongside them noticed their exchange, "Master, I think you should just give in. I''m starting to understand what love is now, and it feels good, so why not ept it?"

    "That''s for sure." Barbara agreed. "Great going, Iris! Keep it up!" She added excitedly.

    With the support of other girls, she was bound to convince Yomite eventually. It was only a matter of time!

    The three continued walking together until they reached the mansion. Barbara spent all of that time walking by gazing at Yomite''s body from every angle.

    Yomite''s shirt was his crowning glory; sable, thick and ck and soft as sin. The material was thin enough to still show his muscles underneath while still being warm andfortable. A perfect fit for someone like him.

    Barbara nced up at his chest and remarked, "Your pectorals are huge...If you''re going to wear clothes that tight, you might as well not wear any. Do you mind if I take a peek under there? Just once or twice."

    "You want to see my chest?" He asked, surprised.

    She nodded, smiling sweetly. "Yes, please."

    Heughed out loud, "Well...Okay then...the request is a bit weird but it''s not like I mind..." And took off his shirt, revealing his muscr chest.

    The body goddess Sia made for him was magnificent, yes, however, he had also put a lot of effort into training himself and working out to stay in shape and gain more power, so it wasn''t just her doing.

    Barbara reached forward, running her fingers along his abs, "I''m so d I get to finally see it again...I''ve been wanting to touch it ever since I examined you at the church..."

    He didn''t object to her hands on his body, but he did say, "Your hands are pretty cold though."

    She giggled, "Well, you refuse to hold them, so I had to improvise to warm them up..."

    "Whatever works," he replied, amused by her antics.

    Barbara winked at him and slid her palms lower, grazing over his waist and sliding down to his hips.

    "That''s enough." He warned, pulling away from her.

    She pouted, "But I was having fun!"

    "I believe I told you earlier that we will wait for that until you''re 18." He reminded her. "Besides, Iris is right beside us, don''t corrupt her pure mind..."

    Iris looked at his chest curiously when Barbara pulled away, "Master, may I touch your chest as well?"

    "Ehm...well, go ahead...?"

    The girl got closer and lightly caressed the soft, yet firm skin, her fingertips traveling over his chest and stopping at his belly button where she rubbed gently, looking up at him.

    "It feels very nice to have Master''s skin against mine. It makes me feel warm all over." She whispered.

    "I agree," Barbara added. "There''s something special about touching like this. It''s very romantic."

    Yomite looked at both girls in turn, feeling a bit overwhelmed by their affections.

    He put his shirt back on, leaving only his jacket open.

    He had the urge to pat Iris'' head as she seemed way too adorable, so he did, patting her head softly, "You''re cute, Iris. Stay innocent."

    Iris leaned into his hand like a puppy, "What is this, Master? This wonderful feeling...I feel it yet again...Mm..."

    "Eh...Affection, I guess?"

    "Terrifying...do it again..."

    "..."

    Therefore, after another five or so minutes of caressing her head and Barbara''s head as well since she got jealous, he determined that it was time to go.

    "Okay, let''s head inside now."

    They entered the mansion through the front door into the living room.

    Despite fighting earlier today, Fischl and Hu Tao nowy on the couch, sleeping soundly.

    "Iris, would you mind going into my room? I want to talk to you about something important." Barbara asked.

    Iris nodded, "I''ll be there."

    The two of them headed upstairs, leaving Yomite alone downstairs.

    "Now, what should I do?" He wondered, thinking deeply.

    His eyesnded on the pair of sleeping best friends; they were cuddling and holding each other.

    They must have been still tired after the hard night.

    ''What a lovely sight,'' he thought, ''I just feel like joining them, but I don''t want to wake them up.''

    He gave the two of them kisses on their foreheads, "Rest, you guys."

    Wth that, he went to the kitchen to see whether any food was left, but it seemed that the dove soup was long gone.

    "I wonder where Lumine and Paimon are," he mumbled.

    He went upstairs and knocked on Lumine''s door.

    "Yeah?" Came the response.

    "Hey, could Ie in?"

    Lumine spoke immediately, "Sure thing."

    Yomite walked in and saw the two of them ying chess.

    "Is something wrong?" Lumine asked, seeing his face.

    "Nah, I was just surprised...I see you are ying chess again. I used to y it back in highschool a lot, even entered a few tournaments."

    "A highschool?" Lumine questioned, confused.

    "Ah yeah, my bad...Highschool is essentially a school. Back in my world, we had multiple types of schools for different ages."

    "Ah, that''s interesting...Paimon and I had decided to y again. Unfortunately, I wasn''t yet able to win a single game...but this time, I am feeling confident! The game is looking great!"

    Yomite looked over the board, only half paying attention, a few seconds had passed and he could already deduce a few things.

    Lumine wasn''t a bad yer, but Paimon was much, much stronger. The duo of girls yed together dozens of times before, and Lumine had never won, yet she kepting back, always ready for another chance.

    Paimon was only a few moves away from finishing the game, but he didn''t think Lumine recognized this. Across from him, Paimon focused intensely, her stare boring holes in the wooden board. When Paimon smiled, Yomite knew the game was over for good and that Lumine lost.

    Just as Yomite had expected, Paimon moved one of the pawns, setting up a trap one moveter. From a certain perspective, the stratagem would have been a good one, but Luminecked the foresight to see the result of her move. Blinded by the prospect of short-term gain of a few poins, she missed the threat looming on the horizon.

    Paimon pretended to think over her next move while her opponent spoke.

    "It was a good game, Paimon. I finally won."

    Paimon looked up and smiled. "Paimon thinks that Paimon still has a chance!"

    Paimon sacrificed her queen, one of her strongest pieces, to set up an endgame she wanted. Lumine took the bait without question, a queen was a valuable piece, and a few movester, the game was over.

    Lumine showed a sad smile about her loss. "I lost again...Paimon is so strong while ying chess...too bad she can''t y any card games because her hands are too small��"

    "��Hey! Don''t be mean!!" Paimon squealed, cutting her off mid sentence, looking pouty. But Yomite could tell Paimon wasn''t really upset.

    He came up to Paimon and brought her up to his embrace, pulling her into a tight hug. He kissed the top of her head, whispering into her ear.

    "There, there...Paimon is so smart and amazing."

    "Y-Yeah..." She was certainly pleased at thepliment and by the affection she received.

    Paimon''s ability to read people was iparable. Yomite found her sharp eyes and astute decision-making frightening sometimes, but also cute whenbined with her silly antics.

    "Paimon did her best indeed! Everyone has different weaknesses. It''s simply a matter of being able to find and exploit them..."

    That was actually a fairly urate statement, despite how chilling it soundeding from her.

    Lumine looked baffled by her words. "Could you tell me? What''s my weakness?"

    "Um...that is..."

    Paimon paused, as though considering.

    Meanwhile, Yomite let Paimon sit on hisp and yed with her hands, slowly moving them to teasingly pinch at her soft tummy.

    She let out a soft squeal and giggled when he tickled the sides of her waist.

    Yomite loved her like that. She''d never done anything that wouldn''t make her cute. Her affection was just so pure and wholesome, like that of a child.

    If he ever had a child in the future, he wanted the moments with it to be as wholesome as with Paimon.

    "Stop! Paimon can''t give traveler an answer like this!"

    She let out augh and started tapping her feet on the ground.

    Yomite wrapped Paimon up in a bear hug. "Paimon likes it when we''re all nice and cozy, doesn''t she? Let''s cuddle now!"

    Paimon''s eyes widened.

    "Y-yeah..."

    Her face brightened considerably and she leaned against Yomite''s chest, hugging him back. As she snuggled in close to his warmth, they both let out soft coos of happiness.

    "So cute! Aaah! This is the life! Paimon is love, Paimon is life!"

    Yomite hugged Paimon even tighter, enjoying every second of it.

    "T-That''s too much! Too much hugging and patting!"

    In response, Paimon sent a series of attacks towards Yomite''s hair, but they didn''t hurt one bit and only ssified as pats to him.

    "Anyway...Th-the weakness...huh, ye-yeah, the weakness��!" Paimon was unable to form coherent words, blushing, as she finally put words to her emotions, squirming in Yomite''s arms.. "W-Well, um...Paimon thinks that you know what you are doing, and you are strong, but you have tendency to focus too much on acquiring as many pieces as possible."

    Lumine raised her beautiful eyebrows, thinking she would also love to be hugged like that, "But the yer who has the most points has the highest chance to win the game. Basic strategy."

    "Yes, but focusing on the individual pieces that might hold small value, you ignore potential threats of hidden pieces that might end the game in a few exchanges..."

    Lumine nodded in understanding. "Paimon is very knowledgeable. I wonder if there are other beings like Paimon, maybe we can collect more of them and be unstoppable."

    "...Hey! There is only one Paimon! Hmph!" Paimonined and Yomiteforted her by stroking her head gently.

 Chapter 280: The Taste Of Defeat

    ***

    Hu Tao smiled widely, "Uwaaah...I lost again...My future husband is very smart when he feels like it!"

    "...You lost in five moves...Hu Tao..." Yomite dryly replied. She was absolute trash at chess...

    After Yomite watched Paimon and Lumine y a few more times, Hu Tao woke up and wandered around the house until she eventually found them.

    She proimed herself to be the master chess yer and wanted to take revenge for the "doggie" thing, so she went ahead and challenged Yomite, but not only did she lose, she also lost in just few moves!

    How embarrassing was that?

    "I''m gonna go outside to stretch a little, who wants to go with me?" Yomite asked.

    "I am a bit angry with you, my Assistant, I will abstain." Hu Tao pouted.

    She used to y chess with herself and a few ghosts, yet it seemed that all of her experience was for naught.

    "Paimon wants to go with you! How about we go and buy some sweets!"

    "I will also go with you, Party leader."

    "Alright, let''s go then."

    He didn''t go and ask the rest of the girls since Fischl was still asleep, and Barbara and Iris were still talking in her room

    Once they got outside, somehow, they began talking about his old world.

    "Paimon didn''t think you were so smart, Good Tattoo! Chess takes a lot of effort to master!"

    "Does it? I yed chess ever since I was little. It doesn''t seem hard to me. I can visualize it pretty well."

    He was from Japan, meaning he had to either undergo Violin, chess or piano sses as a beginner package when he was a child, or else his free trial of living would end.

    "Woah! Visualize it? Does that mean you''ve yed mental chess before?"

    "Ah, actually, yeah. I yed it a few times."

    "Paimon wants to y with you then!"

    "Well...sure I guess. What game? Rapid, blitz, bullet, king of the hill or ssical? Or does this world have some other variations I am ignorant about?"

    "Eh!? Eeeh wait! Paimon didn''t know there were more variations of chess!?"

    "Ah, Paimon is so dumb sometimes, alright. We will go with ssical then."

    "Hey! Just because Paimon hasn''t heard of those terms before, doesn''t mean Paimon''s dumb! "

    "Just because you call me Bad Tattoo doesn''t mean I need to fulfill your made-up expectations about me."

    ...

    ..

    .

    "...Paimon is silent."

    She murmured under her breath.

    "No, you''re clearly still talking though? Let''s move on....Which side do you want? "

    "Oh! The white one!"

    "Alright, that leaves me the ck side��...if we were in my world, people would for surein about this one on some social medias..."

    "Eh?"

    "It''s nothing. Well, you begin." Yomite walked forward with Paimon flying next to his head and became mitten in the magic dust around them, emitted from her cape.

    "Paimon chooses...Pawn E4!"

    "Pawn E5." A swift response came from him, matching her.

    In game theory, pawns were seen as little bugs, due to their speed at moving while upying multiple tiles and most often being subjected to attacks by pieces already established on the board and sacrificed for the greater good.

    The chess theory went by two ways; quantitative theory, where game was quantitatively measured, and strategic theory, which concentrated on the pieces themselves instead. Both were useful but thetter seemed to be more urate.

    After a few moves each, they had found themselves pretty much standing back to back, exchanging blows to see who could knock off their opponent''s piece first.

    Lumine was observing the two of them from behind, as Paimon and Yomite were battling it out inside of their minds.

    Well, she had never seen anyone y a mental chess before, but she assumed from the name that the battle of wits would take ce inside of their mind instead of a wooden board...

    It was certainly interesting.

    She wasn''t entirely sure what kind of worlds these "fighters" were living in.

    Or did they simply exist inside the intricacies of their own thoughts?

    Were they actually so intelligent that they could y a chess game without a chessboard and set pieces on specific positions, and remember it all? Or were they just that good at creating an illusion to fool her? Maybe it was just an borate prank they conspired together?

    This got into a new realm altogether, and her perception skills weren''t nearly enough toprehend it.

    When Lumine yed with Paimon, she could barely concentrate on the game when it was right in front of her, much less the entire board with positions and pieces not existing...

    How was it even possible to y like this?

    Things got intense after the battle for queen began. They stood toe to toe, each trying to knock off the other''s pieces.

    Soon it came down to the fact that they were either advancing, defending or ying bait, distracting each other. With neither able to gain an advantage or safe position yet, it started to get tedious.

    Yomite smirked at the Fairy who continually kicked the air in front of her out of frustration.

    "Paimon is getting annoyed now!"

    "Less talking, more concentrating. Or else you might forget the position of all pieces and lose instantly."

    "You don''t know Paimon very well! Paimon is smart and never forgets!" The little fairy snapped back, still pouting, "Paimon hasn''t lost a match ever since Paimon became Paimon! Just because you have a few tricks, doesn''t mean Paimon has no counter-tricks! "

    The fairy seemed to be rambling on about herself while looking smugly satisfied at sweet victory she would soon taste. It seemed that her attitude changed in the face of someone strong.

    This wasn''t like ying against Lumine, where her tactics were the same every time.

    Yomite was showing some unpredictability in his strategies which allowed Paimon a small glimpse into the unknown, as if she were making sense of a puzzle piece for a brief moment before it fell into ce and turned out being somethingpletely different than what it initially appeared as...

    Paimon held her head and muttered to herself after Yomite made a move to knock off her knight.

    "Oh...Paimon missed that...?"

    She was beginning to realize that Yomite''s intelligence wasn''t quite as simple. He was predicting her next moves.

    He seemed to be great at reading the situation ahead of time and acting ordingly.

    Once Paimon lost her knight, her rook soon followed and her defense fell apartpletely.

    He continued knocking off more pieces until she had nothing but the king piece left.

    "Checkmate."

    Paimon smiled, not so much triumphant but happy nheless, seeing how easily she had been beaten.

    "Paimon''s head is overheating...Paimon will go and take a quick rest!" She smiled once more, and disappeared into the air as she usually did when bored or exhausted.

    At times like these, Yomite didn''t know whether she teleported away somewhere or just turned invisible and rested mid-air. This mysterious little fairy was full of tricks none of them couldprehend.

    "You did it! You avenged me." Lumine came to stand right in front of him with an expression of joy.

    "Of course."

 Chapter 281: A Teapot Party!

    ***

    A few hourster after Paimon had disappeared due to her loss in chess.

    Yomite gathered all of the girls to tell them about the teapot he received from the old granny and Morax.

    He exined that this was a symbol of her gratitude for his "kindness", which meant she wanted him to use it to his full advantage.

    "Here are the special tokens you need in order to enter the teapot. I''m only giving it to you because I trust you all the most."

    "Enter a...teapot? Yum-Yum I''m afraid I don''t understand." Barbara said, looking slightly confused.

    She felt embarrassed because everyone else seemed to have understood perfectly well what Yomite was talking about, while she didn''t know at all.

    "Yeah, Assistant, I''m also a bit confused." Eventually more and hands were raised so he was forced to give a better exnation.

    "Alright, so...think of it as some sort of secret door into another world," Yomite replied.

    "In order to enter that location, you need these tokens I''m currently holding in my hands. The ce is great, trust me. Once I develop it a bit, it''s bound to look even better."

    "Oh! Could this be the primordial residence named Der Immernachtreich? Thou must take us there posthaste! We shall enjoy ourselves immensely!" Fischl urged.

    She was sure that Yomite nned on building his kingdom over there. And no doubt, she''d help him by ruling their empire together once they got settled.

    Her own Immernachtreich was just within reach, but it was definitely not enough for her. She had dreamed of conquering other worlds and expanding her dominion.

    This world was just the start; there were far more wondrous ces waiting out there for them!

    As Yomite handed each and every one of them a token, he looked around, yet the floating fairy was still missing.

    He nned to also give her a token, yet she wasn''t present...

    There wasn''t anything wrong with that, since she could do whatever she wanted to do, however, since there was no way of entering the teapot without the token, and if all of them disappeared at once, Paimon might be confused where they went off to once she was back, and might think they abandoned her...

    "Lumine, have you seen Paimon anywhere?"

    "No, I haven''t seen her ever since the chess game you two yed. Maybe she ran away after being bullied...?"

    "Oi... don''t say it like that...we just yed one chess game...you''re making it out to be as if I beat her up or something..." Yomite objected.

    He put the teapot on the ground and soon, the teapot started levitating in front of everyone''s eyes. "Alright, now that everyone has their own token, hold it in your hands and think about wanting to enter the teapot."

    Everyone followed his instructions and they ended up holding their respective tokens in their hands. They then closed their eyes tightly, trying hard to imagine a door opening right before them.

    The smoke from within the teapot enveloped them and once they opened their eyes again, they noticed their surroundings had turned into a bright scenery with a yellow-brown horizon.

    There was nothing else but an endless stretch of t greennd for miles and miles, and rivers that also seemed to stretch forever.

    "Wee back! Mr. Yomite. It''s been some time!" The voice sounded cheerful, and it was definitely female...it belonged to therge finch bird who served as a maid to this ce.

    "Oh, I see. You''ve brought some guests! Wee to our humble abode!" she eximed happily. "I''m called Tubby, and I''m the teapot spirit!"

    Tubby appeared to be very happy to wee them all, so much so she even seemed rather giggly.

    "Woah! A Teapot spirit! We can afford something like that? Don''t you know how valuable they are, Assistant?" Hu Tao immediately proceeded to pet the Finch on it''s fluffy head while giggling like a child at her reaction.

    It felt almost like she''d touched cotton candy for the first time, she couldn''t stop herself from rubbing her fingers on it... "She really is cute! Just look at her face! She looks just like one of those ''dolly'' characters in the books! Can we keep her?"

    "What...how adorable...is this your pet, Yum-Yum?" Barbara asked while staring at the bird with wonder. She couldn''t believe there was such a thing.

    "Woah! That''s amazing! So cute!" Fischl cried out.

    Her words were not too different than those of Barbara or Hu Tao, yet after realizing she blew her usual demeanor out of proportion by jumping up and down in excitement, she tried her best to act normal and y it cool once more.

    *Cough* "Cough"

    "It ist as thou had said. This ought to be our first servant of doom, before wepletely rebuild Der Immernachtreich! And thy title shall be ''The Spirit Knight!" Fischl dered proudly as if she''d found the perfect title for the Finch Bird.

    She then started acting as if she owned the world and began rambling about how they needed a loyal royal guard here that would serve them faithfully until their eventual perpetual death.

    Lumine also went ahead and pet Tubby like a dog, and so did Iris who seemed to feel a certain particr emotion towards Tubby.

    Hunger...

    Her saliva nds seemed to have been awakened, perhaps because of her overwhelming desire to eat the Finch in front of her eyes. Her mouth even moved unconsciously, wanting to taste it.

    It felt kind of embarrassing for her though, so she closed her lips tightly without biting into it. "You''re...quite an interesting creature..."

    "Woah, Mr. Yomite! All of your friends are so nice! You must be very blessed!"

    "That''s right. Please treat them well like you''d do me. There''ll probably be lots of fun times ahead." Yomite replied.

    After the introductions were over, the girls ran all around and scouted the surrounding area. They took in the sights that the scenery offered.

    Hu Tao and Fischl took of their shoes and socks and chased each other through the river, sshing and ying in the water.

    Iris kept asking Tubby questions whether she was edible or whether there were more of her kind, but it didn''t seem she got any response back.

    Lumine brought out her fishing rod with its hook-shaped lure on it from her inventory. She cast the line into the water and began waiting for something to bite.

    Yomite soon joined her, but didn''t have a fishing rod, so Lumine handed him her spare one instead, while giggling happily to herself at the thought of them being married after her journey was over.

    She taught him how to fish using her own tricks and tips. It seemed she enjoyed teaching people new things quite often.

    Paimon still wasn''t anywhere to be seen...

    Lumine used this chance and leaned her head on Yomite''s shoulder as they sat down beside each other in the grassy field by the river bank, waiting for fish to bite.

    The scenery looked so peaceful it almost felt like heaven itself; it could make anyone fall in love instantly and Lumine had fallen for itpletely.

    This ce really was perfect, wasn''t it? She always dreamed of growing old with her future loved one, basking under the sun with nothing else than tranquil nature all around them.

    The sound of flowing water surrounded them while the smell of fresh air filled their lungs. And just sitting here with him made everything feel just right.

    "I love you so much." Her words slipped out naturally without even realizing it herself.

    "Lumine," he answered, smiling warmly next to her ear. "You don''t need to say it so often, your confession early into the morning is still fresh in my memory. I''ll never forget it." He suddenly hugged her tight, before settling his head on her soft thighs.

    The moment his short hair brushed against her skin, Lumine let out an enticing "Mn~", but soon proceeded to stroke his head tenderly and run her fingers through his dark locks.

    Pulling on his bangs and poking her finger into his cheeks, Lumine happily yed with Yomite''s head.

    Knowing that it was an expression of her affection, he didn''t feel the slightest urge to push her fingers away.

    "Are you tired? You must be..."

    She gently stroked his hair away from his eyes and smiled at the sight of him resting like this.

    Yomite didn''t say anything back and simply took hold of Lumine''s hand and kissed her palm softly.

    She then held him close in a loving embrace.

    It seemed like they were both lost in their own world where there wasn''t a single thing bothering them anymore...where they would live peacefully together forever.

    Lumine leaned downwards towards Yomite''s lips, pecking lightly as if afraid to mess up what she''d started.

    Yomite wrapped his arms around Lumine as she got closer, forcefully kissing her as if to make sure she wouldn''t escape once again.

    "Wah-Wait! Yomite! I caught a fish! A fish! Wai-!?"

    Lumine tried to break free from Yomite''s kiss for just one second to pull the fish up, but before she could, he grabbed the fishing rod out of her hands and threw it aside.

    "No fish will be interrupting us." He chuckled while leaning forward with the utmost care and passion, deepening their kiss even more intensely.

    "Can I join you two?" A sweet voice interrupted their lovey dovey moment when Barbara appeared beside them, sitting on the other side of Yomite.

    "Sure." Lumine replied calmly even though their beautiful moment was interrupted by her.

    Still, Lumine owed everything to Barbara, as she was the person who essentially made her confess her feelings to Yomite in the first ce. She couldn''t deny that fact nor could she tell her not toe over.

    And so, Barbara joined in.

    She noticed that his head was already being caressed, so she decided to take advantage of this rare opportunity herself, and began massaging his neck and shoulders, her slender fingers stroked his smooth skin lovingly.

    "You sure are amazing, both of you," he muttered from within their embrace.

    He took hold of Barbara''s long pigtails and pressed them against his lips as a show of affection. This gesture only encouraged her further as she continued to massage him all over the ce.

    Meanwhile, Hu Tao and Fischl were still ying in the river, sshing each other yfully like children, until Hu Tao slipped and brought Fischl down with her into the water; they werepletely soaked up afterwards, yet they didn''t mind at all since they were having such fun together.

    As theyy on top of each other inside the river, Hu Tao suddenly spoke up: "I have something I need to say..."

    Fischl''s ears perked up upon hearing those words. What could she possibly want to talk about?

    "Tonight, I n on going to Assistant''s room...would youe with me?" She asked softly.

    "What for? To help out with something? Does he want help cleaning his room again? This Prinzessin thought Noelle''s cleaning was superb!" Fischl asked back curiously.

    Hu Tao grinned and whispered something in her ear.

    Instantly, Fischl''s face turned red when she heard what her best friend had in mind for tonight.

    "H-How depraved! This Prinzessin shan''t go! That''d be too shameful!"

    ...

    ..

    .

    And so, several peaceful hours had passed, and it was now night.

    Everyone said goodbye to Tubby and promised to return soon.

    A whole day had passed in the blink of an eye and Yomite fell into his bed after showering, utterly exhausted.

    However, sleep eluded him and he tossed and turned through the sheets as he tried to find his way towards slumber.

    Soon, he felt like he could hear voices whispering in the hallway outside of his door. He stopped moving for a moment while listening closely but could not make anything out.

    The door to his room then opened without any prior notice and Fischl with Hu Tao walked in.

    He sat up on his bed to get a better look at his intruders and realized that both girls were only wearing a towel around their bodies; their hair wet and their skin flushed pink from the heat of the bath.

    The small towel did its hardest to keep them covered from head to toe, which made them alluring enough to cause one''s heart to stop beating right there.

    They walked into Yomite''s room and sat on his bed, smiling mischievously while making themselvesfortable on either side of him. It seemed they nned on having some fun with him tonight.

    Yomite was tired and wished to sleep a bit, but now it was evident he wouldn''t have that luxury for much longer.

    The whole night was about to be spent in entertainment and excitement by two beautiful women...

    *****************************

    (Insert Fischl/Hu Tao/Yomite threesome scer, now I am really not in the best mood to write anything with smut,ter.)

 Chapter 282: My Own Feelings

    ***

    The next morning...

    Yomite woke up and immediately noticed it was already past noon.

    Yesterday''s night was one of the wildest things in his life thus far.

    And it was also the first time he''d had a threesome. From one girl to the other, it was quite the challenge, pleasuring two women correctly, even though each woman gave him attention equally well, but eventually he figured out a good way and he sticked to it.

    He did it inside of them so many times yesterday, that he wouldn''t be surprised if one or both of them were already pregnant.

    The thought of having children was frankly, quite a bit scary for Yomite.

    A lot of responsibility would be on his shoulders after all.

    But still, he longed for a family one day, and decided to take this as a sign that such wishes mighte true sooner rather thanter.

    He ought to be prepared himself before any of these situations arose.

    The two of his women, Hu Tao and Fischly naked next to him, holding his arms tightly together in their sleep.

    They looked really peaceful, like nothing could disturb their slumber right.

    He scooped both of them into his arms with care and held them tight against his body like sleeping puppies, gently stroking their backs. They stirred upon feeling the touch from behind but quickly fell back asleep again anyway.

    "I love you two so much...but saying stuff like that out loud is just way too embarrassing." He murmured quietly to himself while they restedfortably in his embrace.

    These two women were too precious to him; they were more than simply girlfriends and lovers.

    Barbara was likeable, attractive and devoted to him, but she wasn''t a person he loved deeply. They barely knew each other.

    Lumine was the same, he felt attracted to her and liked her a lot, but for now, he didn''t really love her.

    Only Hu Tao and Fischl were able to make Yomite feel this way about them: they had managed to melt down his heart. And the three of them had a special connection.

    Of course, it would take some time, but he was sure he would develop sincere feelings of love for all of them eventually.

    For now, Lumine and Barbara were close enough to him that even though it wasn''t real romance yet, he was veryfortable being around them and liked them well enough.

    Fischl and Hu Tao were simply meant to be together with him from the start. If he believed in fate, he would say that these two girls had been destined to be together with him since the very beginning.

    Two naked girls hugged each other in their sleep like precious sisters, as if clinging onto one another for dear life.

    The sight made him smile wistfully, realizing how lucky he truly was...and yet at the same time, he still couldn''t help but question whether he should have such luck in the first ce.

    Then again, he was misfortunate enough to die in an elevator ident on his way to work, so maybe this life was just what he deserved after all. A story filled with pure luck and happiness.

    After kissing hisdies once more and tucking them back into his bed, Yomite headed off to the bathroom to get ready and shower. He nned on meeting with Lisa today and wanted to look presentable when doing so.

    Her teaching made him grow in power exponentially and changed him a lot for the better; despite beingzy as hell, she was a good teacher that always did her best to teach him things right away without much hesitation or confusion.

    After showering and getting dressed, Yomite walked towards the door before stopping dead in his tracks.

    Barbara was sitting on the couch in the living room, reading through a book while drinking tea from the cup beside her.

    She didn''t seem to notice his presence at all and didn''t react even when he stood behind her for several moments.

    Yomite used this chance and sneaked up behind her slowly and snuck his arms around her, hugging her from behind.

    "Uwah!? H-Hey there..." Barbara let out a startled squeal of surprise, turning around in the blink of an eye.

    The book slipped from her hands to the floor with a thud, but luckily it was unharmed by its fall.

    "Good morning." Yomite smiled gently at her reaction. "Did you sleep well?"

    "Yup...good afternoon, it seems like you three also slept well. Could it be that by showing me your affection like this, you''re finally ning on taking things further with me tonight?" She asked him mischievously, not giving him any time to answer as she pressed her lips against his.

    "Haah... this again?" He sighed softly and kissed her back, unable to deny the fact that he really wanted to kiss her again now after seeing her just a few seconds ago.

    "You know, Barbara, you always think of sex, don''t you...?" he whispered quietly into her ear as they held each other tightly in their embrace.

    Yomite was aware that what he said was quite rude considering how innocent she was inparison to himself, who lusted over almost every woman in sight; but if anything, Yomite liked her innocence about her and cherished it more than her naughty side.

    "I want to get to know you better and be more intimate with you, there''s no reason for shooting straight ahead towards sex, is there? We should start out slowly," he suggested to her, "Let''s be real. I want you to understand that I like you quite a lot, you''re cute and wonderful and very devoted which makes me happy, but there''s not yet enough chemistry between us for me to go all out right away and call it something like love. Give it time, and let''s develop feelings for each other properly instead. That way, we''ll both end up being satisfied when our rtionship turns more romantic down the road."

    "..."

    She took this all in silently while still embracing him tight.

    "Hmm...so this means we''ve only reached the fourth stage of the Seven Stages of Love?" She pondered aloud.

    "The Seven Stages of Love? What are you talking about?" Yomite asked her curiously.

    Barbara suddenly pulled herself free from his arms to stand on her own feet and reached for the fallen book she was reading from before, handing it to Yomite, "You see, there is a study from Sumeru, that says that humans go through seven stages when falling in love with someone, the first stage is hand holding, then hugging, then kissing, and then cupping, which means touching each other''s body. Next stage would be sex, then marriage and then a baby."

    Yomiteughed lightly at what sounded like something basic straight out of an elementary school textbook.

    "That sounds pretty old-fashioned to me...but I guess that works?"

    The thought of Barbara reading something like this made it even funnier to him; but he soon realized Barbara had actually been quite serious about it.

    "Alright, let''s leave it at that...I was nning on visiting Lisa. Would youe with me?"

    "Regarding the...training you mentioned before?"

    "Yep, I n on getting stronger, and you wish for that as well, right?"

 Chapter 283: A Tired Woman

    ***

    A littleter after they arrived at their destination, Yomite and Barbara entered the Knights of Favonius headquarters with the goal of visiting the library. Once again, they were in this awful ce Barbara was beginning to loathe.

    Barbara silently followed behind him with her eyes focused forward, and as bad luck would have it, they immediately ran into Jean in the corridor.

    "Hey, Jean. I think this is like the third time I ever saw you somewhere that''s not in your office...It''s weird to see you leave your hideout." Yomite said casually while greeting her.

    "Greetings, Yomite I''m pleased to see you again. As you are aware, I am a very busy person; therefore, my profession allows me flexible working hours, and I like my office." she replied warmly, sneaking a glimpse at Barbara, whopletely disregarded her presence.

    She walked right past Jean without saying a word or acknowledging any sort of interaction with her whatsoever, straight into the library.

    "Barbara..." Jean mumbled under her breath, obviously unamused by how coldhearted Barbara was towards her now.

    Yomite had no idea what they had been discussing yesterday, but it was clear they were no longer on very good terms...

    "...So, what were you doing out here?" Yomite asked curiously. "I figured you''d be holed up all day and night in your own office."

    Jeanughed dryly at the fact that Yomite was right on the mark regarding the kind of person she was.

    "I do have a life outside of my job, but working is what I love to do, in order to make the lives of people around me easier and happier." She paused briefly to take a deep breath before continuing, "Actually, I''m not sure if I should tell you this, but Lisa''s been feeling quite unwelltely, so I am forced to take a few minutes of rest to take care of her..."

    It bothered her greatly, seeing how out of energy her best friend was recently, as well as her own inability to help her much other than brewing a herbal tea and making a few snacks for her. She was afraid it had something to do with "that"...

    "That''s not great, I was just on the way to meet up with her." Yomite sighed.

    It seemed that he might not be able to spend his time with her today after all.

    "Oh don''t worry about it," Jean waved off his concerns with ease, "I''m sure she would appreciate having someone else over instead of me anyway, just bear in mind she''s not feeling well right now."

    "Alright, you should have some rest as well. Don''t just think about other people. Be selfish yourself for once." He smiled at her kindly while offering his words of advice.

    "...I''ll...try harder from now on." Jean replied stiffly, almost like an apology for herck of effort.

    "There is no ''trying harder'' in resting. Just go to sleep." Yomite chuckled at her adorable behavior.

    A workaholic like her needed proper rest to get through a long day; otherwise she''d only grow more exhausted and never-ending busyness would end up killing her first and foremost. If she couldn''t properly rx then she wouldn''t be able to perform even the most basic tasks when the time came.

    "You''re right," Jean nodded with a gentle expression, "I''ll try to be less obsessed with my duties next time."

    "Good, see yater."

    Yomite thanked her for the heads-up regarding Lisa''s condition and headed into the library; he was looking forward to catching up with Lisa and talking with her again.

    ***

    When he entered the library, he was greeted by the sight of Barbara standing beside a bookcase, leaning back against it and reading through the titles as if searching for something.

    Ignoring her for a moment, he looked around the library and the sea of books.

    And there she was, seated right beside the door, a pair of thick sses resting on her delicate nose, an open book with many other booksying in front of her on the massive wooden desk.

    Dozing off with her head resting over a hand and not even trying to hide it was Lisa, the librarian.

    She didn''t usually wear sses from what he remembered, so this was a nice addition. Maybe she only used them for reading.

    It appeared she was busy past few days and didn''t catch a wink of sleep.

    She must have fallen asleep while reading one of the books in front of her.

    He felt bad having to wake her up, but he had some questions to ask.

    He slightly nudged her elbow and whispered, "Lisa, wakey-wakey..."

    She was startled for a moment, raising her head. She jarred her eyes and looked for the origin of that gentle,forting voice.

    She subtly stretched her mouth corners, wiping away a string of saliva with her wrist, and delicately flicked her tongue towards her lower lip.

    Albeit still feeling a bit sleepy, she recognized the figure in front of her immediately.

    "Oh, Handsome...Wee..." She covered her mouth and let out a yawn.

    "Damn...this is one tired woman..."

    "Is there... something I can help you with? Did Jean send you? Hm? What''s wrong?"

    She had noticed that Yomite was gazing at her as if she was some sort of spectacle for people to stare at.

    She didn''t dislike it. She knew she was attractive, anyone with eyes could tell as much.

    His gaze didn''t bear any ill intent or any hint of lust, so she knew he was just appreciating her beauty, without being shy or awkward about it, and she respected that courage.

    "Yep, I want you to train me again. I need to get stronger." He stated bluntly.

    Her lips curled into a faint smile when she heard his plea; but she quickly lost the strength in them before sheid back down on the table again.

    "...I apologize, but I''m not feeling well. Besides, I''ve other ns I have to attend to. My job is very important..."

    She groaned softly, resting on the table like an over-fed cat sprawling on a sofa.

    Her job was important...?

    It wasn''t very convincing though, considering how lethargic she looked.

    Her face was pale and gaunt. The dark rings around her eyes were only visible because they stood out against her fair skin which was almost sickly looking right now.

 Chapter 284: Work? Yeah, right...

    ***

    "Come on! I know you''rezy as hell! You can''t say that you want to focus on work all of a sudden! You never do that! You''re just sleeping all the time!" Yomite shook his head impatiently and said, "Moreover...you told me previously that you would help me once again..."

    He approached the edge of the desk and lightly ced his hands on Lisa''s shoulders, causing her to groan loudly while sitting up straight again.

    A light massage on her shoulder did the trick, and she was soon able to regain the energy to talk once more.

    "Handsome...if you''re that demanding, girls won''t like you," she replied with a slight wince.

    "Don''t worry about what girls think. They are not my primary concern here."

    "If that''s so...why do you wish to be even stronger than you are currently? I''m confident that your reputation as a Hero of Mondstadt is sufficient to captivate the attention of majority ofdies."

    "Come on...Don''t call me a Hero...You know I don''t like it...I don''t care that much for those shallow things. Let me ask you this way, if I fought with Kaeya or someone like Diluc, who are both experienced veterans, would I win?" He asked curiously, raising one eyebrow.

    Lisa remained silent for a moment as she considered his words.

    "Well, that depends on whether or not you went all out. With your physical prowess, you should be able to defeat nearly everyone in Mondstadt."

    "Almost anyone?"

    Lisa again pondered carefully before responding: "There are approximately three individuals in Mondstadt against whom you would have little chance in a fight to the death. In a sparring match, certainly, but in a genuine fight, you have no chance."

    He raised an eyebrow in response to her reply.

    "...So, who''re those people? Do I know them?" Yomite questioned.

    Lisa gave him her undivided attention as she gently responded: "...If it''s a matter of life and death, my lovely Jean would surely kill you without any problem. Ultimately, she is the best that Mondstadt has to offer. Her psychotic mother subjected her to such arduous training that the sages of Sumeru would have vomited if they knew about it. Like a ''present,'' instead of eating cake and rejoicing with friends on her birthday, as normal children do, her mother brought her into the wilderness to relentlessly hunt monsters. Due to this, she had mastered nearly every weapon and martial art from Mondstadt''s past for which she could locate documentation. As the Acting Grand Master, she has ess to a wide variety of potent artifacts and is a training and exercise fanatic. I do not believe you would have a chance in a real fight, but you should be alright in sparring."

    "..."

    "That''s how it is," She replied quietly and sighed as she continued exining. "Nheless, there is some slim chance of victory since she favors you quite well... As for the other two...you don''t really stand a chance." The final statement she made was apanied by an expression of frown.

    "Who''re thest two?" He asked curiously.

    "The first is Grand Master Varka, who embarked on an expedition. He was renowned as the Titan and was impervious to all attacks. But with your small cube ability, you may be able to breach his defenses so the oue is blind, but I doubt you could use it in a simple spar...I have not yet determined the nature of your skill, but once mastered, it should be highly dangerous. As for the final opponent you could not defeat, well..." She paused briefly before speaking in a hushed whisper. "...It''s me." She added with a soft chuckle, "Your chances against me are negligible. Around null." She winked before returning her attention to her book.

    "Huh? Null? What do you mean? Am I that weak?" Yomite arched his brow.

    Lisa smiled warmly, letting her head fall back down to rest once more.

    "I''m just that strong, Handsome." She sighed as she closed her eyes while resting on the table, letting out a long yawn.

    "As I have already taught you, I am aware of your existing strengths and weaknesses. With my whole knowledge and strength, there is no way you can defeat me."

    She spoke in a straightforward manner, almost matter-of-factly, without any fake bravado or boasting; she waspletely convinced that she would wipe the floor with him in a fight right now.

    "...I see," he muttered thoughtfully.

    He didn''t doubt Lisa''s skills. Her confidence was well-founded, as she was vastly superior in intelligence and strength.

    He had previously learned from Jean that the respected Sumeru Akademiya regarded Lisa as their most distinguished graduate of the preceding two centuries.

    That meant she was literally "the best" when it came to sorcery and magic.

    "Could you tell me my weaknesses?" He questioned her after hearing what she stated.

    "I''m sure you already know about them, but okay. Your ability takes too long to charge, and while your ymore skills aremendable, it feels as though youck soul when using it. You have no Vision, and being Visionless would instantly lower your chances against me by at least 90%. You presently possess approximately three artifacts, while I have twenty-five. The entirety of my attire is a powerful artifact. All I need to do is maintain my distance and torment you with my power. You simply cannot defeat me." She answered abruptly by turning the page of her book and propping herself up on her elbow.

    Yomite narrowed his eyes slightly in response to herment, then chuckled.

    "Alright! Then you better teach me well enough so I can beat you up!"

    "..."

    Lisa flinched in surprise, blinked several times, and then erupted intoughing that filled the entire library. "Haha...what a ridiculous man you are, Handsome!"

    She took a moment topose herself before speaking up again, this time with a more solemn tone: "As you wish. Prepare for the day ahead. We will leave the city of Mondstadt and train in a remote location, where there will be no other people. However, it may be several days before we return here."

    "Okay, great." Yomite nodded immediately in agreement.

    "Please take me in as well!" a voice of a girl, interrupted them.

    Lisa cast a glimpse at Barbara, who had unexpectedly emerged behind Yomite''s back. Curiosity widened her eyes as she regarded the girl.

    "You wish for me to teach you? What nonsense."

 Chapter 285: What Are You, Yomite Hissha?

    ***

    ''Barbara desires that I instruct her? Shecks even the ability to fight... I doubt she would significantly improve,'' Lisa contemted internally as her face darkened significantly.

    "I apologize, sweetheart. Unlike Jean, you have no talent. No talent in elements or magic. Lack of skill in swordy. No true talent in anything really, and it''s toote to start learning something from scratch; everything would depend on your desire to learn, but I have a feeling that you wouldn''t make much progress even if you tried your very best." Lisa stated carelessly, without any consideration to her feelings.

    "..."

    "You''re wee to join us, but it won''t make a difference. You''re not gifted, devoid of talent. I regret, but there is not much for me to teach you, especially in the medical field." Lisa finished nonchntly.

    "...."

    Barbara was silent.

    It appeared that she had not anticipated such a direct denial when she requested to join them on their expedition.

    "...Miss Lisa, I don''t mind...I''lle anyway!" Finally, Barbara merely nodded with a gloomy expression.

    She realized that getting on the wrong side of a person like Lisa wasn''t worth the risk, so it made sense that she didn''t get upset at her words and instead, left the library silently epting everything that had been stated.

    After she left, Yomite spoke up, "Why did you do that? Is there some kind of bad blood between you two? I am a bit mad on her behalf. Talent isn''t everything, you know."

    "Hmm...? Not at all, no. It''s not a personal matter. The girl''s self-loathing is palpable to everyone around her, except Jean. She might ovee it with a little prodding, but she hadn''t shown any signs of doing so thus far. I do not believe she has what it takes to even slightly reach Jean and improve. She is stuck in her own shell of jealousy, which she won''t evere out from."

    "Don''t be like that. I think that Barbara could learn a lot from someone as great as you. She''s bound to try hard if you teach her, and she seems quite thepetitive type. Talent isn''t an issue when substituted by hard work, you''ve seen the same thing with me, no? I don''t really have a talent for anything, yet you''ve improved my abilities so much in such a short amount of time." Yomite spoke up for her now, appearing slightly perturbed by Lisa''s earlier harsh tone.

    "Very well then. We''ll see. I will train you two individually, but if she makes no improvement in any way after five days, I''m cutting her loose...Got it?" With a shrug, she indicated that she was finished with the topic.

    Yomite nodded swiftly before leaving the room with a "thanks" and a brief nod.

    "Oh, one final point! If you are like this, be sure to bring as many people with you tomorrow as possible. The ce we''re going to will have a great amount of monsters, which means it''ll be perfect for testing out your skills. So if you have anyone else who is determined to improve like Barbara, bring them along. We''ll meet tomorrow morning at nine o''clock outside the gates of Mondstadt." Lisa instructed him in an almostmanding voice.

    "Yeah, sure." He responded back shortly while heading for the exit.

    His n was to bring his entire party with him, but he would understand if some of them didn''t wish to go with him and would decline.

    ''There is no use forcing anyone into it.''

    Lisa yawned again and looked back down at her book as he left the library; a faint smile gradually developed on her lips.

    "Chasing after knowledge makes one mad, I thought I understood this and abandoned everything from Sumeru, yet here I am still chasing my tail. Yomite Hissha. I wonder, are you a human or something else entirely? I''ve never seen anything like you before... I am interested in learning more about you throughout this vacation." She muttered quietly.

    Her eyes seemed to deepen with the intensity of her gaze. A gaze of malevolence that came from deep within.

    Under the purple glow of her electrified aura, the old books on the table before her appeared to move slightly. They began to migrate toward the center of the desk as if being pulled by invisible strings.

    "Or are you a God, perhaps? A young deity from farawaynds, came here to look at us mortals andugh at our petty struggles...? Perhaps he came here to see us for himself, to see what we are made of, and waspelled to assist us by his own curiosity?" Lisa continued speaking quietly to herself, seemingly engaged in whatever thoughts were in her mind.

    Her expression stayed unchanged as her mind went through a plethora of questions, but it was clear that she had noticed that something was amiss with Yomite''s presence in Mondstadt.

    Since entering Mondstadt and rescuing people, no one had ever questioned his intentions or ambitions.

    Not Jean, not Amber, not Kaeya.

    Who exactly was he?

    Who was the blonde who apanied him?

    Who was the white-haired flying fairy?

    What was their objective?

    Where did they originate from?

    Why did no one else question these matters besides her?

    And why were they surrounded by so many secrets?

    "A mystery in disguise...a miracle born from curiosity," Lisa muttered in a whisper.

    "The greatest mysteries are oftentimes the ones that cause you to doubt your own existence, even if only for a moment." She added thoughtfully before turning back to her book and closing her eyes once more.

    "For the time being, I must resist the impulse to kidnap him, force him to drink the truth potion, and conduct research on him to determine what kind of entity he is...only for the time being..." She said almost casually and turned over another page of her book with ease.

    "...He may genuinely be able to learn the truth of the world and alter it...or destroy it...either way, I cannot wait to see how he develops in the year or two that we will be away."

 Chapter 286: Of Course It Hurts!

    ***

    As soon as Yomite left the library, he saw Barbara waiting for him near the door; she had likely overheard all they had spoken earlier inside.

    As soon as Yomite left the library, he saw Barbara waiting for him near the door; she had likely overheard all they had spoken earlier inside.

    When he approached her, he feared she might cry once more, or that she would remain silent indefinitely.

    However, it appeared his worries were unwarranted. She greeted him with a cheerful smile as if nothing had happened, rather than crying and remaining silent.

    "Yum-Yum! Wee back!" She smiled pleasantly and extended both arms as if seeking an embrace.

    Yomite awkwardly tried to escape from her grasp at first but quickly understood there was little point in doing so. So he decided to go along with her act. "What up with you all of a sudden?"

    "...Well, you just fought for me during your discussion with Miss Lisa, so I figured...I should repay the favor," Barbara said, smiling.

    ''So she listened in on us after all?''

    Her expression looked oddly sincere and not weird. He knew this girl could be really tricky though��he couldn''t tell what she was thinking most of the time. Her face showed no sign of guilt over listening to their private conversation. If anything, she appeared happy.

    "So yeah, it seems like we will be out, training for some time. So make sure to exin it to the Church of Favonius why you''ll be missing again. I can imagine they might get upset if you left without a notice..."

    "Yes! I will do so!"

    He learned from Jean by chance that Barbara left Mondstadt to follow him to Liyue back then without telling anyone but a woman named Rosaria, so to prevent that from happening again, it would be wise to straight up tell the Church...

    ''I really can''t read her at all... Oh well...'' Yomite shrugged. ''At least, it doesn''t look like she''s going to do something bad.''

    Barbara was as cute as always. He thought she was even cuter today than usual.

    The only thing that made him feel anxious about her was how quick she seemed to change moods and expressionstely, sometimes barely holding back tears from the sorrowful side of herself, other times seeming excessively happy for no apparent reason.

    In an attempt to tease him, Barbara ced her lips on his corbone and began tenderly nibbling on his neck.

    The tickling sensation sent a nice shiver down his spine, which he repressed before any visible "twitch" or "reaction" could manifest itself from his pants.

    "Thanks, Yum-Yum."

    "Hmm?"

    "You are perhaps the only person in my life who still believes in me at this point. Not even my parents do." She smiled once more. "You really are great."

    She slowly dropped her head and put her forehead against his chest, just below where the base of his neck met his shirt''s cor. "It feels great when someone has faith in you. My life would be so much easier if there were more people who believed in me." His clothing began to muffle her voice.

    Barbara exuded an aura that made him want to embrace and protect her with all of his might. He had long since stopped to be surprised by her unashamed desire for his attention and concern.

    As for what exactly he wanted to do with her...

    He''d be lying if he said nothing lewd didn''t cross his mind with the amount of affection she poured on him like water being sprinkled over drynd, but somehow, the desire hadn''t fully materialized; though he did find himself feeling incredibly attracted by how easily she slipped away into moments of pure intimacy without caring if others were watching them or not, without hesitation and without concern for the rules of decency and etiquette despite being a nun herself, as though it was normal to express feelings of love and lust openly.

    Then again, they were currently in Mondstadt, so it may have been normal in itself.

    Yomite was uncertain whether to consider her innocence and shyness, self-loathing, or Yandere nature to be her true self. All four of these characteristics appeared toplement one another and work hand in hand.

    She looked up at him while resting her chin on his chest. "This is what the majority of couples do, right? Hugging a lot. This was exined in that book about intimacy I read before."

    "Yeah, that''s true. We''re in a rtionship now, but I already exined to you back then..."

    "I know. Let''s create many memories together, shall we?" Barbara ced both hands on Yomite''s shoulders and gave him ast kiss on the lips before withdrawing from the embrace.

    "Just know that I really love you." Her voice sounded very soft as she left the headquarters of Favonius with an embarrassed look on her face.

    Despite being all clingy with him, having dirty ideas, and allowing him to fondle her breast when no one was present �� all of which might easily make her out to be a sexual deviant and not an innocent maiden �� her way of expressing affection was so charming that even Yomite was attracted to her.

    The asions in which she disyed genuine embarrassment made him want to embrace her even more tightly to protect her from the outside world.

    "Ah...having multiple women interested in you is like a dreame true for a guy, isn''t it? But it also feels like a job...How do I spend time with them, care for them, hug the when they feel sad, and satisfy them all?" He sighed as he soon left the Knights of Favonius headquarters.

    The happiness of everyone, was what he was striving for.

    Yesterday''s threesome with Hu Tao and Fischl was certainly something he would never forget, but in the future, there may be other girls searching for more excitement.

    Foursomes, fivesomes...would he be able to handle such arge group if the circumstance arose?

    Could he have three or four women making passionate love to him simultaneously and still please them all? Would it feel awkward? Or would it be exhrating?

    It wasn''t that he feared he wouldn''t be able to please each girl; rather, it seemed nearly impossible that any man could maintain such a scenario for long enough to make the experience enjoyable for everyone involved...

    However, his body was unique and he could drink Bruice to increase his libido and stamina, so he could perhaps pull it off.

    There were many harem-like characters in fantasy novels andics.

    It was a popr motif among both readers and authors.

    The thought of getting intimate with dozens of beautiful women all at once didn''t sound bad at all to him right now��the threesome yesterday made him realize how much more fun his life would be from now on.

    If he asked, Fischl and Hu Tao would surely let him indulge in the threesome whenever he desired. Such was their love,

    "Let''s do it again tonight...I can''t wait~" He hummed as he walked home.

    ***

    **

    *

    *

    **

    ***

    And so as he came home, he immediately got to work...however...

    "N-No! Not again! That was the most embarrassing moment of my life! Never again!" Amy yelled in embarrassment as she clutched the bed sheets tight around her naked body.

    It appeared that she has now abandoned her Fischl persona.

    "My butt still hurts, Assistant! I could barely fall asleep in tears after that! Why do you have to be so gentle with Fishy-Fishy but so freaking rough with me!? I can barely sit down!" Hu Tao grunted, massaging her aching buttocks as she talked.

    It seemed he had gone overboard with her yesterday...

    Amy fell asleep yesterday after the deed and as a result of his delicate caressing, and after he was finished with her, he turned hisplete focus to Hu Tao with the purpose of pounding her butt like an animal...

    On one side of her hip bone, she appeared to have a minor bruise in the shape of his palm imprint. Even though it urred yesterday, the mark was still evident on her skin today.

    The palm mark almost resembled something like a sign of ownership or possession by a beast.

    Even though they were in love, it turned out that his lovemaking method was different for eachdy; with Fischl, it was full of tenderness and love, gentle caresses and soft kisses that made him feelfortable and pleased, whereas with Hu Tao, it became considerably more passionate and wild.

    The reason why he did so with Hu Tao was because he feltpelled to use every bit of strength he possessed to teach the cheeky brat some respect since she enjoyed teasing him, edging him on with no way of release, taunting him, and constantly looking for opportunities to make him mad and dominate him despite being so much shorter than him��he needed to put her in her ce somehow, and forceful lovemaking was what came naturally to him so she knew who was really in charge here.

    Her shit-eating grin the entire time he was doing her, along with her constant provocation of saying, "I can''t feel anything, are you sure you''re giving it your all, Assistant~?" only added fuel to the fire inside.

    Hu Tao knew it felt good and that she was satisfied, yet she purposefully told him that he wasn''t going hard enough and said his dick felt like a limp noodle from the Wangshu Inn...while in reality she came over and over again simply from his fingers alone...

    She had been deliberately telling him this while looking at him with that teasing grin��a grin that made him want to tear off her clothes and just go for it right there on the couch.

    Her eyes too were filled with naughty lust, those red eyes filled with an overwhelming urge to tease himpletely. It was impossible not to get turned on by her.

    It always made him feel as if she''d won this battle in bed before it even began. He would give up all pretense of being a gentleman, and let himself be led down the path of pleasure. The path of no return, where he would finally be able to give everything to her without holding back or worrying about what injuries she might take.

    Last night, though, as he finished her off, she was unable to stand up straight in order to get a ss of water.

    That was when he realized he went a little too hard on her.

    "Yeah, sorry about that Tao. Let me massage your butt real quick as an apology." He leaned down and started pressing his palm against her buttocks gently but firmly, making every effort not to cause her further pain with this massage.

    After lowering his lips to her exquisite cheeks, he apologized by delicately kissing them. He kissed both sides of her rear with tenderness and affection.

    "It''s not that I dislike the way you are so forceful...but I like kissing and stuff too, not just pounding away into my backside all the time," Hu Tao admitted in a low voice, "You don''t have to be rough on me like that! You should take it easy on your poor Director!" She wriggled out of his arms while still lying on her stomach and turned her head to kiss him on the lips. "I am hungry; let''s eat!"

    Despite being in love with him, she retained her cheeky nature. People imed that women and men matured when they entered rtionships, but it appeared that Hu Tao would always be a prankster at heart, something he adored about her regardless of the fact that she asionally drove him insane with her teasing nature.

    It didn''t look like she was going to stop doing things which could get her in trouble ever...

    Yomite extended his hand towards Amy as well and pulled her close.

    The two girls shared another sweet loving embrace with him in silence.

    "So, about tonight, could we...?"

    ""Forget it!!"" Both of them yelled at once.

    They had to admit that the things they did yesterday were incredible, but one of them was too embarrassed to try something simr again, while the other could hardly sit, much less move around and engage in "activities"...

    It appeared that neither of them were prepared to experience such pleasure any time soon...

 Chapter 287: Preparation For The Trip

    ***

    "And so, those who wish toe with us, we will head out tomorrow morning at nine o''clock. I would advise you all that this is not a decision anyone should take lightly. This trip might be dangerous and who knows when we''ll return. So if you don''t wish toe with me, then I''ll understand it."

    Yomite''s voice was powerful as he scanned the room from one to person.

    There were no objections; instead most of the crew just sat quietly looking forward toward him expectantly waiting for his next words.

    Except for Paimon, he had gathered everyone in the living room to exin the situation with Lisa.

    He took another moment before continuing: "Fischl, I''m not sure what the situation is with your family? Do you need to let them know you''re going away, or are they even currently aware of where you are?"

    He was Fischl''s lover now, yet her parents didn''t have any idea of their rtionship yet.

    They did meet a few times, but back then, they weren''t yet together. They simply knew that she was a member of his group of adventurous friends, not that she had a partner.

    Not to mention, a boyfriend who dated multiple women already!

    The parents of other girls in his group are either missing, passed away, or simply away at the moment...so he could only wonder about Fischl''s parents.

    But Fischl was confident that her parents would not be upset if they knew about her romantic rtionships.

    Especially when it came to Yomite Hissha, the Hero of Mondstadt who helped save countless people. They could never disapprove of a person like him. She hoped regardless.

    "Well," she began, slightly hesitant. "Meine Kaiser und Kaiserin aren''t aware of our rtionship...This Prinzessin doesn''t wish to bring shame upon herself by being horribly teased...yet at the same time, I think it might benefit our love life if I made them informed."

    Fischl paused for a moment as she looked down.

    The thought of how her parents would react if they discovered that she was seeing the city''s Hero caused her cheeks to flush with shame and fear.

    They already teased her when she told them she finally found friends after joining this party; she was unsure of what they would say if they found out she was going out with him.

    They would tease her to death on every subject possible. She could imagine her mom telling her she wanted grandchildren soon, and her father wanting to hear tales of heroic deeds done during adventures. It would drive her insane.

    "Oh, I get it,e here for a second," Yomite replied with an understanding smile.

    He softly touched hisp, and Fischl understood immediately.

    Shyly, she sat down on Yomite''s left thigh while he wrapped his arms around her, embracing her with such tenderness she felt her heart flutter.

    "Don''t worry too much about your parents. I can talk to them if you want me to. I''m sure everything will be fine, Amy." He kissed softly against her hair, as she panicked about being called Amy like this in front of everyone else.

    "P-Please don''t call me ''Amy'' in front of others..." she whispered into his chest, abashed and facing away from the rest of the girls.

    Due to his shameless behavior against her, her Prinzessin Fischl act was falling apart once more; nheless, the sense offort and affection he gave her was so reassuring that it was difficult not to melt at him all over again and forgive him anything.

    "I''ll make them understand," Yomite continued without letting go off her embrace, "No worries."

    "Woah...so jealous of her..." Barbara groaned as she stared at the two together.

    Lumine nodded silently as well, looking at Yomite in anticipation for him to call out for her next.

    "Assistant and Fishy-Fishy are so bold! Let me in on it!" Hu Tao chuckled and ran over to them.

    She leapt onto the sofa, encircled Yomite from behind, and climbed his back with glee.

    "Ehehe~ Gotcha!"

    "Now, now, take off your shoes before jumping up here, the couch was quite expensive," he grabbed both of her legs and removed her shoes for her.

    Her small tomboyish face brightened up as she said, "That tickles! Naughty Mr. Hero Assistant! Undressing me like this! But I still won''t let you escape! " She wrapped her hands around Yomite''s neck.

    And just like that, she settled on his broad back with a wide grin on her face.

    "Those are just shoes...what''s naughty about that..."

    Two girls were currently wrapped around his body; one sitting on top of his left thigh, while the other leaned on his back from behind...

    However, there was still a great deal of room for others to join in if they wished...

    "I''lle to you too, Yum-Yum!"

    Barbara stood up immediately, feeling no need to wait for permission, she stole herself the spot on his right thigh, squeezing against him.

    "Yes! I did it!"

    Yomite reciprocated Barbara''s smile with a smile of his own. Barbara''s chuckle was somewhat shy but brimming with joy.

    Then he turned and beckoned to Lumine with his index finger, who appeared nervous.

    She approached with caution until she was standing in front of him.

    "What''s up?"

    He asked her because he wanted to tease this lovely woman.

    Lumine''s eyes were wide open and she seemed to struggle for words, but finally she managed to find her tongue, "M-May I? Please, umm, sit here...? " She asked hesitantly, since there was no longer a ce to sit...

    There was only onest free spot, but that was out of the question, as she would be sitting directly on his crotch if that happened...

    "Not much space remains, huh...well then, let''s do it this way."

    He reached out his hands towards her sides instead of pulling her in close.

    Then, he brought her up into a princess carry, holding her in his arms right between Barbara and Fischl so he could enjoy all of the girls around him at once...

 Chapter 288: A Harem

    ***

    Yomite kissed the side of Lumine''s head lovingly.

    She let out a heartfelt smile, making no attempt to conceal how pleased she was about the situation.

    Laying in his hands like this, even Yomite himself had trouble not grinning; for some reason he couldn''t stop thinking ''So cute'' every time he looked down at this woman who loved him like crazy.

    Consequently, every girl was currently seated on him.

    Yomite eximed loudly, "Oh, I forgot about Iris," as he gazed across the room at the lone woman who had remained in the middle of the room as everyone else flocked around him.

    "...Master. That''s very rude..."

    She did not appear pleased with being forgotten.

    "Ah, sorry Iris...I kind of forgot about you since you didn''t talk at all...You can switch with Fischl after som��Aaah!!?"

    Without warning, Iris darted forward, seating herself straight on Yomite''s crotch, before he even knew what hit him.

    His mouth opened and shut soundlessly when he was met with her firm and round cheeks pressing against him through his pants.

    She turned around to see him gasping for air while fully immobilized by her unexpected action and her weight on his body.

    The issue was not that she sat on his groin, but how she did it; it felt as though she sat down deliberately hard enough to create difort, which she likely did on purpose after he forgot about her...

    Luckily, his little brother down there was safe from any harm or from being crushed...

    "Nice going Irisus! But please be more careful next time! Or Mr. Assistant might be Ms. Assistant soon! " Hu Tao cheered.

    "Wow, I didn''t think you had it in you! To think you would go for his crotch immediately...how ferocious...I may have found a rival in you." Barbara giggled happily.

    Lumine appeared to want to say something, but was unable to articte herself owing to her melting in his hug.

    She wrapped herself around him like an animal clinging on its mother.

    Yomiteughed broadly as she rested in his arms, the supple weight of her well-developed body pressing against him feeling heavenly.

    Especially since she snuggled tightly against his chest with her bountiful breasts in such a way, that he couldn''t help but feel therge twin mounds with cherries on their tips through her thin clothing.

    With so many girls surrounding him and Iris sitting right on "it", it didn''t take long before Yomite''s mind began to stray to inappropriate corners.

    He cleared his throat and reestablished his focus.

    "Alright...I assume all of you want to go with me to train and try to get stronger?" he said as he looked at everyone present.

    There was no opposition, simply nods and smiles from those present.

    "Good! Everyone should bring along your gear ande prepared to fight. Lumine, try to stockpile as much food and necessities as possible into your Inventory, since we don''t know where we''re going. The same goes for the rest of you as well, bring anything you need. Fischl, go and inform your parents we are leaving for some time."

    He gave them all a whole day to think about what else they might need for this journey.

    Just then, a bright spark in the room caught everyone''s attention.

    A fairy materialized in front of Lumine and hovered in front of her.

    Clearly, it was Paimon, who had been absent for some time now.

    "Mwah...Paimon had a nice nap while you were busy talking," she yawned softly and stretched her arms above her head.

    She kept her hands sped together, which caused her floating cape to flutter yfully behind her back.

    "Wait a minute...Eh...Eh!?? Wh-What''s going on here!? What are all of you doing! " She yelled and stared wide eyed at the couch; noticing how the girls were in various positions on top of Yomite, as if they were worshipping the king of lechery.

    "Ca-Casanova Tattoo!? You shameless womanizer! " Her face turned red as she floated towards him angrily: "Paimon knew it! This was your n all along wasn''t it?! To seduce all of us by adding us to your party, and pretending to be our friend!"

    "Hah...It''s seems that Paimon has learned a new word from our friend Monika Megistus," he replied with a smile, touching Paimon''s cheek with one of his free fingers to calm her down.

    "But no. Don''t be silly, I have never ever considered anything such. I admit this situation is amazing, and that I''m delighted beyond words, but this is just how things yed out, there is no deeper meaning behind this. Do you believe I''m that smart? To have nned everyone to fall in love with me? Come on, now..." His expression remained unchanged, even when he tried tough it off, Paimon crossed her arms over her chest in protest.

    Iris, who had been sitting on his groin, suddenly increased her weight against him.

    "Ugh!?"

    He could certainly feel the pressure on his little brother down there.

    The smell of the girls around him was overwhelming, making Yomite dizzy after only a short period of time spent near them, and the friction between his thighs felt wonderful as well, Iris was pressing her buttocks firmly onto Yomite''s manhood, as if she were attempting to squish it.

    And yet instead of feeling agony or difort...Yomite actually started getting aroused.

    If he imed to dislike it, he would be lying.

    Yomite was rather enjoying himself.

    The scent of all those female bodies wrapped all over him made him crave for more...he wanted them closer.

    Iris seemed intent on continuing this friction indefinitely, so much that Yomite had trouble keeping his mind on what Paimon was mumbling to him at the moment...

 Chapter 289: Paimon Got Fat?

    ***

    Out of nowhere, Barbara stood up from hisp and went somewhere.

    No one questioned her motives, and she soon returned carrying a bottle of wine and a single ss.

    "Here you go." She poured him a ss and sat back on him, while holding onto it.

    "What...?" he looked confused, but opened his mouth anyway.

    It seemed like Barbara intended to act as a maid by pouring wine for her lord.

    The feeling of being worshipped didn''t escape Yomite''s notice either; it was both ttering and novel to have someone serve him in this manner, but he enjoyed the attention anyway.

    Barbara giggled happily and took a sip of the said wine, before leaning forward and kissing Yomite deeply, pouring some of the red liquid inside of his mouth too.

    Tongue-tied albeit baffled, Yomite simply swallowed the stuff in his mouth and let her do her work. It was delicious.

    Tongue twiddling in his mouth as she kissed him, she drew out her lips slowly, allowing Yomite plenty of time to taste the mixture of her saliva mixed with the alcohol.

    When she finally stopped licking his tongue clean with her own, they shared another kiss in silence, then she started to lick away any leftover traces of alcohol from his lips.

    The wine tasted great, especially whenbined with the vorful kiss that Barbara gave him during it; a saliva and wine mixed together, leaving his taste buds buzzing.

    The alcohol warmed his throat right away; filling every part of his body with heat and burning sensations.

    A small wave washed over him like ripples in water.

    The one thing Yomite wasn''t aware of, was that the reason why Mondstadt''s Dandelion Wine was considered the best wine in the world of Teyvat, was because its sweetness was exactly in bnce with the level of alcohol in it.

    Not to mention, it felt magical and the grapes were processed by a person with a Vision.

    And on top of everything else, the effect of the magic in the wine acted as a very potent aphrodisiac. The higher quality wines usually came with even more magical effects.

    So there he sat, surrounded by beautifuldies who smelled really great, drinking wine from the lips of a woman whose arms were wrapped around him, while another woman rubbed her divine buttocks against him from above, causing his member to feel warm due to the friction between their bodies...

    All that, made him feel more aroused than he had ever been.

    He attempted to repress the building erection, but the surrounding girls prevented him from doing so.

    He believed that no straight man in existence could have resisted this much temptation.

    Seriously, what was happening today?

    Did the girls have some kind of spell cast on them or something?

    Or did they have a debate while he wasn''t home and decided they would be more open with their feelings? Was it some sort of collective decision based on shared beliefs and opinions among themselves?

    Yomite began to contemte these things in depth.

    ''Wait...if a guy and two girls are making out it''s called a threesome...How is it called when six people do it together? A sixsome?''

    The thought suddenly crossed his mind.

    He felt like a king, being worshipped by many women at once, which caused him tough softly; remembering how Paimon got angry over this situation earlier: ''This was your n all along, wasn''t it!''

    All of the girls had witnessed Barbara''s passionate mouth-to-mouth wine exchange, so the idea of kissing him themselves was likely already in their minds.

    ''...So intimate.''

    ''This Prinzessin dares not believe it! That was one of the most obscene things I''ve ever seen!''

    ''B-B is dangerous...this kind of devotion could threaten my position as the first wife! I must also do something!'' Hu Tao began massaging his shoulders as if trying topete.

    Soon enough, every girl thought that they should try the same thing as Barbara did. Trying to wine-kiss him.

    "Assistant! Open up~ You have the privilege of tasting my lips~"

    "Master..."

    "Party Leader..."

    "This Prinzessin ist aware that being lewd ist a great sin, but Ich bin willing to make a great sacrifice to please meine Prince!"

    "Can all of you just stop! Paimon can''t watch this anymore!! " She put her hands on her eyes to block her sight, yet even after doing so, she still peeked through her fingers to see the lewdness.

    "Yeah, I believe that''s enough." Yomite took a deep breath and slowly pushed away those who were clinging onto him, including Lumine who he still held in his hands.

    A few more seconds of this heaven and he might have bedded them all without any self control left. It was easy for him now, since he could practically feel the desires of each woman around him. Excluding Iris and Paimon.

    They wouldn''t refuse him if he asked nicely and gently kissed them; there was no doubt about it. They would lose themselves in the momentpletely, and he even had Bruice which he could use.

    It would have been really bad if he gave into temptation now, as tomorrow they were leaving and he was sure they wouldn''t make it there...

    So he gently freed himself of the girls around him, though not without them initially struggling against him, trying to go back to their original positions; only stopping when he finally pulled them off entirely from his body with a sigh.

    Thepetition between them was still on.

    "Go and pack your things, girls," he ordered them and ignored their disappointed faces.

    Sighs came from them all, before they all went into their respective rooms with a sh, leaving only Yomite alone with Paimon.

    "Paimon didn''t think you would be the one to stop this... Paimon is now more confused than ever!"

    "Now, now. I am aware that the things were getting too heated there, so I stopped it before it became a problem."

    Things got almost out of hand, which was why Yomite made sure it wouldn''t continue further, as there was time and ce for these things, not to mention some sort of natural order in which these things happened.

    A threesome was great and challenging, but he wasn''t prepared for a sixsome yet.

    That was like challenging a veteran difficulty in call of duty campaign when he''d never yed any fps games prior...

    Besides, Paimon was in the room as well, and he wouldn''t do something like that in front of a child. Even if she probably wasn''t one.

    "How about you go and help Lumine with packing up? We''re going on an adventure tomorrow morning."

    "Ah! An adventure!? Paimon is stoked! Will there be a lot of treasures and Mora!?" She giggled excitedly, her cape fluttering around behind her.

    "I''m not sure yet, but there will surely be some rewards."

    "Yay!" She fist pumped into the air and floated away from him. It looked like even she was looking forward to this new adventure; since everyone had agreed to it, it couldn''t really hurt either way right?

    In the end, they would have to get stronger regardless, so this was an ideal opportunity.

    ''Is it just me, or did Paimon get bigger? I haven''t seen her for a day, but she looks to have grown a tad...'' As he calmly observed her float towards Lumine''s room, he pondered.

 Chapter 290: A New Fetish Spotted?

    ***

    Thankfully, everyone had left the room, and he exhaled with relief. All of the prior stimulus left him feeling extremely drained. It felt like he was on the edge for hours.

    And he could still feel his little brother throbbing between his legs.

    He didn''t know how long it would take before his erection subsided...and he was afraid that his member may explode like an angry ho with its stinger pulled out, if one more stimting sight crossed before his eyes.

    Simply recalling what had urred before gave him shivers once more.

    The kiss from Barbara in which she shared the wine with her mouth; the two of them gazing one other down, exchanging saliva, and allowing their lips to brush until they separated...

    That was perhaps one of the most intimate moments in Yomite''s life, and it urred by chance.

    It was so basic and elementary, a simple kiss.

    Yet it filled him with heat and turned his body on so much; his manhood almost exploded out of control. He wanted to experience something like that again soon.

    ''So incredibly hot...''

    It caused such a rush in him that he couldn''t even think properly. His thoughts became cloudy, causing him to have trouble concentrating on all of the angry mumbling noisesing from Paimon.

    He had to stop thinking about it, lest he fall victim to Barbara''s trap.

    It seemed that, after all this time, he had developed another ridiculous yet addictive fetish.

    If someone kissed him with a wine in their mouth one more time, then surely there would be nothing stopping him from making her nine children immediately after that.

    "All jokes aside...If all of the girls did this wine-kiss-sharing with me just now like Barbara did...All of us would have ended up in one bed together for sure in a few minutes...I would''ve definitely..."

    He shook his head with a sigh, "But I don''t want that. If I were to have sex with women who I don''t love yet, I would be acting the same as I did in my past life. I am doing what I am doing because I genuinely enjoy theirpany and like them... Once I feel something akin to love, then maybe we''ll see how far I can push this polygamy rtionship with them. Until then...this is just too much temptation for someone as lustful as me."

    He tried to stop himself, but it was impossible. The immense pressure exerted by the girls surrounding him made it hard for him to resist.

    His body was aching from the excitement.

    The threesome yesterday barely quelled his desires at all.

    Now it was only getting worse instead of better...

    He didn''t know why this was the case, nor did he understand itpletely, and he might never fully grasp it. But he knew one thing: This desire for many women around him was part of his nature now; something that he had acquired after receiving his new body from the Goddess Sia.

    In his previous life, he had never had such a strong desire for sexual contact...

    But now...

    It almost made him sick thinking about it because that was basically all that was on his mindtely when it came to Barbara, Hu Tao and Fischl.

    Ways to please them. What would be the best way to use them for pleasure...

    And all sorts of other thoughts swirled within him.

    It was almost as if someone cast a spell over him which allowed him to be addicted to sex, and in order to keep this addiction under control he would need more stimtion than normal people could handle.

    It was like having a disease that could not be cured without external help. A bad kind of addiction in Yomite''s opinion, but one he won''t ever be able to cure.

    And the best part of that situation? All girls in his party seemed to be okay with being part of the deal too.

    Four of the girls loved him, one girl he owned as her master and if he was ''that'' kind of person he would just order her to do whatever he wanted and she''d obey instantly, even if it was something disgusting or dirty...

    This world was wild, it was insane.

    Then there was Jean, who had promised him a date a long time ago.

    Jean was like the embodiment of all of his fetishes in one single package of a beautiful woman, who also happened to have a perfect figure and a dirty secret hobby.

    There was no wonder in his mind why Barbara felt inferior towards her older sister, Jean.

    The word ''perfect'' was definitely applicable for someone like her; looking absolutely wless by any standard and capable of turning every man into a drooling idiot at first nce.

    Then there was his teacher milf who if for once wasn''tzy as hell and focused on something, she looked as if she came straight out from a painting.

    He could tell she had a thing for him and even called him handsome here and there, but she didn''t cross the line with her teasing behavior and kept herself in check when she taught him about Teyvat.

    She was still very attractive though, especially since she had that adult and experienced charm about her, making her seem like an older sister of sorts, or a mommy type of character he wouldn''t mind having as a wife.

    If he were to go out of control with it, he wouldn''t say no to some naughty things with this woman.

    All in all, he was acquainted with many women of all different ages, body shapes, personality traits and more...

    If he''d managed to fall in love with all of the girls in his party except Paimon, he could imagine himself living a peaceful life where everyone around him loved him and vice versa...a truly idyllic and happy existence, living somewhere remotely secluded where the only thing keeping himpany was nature and the women around him.

    Rxing, cuddling, raising a family together; it sounded so perfect if he thought about it that way.

    The talks about harem wouldn''t beplete without Jean and Lisa, he was greatly interested in them ever since they''ve met.

    Just like he did with Lumine and Barbara, he would prepare the groundwork for a future romance with both of them if it came to pass that they expressed an interest in him.

    Touching, hugging, and kissing were permitted, but he would only engage in intercourse with someone he truly loved or grew fond of after getting to know them over time.

    There should always be trust involved when it came to sex between partners, and he wanted no regrets from their side.

 Chapter 291: Venti! Nooo!

    ***

    Inparison to his previous life, he had changed significantly, which was why everything appeared so new and odd to him right now. However, he had finally established rules for himself, which he would adhere to.

    This way, even the deal of getting a ''special'' type of service in Liyue couldn''t tempt him to break that promise.

    With his mind made up on the matter, he decided to take a bath, change intofortable clothes, and unwind by reading Teyvat Travel Guide Vol. 1 book, or rather, a magazine, which Lisa had previously rmended to him.

    Apparently, it was a magazine by her acquaintance called Alice, a powerful sorceress.

    This first issue included a short traveling diary of Alice the Traveler on her experiences in Mondstadt.

    ''Alice the traveler?''

    As he made himselffortable on his bed, Yomite began to read through the pages, but the first page sent shivers down his spine...and all the way to his manhood!

    "What the the hell is this...?"

    The first page was called, "A fun meat grinder? Or a source of energy?"

    Apparently, the three hilichurl tribes, the Meaty tribe, the Sleeper tribe, and the Eclipse tribe located in a valley near Mondstadt were all densely popted.

    [What if we built a huge spinning ball-shaped cell in the center of the valley and threw all of the hilichurls into it? That way we might be able to generate enough energy to power all the mills in Mondstadt for at least five years...]

    "..."

    The idea sounded deranged.

    He wasn''t against killing hilichurls if they were overpopted and had a request from the adventurer''s guild, or if they were attacked by them, but going out of his way to murder them all to power up some mills..?

    [...If we took it one step further by grinding the hilichurls that are too old or too weak into food and feeding them to the strong ones, we might just build ourselves a perpetual motion machine that can support a huge factory like in Snezhnaya...]

    "...The fuck did I just read...?"

    The thought alone was absurd, but there was also a whole paragraph exining how, due to a curse, their bodies may potentially be stronger after devouring each other.

    Whoever wrote this was sick to the core.

    Especially considering Yomite could make out what the hilichurls were saying, and it seemed he was the only one.

    He was suspicious of Kaeya at first, but heter told him he didn''t understand anything they were saying...

    Alice''s asional happy stickers she ced here and there on the magazine page made her idea seem even more ridiculous.

    ''Alice...a name of a person I''ll be staying far, far away from. If by chance she found out I''m from another world...'' Yomite thought grimly.

    He might have be a research subject of some mad scientist who wanted to study him in order to replicate his powers or something equally creepy; he really hoped it wouldn''te to that.

    [It seems totally feasible to me. But when I told Miss Lisa, the Mondstadt''s librarian about this great idea of mine, she just looked at me and pondered in silence for a long, long time, then changed the subject gracefully...]

    "This Alice character sure knows how to act crazy...even Lisa didn''t want anything to do with this shit!"

    No morals at all, no hesitation whatsoever and not afraid to push forward with any insane idea if given a good opportunity...

    He nced at the second page that had something to do with the Anemo Archon capable of switching genders and preemptively shook his head, "Nope!" before throwing it out of sight, behind his bed frame.

    Enough was enough! He didn''t want anything else weird popping up right now. This girl was bad news from what little he saw so far.

    ''Let''s stay away from whoever is called Alice...''

    He closed his eyes, hoping the topic would nevere up again.

    Now, he still had plenty of time before tomorrow morning, it was only around 4pm (16:00) currently, the sun hadn''tpletely set yet.

    ''It will take some time for the girls to pack everything and get ready.''

    He sighed and began looking through his wardrobe. He had purchased the same ck shirt approximately twenty times, as well as other pieces of clothing, and whenever something got dirty or torn apart by monsters, he simply purchased another set of the same clothes because he enjoyed wearing the same things every day.

    His tastes were also quite simple and in; he was aware that people might consider him boring because he always wore the same outfit, but he did so because it was morefortable than spending Mora on something he wouldn''t wear often because it was so ufortable that he had to scratch his back all day.

    ''I''ll put all of this into Lumine''s Inventoryter...aaah such a shame I don''t have it...I should have asked The Goddess Sia for it before I was reincarnated...dammit! Inventory ability is way too essential, how could I forget about something so vital...instead I got this dumb ability to ask how to progress the story, and I can use it roughly twice a day, yet I never use it at all since it''s useless to me, and usually whenever I''m in a pickle, my girls can think of something immediately...smart gals.''

    He turned towards his bedframe and hesitantly walked over there.

    It was the ce where he''d previously thrown the magazine.

    ''I am bored...but do I really want to read that thing again? Think...Yomite...Think.''

    Eventually, curiosity killed the cat. Yomite picked up the magazine and took a closer look at the second page.

    "The truth about the Anemo Archon? Barbatos is a cutie???"

    [Oh Em Geee! I know you people reading this might not believe it, but I just saw the Anemo Archon washing his body in ake! Aw, how small and cute he looked, I almost wanted to eat him up! He almost looked exactly like a woman, with the exception of a very, very small reproductive organ in between his legs...It was adorable. So small, it made me want to cut it off.]

    "..."

    ...

    ..

    .

    Yomite stopped breathing for what seemed like fiften seconds, after he finished reading the sentence above.

    The thought of a woman calling someone''s penis ''small'' was hard to swallow for any male, let alone cutting it off!?

    ''Seriously...What is wrong with this person...?''

    [From my research, I found out that the Anemo Archon, Barbatos was once a wisp of the wind, but it all changed when his dear friend died, aww so saaad...so he took on his form and name, and even now, secretly roams Mondstadt. Still, I wonder...if he is the wisp of wind and I cut it off, would he be forced to change gender into a female one, or would a new little friend down there grow up right away so I can cut if off again? It makes me want to try it so badly!!!]

    "What the hell are you thinking!? You sicko woman!" He yelled at the magazine angrily, the shout reverberating around the room, "You''ve gone too far! This magazine should burn!"

    No more talks about cutting!

    Leave the man''s manhood and crown jewels alone!

    Not only did she spy on Venti washing himself in theke, belittled his little brother by calling it: "Very, very small", she also wanted to castrate him multiple times to see how he would react...? What was with this crazy woman?!

    ''Man, women of this world are messed up, I am starting to get afraid...is harem really that safe? Surely nothing like this would happen to me, right? I am trying to be as kind and loving as I possible can to everyone...''

    Venti was useless, drunk, annoying, idiot femboy that didn''t listen much either; yet even he didn''t deserve that kind of treatment.

 Chapter 292: You Attacked Me? Should I Call An Ambulance For You?

    ***

    Yomite had extra time as the girls packed their belongings, so he went on a lengthy walk by himself to collect his thoughts.

    This world he''d been transported into was too strange and unreal for any man to remain unchanged by it; killing people did not seem unnatural or evil here��in fact, there didn''t appear to be anything unusual about that at all.

    Yomite recalled how the first time he''d killed one of the Treasure Hoarders felt.

    Nausea and dizziness swamped him as if he were standing on the edge of space with no support underfoot.

    Laws of this world were simply different from those of his old one...and Yomite couldn''t shake off the feeling that he was beginning to see what they really meant now.

    The memory of havinge face-to-face with such bizarre newness changed him forever.

    Once he''d be ustomed to it, he realized that killing another person would actually be easy.

    He wouldn''t even need to consider the moral issues involved��not like before.

    The so called: "Kill or be killed" philosophy became obvious once he thought in terms of otherworldlyw instead of his own limited morals.

    What''s more, this world existed within a set system of rules.

    Bandits and monsters threatened the survival of others on a daily basis, so naturally, he could kill them without remorse. Leaving them alive would only harm others.

    In order to survive, humans had to use their power to fight against these threats here.

    To protect himself was only natural, after all.

    Once he''d arrived to this world, Yomite understood instinctively that when he was fighting for his life, there was no room for hesitation over whether it was right or wrong to take up arms against someone else.

    It didn''t matter who or what that person might have been; if he got in the way of saving his own life, then he needed to die.

    "Still, this world is so much better than my old one despite this. There''s so much stuff to do."

    Yomite strolled along a familiar path lined by trees, listening to the wind blowing through leaves.

    The soft rustle reminded him of Venti, the little Archon rascal.

    His gaze fell on the Anemo Vision in his hand as he wondered whether he ought to heed Venti''s warning and throw it away somewhere.

    "Killing gods after taking their gift...Something a main character would say. Sounds cool overall, but do I even have enough strength to realize that?"

    Venti was one thing, but Zhongli''s power felt almost infinite.

    If all Gods were as strong, or even stronger than Zhongli, they would certainly be able to wipe out the entire human race with ease.

    That wasn''t something Yomite wanted to experience considering he found his new and great lifestyle in this world ratherfortable at present.

    He just hoped he would be granted a chance to live long and well in this peacefulnd with his future wives.

    This ce was full of limitless opportunities. There was no telling what might happen from now on.

    "Our little bird from the teapot did tell me I should move some furniture and other stuff to the teapot dimension to get things started, though..."

    With that thought in mind, he set out to Mondstadt again, hoping to buy some beds and tables first before moving them into the otherworldly space.

    He had never done anything like that before, so he couldn''t be sure it would work��but if nothing else, it wouldn''t hurt to try.

    As he went through the city streets, Yomite could sense someone following him around, watching his back like a shadowy ghost.

    It felt unsettling��like someone was trying to hide their presence by pretending to be part of a tree or wall or pir��but not all that dangerous. After all, his pursuer hadn''t actually tried to attack or harm him yet.

    Yomite began walking faster in an attempt to shake off the person in question, but even as fast as he moved, they kept up easily.

    He soon turned a corner and stopped suddenly.

    "Why are you chasing after me? Are you looking for a fight? Come on out."

    "..."

    When Yomite looked closer at his follower, he saw it wasn''t a man at all, but a woman who appeared to be in her twenties.

    A ghostly pale grey skin color stood out starkly against her wine red hair, which flowed freely down her back.

    Her face was angr and attractive; the sharp edges of her cheekbones and nose were exaggerated enough to give the impression of being somewhat dangerous.

    Her expression was cold and emotionless...cold enough to make one think she was angry just by seeing her lips draw together.

    She didn''t reply when asked why she''d been trailing behind him since he entered the city earlier, and merely continued watching him silently with her unblinking eyes.

    Yomite narrowed his own eyes slightly as he returned the gaze in kind, taking in her well-proportioned figure and wlessly beautiful features from head to toe.

    ''A nun? Nah, this looks more like a cosy than anything else...still great.''

    Despite her beauty, there was no denying this woman was quite intimidating.

    Her presence was empty like a corpse''s was. She was far removed from what could be considered "human."

    "If you want something, then ask and don''t just follow me around without saying anything," Yomite said quietly.

    He hoped a direct confrontation would end their strange stalker game once and for all.

    The woman ignored his wordspletely as she stepped into the alley where Yomite stood and raised her heel over her head before smashing it down onto his head as hard as she possibly could.

    "...!?"

    Yomite swiftly avoided the kick aimed at his forehead and jumped backwards to put some distance between them in order to gauge his attacker''s next move.

    "What''s your problem...can I not have a single normal day in my life?"

 Chapter 293: Money. Money...MONEY!

    ***

    The woman rushed forward at him immediately, followed by a quick session of high kicks that could easily break bones if they connected.

    But rather than focusing on him, she mmed her foot against the ground, trying to knock Yomite off bnce so she could finish him off with a single strike.

    Yomite avoided her leg blows and punched her directly in the stomach just as she was going to do so.

    ...

    ..

    .

    Unfortunately, when twopetent fighters engaged in head-to-headbat, things were never easy for either of them...and during such high-skilled confrontations, some...unexpected things...could ur...

    A fraction of a second after Yomite swung the blow, the woman twisted on her high heels and raised her fist to block his attack.

    "Tch!"

    Yomite twisted his body sharply to evade the blow while sending his knee forward...straight into her stomach��

    "Guh...!"

    The moment he struck, a low sound came out from deep inside her throat like an animal growl; a violent tremor swept through the woman''s entire body, as if she''d been struck by lightning.

    The movement ended in a sh as the woman straightened up, trembling violently, leaving Yomite unable to see how much damage had actually been done to her insides.

    It was evident the short exchange was over, and that his counterattack to her stomach was the finisher...

    Well...at least he was targeting her abdomen...

    "..."

    ...However, because of her unusual movement, his knee mmed with full power into her crotch instead...

    "..."

    "...Eh, my bad...well...not really since you attacked me first...but I can certainly feel your pain..."

    "..."

    He quickly drew back his leg in surprise, but by then, she had already dropped down low on the ground, searing pain spreading out from under her skirt as she curled up and began rubbing her groin area where Yomite''s knee had made contact.

    In particr, the clitoris. Due to the nerves around that area, it was a particrly sensitive region for women that caused them the same degree of pain as men''s balls when kicked.

    The woman remainedpletely emotionless, yet her actions made it obvious she''d suffered quite the damage.

    She probably hadn''t taken a hit like this ever before.

    "...Burrito Dissha...as expected. I only wished to test your strength...but unfortunately, I failed...That hurt like a bitch."

    "Huh? Burrito Dissha? What are those two words supposed to be? Some blinding curse?"

    That couldn''t have possibly been his name she just said!

    "...Torti Bisha?"

    "That''s not it either! Just what is this anyway, primary school? Are you naming food now? That''s the most meaningless insult anyone''s ever called me..."

    "I wasn''t trying to insult you, that would be sacrilege��" The woman continued ring at him coldly even after their quick fight was over, "...Anyway, you''re the hero, Tomite Trisha, correct?"

    "... it''s Yomite Hissha...not Trisha, but Yomite."

    "...I see. A pretty ugly name. At any rate, I am Rosaria. A Sister of Church of Favonius."

    ''A Sister? So she was a nun after all...it wasn''t a cosy...in that case when I ask Barbara about her, she should know her.'' He stared silently at her face with his arms folded across his chest.

    "Why did you attack me then? If you roughly knew who I was?"

    "As I''ve mentioned previously, I was merely gauging your strength."

    Yomite couldn''t tell if that was true or not; he didn''t understand the purpose behind such behavior��or why they were fighting in the first ce, for that matter.

    Who would just go out of their way to attack someone to gauge his strength!? She was clearly another "irregr" in Mondstadt, the city of weirdos.

    "So, how do you think you willpensate me?"

    "...Compensate...?"

    Now that he was annoyed like this, he wanted something that would cover the payment of the furniture he was nning to buy.

    "Well, obviously! I mean, you attacked me out of nowhere, I was casually strolling the streets, thinking what to buy, when you almost killed me with your kick! I was so shocked I almost had a heart attack!"

    "But that''s..."

    Apensation? Who was he kidding?

    Sure, she did attack him first, but she was the only one who sustained damage throughout their short exchange.

    He waspletely unscathed, while she had suffered serious injuries to her crotch...

    "You''re uninjured...so clearly, it can''t have been enough to warrant beingpensated," Rosaria said coolly as she got back up to her feet and dusted off her skirt, "But still, you have exceeded my expectations. To think you would be this strong, without even using a Vision is praisewor��"

    *Crack*

    Before she could finish her sentence, Yomite brought his hand down on his left arm, and dislocated his shoulder.

    "Aaah! Oh my god! My arm! My arm!?" he winced at the sharp pain in his left side.

    The sudden injury seemed to put an expression of disbelief on Rosaria''s face.

    "What did you...What did you just..." She muttered under her breath as she stared at his left arm, dangling uselessly from his body.

    "What was...that for?"

    Yomite ignored the woman''s bewildered voice, turned around, and started limping away from her with his body covered in cold sweat.

    "Help! Help! This woman wants to kill me! She''s an assassin!" he yelled out, slowly walking out of the alley.

    "W��Wait! You cannot be serious!"

    For the first time in her life, Rosaria''s cold facade seemed to break, revealing panic hidden underneath.

    She herself was surprised by the voice of distress,ing out of her own mouth.

    That was quite a bit of emotion for someone as cold as her...but before she could reflect any longer on how this hade about, Yomite was almost out of the alley.

    "Stop what you''re doing."

    Her silver high heels ttered loudly against the cobblestones as she chased after him.

    "..."

    Yomite stopped in his tracks and outstretched his hand without saying anything.

    "..."

    "...Alright, I get it. How much do you want?"

    Yomite stopped and raised his right hand, showing five fingers.

    "Five? Five thousand Mora?"

    "Five...million Mora," Yomite corrected.

    "You''re out of your damn mind." The nun quickly put up a hand and shook her head at Yomite''s offer.

    "Considering you attacked me, my arm is broken, and my back hurts and my leg hurts and my foot hurts and my��" he started to list off all his injuries that were fake, even going as far as making up body parts he didn''t have.

    "You''re insufferable. I didn''t even manage to hit you. You''re a scroundrel."

    "..."

    "..."

    "Argh! My knee hurts! Argh! Somebody help!"

    Rosaria stood there motionless while watching Yomite writhe in pain while standing for several seconds. Then finally, she gave in.

    "Fine, five million, then. You''re the hero who protected this city, yet you''re acting like this. I have no words." Rosaria said with obvious distaste in her voice.

    She began counting the Mora with a heavy sigh on her lips.

    After Rosaria handed over the cash, Yomite grinned widely with glee��

    "Thank you, thank you for the charitable donation! This poor hero is...well...poor and suffering from poverty...as he steals from the wealthy and gives away everything to the poor."

    This world was amazing after all!

    His name was well known, so all he needed to do to earn Mora, was to let people attack him, beat them up and steal their money!

    That way he would never run out! This was as if he''d won a small lottery.

    He would love to meet Childe a couple of more times...

 Chapter 294: A Drinking Buddy?

    ***

    Yomite beamed after receiving five million Mora from Rosaria.

    "Pleasure doing business with you!"

    "Sod off. Dickweed." Before leaving, the nun mmed her heel into the ground with anger.

    "A dickweed? I don''t think I''ve heard of such an insult before...how creative." Yomite muttered to himself.

    Before she could leave, however, an unexpected individual suddenly emerged in front of Rosaria, causing her to freeze.

    "Oh, if it isn''t Rosaria. I don''t believe I''ve ever seen you angry like this? So you too are a human, huh?"

    "Kaeya. On your way to tavern, I assume?"

    "Of course! You know me well!"

    "Then why stop here? Young tycoon''s pub is on the other side of town. You should know that given he is your brother."

    "Oh, right! I rushed here since I heard some poor citizens were scared of two violent people, engaging in hand-to-handbat, and I wanted to get some free credit by beating them up, but looking at you two, I think I''d be the one in trouble instead," Kaeya exined as he looked at Yomite.

    "Yo, lil bro. Woah, it looks like you''re roughed up, hey? Rosaria doesn''t look it, but she''s from an actual assassin unit under the Church, you need to be careful to not get on her bad side or you won''t be sleeping soundly during the night, ey."

    "Kaeya...you and your lying mouth..." Rosaria sighed loudly and took her leave once more, "I need a cold one. Youing or not?"

    "Oh no, my mistake, everything I just said is a lie...kind of..." Kaeya corrected himself, "Anyway, I would love to go for a drink or two, what do you say, lil bro?"

    "Sure..." Yomite nodded slowly, "I''ve got some Mora for free just now, so how about we treat ourselves to something nice?"

    "Sound good! Ah~ my lil bro is so much better than my grumpy older brother! I''m so d I adopted you!"

    "Well, you didn''t give me much of a choice there...it was more like kidnapping, than an adoption..."

    "A surprise adoption! Against your will~"

    As they began walking towards the tavern, Yomite fixed his shoulder back into its rightful position.

    Kaeya noticed this immediately.

    "...Hoh, it seems you''re quite experienced with that kind of injury."

    "Indeed, back when I was aplete beginner and couldn''t fight at all, Hu Tao trained me like mad and I usually ended up with some bruise or worse..."

    "Oh? That little girl? If I remember correctly, you said she was your official lover and the future wife. You sure have...unique taste..." Kaeya chuckled as he spoke, seemingly amused by this.

    "Well, I love cute things and hot things, and she''s two in one. I also love her bratty attitude, even if it pisses me off sometimes. So that''s that."

    "Fair enough, to each their own." Kaeya shrugged it off and tried to change the subject. "By the way, Rosaria. Are you alright? The way you''re walking is a bit...odd."

    "...I am not fine. Tomato Hissha kneed me right in my crotch, and then extorted money from me afterward. Hero of Mondstadt, apparently." She said in a tone devoid of emotion as she struggled to move without wincing.

    "Well at least you''ve got my family name right this time. Improvement!"

    "Wow, little bro, you''re merciless even to women...how could you do that to her? She can barely walk straight..." Kaeya stared at Yomite as though impressed by his ruthlessness.

    Yomite returned the stare with one of his own. "Well, I''m only ruthless to those who try to attack me first. Either way, it was an ident. I didn''t mean to do that to her, I was only fighting back..."

    "Aha. So you were one of her victims too. Well, she does that sometimes. She attacked me a few times too. But after a while, you get used to it."

    "I don''t think that''s a good personality trait to have."

    "True, but what can I say, Mondstadt is full of amazing people, and she''s one of the normal one''s. She isn''t from around here, but she''s trying her best to rehabilitate herself after Grand Master Varka killed her whole��"

    "��That''s enough, Kaeya," Rosaria cut him off coldly. "You''re running your mouth more often than usual. Watch it or I''ll tear it off."

    "Sorry~ Sorry~ It won''t happen again...probably."

    "...Good. Now move along, I want to sit down on my ass to ease the pain."

    "Alright~"

    Rosaria rolled her eyes over Kaeya''s overly cheerful and fake attitude towards everything��she knew him well enough to know he was a bbermouth by nature��and also that most of the things he said weren''t true.

    "So, how did the two of you meet?" Yomite asked out of curiosity.

    "Well, let''s say we''re drinking buddies."

    "Drinking...buddies?"

    "Basically, whenever I''m bored and feel like skipping my work��*cough* ...whenever I''m bored ''after finishing my job at knights of Favonius'' I go out drinking and I see her here quite often, so we drink together and talk a bit."

    His little slip there didn''t escape either of their notice.

    "So you''re drunk during working hours?"

    "Let''s say...my grandfather''s a pirate and I have inherited his blood, which makes me a better worker when I''m intoxicated~"

    "Yeah not buying it."

    "Hey,e on...What do you mean not buying it? I just exined it clearly." Kaeyained but didn''t appear to be serious about it as he kept walking alongside them.

 Chapter 295: A Zombie...Or A Vampire?

    ***

    "In any case, Rosaria is my drinking buddy, and one of my best friends. If I''m not with my girlfriend, I spend time with her and talk to her, of course, with my girlfriend''s permission." Kaeya exined.

    "You''re not my friend. You''re at most an obnoxious mosquito that doesn''t shut up. Don''t get too close," Rosaria added before going silent once more.

    Kaeyaughed aloud at this retort. "I thought we were besties! What happened, Rose? Have you forgotten all the amazing stories I have ever told you? What about our time together?"

    "Revolting. Just shut up already and die you insect. My stomach is churning," she replied coldly with a scowl.

    Kaeya grinned back, "That''s my lil Rose! So cold, yet so kind~" he chuckled in delight.

    "Kaeya Alberich, call me Rose one more time, and I''ll carve my name into your back with a wooden spoon so you wouldn''t forget it.."

    "Woah! Someone woke up today and chose violence. But I know you don''t actually hate it, since you''re not mad. I already know how your furious expression looks like thanks to my little bro here, and it''s not showing on your face right now, you emotionless hag."He disregarded her threats while continuing to grin at her like a maniac.

    "That doesn''t mean I won''t p you if you continue."

    "Well...That exchange was...pretty entertaining...but..."

    Yomite sighed. Did these two have no shame? Or any self-awareness?

    They were arguing right in the middle of city, where people were watching them as they walked by with curious gazes.

    "Do you see her? That''s the vampire...she doesn''t usually go out at this hour..."

    "She''s so scary...her skin ispletely gray...is she even human?"

    "Let''s not get too close...who knows what might happen..."

    Yomite felt the strangers'' gaze as if they were needles piercing his back as the voices of the people surrounding them echoed through the streets. The same was true in Liyue, where Hu Tao also drew stares. He didn''t like this one bit.

    Rosaria seemed to be aware of this as well, as she turned around to re at them with a murderous glint in her eyes.

    "Hiii!? Run! She''s looking this way!"

    "Zombie! She''ll eat us!"

    "Don''t kill me!"

    The people around them started running away from Rosaria like a pack of wild dogs as soon as they saw her pale face.

    "Tch. This is why I don''t show my face." Rosaria clicked her tongue and shook her head.

    "You see how people treat you? I''m different! I ignore your faults and ept them! Come on, how am I not your friend! You''re making me sad here!" Kaeya resumed his juvenile antics.

    "I only have one person I could call a friend, and you''re not the one."

    "Interesting. Sister Rosaria, I didn''t know you could actually socialize."

    "I can''t."

    "Oh my...isn''t that lonely? I can be your second friend~"

    "I''m used to it, so piss off already," she said tly.

    The three made their way to the tavern and took a seat on the second floor near the balcony door so they wouldn''t be disturbed by anyone.

    The tavern was bustling with many drunken men enjoying themselves inside; each corner of the first floor had a couple or groups talking loudly andughing heartily. Even from up above, Yomite could hear exactly what everyone was talking about.

    The second floor was a bit emptypared to the first one, with the exception of them, and the wild owner Diluc, sitting in the corner while sipping a tea.

    "Yo, good to see you."

    "Sup."

    "Heya. Diluc, what a surprise to see you here. Your two amazing brothers came to visit~"

    Diluc ignored Kaeya before turning towards Yomite, "I didn''t see you in quite a while, Yomite. I''m d you seem fine. Wee. You too, Sister Rosaria."

    "Oi, did you just ignore me? I''m not going to buy you another vase in case that one breaks if you continue ignoring me you know?"

    "Haah...If it isn''t Kaeya...you sure know how to spoil my mood. I was just about to unwind with a cup of tea when you stepped into my tavern." Diluc sighed, seemingly fed-up with Kaeya''s antics yet again and rose from his seat.

    He took up his teacup and sat down next to Yomite, throwing a hand over his shoulder.

    "Are you alright, little brother? Did Kaeya annoy you again? I''ll deal with him swiftly if that''s the case."

    The fact that Diluc called Yomite his "little brother" indicated that he considered them to be close friends, which surprised Kaeya and Rosaria, given that Diluc was a loner by nature and disliked interacting with others.

    Not many people knew that Yomite had gotten close to Diluc over the time, to the point he even received wine and weapons as gifts from him on multiple asions.

    But it wasn''t something they talked about openly.

    "Now...wait, wait, wait a second...Did you cast some magic spell on my grumpy brother to behave this way? What is going on? What is this sorcery?"

    "Why is that? Is it weird for me to care about my younger brother?"

    "Yes it is! It''s weird no matter how you look at it! I was the one who adopted him, remember? You can''t just steal him away. Besides, aren''t I your younger brother as well? Do you not care about me?"

    "Hmph. Obviously I do not."

    The first time they met, Diluc threatened Yomite because he was convinced he was a Fatui spy, but he eventually warmed up to him once he realized that wasn''t the case and they were now on very good terms.

    "Yomite is a far nicer sibling to have around than an obnoxious brat like you," Diluc shot back bluntly. "Moreover, didn''t we decide ages ago to part ways? We are no longer brothers, Kaeya."

    "Oi oi, lil bro. Say something to Diluc. I might lose him at this rate."

    Yomite stared nkly at the two of them before letting out a deep sigh. "...I''m not sure what to say, as I''ve never had a brother in the first ce. Initially, I yed along because I liked the running joke, but now it''s...not a bad feeling. I''m sure Diluc cares about you in some way. You''re just annoying him way too regrly."

    "Hmph, no I don''t." While Diluc acted distant, he couldn''t keep his smile from forming.

    Kaeya blinked in surprise after hearing what Yomite had said, and his eyes went wide, "Ha-ha! I know that very well! He loves me! He used to be such a cute youngd that would be happy to see me all day long! How nostalgic! But lil bro...are you sure you didn''t give Diluc some magic powder? He is even smiling now, I am beginning to worry something is actually wrong with him. He never smiles."

    "...Kaeya, shut up..." Diluc scolded him without even turning to face him, only keeping eye contact with Yomite with a soft expression on his face as if trying to keep his anger contained.

    "Welp, since everyone apparently hates me, it''s time to order some alcohol~" Kaeya announced suddenly while descending down the stairs towards the bar.

 Chapter 296: Hello!

    Chapter 296: Hello!

    Hello everyone, I''ve a desire to write something new, whether a fanfic or a novel.

    This doesn''t mean I''ll be dropping genshin, but I feel like I need to write something else in order to grow as an author and not just the same thing.

    With that being said, here''s a list of novels and fanfics and all of my ideas ever.

    I currently have about i-5 chapters of each of these fics and novels stored up in my library, waiting to either be dropped or written and posted on P atreon, and then on Webnovel so I would appreciate if you would vote here which of these you would like to read. You can vote on multiple one''s if you feel like it. Thank you for your time.

    It took time to make this as well so please don''t ignore it. Thank you.

    [[[PLEASE TYPE PARAGRAPH COMMENTS TO A PARAGRAPH OF WHICHEVER FIC OR NOVEL YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE.]]]

    Fanfics:

    [Genshin Impact, Inverted Life] - a man is transported to the world of genshin impact and gains powers from the Anemo statue that was stolen...the inverted Anemo statue, allowing him to take advantage of women and make them obsessed over him

    Tags: sm*t, harem, mind control

    [MHA: I LVL Up By Assaulting Maidens] - man gets reincarnated with the full knowledge of everything in MHA world, and decided to use his special quirk for depravities.

    Tags: harem, sm*t, evil protagonist

    [MHA Return By Death] - Already on p atreon. izuku Midoriya is bullied to the point where he kills himself and eventually discovers he can turn back time. He''s happy he can finally be a hero, but soon he would realize, viins were truly vicious monsters and without an offensive quirk he doesn''t stand much chance. No OFA

    Tags: Return by death, single love interest, personality change, depression

    [True brainwashing and endless stamina in MHA] - He never wanted to be a hero. A viinous quirk like his?A guy who was never disciplined as a kid uses his powers arrogantly to do what he wants to the point of mind controlling women around him for his own pleasure. He stumbles upon a hero school full of hot women and enters it with a sole goal in his mind. To take advantage of any woman he sees. Following the story of MHA with smut and many other side characters with smut.

    Tags'' sm*t, arrogant and evil mc, overpowered mc, harem, mind control

    [Ghostyz with return by death] - ghostyz died and is reincarnated with three wishes into an unknown world. But it''s a tomb with wishes. 1st wish return by death, 2nd wish being so beautiful everyone is attracted to him, 3rd wish....turning into a girl!? And so he gets transported and immediately raped due to being so attractive the 6o y old man who found him couldn''t resist.

    Tags'' mind break, r*pe, torture, depression, return by death, gender bender, sm*t, gag fic

    [Naruto Reborn: Bonito Sucks Ass Dattebayoll - a young 15 years old kid is a fan of Naruto and was sad when it ended. His hope was rekindled with Bonito, only for it to disappoint him. It disappointed him so much and so many times he''d died of disappoinment. He gets reborn as Naruto so he would impregnate many women to make the Uzumaki bloodline great again, and to make sure Bonito would never be born again. Also to not lose to the ck haired emo boy that''s constantly on his ass.

    Tags: Gag fic nothing serious,edy,rge harem, overpowered protagonist from the start, knows whole lore of Naruto untiltest bonito chapter, sm*t, yed a lot of dating Sims but never had a gf

    [ Suiryu in Majikoi] - once a proud, sell-centered jerk, now a dead man. After being saved by Saitama, Suiryu unfortunately died of loss of blood and was reincarnated into the world of Majikoi. As the master martial artist, can he tame the most unbeatable overpowered human Momoyo?

    Tags: sm*t, harem,edy, action, finding his point of living

    [Reincarnated in the world''s end harem] - Mc gets reincarnated in the world''s end harem and fucks everyone. That''s it. Yes. That''s it.

    Tags: sm*t, harem

    [Mieruko-chan and her hell prince] - Mieruko, a young woman who unlike other people, could see the paranormal...the ghosts were scary...and she almost fell victim because she identally looked at one, if it wasn''t for the handsome man who proimed himself to be the prince of hell. A female main character romance story between the beauty and the beast.

    Tags: romance, slight sm*t, female main character, love

    [Obelisk of Legends] - a League of legends fanfic featuring SSS ss sucide hunter style without dying, mixed with climbing the tower. Mc is knowledgeable about the game that became real life.

    Tags'' sm*t, harem, smart protagonist, overpowered protagonist, romance

    [Abysstaker: This Beelzebub is simply too unreasonable!] - a helltaker fanfic with mc who idently stepped into the portal of the void...or did he? Meeting the entric Beelzebub who hadn''t had a contact with anyone for years and things be quickly awkward.

    Tags: romance, harem, slight sm*tter, tired of living mc

    [Niselcoi: I Refuse This Ending and Substitute My Own! ] - after getting an unsavory conclusion to the manga he was reading, he dies in an ne crash and gets reincarnated as the main character. His goal is now to get all of the girls to like him.

    Tags'' harem, sm*tter,edy, scheming protagonist

    [Konosuba: My First Friend Became My Lover] - mc dies and gets reincarnated to the world of konosuba. Meets aqua and choses a special power. Meets Yun-Yun and they somehow immediately click Aqua will not be present in the story much. Party will be mc, Chris, darkness, megumin and Yun-Yun.

    Tags: romance, sm*t, harem or just Yun-Yun still undecided more leaning towards harem

    SSSOriginal Novels$SS

    [ Search & Destroy] - A young man around 15 years old is a part of a Deep Web organization called Search & Destroy that helps with the needs of their clients. Those needs being sexuaL As prostitution in Japan is illegal, in order to earn good money, he was forced to join the organization and work as a pr*stitute in secret. Each week a couple of tasks arrived and he could choose whether he would respond to earn himself some money to feed himself and his little brother who''s suffering from trauma, or to starve.

    Tags: Smut, deep plot, goal driven protagonist, slight romance, school

    [I was a soldier] - Wars ruined the world. As one of thest surviving humans, fighting in the war, he watches as civilians around him turn into bloodied mess. He loses all purpose to live, and as he''s on the brink of death, an angel and a devil appears before him, asking him whether he would sell his souL He thought it was a hallucination so he agreed as he was about to die anyway. Failing to save his own world, he''s duty bound to save a world simr to his own.

    Tags'' Re zero ability return by death, monsters, another world, no romance, soldier mc

    [One Wish Is All Is Takes] - a young man with depression, talks about depression, and wants to die. Unfortunately he has a special ability that makes it so he''s unable to die no matter how many times he kills himself. And so he created his own website where he rates all of the possible ways someone can kill themselves. From painless to the most disturbing death, helping thousands of people out of the world to eithermit suicide the best way, or to change their mind aboutmitting it.

    Tags'' depression, su*cide, g*re, pain, no happy ending

    [ Self-indulgent life with my horny and curious sisters] - mc and five of his sisters feel attracted towards each other in away they shouldn''t. This fic will not only be full of smut, it will also showcase the struggles incestuous rtionship have that not many are aware of.

    Tags: i*cest, harem, sm*t, family drama, school life, slice of life

    [I Scored Twins] - A young man enters puberty and soon starts to realize two of his childhood friends are gorgeous. He likes them both but is afraid to approach either in fear of being rejected or ruining their three-way friendship they''ve built together for so long, and he doesn''t want any of them to be sad. Eventually it turns out, both of his twin friends are in low with him and had agreed to share everything with him. And so it was decided he would be dating them both. Story full of love, excitement, and newfound knowledge regarding first love and its wonderful awkward moments.

    Tags: harem, sm*t, romance, fluffy vani, small family drama

 Chapter 297: Women Can Enjoy It Too

    The atmosphere at the tavern became lively once again thanks to the arrival of the new customers��as expected, everyone who was drinking there knew that this was the highest quality tavern in Mondstadt.

    Of course, Cat''s Tail was their rival, but it was only newly established and they didn''t have nearly enough customers yet.

    Though the fact that customers could y with cats whenever they wanted for free made it an extremely popr establishment.

    It''s been quite a few hours since the three of them arrived, and Kaeya had already finished six sses of wine by now, so he decided to go take a break outside to enjoy the breeze as he sat on a wooden chair on balcony, facing the streets below.

    Diluc disliked the taste of any alcohol, so he simply left to brew more honey tea after he finished drinking his old cup.

    Yomite had a couple of beer mugs but nothing else. He didn''t wish to get drunk today.

    Rosaria on the other hand, was something akin to a monster; she had emptied around thirty sses of wine at this point and kept getting more refilled every single time.

    The interesting part was that she didn''t seem tipsy or anything, her senses were still intact despite how much wine she consumed. It was as if she was immune from its effects.

    "You sure like your wine, huh?"

    "Indeed...wine is wonderful," Rosaria replied with a cold expression before continuing to sip it slowly as if savoring the vor, "I love its taste. It tastes like blood."

    "..."

    "..."

    "Ehm...eh...I...guess? I don''t know... I don''t really drink blood..." Yomite fumbled over his words as he sipped on his beer mug of light-brown liquid.

    Rosaria narrowed her eyes at Yomite''s reaction and sighed, "I was kidding. This is why I can''t socialize... I''m just...not right in the head." She paused for a moment and then added, "...But you are pretty amusing yourself. You''re talking to a person who attacked you a few hours prior yet have noints about what happened back then after getting the Mora from me."

    "...Well, that''s the thing. I got the Mora, and it''s not like I was in any real danger since you''re way weaker than me. If it came down to it, I would''ve beaten you without hesitation." Yomite chuckled while gulping down his beer. The alcohol was taking effect now and he felt slightly tipsy already. That was the sign to stop drinking.

    "Weaker than you...huh...that stings."

    "So, why did you attack me in the first ce? You said you wanted to gauge my strength, but why?"

    "What, you want to hear an honest answer from me?"

    "Well, ye?"

    "I''m not drunk yet. Maybe I''ll tell you after a couple more sses. Right now, I don''t feel like opening up yet," Rosaria replied nonchntly before stealing Yomite''s fresh beer mug with her hand.

    "A cold beer hits the spot." she eximed as she drank it all at once before mming the empty mug on the wooden table with force as if she was trying to break it into pieces.

    "Hey...that was mine you know? I paid for it..."

    She let out a burp and turned towards him.

    "Paid for it? You paid for it with the money you stole from me. So be d that the only thing I''m doing is stealing the beer and not taking your life."

    She licked the white beer foam stuck to her lips, still wearing that same nk expression, "I told you I wasn''t right in the head, you know. Now go and refill it for me, I hate waiting."

    "...Fine, fine. I wanted to get a refill for myself anyway." Yomite got up from his chair and went downstairs to order some more beer.

    "Despite losing in one hit, she sure is cocky..." he mumbled on the way down.

    "I heard that. It still hurts and I''m holding you ountable."

    "Yeah, yeah, and me, as the good gentleman, will dly do this small inconvenience as a payment of hurting you before."

    "Hmph." Rosaria crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared at his back while he was walking away down the stairs, but then something caught her attention��her eyesnded on his backside covered by the leather pants he was wearing.

    Rosaria took another sip of the remaining wine while gazing at his butt with interest. "Well...despite the cheeky attitude...he does have nice curves at least." She muttered to herself.

    "See something you like? Should I hook you up with my lil bro?" Kaeya joked loudly from behind, "I''ll have you know, he has a lot of women already though, so unlike you, he''s quite experienced."

    Rosaria ignored him as she continued staring intently at Yomite''s rear as if it was a rare work of art.

    "You''re drunk, Kaeya. I''m merely observing. Do you think men are the only ones who can appreciate sexiness?"

    "Aren''t you emotionless though? I thought you were pretty cold...or could it be...did Deaconess Barbara affect you too much in the head already? You''ve been spending some time with hertely, right?"

    "...That is...none of your business," Rosaria replied bluntly, "Leave her out of this."

    "Hoh, could it be the reason you attacked him was because...Heh...Oh well, none of my business...I think I''m done for today. I need to meet up with my girlfriendter anyway." Kaeya got up from his seat and sneaked towards the exit, leaving without paying, "See ya."

    "Later. Do trip on the way down. It would do me a huge favor."

    "That''s not funny~"

 Chapter 298: Being Forced Into A Backstory Sequence, By A Hot Goth Nun

    ***

    Soon enough, Yomite returned with two beer mugs, one for himself and one for Rosaria, but soon noticed Kaeya was missing, and frowned upon seeing the empty chair on the balcony.

    "I guess the sneaky fox left...He didn''t even say goodbye. Nor did he pay!? What a bastard!" Yomite grumbled as he raised his beer in salute to his friend''s departing back. "A great brother indeed," he added.

    "What a bore. He was just talking about how he had a date nned after all that alcohol." Rosaria rolled her eyes as she took the mug from Yomite''s hands, "Either way, thanks for the beer." She raised it and clinked her mug against his, before downing half of its contents at once.

    "We''ll have a conversation when I drink more of it. I''ll tell you my story."

    "Nah, I''m good. I''m not really interested."

    "I said I''ll tell you my story. If you refuse to listen to my tale, I''ll force you to hear my side through pain."

    "..."

    Was he being threatened into listening to someone''s backstory? Was this real life?

    Rosaria gulped the remaining half in one go and let out another satisfying burp, "This is the life~"

    She sighed deeply with a contented expression, her tongue poking through the corner of her mouth, which gave off an obscene look when she licked the foam stuck to her lips.

    It was hard not to stare at her like this; there was no doubt in his mind that tongue action like this would be highly arousing to any male''s thoughts.

    "You sure make...an interesting expression when you drink like this..."

    "Hm? What do you mean? Does it seem disgusting that a woman is enjoying a beer like a man would? I was raised to not waste food and drinks, and to enjoy them while theysted."

    "No...I think it suits you really well...like an attractive cold woman. It seems fitting for you since you''re good looking."

    "...I see. That was the first time somebody told me I''m ''good-looking''. Usually, people are afraid to even look at me." Rosaria looked straight at him with those dead fish eyes and said, "Thanks though. You''ve got an insignificant plus from me for that remark."

    "Well, I was simply stating a fact. I guess alcohol can loosen my lips sometimes. But I wonder about you, do you never get drunk at all? You drank so much wine, and even mixed it with beer. I''m not that strong when ites to alcohol."

    He had seen how strong Rosaria could drink, but he still couldn''t believe that she could take such massive amounts of alcohol without showing any signs of intoxication whatsoever.

    "I can get drunk, but I would never allow myself be vulnerable in public, I''m not an idiot. Mondstadt is a peaceful city, but that doesn''t mean people wouldn''t take advantage of you on a whim. Then again, I''m so ugly and terrifying they might stay away rather than try something." She stared back nkly before continuing, "Either way...you asked me before what my reason was for attacking you earlier today. It was because I wanted to know your true strength, and also whether you would be able to protect...Barbara."

    "You know Barbara? Oh, right. You work in the same church as her. My bad."

    "Precisely. I don''t know what it is about the girl herself, but thess has quite the impressive power in her that can brighten the day of even someone like me," she replied while looking at the ceiling.

    "I used to dislike her a lot, simply because she was annoying and always nagged me when I ditched choir lessons. Butter on, when we started spending time together, I grew curious about her...and now, even though I don''t recognize this sensation...I assume I deeply care about her. It''s a bit strange." Rosaria closed her eyes slowly, seemingly lost in thought for a moment.

    When she opened them again, her face regained its usual emotionless expression, "Anyway, you were the only thing she ever talked about with me during our first few weeks spent together. She would often talk about how you saved her life and she made a miraculous recovery all thanks to you."

    "Well, I don''t mean to brag, but I''m quite well known in Mondstadt for that, so wouldn''t the reputation be enough for you? Same for the dragon. Why did you attack me even after all of that?"

    Rosaria shook her head lightly before exining, "Rumors and reputation is usually exaggerated by those who heard of it from others...but there are many things that cannot be fabricated easily or hidden entirely...such as your strength which I came to personally experience."

    The way she spoke sounded genuine; the kind that waspletelycking in sarcasm or pretentiousness. The tone of her voice also gave off an aura of sincerity��a convincing exnation to back up what she said. If anything, she was being overly cautious in hiding her emotions.

    "Anyway, as you''re the first person to ever call me a gorgeous beauty, I want to know what you like about me."

    "..."

    ''I never called her that...I called her good looking...where did this "gorgeous beauty"e from?'' Yomite wanted to say something, but ended up remaining silent regarding that.

    Sometimes, it was better to just stay silent...

    "Why are you interested in it all of a sudden? I just like what I see."

    "Just answer the damn question." Rosaria leaned closer and ced one hand on his shoulder, "Tell me why you think I''m beautiful and then we can move on to talk about another topic without you, losing your neck...we shall talk about my past next. You have no choice. You hurt me badly today. This would be my revenge."

    ''This woman...is she actually drunk atst? What happened to not being vulnerable in public, huh!? She''s not going to attack me here, right?'' Yomite swallowed hard upon seeing how close her lips were getting to him.

    He could smell the strong scent of booze emanating from her mouth, yet she smelled rather attractive too��a mixture of sweet scent, alcohol and cigarettes mixed together into the perfect fragrance for her personality.

    He didn''t know she was a smoker, but he could smell something simr to a cigarette. In the end, it was abination that suited her well.

 Chapter 299: Vampires Have Feelings Too!

    ***

    "So go on, tell me why I''m attractive in your eyes." She was listening with a certain impatience. "I''ve tried my best to be amodating��and you''re making it difficult for me by being so stubborn and quiet. Are you perhaps embarrassed?"

    "Well, I''m not the one who shies away from givingpliments to women, so if you really want to know...I Iike the way you dress. The gothic style is definitely different than what most people wear, but it fits you well. Also, this might seem a bit weird, but your skin color is...very pleasing to the eyes. I love it. Plus, you have gigantic breasts too so it''s hard to not be attracted to you as huge natural breasts equals a win," he admitted bluntly after thinking over every detail of her body until now.

    It was weird since he was speaking to a stranger, but it felt natural to do so due to alcohol''s effect on the mind. Alcohol did wonders, after all.

    "Myplexion...what do you mean?" She inquired while looking down at herself in bewilderment. She could understand being attracted to her figure, but her skin tone? That was ridiculous. Everyone told her she looked disgusting and terrifying.

    Her ghostly pale grey skin had an unusual hue to it��the exact same tone as a white pebble that fell into mud or y��it was also simr in fact to the flesh of a dead fish that had been left out in the sun all day long, and was also the main reason why everyone was afraid to approach her, not counting her cold attitude.

    To them, she looked like a zombie, or a vampire, creatures that brought terror among humans, and while she wasn''t any of those two options, she didn''t deny either as she was toozy to argue.

    Yet this man was telling her he loved it? That seemed quite ridiculous.

    "...Surely you jest. Do I look like a human to you? With this skin color? You''re making fun of me now, it''s dirty. Go and fetch me another beer. I would much rather drink than listen to the bullshit you spout."

    "Not at all. In fact...it makes you more beautiful. I think it fits your whole cold persona. If you were a character in a novel for example, with a few illustrations, fans would dig you for sure. A cold beauty everyone''s afraid of, until finally, she meets someone that isn''t afraid of her and warms up to him. It''s a popr cliche that people all around the world love."

    When being drunk, Yomite usually said whatever was on his mind...this time, even going as far as to imagine Rosaria as a character in a book he was reviewing...

    Well, he was telling the truth at least.

    "..."

    Rosaria''s eyes widened slightly before returning to their usual lifeless stare.

    "...You''re joking...aren''t you? I''m like a zombie, or a vampire from those old stories to scare children who do not listen to their parents... There''s nothing ''nice'' about my appearance, got it?"

    Yomite couldn''t help but smile back at her, "I promise, I''m not joking, if I didn''t already have women I love, and didn''t put a certain set of rules for myself to not go overboard with collecting women, I may have already asked you out on a date right now. I''m quite interested in you if we go by looks only. You''re indeed as gorgeous as you''ve said."

    "..."

    Rosaria said nothing else.

    "Oh, collecting women...that does sound a bit iffy..." He just realized.

    There was something off about the way she looked at him. It was as though she was trying to hide her expressions through the restlessness of her facial muscles.

    "What? Are you upset? Rosaria?"

    "..."

    "...Rosaria?"

    "..."

    Rosaria slowly took her hand off of his shoulder and turned her face away while whispering quietly, "Don''t be stupid..."

    He noticed her shoulders shudder after her quietment and her face turned red as a tomato��but she still remained expressionless as ever, though there was now the slightest of blushes visible on her pale cheeks.

    "I''m only telling you the truth."

    "You''re...you''re...so unbelievably...!" She seemed to be mumbling something under her breath again; either way, he couldn''t hear what it was.

    She stared at him with dead eyes and a scowl that seemed to express disgust for his very existence.

    A scowl that screamed, ''this guy is an idiot with nomon sense and wants to die horribly.''

    And yet, her gaze was also filled with a hesitation, a bit of uncertainty regarding what he just said.

    Was it possible that she was actually considering his words?

    Was he not lying to her about her hideous skin? Could he actually like it? What was his goal?

    "How...How dare you...How dare you say such words to me..."

    "They''re nothing to be ashamed of, you know? I''m just stating the facts. I think you''re truly gorgeous and I find you attractive. I don''t think anyone should have a problem saying someone''s beautiful when they feel that way. At least I don''t find it embarrassing."

    Yomite wondered what this woman felt inside since he never got to see any genuine emotions out of her until now; this wasn''t normal at all. She must have had some sort of trauma that turned her emotionless.

    A half of him didn''t feel like listening to anyone''s backstory, but the other half of him, the book reviewer half that emerged on the surface was greatly interested in her as a character with potential for further character growth.

    To others, Rosaria always had that stiff mask of a face with no emotion to it, yet he could tell how surprised she really was at hearing thatpliment and confession just now.

    Her ears turned scarlet and her lips quivered unnaturally, and she bit them softly several times upon realizing it.

    It was so strange. It was so different from how she usually acted.

    ''Am I stupid? Why is my body reacting this way?'' Rosaria wondered as her heart pounded within her chest.

    She had never been attracted to anyone before and certainly never felt any physical reactions towards anyone, yet when she touched his shoulder earlier, and received those pleasantpliments, she suddenly felt a deep warmth from this man.

    "You don''t need to be embarrassed. You''re absolutely stunning." He continued.

    "Shut up! Shut up, shut up, you idiot! I''m telling you to stop talking to me you jerk!" she shouted, her voice reverberating throughout the pub, instantly silencing everyone.

    Rosaria covered her face with both of her hands. Her face was so bright red it seemed as if it was never grey to begin with.

    Why did he have to say that? How was he able to say something like that without feeling embarrassed?

    "Nah, you''re wrong. I think you''re extremely attractive. In fact, I think you''re one of the prettiest women I''ve ever seen."

    "..."

    There it was. The finishing blow.

    His attempt to push her buttons had worked perfectly.

    This was exactly what he was hoping for. It was clear he was doing everything to get her flustered and irritated, thus giving him the chance to tease her further��which he happily epted with his next words, "You look good in ck, I like that gothic nun look. Maybe you''d look even better naked?"

    ".....Shameless...bastard..." she murmured quietly.

    There seemed to be so much hidden behind those dead fish eyes of hers that one wouldn''t know unless they saw it themselves firsthand.

    "Nah, but for real. I''m really curious about your skin. Is it just a part of your skin that''s so beautifully grey, or is your whole body made up of that shade?"

    "....!!"

    She could barely believe what she was hearing. This man was truly shameless and he clearly enjoyed teasing her as much as he could.

    However...Being treated as a woman for the first time in her twenty-four years of life made her heart pound as fast as a rabbit''s running pace for some reason.

    "Umm, you look rather red, are you okay? Rosaria? Should I get you more beer? Or do you like wine more? I doubt a fewpliments could make you feel something, right?"

    "...Just die already!"

    Rosaria swiftly stood up, ran downstairs, paid for all of the alcohol herself and left the pub without saying another word.

    The drunkards downstairs looked at each other in disbelief, as if they''d seen a ghost.

    "Was is truly ''that'' Rosaria...?"

    "I''ve never seen her so flustered....I wonder what happened. She''s usually so quiet..."

    "It seems like she was on the verge of tears..."

    Yomite looked down and waved at the people.

    ''...Woah, I didn''t think anyone could get embarrassed enough like this...much less her. I barely even spoke a few sentences...and shepletely broke down and ran away... I shouldn''t have gone so far with my teasing...well, at least she paid for the alcohol. That''s good manners alright. She''s a good person. Anyway...I went overboard asking her to strip naked. Stupid alcohol.''

    He kept on forgetting that women of this world were very different from those in the modern era. They were weak and fragile creatures, that would get embarrassed at the slightest hint of physical contact or pleasantry.

    Rosaria was wild and cold, yet she was still a woman, and Yomite had unintentionally crossed a line that made her show an emotion she never felt.

    The harem archetype of the hero from another world, gathering women around himself without any trouble and having sex with them whenever he pleased, did fit him perfectly after all.

 Chapter 300: The Power of Love...and Profit

    ***

    "What was that about?" Diluc walked upstairs with his honey tea which was finally ready to drink. "I don''t think I''ve ever seen that kind of expression on Rosaria''s face before...you didn''t touch her anywhere weird or inappropriate, right? We don''t condone such behavior here."

    "Of course not...who do you take me for...I wouldn''t do so without consent...I just told her I liked her skin and she kind of...flipped out and ran away..."

    "Her skin? You like her skin? I feel like that''s something a pervert would say...Then again...perhaps she was happy? I remember that one time, someone from the Fatui mentioned her skin tone looking like decayed flesh...and she heard it...I witnessed the scene, and let''s say, it was the first time in my life that I found out human limbs could bend so unnaturally, and turn into other kinds of contortions."

    Diluc chuckled, clearly amused at his own story, "She''s quite merciless to the Fatui, and I respect her for that. Regardless, there was something I wish to talk to you privately about, but I couldn''t since Kaeya and Rosaria were here."

    "Oh yeah? What is it? Is it perhaps about some love advice? Kaeya keeps on bothering metely...but nah, it''s you...I doubt that''s the case..."

    "..."

    Diluc''s expression froze for a second, but quickly resumed to normal. This however, didn''t go unnoticed by Yomite who raised an eyebrow.

    "...Wait...really?"

    Diluc nodded in response. "Yes...that''s exactly why I wanted to speak to you privately."

    "Well I certainly didn''t expect to hear this from you...so who is the lucky gal?" Yomite couldn''t hide his grin, yet he still tried his best to maintain a poker face.

    Diluc sighed deeply, "You know, I really don''t want to tell you now... either way...it''s my head maid. You''ve met her a couple of times...she''s given me so many hints about how she feels, that she would think I''m an idiot if I kept ignoring her. She''s been taking care of me ever since I was born. Please, just keep it between us and don''t say a word to Kaeya," Diluc pleaded with him with desperation in his eyes��which was strange for a man as strong willed as himself.

    "Sure, so what''s the matter?" Yomite asked back curiously. He never expected this kind of confession out of him.

    Diluc looked around before leaning forward while whispering, "I''m nning on rejecting her and I want to know how. It''s important enough that I have no choice but to do so, but I feel awful about doing it."

    "Reject her? Why would you want to reject a woman that likes you? Not to mention, the headmaid looked quite adorable. Is she not your type?" Yomite inquired.

    Most men wanted to feel the touch of women more than anything else; they felt empty when they didn''t getid once every few days at least, much less years without any action whatsoever.

    And here he was, Diluc Ragnvindr, rejecting a cute woman who obviously loved him? An eternal virgin.

    That was quite strange.

    "It''s not about type...she''s beautiful...I''m currently...not looking for anyone. I cannot risk falling in love with someone, or else they might get used as a bargain chip against me. You need to understand that...There''s people out there, who wish for my death like a prayer every time they go to bed. They won''t stop until I die."

    "..."

    "People are jealous of my wealth and winery, and because of that they wish to destroy my legacy, which is why I must remain alert at all times. Then there is Fatui too. I bet they consider me a huge thorn in their foot."

    "Well it makes sense. Then again, you could keep it a secret and just not tell anyone about you two."

    "No...that''s a terrible idea. People would end up gossiping about it, and it would be all over the ce soon enough. Walls have ears, and I can''t risk any leaks. The only thing I can do is stay alone and hope they wouldn''t care about insignificant maids, but focus their whole attention on me instead."

    "You''re a really good guy if you thought about all of this. Just to be clear, how old are you two?" Yomite asked.

    "I don''t know how old I am. I stopped counting, but it should be early twenties, same as Kaeya. And Adelinde is thirty-three."

    "Thirty-three? Are you joking? When I saw her she looked to be around neen...or at most twenty."

    "Adelinde was with me ever since I was born. She started working in the manor when she was thirteen, and became my personal maid when I was five. She''s been with me my entire life, and knows me better than anyone else does. The fact she feels like that towards me means a lot to me," Diluc exined.

    "Well to me it seems that you care about her a lot. The fact that you don''t even remember your own birthday, yet you remember hers, tells a lot."

    "Yeah...I suppose," Diluc scratched his cheek awkwardly, "But it would be too dangerous to be with her...as much as I''d like to...it would lead to nothing but trouble."

    "Oh? So you would like to?" Yomite teased him.

    "No, I mean...I meant that...well, it would be too dangerous for her. I can''t risk having her harmed or kidnapped because of me." Diluc exined slowly, a bit self-conscious.

    "So you''re worried about her well-being."

    "Of course..."

    "Then you love her!"

    "..."

    Diluc fell silent at this.

    This was the first time Yomite had ever seen Diluc act so awkward, and he was enjoying every second if it.

    "If you''re willing to protect someone that much, then by all means, you hold them dear. In my opinion, you should tell her exactly what you just told me. Tell her you love her but you''re afraid for her safety, and wish to avoid getting her involved in any of this. And let her decide. She''s a grown woman, she can decide for herself whether her love is enough to risk her life for."

    "...I am not the happiest with your idea, but you do make sense that this should be discussed between the two of us. I have no right to decide for her...Alright. I''ll do as you said and talk to her once I get back home..."

    "Not a problem, just go and buy her some chocte and flowers on the way. I bet she would be happy. Most men think flowers are pointless to give away as a gift, as they wither too fast, but it''s the kind gesture that counts. Remember that."

    "Will do. Well then, this day was hectic but I do hope you enjoyed yourself in the pub after a long time. We will see each otherter."

    Diluc bid farewell to Yomite, who just smiled awkwardly and waved back.

    The reason why he smiled awkwardly was simple...

    "Adelinde set me up...but twenty million Mora as a payment was enough for me to convince him...sorry Diluc, she really, really loves you way too much...ten or so year age gap didn''t stop her."

    Roughly two weeks ago, Yomite was visiting Diluc''s mansion, and he made a nasty deal with Adelinde...to lure Diluc into her "Love Clutches"

    A deal with a cute devil.

    "Sheesh...women of this world are scary...good luck...brother."

    It wasn''t that he was selling him out...he just wished the "best" for his adoptive older brother.

 Chapter 301: Dilucs Past

    ***

    Roughly two weeks ago, Yomite was visiting Diluc''s mansion, and he made a nasty deal with Adelinde...to lure Diluc into her "Love Clutches"

    A deal with a cute devil...

    *

    **

    ***

    "Wee Master Yomite, I''m d you visit us so often. Master Diluc is equally as happy I bet." the voice was feminine, high pitched and sweet, as if the owner of it had an addiction for sugar or some sort of sweet tooth.

    The maid who spoke to Yomite appeared to be a young woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She wore the typical maid outfit, consisting of a ck and white dress.

    The attire wasn''t particrly fancy but it certainly was professional looking and Yomite was all for hot maids in his book. After all, there were plenty of reasons why he enjoyed spending time at Diluc''s mansion. One of them being that he hired many attractive women dressed as maids to serve him.

    And while he would never approach any of those girls since he wasn''t the same he used to be back on Earth, he could always enjoy their presence from afar and watch how diligently they worked their sweat.

    "Adelinde, I''m d to be back here. Diluc is starting to be one of my favorite people to spend time with," Yomite greeted the Head Housemaid who weed him and led him to the guest room where he''d been staying before.

    "I see, then I am happy you feelfortable here. Master Diluc seems to have taken a liking to you as well, he has invited you to stay over several times now," Adelinde replied with a smile, however her expression became somewhat serious after she looked at Yomite''s face.

    "Master Yomite, may I please speak with you privately for a moment?" Adelinde asked in a quiet, almost worried tone.

    Yomite nodded, "Sure, what do you need? Is something wrong? Just ask away."

    "Yes, it''s regarding Master Diluc. You see..." Adelinde hesitated for a moment, ncing from side to side to make sure no-one else was nearby. If some maid overheard her, there would be trouble.

    Finally, after making sure they were alone, Adelinde whispered in a low voice, "...I''m actually...in love with Master Diluc. He''s kind and gentle, and just as handsome," Adelinde confessed to Yomite with a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

    "...Ehm, I see..." Yomite stammered, confused as to why she was telling him all of this.

    He didn''t know how to react to hearing this news, especially not from Adelinde herself.

    She was a maid of Diluc, a maid Diluc was rather close to, and he thought it was more of looking up to a motherly figure, yet it seemed there was some interesting development here.

    "So...what exactly do you want from me? I mean, if you love him, just tell him? Why did youe to talk to me about this? Shouldn''t you go to Diluc directly and confess your feelings?" Yomite asked in confusion.

    "Yes, that''s what I wanted to do, but I know Master Diluc better than anyone...Ever since he lost...his father, Master Crepus, he was never the same. He pursued the life of loneliness, hiding from the world in a secluded mansion... It''s like...he''s dead inside, but I know he''s not! If someone were to approach him with love, he wouldn''t ept it. So instead, I came to you..." Adelinde exined, her cheeks still flushed red.

    "Wait, what happened to his father, if I may? He never told me much about himself."

    "...Master Diluc''s father...he lost his life while protecting him...a horrific monster attacked the transport fleet Master Diluc and Master Crepus were traveling with. The beast was powerful enough to wipe out an entire squad of knights..." Adelinde answered, her voice bing sadder when speaking of the incident.

    There was no time for Diluc to send for help. The monster was stronger than any foe the young Cavalry Captain had ever encountered, and overpowered him.

    Ursa the drake, a creature that gued Mondstadt for over a thousand years appeared right in front of the carriage. Carnage ensued, but Diluc''s father managed to save his son by sacrificing himself.

    "With a heavy heart, Master Diluc returned to the Knights'' headquarters, only to receive an unthinkable order from a man named Eroch. A man who ruined Master Diluc''s life. He ordered Master Diluc to conceal the truth about the incident for his own profit..." Adelinde continued, her voice growing colder as she spoke, "The Knights of Favonius back then were full of corruption and people who only thought of their benefit, safe for a few."

    "This is a lot to take in..." Yomite replied, feeling somewhat sick to his stomach as he listened to Adelinde''s story.

    Betrayal and corruption were one of his most disliked genres in books, and knowing his friend had to go through that was not a pleasant thought.

    He was beginning to understand why Diluc was so reserved, why he kept to himself and refused to let anyone close.

    He was hurt, deep down, and although Yomite hadn''t experienced anything simr, he could imagine how awful it must have felt.

    And as Adelinde continued with her story, things got even worse.

    Inspector Eroch insisted that the incident must have been portrayed as an "unfortunate ident" in order to maintain the reputation of the Knights of Favonius in the eyes of the public.

    Such was the sheer outrageousness of this request that Diluc did not think it was even worth trying to argue.

    Adelinde once overheard Diluc''s father tell his son that the world would never turn its back on the faithful.

    But then, right after his death, the Knights of Favonius trampled on his faith like it was nothing.

    Diluc resigned from the Knights that day and left everything behind, including his Vision, which waster returned to him by Kaeya.

    He then swore to avenge his father''s death, and to find the source of that ult power which had caused his father''s demise.

    "Master Diluc spent months travelling all across the seven nations of Teyvat in search of the truth. All clues pointed toward a behemoth of an organization... I''m sure you''re already well acquinted with them, the Fatui."

    "That''s right, we''ve met them quite often while exploring the world and they always went ahead to pick a fight with us. It was as if they received some sort of order to get rid of us..." Yomite nodded, recalling his fight with Childe.

    The vision he saw in Liyue, the vision of his death by the hands of Childe made him realize he was still weak and not prepared enough, hence why his n further down the road was to make Lisa teach him and make him stronger that way.

    "...Master Diluc then learned that the Fatui made counterfeit Visions in secret, calling them ''Delusions.'' I don''t know much, but I heard from him that a Delusion could amplify the power of its bearer to its extreme, but also carried the risk of backfiring...That was what had caused Master Crepus'' death..." Adelinde exined, her voice bing quieter with each word.

    ''Delusions? Did Childe have something like that? I don''t believe he used it against me...''

    Yomite''s brow furrowed upon hearing this.

    "The Fatui are more annoying than I thought...They really sound like the viins in some endgame story arc," he muttered.

    "Yes, unfortunately they''re quite dangerous. Especially their lieutenants, also called Harbingers. Master Diluc encountered a few of them, and from his words, each individual is capable of annihting a nation by themselves." Adelinde added grimly.

    Yomite sighed, the Fatui were annoying, but eliminating them from their roots would be close to impossible. At least for now. It seemed as though their troops were endless, quite powerful too...

    ''From what I remember, their leader "Tsaritsa" is an Archon, and due to Snezhnaya nation beingrge, it also means she must have a lot of believers which increases her power...at least from what Venti told me, the more people believed in their Archon, the stronger they got.''

    A rtively simple process of faith turning into the source of power.

    Precisely because of this, Venti was quite weakpared to other Archons, as he never restricted the people of Mondstadt in any way, and as the years passed, less and less people still believed in him, while someone like Zhongli, appeared before their people every year and even made currency called Mora from his own blood.

    ''No wonder he was so strong...''

    "So then, your whole point is that Diluc is always alone, and you want to shoulder things together with him?" Yomite concluded.

    Adelinde nodded, "Yes, I want to be there for him, support him, love him." She eximed, her face brightening up, "I''ll try to leave some subtle hints so he would notice. As Master Diluc was never with a woman before and has no one but you to turn to, I believe he would go and talk to you about it soon."

    "That''s...an evil n," Yomiteughed, "If you want to make it work, you should probably start by getting closer to him. Maybe flirt a little. He is pretty dense when ites to stuff like this."

    "Yes...I will..." Adelinde agreed, taking a deep breath.

    Yomite watched her for a moment, admiring her beauty before speaking, "...Well, you have what it takes I''m sure. Just give him some time to open up to you. And don''t forget to get closer to him in general. Start talking to him more, touch him more often, either on his arm or hand. He will eventually start noticing."

    Adelinde blushed slightly at hearing him suggest such things, but she quickly recovered, "Thank you, Master Yomite. I will keep that in mind. Here, take this."

    She pointed towards arge crate hidden under the bed.

    "Hmm? What''s this?" Yomite asked, curious.

    "It''s payment for helping me. I didn''t know where to put all of the Mora, so I put it there." Adelinde smiled, "You might want to use it to buy some new furniture for your new mansion. There is approximately 20 million Mora inside. It''s all of my savings, I won''t be needing it anymore if I end up marrying Master Diluc...and if that doesn''t work then...well, I still work for him, and I live here as well, so I don''t really need any of the money either way."

    "20 million? ...That''s a lot." Yomite eximed in surprise.

    A part of Yomite wanted to refuse the money since he considered what he did to be nothing special, but it was indeed a lot of Mora...and gifts weren''t to be refused...

    So instead of refusing, he epted it and became her partner in crime.

    And so, 20 million Mora was obtained without a hitch.

    Seducing Diluc was a task that would require more than just charm however.

    The man was truly hurt inside, and having someone approach him with love would probably send him into a panic mode.

    At least, that was what Yomite thought and agreed on with Adelinde.

 Chapter 302: A New Stalker

    Shortly after Rosaria left the pub, all annoyed and put out, she found her favorite spot atop one of the mills in town. From there, she could look down on the whole city and see everything that was going on.

    After the encounter with the weirdo called Yomite, she had a lot to think about, but first things first��she needed a smoke.

    Searching her nun''s habit for a cigarette was hard enough when she was wearing it; her pockets were quite small and didn''t have much room to store anything. But with a little bit of effort, she managed to retrieve one from the depths of her habit, though it took a while to find.

    When she finally did, she lit it up with a nearbyntern which was burning bright whether it was during the day or night and inhaled deeply. The pleasant smell of a ze Lili spread through her lungs as she savored the momentary relief from the stress.

    As tobo didn''t exist in this world, people found other ways to make their lungs feel better by using all kinds of herbs instead. One such method was smoking a ze Lili, a tradition that was handed down from generation to generation until it became a daily activity for some people.

    The only thing Rosaria ever looked forward to was drinking and smoking.

    She''d grown so ustomed to doing both every single day that they had be a part of who she was.

    There was nothing like smoking to calm her nerves and take away her worries. It helped to clear her head and think straight. And while it wasn''t particrly healthy, at least it didn''t lead to any major illnesses.

    She took a huge puff off the cigarette and blew it into the wind.

    Smoke wafted up before gently floating up into the sky.

    "...That jerk. How can he say something like that?"

    Rosaria was looking down on the city from her vantage point high above the ground. She couldn''t believe what had happened.

    What was Yomite thinking? Saying that kind of stuff to her?

    That he liked her skin.

    That she was pretty...

    No, not just pretty��gorgeous...He even said she was beautiful...

    He''dplimented her without any care in the world.

    It made no sense whatsoever.

    Why would someonepliment her like that?

    "I''m sorry, but it''s true," Rosaria muttered to herself. "Your skin really is beautiful..."

    His words echoed across the empty mill.

    She couldn''t believe that someone like him, someone who was aplete stranger, could say that to her.

    He must''ve been drunk.

    Maybe he was just being nice. Maybe he felt guilty because he''d kicked her crotch prior.

    Whatever the case, it still didn''t change the fact that he''d said those things.

    And now she was left thinking about why he''d said them.

    "Tch. What a drag."

    She didn''t know what to do next.

    All she knew was that she wanted to give him a piece of her mind. And then maybe she''d beat his ass.

    But that wasn''t possible...even now, she ran way from him simply because she could no longer listen to his sweet words.

    In the end, he hadn''t given her any reason to hate him. In fact, he was incredibly kind to her. So, if she was really honest with herself, she couldn''t bring herself to want to hurt him.

    "Fuck. I wish he''d never said anything at all. I shouldn''t have attacked him..."

    Rosaria sighed deeply and closed her eyes. She took another deep drag of her cigarette, but she wasn''t able to enjoy the taste this time around.

    She''d lost her appetite.

    Her thoughts were clouded, and she was unable to think clearly.

    "Damn it!"

    Thinking back on it now, perhaps she''d been a bit too harsh with him...

    She didn''t understand why she hadshed out at him like that.

    Why was she so angry?

    Because heplimented her? That made no sense!

    It was ridiculous. There was no need for her to be pissed off over that.

    So why did she feel so upset?

    Perhaps because he''d made her feel good...?

    Maybe she''d gotten so used to being ignored and treated poorly by everyone that it was hard for her to ept any praise orpliments.

    It was possible that she''d taken offense to Yomite''s words because she was afraid that if she allowed him to treat her nicely, she''d lose her edge.

    What a joke.

    Someone who could be so easily manipted bypliments was pathetic.

    She forced herself to stop.

    Her eyes snapped open, and she red at the city below her.

    It was a long way down. If she fell from here, she''d probably break a few bones on the way down. No doubt about it.

    "Hmph..."

    She grumbled at her own foolishness.

    At that moment, she heard a lovely voiceing from down below.

    "Sister Rosaria! I have something I need to tell you!"

    Rosaria looked down to see the young woman running toward her. It was Barbara.

    She sighed, knowing another headache wasing her way.

    Why was she forced to expend so much energy in a single day?

    Rosaria climbed down the side of the mill, not bothering to hide her irritation.

    Once she reached the ground, she turned her gaze on the girl waiting for her.

    "Well? Do you feel better than before?"

    Barbara nodded vigorously. "Yes! Thank you very much! You helped me out a lot with my feelings."

    She smiled at Rosaria.

    The smile was full of innocence and joy.

    "Well, whatever. I don''t really care anyway. Just leave me alone."

    She snorted derisively and stomped away.

    But then she felt a hand on her shoulder.

    "Sister Rosaria, please wait a second," Barbara said softly.

    "Why should I listen to you? Go away already," she replied rudely.

    "I wanted to tell you I''ll be resigning from the Church. I probably won''t be going there anymore."

    "...Why?" Rosaria froze.

    Her heart throbbed for whatever reason.

    "...I''m no longer interested in the Church, and I have no desire to continue living my life as the Deaconess and being restricted. I''m tired of pretending to be someone I''m not."

    "...You''re leaving the Church? Seriously?"

    "What? Could it be that Sister Rosaria wants me to stay?"

    Rosaria scoffed and shook her head.

    "Of course not. I just don''t get how you could be so happy about this. Wasn''t your whole life basically the Church?"

    "Well...you aren''t wrong, but..." Barbara shrugged. "I no longer have the conviction to live as a nun. My faith has disappeared, and I can no longer pretend that it hasn''t."

    "Your faith...Is gone?"

    "Exactly. Something happened that I cannot talk about and it opened my eyes...Besides, I''ll be busy travelling with Yomite."

    "..."

    Rosaria''s eyebrows furrowed together.

    "Wait...how about you stay at the Church...just take a few weeks off if you''re travelling. Or months. It doesn''t matter. Juste back eventually."

    It sounded strange to Barbara, hearing her say that.

    The emotionless Rosaria was basically begging her to stay?

    Was this the same person she had known all this time?

    "Nope," Barbara replied tly. "I''m going to go on an adventure with him, and we''ll see where our journey takes us. We''ll be training somewhere and I hope to gain the strength I''m missing."

    "..."

    "I don''t think I''ll be returning to the Church. And...I''m not sure what will happen to me after that, either. But I promise we can spend some time together once I return."

    "..."

    "Until then, please take care of yourself."

    With that, she gave Rosaria a tight hug. Rosaria tried to pull away, as hugs were like an allergy to her, but Barbara wouldn''t let her go.

    "I''ll miss you, Sister Rosaria."

    "..."

    A lump formed in Rosaria''s throat. It was as hard as stone.

    She didn''t know what to say.

    Her mouth opened and shut repeatedly, but she couldn''t form the right words.

    Finally, Barbara released her and smiled sadly.

    "Take care."

    Rosaria''s face was emotionless as usual, her feelings, however, were not.

    "What a drag this is," she muttered quietly to herself.

    It was gettingte, and unfortunately for Rosaria, Yomite had to show up.

    He came strolling up to Barbara and greeted her with a friendly smile.

    "Heya, did you finish packing up?"

    "Yup. I finished packing just a little while ago," she replied happily.

    "Alright. Oh, if it isn''t Rosaria! I''m sorry for earlier, I went a bit overboard."

    "Tch! Jerk!"

    Rosaria, however, ran away from him as fast as she could without saying anything else.

    She hid behind some barrels from his blind spot and spied on them from afar.

    "Why would Sister Rosaria run away like this?" Barbara asked Yomite.

    "Hmm, well, I guess I was a bit rough with her today. Sorry about that."

    "Rough with her? I didn''t think she''d react like that, so I was a little surprised myself. To think even someone like her could get mad."

    "Yeah, well, it was my fault."

    Yomite was serious about everything he''d said in the pub, but the alcohol forced him to be more honest and blunt than he wanted to be and this resulted in Rosaria''s angry reaction.

    "I wanted to apologize, but I guess she''ll be avoiding me now."

    "Oh no. Don''t say that. I''m sure Sister Rosaria just needs time to forgive you for whatever you''ve said to her."

    "I suppose you''re right."

    Little did Yomite know at the time, that after conquering one cute stalker called Barbara, he would soon face another...

 Chapter 303: A Voyage into the Spiral Abyss

    The following day.

    A considerable crowd had assembled in front of the gate of Mondstadt.

    Everyone from Yomite''s party was present, and Kaeya also came to bid farewell.

    "Hm. There are considerably more people than I had initially anticipated," Lisa sighed as she looked over the group.

    Yomite nodded back and replied, "Yep, everyone agreed to go so I brought all of them. Either way, you don''t look toofortable, is it still because of that illness?"

    "Handsome, the ''illness'' you speak of, does not trouble me whatsoever." Lisa responded to Yomite with an wry smile on her face.

    "What troubles me is...the number of people here...ah dear me, I should have stayed indoors today after all..."

    Lisa''s eyes started darting around as she muttered that. She was a person who preferred to remain indoors, as she rarely left the library. Even when "Stormterror" or monsters assaulted the city, she did not appear...

    Yet this time, she was dragged into going outside by Yomite.

    Lisa genuinely disliked thepany of others. She didn''t fear them, they were just annoying.

    And suddenly, she was surrounded by such a vast crowd with no means to escape...was she an introvert?

    Perhaps?

    "Come on, Lisa, don''t be such a neet. Jean told me you used to study in Sumeru, right? Doesn''t that mean you used to meet quite a lot of people there whether you wanted it or not? This shouldn''t beparable to that, right?" Yomite questioned her in a yful manner.

    He knew Lisa loathed stepping outside since she frequently told him so.

    Yomite found it ridiculous, however, that someone as powerful as her would stay cooped up inside for years going outside once per month at most while doing nothing but sleeping on a couch or behind a desk...

    The only time she ever ventured outdoors was when she ran out of food...

    Several times before, he attempted to get her to move her sluggish body, but his attempts were unsessful.

    This time, though, he was sessful. After three weeks, he had finally persuaded this slothful woman to take a shower and step outside.

    "Handsome, I''m afraid you are ignorant of how the Akademiya operates. Although there were arge number of students, we were alone while studying, observing, and preparing thesis papers. We did not find meeting people throughout our study to bemon or beneficial. We desired privacy to conduct study in a secluded area." Lisa responded with her arms crossed across her chest in a defensive manner.

    Oftentimes when Yomite mentioned the city of Sumeru, Lisa''s expression changed.

    She appeared distant and icy. Perhaps it was because she had spent so much time there and learnt things she desired to forget, but he may have simply looked into it too much.

    "But you see...this is different. There''s around 7 or 8 of you...and I can''t help but feel a bit awkward right now. I would love to indulge in sleeping until noon and then make myself a cup of herbal tea if only it weren''t for this." Lisa murmured, looking away from him.

    "You''re probably theziest woman I know...Well, I can''t say I me you because I am alsozy, but not to this extent...Anyway, and what''s the n? Are we going to train at a unique facility in Mondstadt? Like an echo chamber that would significantly increase our power?"

    Though he doubted Mondstadt was in possession of anything like that, Yomite figured it wouldn''t hurt to ask, so he prodded her.

    "No. Unfortunately, Mondstadtcks such facilities; as a result, we will train in a location that has been hardly explored, not even by adventurers. The Abyss is a location where Knights of Favonius fear to tread," stated Lisa," Lisa exined, "The Abyss."

    "... the Abyss... Like the Abyss Order? Those irritating mage creatures with their elemental shields and other crap? Is it like their home base?"

    "Precisely. The entrance is near the territory of Mondstadt. You''ll get to experience the true power of the abyss within. Crawling with monsters and Abyss Mages at every corner, this ce is one of the most dangerous and least mapped out areas of the entire Teyvat. Oh, and I hope you all brought your wind gliders with you."

    ***

    **

    *

    A couple of hours prior.

    "Lisa...you''re out of your mind! They cannot possibly apany you! This location is too dangerous!" Jean reprimanded Lisa strongly as she walked back and forth in her office.

    The Abyss was a location she wouldn''t investigate with an entire toon, yet they wished to go with only a few individuals?

    Outrageous!

    Jean was a reasonable and kind individual, but Lisa''s recklessness today appeared to have exhausted her patience.

    "Now, now, Sweetie, calm down. You''ll ruin your pretty face. Besides...it isn''t my fault they wished for me to train them. I''ll do whatever I want with them until they''ll start begging for mercy. Particrly your little sister. I''ll make sure to ruin her hopes and dreams. I would then leave her in tears and tell her to beg for forgiveness."

    "Lisa, stop kidding...please ensure she''s safe with you...if I lost her, I would never forgive myself..."

    "Hm, considering you told her she wasn''t importantpared to the city of Mondstadt, I would say you��"

    "��That''s enough, Lisa!"

    Jean quickly turned away from her after saying her piece and walked off while rubbing her temples, in order to avoid hearing what Lisa would say next.

    Not long after her difficult exchange with Barbara, she spoke to Lisa, but now she wondered if she should have...as Lisa seemed ready to wage war against Barbara,beling her a brat with an impulsive personality who couldn''t even take care of herself and was annoying to be around.

    As a result, Jean feltpelled to feel responsible for and protect her younger sister, as she had previously been unable to do so.

    "No need to worry. I''ll make sure everyone survives the ordeal. You know me, right? There aren''t many people out there who can trouble me. As for Barbara, well...Regarding Barbara, I suppose I''ll have to ept the fact that she made my dear friend cry. Hmph."

    "Lisa...I was the one at fault, I shouldn''t have said that to her. She''s my precious little sister... I''ll make sure to work harder than ever before to make up for it..."

    "Of course, I was merely joking. Teasing you is one of my hobbies, you know? Besides, I''m not the type to let someone die so easily." Lisa chuckled.

    Jean felt that something was off with that statement, but she couldn''t put her finger on it.

    Lisa had always been a trustworthy and a dependable ally, but her present "condition" was slowly deteriorating her health, and perhaps mind as well...

 Chapter 304: ADVENT PURPLE ROSE

    "Little bro, don''t you dare die on me like this. Be careful." Kaeya patted Yomite''s shoulder as he stood in front of him. Although he was not traveling with them, he went to bid them farewell.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t. We''re pretty strong, not to mention we have Lisa after all. If anything scary happens which we can''t handle, I''lle running straight to her."

    "Anything scary...you know...she''s far more scarier than any monster out there...one time I hadn''t returned a book I borrowed on time, and boy was she angry. My arm is still numb from when she used her magic on mest time..."

    Kaeya mumbled as he recalled the memory of that day...

    He vividly recalled Lisa''s wrath.

    That day, she had transformed into a demon, purple electricity crackling along her body.

    It was one of those days where Lisa actually left the library and went outside...to retrieve a book...

    The shockwave she generated was so powerful that Kaeya temporarily lost his hearing and vision. He was fortunate enough to escape with only a minor shock to his hand.

    "Kaeya, whatever are you lying about again? That story doesn''t sound like something Lisa would do, you know? She''s toozy to even get up from the couch...much less go outside...the first time she trained me, she was halfway asleep throughout the entire time..."

    "Heh, I''m telling you, as a friendly reminder, Lisa is pretty vicious. Do not try anything funny around her. Once she gets mad, there''s noing back from it..."

    "Come on...we flirt on a daily basis. I think we have a good understanding of each other. She wouldn''t hurt me I don''t think. I''m her student, after all."

    "If you insist, just watch your back."

    They both nced at Lisa, who was standing nearby.

    "Whatever are you two chatting about? Talking behind my back, hm? Handsome?" Lisa spoke up in a bemused tone.

    "Not really. We were just talking about how gorgeous my teacher is, and that she should rest on a couch more often since she looks so tired and she definitely deserves it." Yomite winked andughed, causing Lisa to roll her eyes at the reply, "Keep it to yourselves then. At least your sense of humor hasn''t diminished, Handsome."

    She then switched her attention to Lumine, asking her something about her powers, leaving the two of them alone.

    "Lil bro...you sure love treading dangerous waters, don''t you? I know you''re a love master, but Lisa is not the kindest woman out there. She''s the kind of person that would run experiments on you, just because she feels like it. Her thought process works purely on cold logic and calctive results. She''s ruthless, if you ask me. She said she abandoned the pursuit of knowledge, yet once she sees something interesting, she''ll do whatever necessary to achieve her goals...Don''t you fall in love now."

    "You''re just worrying way too much...Well she might be dangerous, I can tell as much, but my trust in her is still pretty high." Yomite shrugged as he turned away from Kaeya.

    Lisa was a good woman. Despite always saying she was toozy, he was only teasing her and didn''t believe Kaeya''s words about her being evil.

    Heck, dating azy woman like her could be wonderful, as he was also one of those people who just loved staying in bed and cuddling up under the sheets.

    And a slothful woman would never leave those sheets.

    Besides, he was a man. A man had to take risks in order to getid. Though that was no longer his intention after having a small harem now, a little bit of flirting never hurt anyone.

    His old teacher-and-student fetish was acting up, though he wasn''tpletely sure why, as he had abandoned it years ago.

    He wasn''t disatisfied with his lovers whatsoever, but having a nice change up where he wouldn''t be the one in charge could be refreshing.

    Being cuddled by an older woman with a certain authoritative quality about her would be a nice break.

    Of course, he wasn''t a masochist and loved to take a lead, but a little switch up would be weed once in a while.

    A bit of teasing from a woman with amanding aura, perhaps...

    Not to mention, he liked women with curves, and Lisa had a voluptuous figure.

    Hu Tao and Fischl were...a bit skinny around that part, but he loved them nheless.

    Either way, no matter where he looked, Lisa was constantly wearing seductive clothing that just fit her so well, like a witch of lust, always putting herself on disy.

    He had to admit that he was entranced by that aspect of her "personality".

    That boundless confidence, that seductive energy...the maturity...

    A beautiful woman who knew her own worth and was not afraid to show it off.

    Lisa was certainly a woman of substance.

    Her beauty was undeniable as well.

    From what he knew, Lisa was around thirty years old, an age where some women tended to gain more authority over men.

    They became more dominant and demanding. A woman with amanding personality was something Yomite found very attractive.

    Of course, a shy woman like Fischl and the hyperactive Hu Tao were also heavenly.

    As for Lisa, the most attractive quality of hers was that she wasn''t afraid of taking control and speaking up.

    She was confident enough to challenge his opinion without being intimidated, unlike the girls in his party who simply obeyed and agreed with everything he said as if it were the words of a god, following it down to thest detail.

    Not to mention, from what she told him so far, her magic was near omnipotent...

    He couldn''t wait to see her in a battle.

    A hot mage in the battlefield...that''s what he wanted to see.

    There was a slight change in his heart recently.

    He might be able to find the answer to that feeling soon...

 Chapter 305: Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers

    "We are about prepared to depart." Lisa announced and looked around, seemingly searching for someone.

    Her gazended on Barbara, who immediately shrank back in fear.

    The respect she held for Lisa was still present, and it appeared that the scolding she experienced during theirst encounter was still fresh on her mind.

    Telling her she had no talent and no future would hurt anyone, especially if it came from someone esteemed like Lisa, whom many held in high regard.

    "There you are, Cutie." Lisa smiled sweetly. "Jean told me to give you this."

    Lisa handed Barbara a thick book, and Barbara''s eyes widened momentarily.

    "What is this book? I''ve never seen it before...is it something she reads?"

    "It''s an artifact. Jean specifically told me to hand it to you. She''s afraid something would happen to you."

    "Oh..."

    Barbara''s expression changed for the worse upon hearing that.

    "That''s why she didn''t give it to me in person, right...? Because she cares...what a joke." Barbara muttered to herself before looking down, "I guess I shouldn''t have been surprised...it''s like this every time. She never cares."

    Immediately after she stated this, Lisa clicked her tongue and grabbed her by the cor, pulling her close.

    Barbara yelped in surprise and instinctively attempted to pull away, but she was unable to.

    "I think that''s enough with your pathetic behavior. If your parents didn''t beat it out of you, then I will. You''re going to be a student of mine, which I only epted due to request of Yomite. And you''re going to prove yourself. As my student, whether you like it or not, you''re going to represent me, and don''t you dare bring me any shame. Just being my student should be an honor for you, so quit whining and crying or else I''ll leave you in The Abyss for all eternity."

    Lisa red at Barbara, who was frozen with fear.

    Then, with a flick of her wrist, she threw her aside.

    Barbara flew through the air andnded hard on the grass near the riverbank.

    "Ow..."

    She picked herself back up, clutching her butt and letting out a small groan.

    "Great, I have a headache now...stupid little brat..."

    She rubbed her temples as she slowly walked towards Barbara, her face twisted in disgust.

    It appeared that Lisa''s seemed to have had enough.

    Barbara was simply too stubborn��unable to ept responsibility or criticism. It was hard to imagine that she was the same shy little girl who begged Lisa to teach her magic all those years ago.

    All that remained now, was watching her burn herself out from the inside due to the inferiority she felt towards others and especially Jean.

    Lisa was one of those people who knew why Barbara acted the way she did with one look, but she chose to ignore it.

    Her behavior towards Barbara was nothing short of cruel, but Lisa was simply doing what was best for her.

    She saw it many times in Sumeru, the schrs from Akademiya, being entitled and jealous over research.

    Those types of people were always driven by jealousy and envy. The only thing they valued was their research itself, and that was why they were so hateful toward others.

    However, Lisa wouldn''t give Barbara what she wanted, she hated people who thought the whole world was supposed to be revolving around them, so she forced her toe to terms with reality and realize life was never fair to begin with.

    Being reminded with the mad schrs left a bad aftertaste in her mouth.

    And she didn''t want Barbara to turn into someone like that.

    "Sweetie, don''t be a brat and listen. Jean is my dearest friend, and I know her more than you do, even if you two are rted. She really does care about you. So it would be in your best interest if you kept your mouth shut when you know nothing about how hard it is to lead the Knights of Favonius, especially when most of the forces who abstained from going on the expedition were failed products who did nothing all day."

    "Whatever..." Barbara murmured.

    "Good girl. Now hurry up and take it. We''re not here to y a house with family issues, but to train. Get over it and focus."

    Barbara frowned and reluctantly took the book from her hands, gazing at its cover.

    ''Thrilling Tales of Dragon yers? What a dull title...is this truly an artifact?''

    Lisa then turned to the others, noticing that they were all standing there awkwardly after watching their exchange and overhearing something they shouldn''t have heard.

    Yomite knew Barbara''s mental state was bad, and she was close to copsing which was why he wanted to go slowly with her to stabilize her mental state somewhat, but Lisa just might havepletely reset the progress bar...

    "Let''s head out now. I would like to be there before nightfall."

    Everyone nodded and followed behind Lisa, with Yomite in the back.

    He made sure to stay at the rear, so he could quickly make Barbara feel better if she started to cry. He took a look at the book she clutched in her arms and sighed quietly.

    "Are you okay? I''m sorry about what happened... Lisa seems to be on edge for some reason. Maybe she''s not so tough inside and the trip to the Abyss is making her anxious."

    "N-No, I''m fine!"

    Barbara flinched at Yomite''s sudden question and hastily shook her head.

    Yomite knew that wasn''t true, but there was nothing he could say to change her mind.

    "So...what''s the book about?"

    "It''s called...Thrilling Tales of Dragon yers. I don''t know much about it, though."

    "Hmm..."

    Yomite raised his brows and opened the book to read.

    As he flipped through the pages, he noticed that it contained quite a few drawings of people fighting dragons. Many of the pictures depicted a young woman with her friends, wearing a red dress and holding a sword, along with arge dragon in front of her.

    At least, that was what Yomite assumed based off of the illustrations alone.

    ''Looks like a normal fairy tail...nothing too special...let''s check it out with my ability. I want to know.''

    ��������������

    Name: Thrilling Tales of Dragon yers

    Rarity: 3* Artifact

    Description: A fictional story of a band of five heroes who went off on a dragon hunt. It is poorly written and structurally incoherent. Its value lies in the many lessons that can be learned from failure, and the nevergiving up aspect of the story. Perfect for someone to realize their own true worth.

    Active Ability - The ATK of all alies nearby is increased by 24% for 10s. This effect can only ur once every 20s. User has to read a short passage from the book in order for the effect to ur. Effect cannot stack.

    ��������������

    ''Many lessons that can be learned from failure...This book could actually be good for Barbara...and the buffs on ATK are pretty great... So artifacts like this also existed.''

    Yomite closed the book and looked at Barbara, who was staring nkly ahead.

    "This is actually pretty amazing. You should definitely read it. You can even use it in abat."

    "Inbat?...but it''s just a book..."

    "Just give it a tryter. Trust me."

    Barbara looked at him suspiciously.

    "Fine, I''ll read it, but only because you are the one who said so," eventually she relented, taking the book over from Yomite without another word.

 Chapter 306: Traveling issues (18+)

    "Are we there yet?"

    "No."

    ...

    "Are we there yet?"

    "No..."

    ...

    "Are we there yet?"

    "Tao...I swear if you ask me that one more time, I''ll kick you off of the nearest cliff and I''ll do it with a happy smile on my face..." Yomite sighed as he poked her waist with a finger, then proceed to take a handful of her buttocks, and she immediately squirmed into his palm.

    He could feel her body heat through the fabric of her clothes, and it made him extremely aroused.

    In fact, the mere sight of her in such tight clothing was enough to always get him going. She knew how to entice him.

    Unfortunately, they weren''t alone. He had to restrain himself and keep his hands off her as they were out in the woods, and there was no way to conceal something from so many people around.

    Unless...

    Resting his hand on her butt, Yomite discreetly looked around but didn''t see anyone from the group behind them, the two of them were at the back of the group all alone.

    Stealthily, he slipped his hand underneath her ck tight shorts and felt her soft skin.

    "...you naughty Assistant...you won''t go to a resting ce after your death~" Hu Tao whispered, then giggled and moved closer to him. "Is this what you wish for?"

    She pressed against his hand, the tight entrance of her ass rubbing against his fingers.

    Instantly, he pushed forward with his middle finger and slid it inside her.

    Hu Tao gasped as she felt his finger enter her bottom.

    "Keep quiet," he whispered into her ear.

    She shivered and nodded, squeezing her cheeks together as he added another finger, then began thrusting his fingers in and out.

    That was the first time they''d gotten physical in public and she was enjoying it immensely.

    "Why...my butt again...?" Hu Tao mumbled as she closed her eyes, letting out a blissful moan.

    Yomite grinned widely, stroking her butt with both hands now.

    "You''re not the only one who can tease me. Now, keep quiet, or I''ll insert another finger."

    "Mm..."

    Two of his fingers were already probing around inside her ass, and he could feel her muscles clenching around his fingertips, her pleasure increasing with each motion.

    Hu Tao''s breathing became heavy, and she was starting to pant, her face turning red.

    She bit her lip and arched her back, trying to push herself back onto his fingers.

    It was obvious from Hu Tao''s reaction that she was close to an orgasm.

    He could tell because her chest was rising and falling rapidly, and the beads of sweat breaking out on her forehead.

    Even though she was surrounded by people she called her friends, she didn''t care. She wanted the sweet sense of release, right before all of those people.

    Yomite slowly withdrew his fingers, leaving her empty hole throbbing in want. However, that did nothing to stop the desireing from within her body.

    "Please..." Hu Tao panted, looking down at the ground, trying to hold back her moans, "Don''t tease..."

    "Shh...we should be more careful than this."

    Yomite lifted her chin gently and kissed her lips, then nibbled on the corner of her mouth.

    Hu Tao was about to open her mouth to receive another kiss when suddenly a voice interrupted.

    "Alright, we can rest here for a few minutes." Lisa called out, "It''s been a while since I''ve walked this much. My body can''t take staying outside for too long."

    Hu Tao opened her eyes wide and froze in ce when she heard the announcement.

    That only meant one thing...

    She was about to be eaten...

    Yomite let out a grin and grabbed her by the hand, pulling her away from where Lisa and the others stood.

    They quickly ran off behind some trees, heading deeper into the forest.

    "Assistant...?"

    "Hush, you''ll attract attention if you speak so loudly...nowe on."

    "But..."

    "Now!" Yomite dragged Hu Tao further into the woods.

    They hid behind arge rock and just barely avoided being spotted by Lisa and the others.

    "Hm? Where did Yum-Yum go?" Barbara muttered.

    Lumine shook her head and said, "I''m not sure, Hu Tao is also missing. Perhaps they needed to pee?" She wasn''t paying attention to her surroundings so she didn''t know where they went, since she was ying with Paimon.

    So Yomite took advantage of it, dragging Hu Tao away from everyone.

    "This way, we''re much farther away from them now," Yomite whispered in her ear as he bent her over the tree trunk, pushing her down t on her stomach.

    As he did that, Hu Tao''s heart started pounding rapidly as she stared straight ahead, her face flushed red.

    "O-Oh... Assistant..." Hu Tao whimpered quietly.

    She knew what would happen next, and she held her breath as Yomite pulled his pants down and freed his erect beast from within.

    It was so hard that it threatened to rip through his pants.

    The moment his pants hit the ground and his huge member sprung free, Hu Tao instinctively presented her butt to him. Her mind was nk, and she was unable to think straight.

    She wasn''t able to orgasm from his fingers earlier...and she needed it now.

    Yet all she could do was wait for his penis to prate her bottom at once.

    Without hesitation, Yomite grabbed her hips from behind and pushed himself inside of her.

    Hu Tao grunted and tensed up, but she managed to maintain herposure and not scream.

    "Agh..!?"

    "Not so loud."

    He said that...but had he truly wanted her to remain quiet, he wouldn''t have gone out of his way to push it all inside of her in one go...

    If they truly had wanted to not get caught, they would have gone farther and deeper into the forest where they''d be guaranteed privacy.

    Yomite knew the game they were ying and he was more than happy to participate, the constant threat only heightened their excitement.

    After all, it was the thrill of sneaking off and having sex somewhere public that was starting to drive them both crazy.

    There was no other forey involved, and he went straight inside without any care for herfort.

    She wasn''t wearing any panties either, she waspletely nude under her ck shorts, as if waiting to be taken by him.

    The only thing on his mind was to get inside her as soon as possible.

    Hu Tao didn''t resist, but rather moaned softly as he entered her in one swift motion.

    She could feel every inch of his length inside of her, stretching her insides until she thought she might tear apart.

    "Ah...aah..." she whimpered.

    She felt Yomite''s hands grab her waist tightly, holding her in ce as he thrust into her repeatedly.

    Her body grew hotter and warmer with each thrust, her inner walls squeezing around his shaft as he pounded her from behind.

    "Nn...ah..." Hu Tao couldn''t hold it anymore, and she let out a muffled cry of pleasure as she climaxed.

    It was a small orgasm, but it was still enough to make her entire body quiver.

    Her inner walls gripped Yomite''s manhood tightly and sent him over the edge as well.

    He winced as he shot his seed directly inside of her.

    The sensation of being filled up with his hot seed was indescribable.

    Their bodies remained frozen in that position for a while, until Hu Tao finally regained control of her muscles and stopped trembling.

    "That felt great, thanks," Yomite spoke, slowly withdrawing from her bottom.

    He felt himself growing limp as he came down from his high. His orgasm subsided, and he released Hu Tao from his grasp, allowing her to stand back up.

    As he pulled out, a streak of white fluid trickled down between her cheeks.

    The amount was surprisinglyrge, and Hu Tao curiously gazed as it dripped down.

    "Woah! There''s so much! ...I guess you really need it?" she giggled.

    And just as she had been taught, she got down on her knees and put her hand around his member, pumping it up and down vigorously. She squeezed the base of his penis with her hands releasing the excess fluid out of him. It was almost like she was milking him, making sure nothing went to waste.

    When she finished, she wiped the tip clean with her palm, then sucked on the remaining liquid in order to get everyst drop.

    "Mm...that tastes good, too." Hu Tao smiled happily, feeling her lips and tongue getting sticky from the milky substance.

    He rxed as a warm tongue slowly licked from base to tip. He watched as Hu Tao cleaned him off in a trancelike state. When she was done, she kissed the tip of the penis, but this triggered a certain reaction and soon his little brother was up and ready to go again which wasn''t part of the n...so he quickly covered his crotch and stood up.

    "Come on, we should get back to the others before it''s toote. We don''t have time to continue this."

    "Y-Yeah...but let me wash up a bit first."

    "Alright."

    While Yomite headed back toward where the others were, Hu Tao went to a nearby pond to rinse her mouth and butt off, then returned to the group.

    They soon resumed their journey, but Barbara noticed something strange right away.

    "Hey, Walnut? Why are you walking funny? You''ve been limping for a while now."

    Hu Tao looked sheepishly at Barbara and shrugged, giving the exnation that she hurt her leg on the way there.

    "You''re hurt? I might be inexperienced but I can try my healing."

    "N-No...i-it''s alright...B-B... nothing is wrong..."

    The reality was, that her butt was constantly assaulted on a daily basis by none other than Yomite and she loved it.

    Today was no exception, and her rear end needed a tender care from the rough treatment it received just now. It was so sore that it was hard to walk normally.

    This usually didn''t happen unless Yomite went overboard, yet it did happen now since they didn''t use enough lubrication, and sweat wasn''t enough to lubricate with.

    "What''s this...strange odor Paimon''s been smelling? It smells like a fish sauce or something." The little fairy asked, sniffing the air.

    Fischl and the others also picked up on the scent and felt like they''ve smelled it somewhere before, but couldn''t pinpoint what it was.

    "This Prinzessin has no idea, yet the scent is weirdly familiar."

    The reality was, they''ve smelled it before in the mansion, many times...yet none of them realized its origin...

    "Em...ehh..."

    Hu Tao was so embarrassed that she kept trying to hide herself from view.

    It turned out that as they were doing it, Yomite identally stained her shorts with his semen.

    As a result, she was forced to not only rinse her mouth and butt, but also wash the shorts in the pond and then dry them up with her Pyro Vision, yet it seemed the smell was still present and clearly out there to anyone with a keen nose��like Paimon.

    Paimon always used to speak weird facts about herself, like having multiple stomachs or having a better sense of smell than humans...no one believed her.

    But today, she unintentionally proved it. She was just like a dog. A flying one at that...

    *Sniff Sniff*

    Paimon immediately traced the smell back to its source and pointed at Hu Tao.

    "I think it''sing from Hu Tao...ew...Paimon doesn''t like it..."

    "Are you alright, Hu Tao?" Lumine asked in concern, "Did you eat anything...foul and you''re feeling unwell? We can visit the mansion real quick if you want me to."

    "N-No! I-I-I''m good!"

    Hu Tao blushed crimson as she realized that the group had noticed she was the one carrying an odor simr to that of a wet dog��or a fish.

    ''Eh...ehe~ that was my fault...sorry...'' Yomite pulled a little Venti and awkwardly scratched his neck, apologizing with his gaze.

    After this incident with Hu Tao, he''d decided to be more careful about when they got physical in public.

 Chapter 307: Not Your Conventional Kind Of Love

    "Are we there yet...?" Hu Tao whined.

    It hasn''t even been 10 minutes since they''ve resumed their journey, yet she was asking this annoying question again.

    After excusing herself, she went ahead to rinse her shorts in the pond again, this time more carefully in order to not smell. It was all Yomite''s fault.

    [As a result of previous 18+ chapter in case you did not read]

    And now they were on their way to visit The Abyss.

    "Are we there yet...?"

    "I believe I''ve told you something before. Ask it one more time and you''ll fly!" Yomite retorted, "Come here you little brat!"

    "Gah!?" Hu Tao yelped and tried jumping away but she was toote.

    Yomite had already caught her by the nape of the neck and pulled her close to his face.

    She was hanging in the air like a doll, helpless, or like a naughty kitten being carried off by her mother.

    "I warned you before..." Yomite spoke menacingly in a low whisper, "Nowe here."

    Yomite forcefully brought her in for a kiss, her legs dangling in the air.

    She instinctively closed her eyes, feeling his warm lips press against hers.

    Tongue soon followed, wrapping around her own.

    "Oh, my." Lisa let out a sly smile upon witnessing the disy.

    "Sorry..." Yomite lowered Hu Tao back onto the ground, "She wouldn''t shut up so I had to give her some discipline. Just ignore it."

    "It''s fine. I''m quite curious about your rtionship with her, though."

    "Ah, Hu Tao is my cute dog, she does everything I tell her and obeys my orders. I love her."

    "A dog? Intriguing."

    Lisa was quite surprised by the answer.

    She was expecting he would say something more romantic, perhaps something along the lines of ''my lover,'' or ''my fated one'', but instead he ssified her as an ordinary pet.

    Their rtionship must have been quite deep if she tolerated something like this.

    "H-Hey...I''m not a doggie! I''m soon to be the first wife! Don''t call me a dog!" Hu Tao protested.

    Yomite grinned and patted her on the head, "It''s fine, you''re a cute puppy. And a smart one at that. Go on, run and y. Chase the butterflies like you usually do."

    "...You! Hmph! Let''s see who marries you if I don''t!"

    "Well...I mean...Fischl would be d I believe."

    "Argh grrrr!" Hu Tao growled at him with a pout, then turned away and ran in the opposite direction.

    "She''s quite cute indeed I must say." Lisa remarked.

    "So are you," Yomite replied.

    Lisa tilted her head slightly, confused by his words.

    "Cute? How so?"

    She knew she was attractive, anyone with eyes could tell as much, but calling her cute was a big difference.

    Calling a woman in her thirties cute was a bold statement. As usually that was the time where women truly matured and were no longer capable of showing cuteness, dropping straight into the realm of maturity.

    Yet Yomite called her cute.

    "How so? Well, I guess I find yourziness adorable. Your facial expressions are so innocent and pure when you rest in the library, and when you wake up you''re all groggy, and those sleepy eyes of yours are charming. I guess that''s about it?" Yomite answered calmly.

    "Oh? Is that so? How nice of you."

    Lisa was taken aback by his unusual deration, but quickly recovered and smiled.

    Despite her initial confusion, she found herself feeling ttered. He wasn''t justplimenting her looks after all. He also saw her beyond that, and liked her personality.

    "You''re quite sly, my dear student. Toying with a woman''s heart like that. You made a lot of girls cry, didn''t you?"

    "I''m not so sure about that? My main goal at all times is to make my girls happy. Even now with Hu Tao. She''s pissed at me because of what I said, but once shees back I''ll do something nice for her and she''ll forget it immediately. It''s more of a teasing than treating her badly and she knows that."

    He wasn''t going out of his way to hurt any woman, rather, he was doing everything he could to make sure they were happy and satisfied in order for them to stay with him indefinitely.

    From hugging, to buying gifts andplimenting them, and even taking time to understand their emotions and thoughts just like he did with Barbara.

    He used to have a difficult past and he was far from perfect. But he was definitely trying to be the best version of himself at the moment.

    In fact, his current lifestyle was the result of his personal growth.

    "If you think calling Hu Tao a dog is too much, then you''ve never seen what she''d been doing to me in the past...my body was falling apart because of her intense training. She used to hit me so often... Ahh, I feel depressed remembering..." Yomite murmured.

    The endless spars and training were annoying, and he was sure something simr would soon be happening with Lisa.

    Lisa watched him fondly as he reminisced on his past, realizing that despite his yboy appearance, he was actually quite sensitive and caring towards women.

    The yful side of him came out often, yet there was a strong and loving man hidden underneath.

    "Well, I suppose you''re right...that little cutie Hu Tao does seem like a puppy to me, too." Lisa watched as the previously angry Hu Tao actually started chasing around butterflies, no longer bothered by his previous words.

    "She seems to be enjoying herself quite a bit."

    "Huh? Oh yeah, she really is. But she can go overboard with her behavior. That''s why I took the initiative to kiss her and tease her."

    "That''s...a very bold move."

    "Why? She''s my lover. I can kiss her whenever I want."

    "Yes, but I thought you weren''t supposed to touch a woman without permission~?" Lisa questioned with a sly smile.

    "Not necessarily. The one who makes the first move in the rtionship is oftentimes the one in control. I can do whatever I want with her. As long as she loves it, it''s allowed. She can do whatever she wants with me too as long as I like it."

 Chapter 308: A Hair Fetish?

    That was their hierarchy. Yomite was the top, and Hu Tao was the bottom. They both knew that, and epted it.

    Even though many times he enjoyed being teased by her, ultimately, he was the one in charge.

    And Hu Tao was fine with that. She was the kind of person who''d willingly submit to him, notin, and give him everything he wanted.

    Hence why he called her a dog, because she was willing to follow his everymand and obey his orders and he thought it was adorable.

    "You''re quite the naughty boy, aren''t you?"

    "Indeed I am. Yet I''m also a gentleman who simply loves women who show me just a little bit of affection." Yomite replied, sticking his tongue out in response.

    "That you are."

    The two of them continued walking down the path, chatting until eventually Hu Tao ran up to them.

    "Assistant...I''m...so tired...could you carry me?" She had trouble speaking due to exhaustion of running around.

    "No."

    "Pwease!'' She begged, looking up at him with puppy eyes which she knew would always work...

    "Can''t you just walk? I swear...where is a cliff? Is there a cliff somewhere nearby?"

    "Waaah...that hurts...I''m gonna pout...waaah... Assistant is so mean to me!"

    "...Fine! I''ll carry you! You''re like a little child!"

    Yomite lifted Tao up onto his shoulder and carried her on for several minutes.

    "Aww...that feels sooo good...Thank you so much...Assistant...I looove you..."

    Hu Tao wrapped herself around his neck, hugging him tightly.

    Yomite''s grumpy behavior was betrayed by a smile he let out.

    There was no doubt Hu Tao was incredibly cute; she was absolutely adorable and desirable as always.

    Interactions like this were normal for them.

    While to some it might have looked like a heated argument, it wasn''t like they were arguing for real.

    It was just their way of teasing each other.

    "Woah, your hair is very soft Assistant!"

    "Okay...? Thanks? I do wash it every day."

    Not to mention, he ordered an expensive soap from Liyue a while ago, and since there were no shampoo''s in this world, he was forced to scrub his hair with a soap.

    ''Another thing to patent in this world as mine. A shampoo could make so much money...it''s just so much more effective than a soap...I don''t understand how the girls even clean their hair with it...especially Hu Tao...''

    He looked up at her, while she was busy ying with his hair.

    "So fluffy~"

    Her fingers were gently stroking Yomite''s scalp. Each and every strand of his hair was being tickled and caressed by her touch.

    Butparing her hair with his was likeparing night and day.

    While Yomite''s hair was rtively long, Hu Tao probably had the longest hair Yomite had ever seen on any woman.

    It reached all the way down to her knees if not tied up into a two high twintails, which meant it was almost impossible tob through, unless you used a special brushing techniques or got someone''s help.

    He couldn''t imagine how long it took her to wash her hair, let alone dry it afterwards.

    Well, she had her Vision for drying, but if she wasn''t careful, her hair could catch on fire...

    All in all, her hair needed extra care.

    Even though there were many disadvantages of having long hair, there were also quite a few advantages.

    One of the main reasons why Yomite loved her hair, was because he could use her twintails as handles when they were engaging in some "spicy" activities.

    The fact that it was so long made it easy to hold onto and he could even wrap it around his waist, sometimes, even around his little brother down there.

    It was a strange fetish, but it worked wonders. The sheer feeling of it enveloping his rod of destruction was indescribable, and he could spend minutes doing nothing else but indulging in it.

    The absence of shampoo in this world was a huge demerit to society. Same for the shower gel.

    Yomite truly felt like he could create a new market if he made a shampoo and a shower gel for girls.

    It would definitely sell, he just needed the right ingredients for it to work...and then he would mass-produce it and gain unimaginable wealth enough to feed his girls regrly and enjoy life.

    "Ugh...you''re scratching my scalp too much...what are you...a cat? I thought you were a dog...." heined.

    "Eheheh~"

    "Jeez...You''re such a weirdo...but that''s why I love you."

    ...

    .

    .

    "...!?"

    Hu Tao froze at his words, stunned.

    "Did you just..."

    "..."

    Yomite wasn''t the type of person to say these things to girls easily. These cheesy and sometimes even cringey lines were saved for special asions, during the lovemaking act for example.

    So this time was clearly special, he wanted to make up to her after teasing her for too long about her being a dog.

    "I-Is that so...?"

    She began fiddling with her twintails again, as if trying to distract herself from the embarrassment of being caught off guard.

    She''d never felt so happy to hear him say he loved her. Even if it was in a joking manner, the sentiment was conveyed.

    Though she was unsure why he called her ''weirdo'', she was obvious quite normal.

    Yomite had finally admitted it out loud, and she was d to be the object of his affection.

    Hu Tao felt a warmth in her chest, and she couldn''t help but smile. "W-Well, I feel the same way too~" she said and pulled his head closer to her. She couldn''t resist anymore. She wanted to kiss him again!

 Chapter 309: Thus the Spiritual Fall of The Prinzessin

    Hu Tao leaned closer to Yomite, trying to get the perfect angle so that her lips were aligned with his.

    "Hurry up and kiss me already..." she whispered into his ear.

    The sensation of her warm breath against his ear sent shivers down his spine. He was sure he could feel something hardening inside his pants again...it seemed that there would be another emergency pause during their journey...

    Just as he was about to lean forward to receive her kiss, she quickly moved her face away from him, giggling, "It''s a prank~! You fell for it~!" She pped his shoulder lightly afterward.

    "Uh...Huh?" Yomite blinked. "Okay, I guess?"

    He just wanted to kiss her though...

    "Silly Assistant, you were so expectant...how cute!"

    "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Remind me to throw you off the cliffter."

    "Heheh~"

    This was something he''d noticedtely, Hu Tao''s approach towards pranks was starting to lean more into a teasing attitude.

    She was getting better...

    Perhaps in the future, she would turn into someone like Lisa, and would eventually take the lead instead of him.

    He would have to be prepared for that and reign her in before she grew too wild.

    ''I have the perfect item in mind for that kind of situation, but I don''t need to use it yet.''

    Suddenly, a chill ran up his spine.

    He turned around and noticed a young disatisfied girl, gazing up at him.

    "Barbs...Please...for the love of Venti, don''t sneak up on me..."

    He was used to Hu Tao''s antics of jumpscares, but when someone else did it...he still jumped.

    "That''s not fair...I want to be carried as well! Is Hu Tao privileged somehow?" Barbarained as she approached them.

    "Nein! It is I! Prinzessin Der Verurteilung who shall reign atop his shoulders, just as well as in his arms of freedom! As the prophecy foretold!"

    Fischl also came to join them, with expectant eyes.

    Being carried like a princess by her prince was something she would never decline, but a piggyback ride, while embarrassing, was still eptable enough for her taste.

    The girls were bored in the back and came to check out what was happening in the front, only to see Hu Tao sitting on Yomite''s back.

    "Grrr! Don''t intrude on my precious time!"

    Hu Tao growled like a little puppy afraid of losing its owner.

    She grabbed both of her twintails with her hands and attempted to wrap them around his neck, as if to form a leash of some sort...

    "What is this move? Is your n to choke me to death? I would rather not die like this aftering so far."

    "No, no! I simply subjugated the ride for myself! You belong to me only now!"

    "Subjugated...considering my skin color is darker than yours, that''s a good insult, I like it."

    "I''ve tamed him now! Now, Horsie! Hiyah! Hiiyaaha! My cute little Assistant is only mine!"

    Hu Tao proudly raised her arms up, mocking the girls around her after gaining a horse for herself.

    "Gaze upon that wretched audacity! Ptui! Cease thy wretchedness! Get down from meine fated and loved! Someone, seize her! Oz! Ozvaldo von Hrafnavins! Come forth!"

    The air around Fischl started crackling with purple electricity.

    A weird series of words saying ***Menacing*** appeared above her head.

    "Yeah, no that''s a fourth wall break... that''s definitely JoJo..." Yomite muttered.

    A purple raven soon manifested, nced at the situation and rolled its eyes, as if thinking, ''Not this again...''

    With a sad look, he apologized to his mistress, and gave a deep bow towards Yomite''s direction.

    "I''m sorry, mein Fr?ulein, this servant of yours just woke up from a deep slumber, and I already see this conflict has no point. I pray for your sess." With that, the summoned night raven disappeared into thin air, as if he''d never been there in the first ce...

    "Hey! Oz! Ozvaldo! How can he just leave! This was the perfect opportunity and you wasted it...*cough* *cough*...What this Prinzessin meant...was that one of these evesting days, Oz shall feel this Prinzessin''s wrath! This treacherous behavior won''t go unpunished!" Fischl appeared to be very upset about the current state of affairs.

    Yomite turned to the girls and sighed, "Sorrydies. It appears I''m Hu Tao''s for today. This seat''s taken. I''ll make it up to youter."

    "Wha��?! Bute on! Yum-Yum! Your hands are still empty, you know! You could still carry or touch one of us! Barbara protested.

    "Barbara...have some decency please...leave Party Leader alone. He needs some rest too. We can''t just bother him at all asions. He never has time for himself...he must be so tired..."

    ''Ah, Lumine what are you, an angel? I think she might actually be.'' Yomite thought to himself.

    Lumine was a reserved and shy type of woman. She rarely spoke and usually kept her mouth shut in most situations. Though, when she did speak, she always had a kind and thoughtful opinion to offer.

    An absolute gem, a kindhearted angel, though she did get mischievous every once in a while.

    She would be the perfect mother for a child, he could tell. Her gentle personality and pure heart would make any child feel safe and secure.

    While he was daydreaming and lost in his thoughts, Lumine lowered her voice and continued, "Not to mention, we''ve already decided we will be taking turns to be with him...and today is Hu Tao''s day..." She tried to reason with the two of them, but they continued to whine.

    "I know it''s her day...I just can''t control myself...Lumine, you''re acting as if you didn''t want to be carried by him either," Barbara said. "I mean, look at how he''s carrying Walnut, isn''t he just the sweetest man alive? Who else would do something like this?"

    "Indeed, thou cannot possibly believe what thou art saying, now can thou?"

    "Y-Yes...you''re not wrong...I''m...also slightly bit envious of Hu Tao..." Lumine muttered.

 Chapter 310: Gossipping

    Thest time Yomite held Lumine in his arms in the living room, she melted into his chest. She felt sofortable...she could have fallen asleep right there and then.

    Like a chocte bar melting into a hot cup of coffee, she was totally rxed and content.

    Barbara nodded her head, "Exactly! You girls are just as lewd as me! You''re just shrewd and better at hiding it, that''s all! You all want the same thing and that''s affection and sex!"

    "I-Insolence! Thou darest speaketh against meine chastity! This Prinzessin will have thou known, Ich bin the purest maiden ever born upon th'' world!" Fischl proimed proudly.

    Yomite was confused, ''Purest maiden? But we''ve already done it and she''s no longer a virgin...how would that even work? We had a threesome not long ago as well..e on... Or is it just a figure of speech? Probably a figure of speech. It''s Fischl, after all.''

    Understanding Fischl''s words was sometimes hard. Even for someone like him.

    "I-I don''t want...want..."

    Lumine flinched upon being called lewd, and Barbara patted her on the back, "I''ll stop since it''s Lumine. In any case, let me tell you about something spicy I heard from Fischl today." She lowered her voice, "Apparently, she and Walnut walked into his room at night...together."

    "D-Did they..." Lumine''s cheeks immediately reddened up.

    It didn''t take her long to realize what sorts of things went on in Yomite''s bedroom.

    What sorts of atrocious deeds happened within those four walls?

    What sorts of depraved acts did Yomite perform upon them?

    What sorts of acrobatics did those three engage in while doing it...?

    No doubt it was some sort of obscene vition...

    But how did they have courage to go ''together''?

    Lumine would die of embarrassment if she were to try it with him alone, much less with another person in the room as an audience or worse...a participant...something like what wasn''t possible for her...

    Wasn''t it awkward?

    Were Fischl and Hu Tao so close they didn''t mind seeing each other naked and doing who knows what with him...?

    "Yes, they did it! Apparently, he was raring to go with them at the same time! Isn''t that so exciting!? I wanna see how he looks naked...maybe even touch it~" Barbara eximed excitedly, "I''m sure you want to see it as well~"

    "N-No! Th-That''s not true... I''ve already seen it..."

    "Really!? Then why didn''t you say so! How did it look like? Was it like this or that~?" Barbara was ted, like a kid on Christmas day, showing ranges of excitement she wasn''t ustomed to.

    She moved her hands around, as if trying to pinpoint the exact length and shape of the thing.

    "It was... I-I saw it by an ident when he was leaving the shower..." Lumine replied, trying to hide her blushing face between her palms.

    "A big one then~! You must show me how big it was~!" Barbara pressed.

    "N-No! That''s not..." Lumine was about to deny, but her mouth opened without her consent. The words escaped her mouth. "...it was...like this."

    The sound of her own voice made her even more embarrassed, yet her hands moved to roughly show the size of his member to Barbara, who couldn''t take her eyes off of it.

    Her fingers were trembling with nervousness.

    "Yum-Yum is built like a bear! I bet he''s packing a massive present~!" Barbara squealed, "But..woah...would that even fit...?" She asked in disbelief. "Well...it fit into Walnut and Fischl...so maybe it''s possible."

    "Just how can you talk about stuff like this so openly..." Lumine stuttered, averting her eyes from Barbara''s gaze.

    There were quite a few ideas and fantasies Lumine had, but she would never speak of them to anyone...

    Yet Barbara was so open about it, she almost wanted to ask for some tips.

    She''d always thought of Barbara as someone with a certain degree of shyness to her personality...but she seemed to bepletely different in private...

    What could have triggered such a change, or was she perhaps always like this...?

    Barbara seemed to be having fun teasing her friend, so Lumine was forced to endure it.

    Even though she felt embarrassed, she knew she couldn''t escape the situation now that she was already so deep in it.

    ''I shouldn''t have listened to her...now I can''t run away.''

    "Come on, don''t be shy~! Just think of it as a fantasy! Apparently, men do it in their heads whenever they see a beautiful woman, so we should do the same with Yum-Yum!" Barbara suggested.

    "Th-That''s no-not...that''s not right..." Lumine shook her head.

    That was too much.

    Lumine couldn''t possibly imagine herself doing such a thing...

    Her fantasies were rather pure andpletely normal, things like holding hands or kissing. Living a happy life together, raising children��things like that.

    She always dreamt of growing old with someone she loved, but that kind of wish wasn''t possible for her...not with her lifespan.

    She would outlive Yomite and everyone else in his party. No matter how many years passed, she was sure to remain the only one left behind.

    Yet she was prepared to make as many happy memories as possible before it came to that point.

    So lewd fantasies like Barbara''s were beyond her imagination...

    Little did she know Yomite wasn''t just an ordinary human...

    Barbara was obviously enjoying herself, seeing Lumine squirming ufortably.

    She didn''t care about how embarrassed Lumine was feeling.

    "Come on! Don''t be so shy!" Barbara let out a genuineugh, as if she was having fun for once.

    "I...I...I..." Lumine couldn''t find any words to respond, she had no idea what to say.

    Barbara looked at her with envy, "I want to see it too~ I''ve been actually thinking of attacking him during the night. Do you think it''s a good idea? He''ll probably have to take responsibility if we do it, right? Just like when I kissed him. We as women sure have some handy tricks under our sleeves."

    "Uh...you probably shouldn''t...Party Leader will be mad..." Lumine was at a loss for words.

    This was literally just a nned assault...

    If she valued him, she probably shouldn''t be thinking of doing something so foolish...

    "It''s fine, he''s a guy! They love getting attacked like that, it''s actually kind of exciting for them! I read it in a book somewhere. They love it!"

    "Uh...no...that''s not it...I think you should calm down a bit." Lumine''s eyes widened at the sudden shift in topic.

    How could anyone think of something like this...?

    Lumine heard that the male criminals who assaulted women in this world were sent into the prison in Fontaine. What about the women though? Were they imprisoned as well...?

    There was clearly one now, running around...and nning...

    "Oh? Are you worried about me being too forward with my approach?"

    "Umu. Umu..." Lumine nodded her head, unable to say anything else.

    This girl was not only shameless, but she was also incredibly bold. Lumine was sure that if she hadn''t said anything, Barbara would have gone ahead and tried it tonight...

    "...You''re right...He did tell me to wait a year, so he might truly get mad at me...ah, shame, shame..." Barbara mumbled under her breath.

    It was clear that Barbara was enjoying her time with Lumine, and that they grew a bit closer whether it was intentional or not.

    "Oh! Oh! I also heard this! Apparently..."

    The two girls started gossiping among themselves once more.

 Chapter 311: Teacher Kink?

    Many people weren''t aware, but women were equally, or even more perverted than men.

    Women liked to see the horrid side of life; they had a morbid curiosity and an emotional appetite for the gross and grotesque fetishes that even made the bravest of men wince.

    Not only were women interested in sex, they were also open about it with all of their girl friends whom they hanged around with.

    They took pleasure in sharing their experiences with their boyfriends down to thest detail.

    The male ego was not strong enough to resist this kind of pressure, where their girlfriend''s friends knew everything about their naked body and their whole love life down to the T...

    Most men were noble about the idea of keeping love secrets from other people''s ears.

    They would usually just mention a few words saying they managed to enjoy a fine evening with their woman and that was the end...

    The women, however, loved dissecting everything for hours on end.

    From the moment of forey, how long the mensted, what kind of faces they were making while making love... all went into the discussion and was thoroughly enjoyed by the women during their time off.

    Even the most of embarrassing moments such as putting it in the wrong hole.

    They were merciless.

    Definitely not speaking from the experience.

    And so as long as women were women, nothing would change.

    As if to confirm this hypothesis immediately, Barbara took a hold of Fischl and kidnapped her into the gossip group, where both her and Lumine asked spicy questions regarding her love life.

    Women were evil. Any struggling man would realize as much...

    In the meantime, Yomite nced at Lisa in hopes that she would help settle the matter regarding the ''boarding of girls onto his back'', but she was busy looking at the scenery, seemingly unaware of the ongoing conversation.

    He looked around and noticed Paimon collecting valberries and apples in the nearby forest.

    The moment she picked up something, she stuffed it into her mouth like a squirrel, and he could hear her chewing happily.

    As for Iris, she was chasing after butterflies also known as Anemo crystalflies.

    Venti once told him they were pure elemental life-formsposed of drifting Anemo particles, as free and unbound as the butterflies they resembled and that they were prettymon and even used for alchemy.

    Maybe that''s why she wanted to eat them.

    Eventually, the girls quieted down for some reason, and all three of them went to talk about something in the back, so that no one could hear them.

    ''Hopefully, Barbara won''t convince Fischl and Lumine to do something weird... hopefully...''

    Yomite took the hint to not barge into their conversation and came up to Lisa instead.

    "Hey...Lisa? Do you have a minute?"

    "Call me ''Teacher.'' when we''re with other people." Lisa replied with a smile.

    "Alright...teacher, where are we exactly? How long will it take for us to get to that so called Abyss?"

    "Yeah! Are we there yet?" Hu Tao chimed in.

    "We''ll soon arrive at the ce I promised you, but as for the real Abyss...I don''t know. I''ve never been there. I''ve only entered something called ''Spiral Abyss'' once, and that was during the expedition to the Ancient Ruins. We''ve thought it was the whole extent of the Abyss, and we were wrong."

    "...Then how did you find out about the ''real'' Abyss?"

    "We''ve captured a few Abyss Mages, the rest was quite frankly an easy task. Torturing them wasn''t that hard."

    "..."

    ''That''s a bit scary... Maybe Kaeya was right after all?'' Yomite thought.

    "How were they tortured...?" He wondered.

    He took the Knights of Favonius as azy and a weak force that pretty much allowed most things in the country of freedom.

    Yet it seemed their ''interrogation'' department had some drastic measures in y...

    "Oh? Are you curious?" Lisa stopped in her tracks to consider. "Maybe I should...give you a little demonstration."

    Suddenly, she turned around and walked towards him, pressing her fingernails against his chest.

    Drumming her nails over the thin fabric of his shirt, she whispered in a low voice, "What would you say, if I used these nails to scratch the skin off of your body until it bled, tearing it apart piece by piece?"

    The sight of her sharp fingernails running circles on his chest was enticing, rather than scary or threatening...

    She then leaned in close to his ear, whispering quieter than before, "I can make you bleed easily. I can make you scream so loud the whole world will hear you."

    "Yes, please do so." Yomite replied without hesitation.

    ...

    ..

    .

    "...Huh? What did you...what did you just...say?" Lisa was taken aback.

    So much so that her purple witch hat almost fell off. The shock must have been too much for her to handle.

    Unsure if she heard correctly, she looked at Yomite, expecting an answer. But he simply stared back at her with a slight grin.

    "I''d love to see you try." Yomite added.

    He wasn''t a masochist, but he was open to try out most interesting stuff. And he certainly found this very appealing. He''d be able to experience something new.

    He could be quite cruel when provoked though, so if she tried something too extreme, well...She''d better not.

    Else he would turn the tables and she would never ever leave his bed. The pleasure could go both ways after all. Even if it would cost her more sleep than she had to give.

    Once she heard his response and realized he waspletely serious, she became confused and pulled her hand away.

    In a way, she wasn''t sure how to feel about it, and even felt an emotion close to embarrassment to a certain degree, which she thought was impossible to feel at her age.

    After a brief silence, she spoke again in a softer tone, "That''s...that''s a bit...my fault, I went too far..."

    "...No, not at all," Yomite smiled.

    He hadn''t expected such a reaction from Lisa, and he didn''t understand why she''d pull away from him.

    For him, an offer like that was simply irresistible. Perhaps he really had a teacher fetish after all.

    In the end, he managed to crack her calm and rxing personality and made her slightly flustered, although it wasn''t to the point of her blushing, sadly.

    "So~ what did the Abyss Mages spill?" Hu Tao inquired curiously, "Was it something reaa~ly top secret?"

    Since she was still riding on top of Yomite, Hu Tao heard their whole exchange, yet didn''t understand the inuendos behind it so she didn''t think much of it.

    As for Lisa, it was hard calming down after Yomite''s unexpected response, but eventually she decided to exin, "Well...Anyway...Yes...Some of their secrets...We''ve learned that the Spiral Abyss we''ve entered before, is just the entrance...the real Abyss, which they also call, The Void Realm, is apparently hidden beyond the spiral. In addition, the Abyss is infinitely deep...and contains things unimaginable."

    "Unimaginable? I would say this world has already shown me many unimaginable things..." Yomite sighed.

    From the annoying dendro slime impostors, to the amount of food his girls ate, to the weirdest femboy he''d ever seen in real life, these past few months had been filled with unbelievable events.

    Yet none of them seemed to bother him in the slightest anymore. He was almost ustomed to it by now, like it was normal.

 Chapter 312: Dogs Can Fly Too

    Will be heavily fixed, its a bit of a mess...

    ***

    In the southeast corner of Mondstadt''s surroundsy a cape that bordered with Galesong Hill.

    A legend had it two lovers made an oath to each other there and left behind a deeply touching story. To this day the area was known to be popr amongst young lovebirds.

    Other than being a great vantage point for watching sunrises and sunsets, the drop in terrain made it easy to see Windrise, the location where the memorial for the Hero Vennessa stood proud and tall, which sat facing the sea

    It was also the location where Yomite and Barbara met Ventist time.

    "We''ve arrived." Lisa announced after some time.

    They were currently resting in a clearing on top of the cliff. It was a beautiful view, and they could see the sea.

    From above, the sea looked like a vast blue space stretching from horizon to horizon.

    It was quiet and peaceful��but also somewhat lonely.

    "Amazing...it''s so beautiful here," Hu Tao said in awe of the scenery, even as she was still on Yomite''s back.

    "Did you forget? We were here before when we fought Iris." Yomite pointed out, albeit incorrectly...

    This ce wasn''t anywhere close to the location where they fought Stormterror, but even the best of the best could fail sometimes...

    "Ah...yes...you''re right..." The ignorant Hu Tao nodded. "I''m sorry, I forgot."

    She gave his head a quick peck, then hopped off his back.

    Uponnding, she rubbed her eyes with both hands, feeling the strong breeze blowing across her face and stretched her arms in the air.

    "Ah, what was this called again? The Starsnatcher''s cliff?" She asked as the wind whipped her brown hair around, and her red eyes sparkled with excitement.

    "No, this isn''t Starsnatch Cliff, but the Cape oat. Starsnatch Cliff is in apletely different location." Lisa exined.

    ''Wait...this cliff isn''t the one where we fought Iris? It looks the same...oh well, I was never good at geography anyway.''

    Yomite decided to put his brain aside for the moment and enjoy the view with the girls.

    From their current position, they could roughly see the an outline of an ind stretching out into the distance.

    "Prepare your Wind Gliders, we''re about to descend towards that ind in the distance." Lisa informed them.

    When they got closer, they would be able to clearly see the shape of the ind. From this height, it was hard to tell what it was shaped like, but it looked like a small hill covered in green grass and some sort of greyish rock in the middle.

    "Me first! Me first!" Hu Tao shouted excitedly.

    She was eager to fly through the sky and soar over the sea, and Yomite didn''t want to deprive her of such a wonderful experience.

    And so, as her dear lover who loved toply with any wish Hu Tao had, he nodded and kicked her back, sending her flying down the cliff just as he promised he would do.

    "Whaaaa!?" Hu Tao shrieked, throwing her arms wide open as she flew towards the sea.

    "You better use that Wind Glider before you fall." He shouted after her, "Otherwise, you''ll be a tasty snack for the fish below."

    "Did you just kick your wife!? Are you kidding me!?" Hu Tao yelled as she fell down the cliff, twirling in the air.

    Even though she was falling at top speed, she couldn''t help but look back at Yomite with tears in her eyes.

    "I will get back at you for thiiiiiiiiis! I will make the greatest prank ever! I sweaaaaar!" She threatened, but he ignored her.

    Hu Tao didn''t have enough time to do anything else besides scream, because before she knew it, she passed through the thick mist surrounding the ind.

    She eventually reached out and grabbed onto the wispy tendrils of fog to slow her descent, and then pulled out the gliding device from her back.

    "Hahaha! This feels so amazing!" Hu Tao cheered, floating towards the ind.

    Yomite watched her go, grinning broadly.

    "Yum-Yum...did you just..." Barbara trailed off, unsure of how to finish her sentence.

    "Yeah, I kicked her, since I told her I would do so if she continued being annoying with all of her ''Are we there yet? Are we there yet?'' I swear, my head started hurting after she asked me that the third time... I knew she would be fine anyway, it''s her, after all." Yomite answered simply.

    Hu Tao was being a brat way too many times today, and she only deserved this small punishment.

    "...Please kick me as well..." Barbara whispered quietly, looking up at him with a pleading gaze.

    "Huh...? You...want me to...kick you too...?" Yomite tilted his head to one side in confusion.

    "Yes, please..." Barbara begged, lowering her head.

    He had no idea why she would ask him to do that and figured it was probably a joke.

    She was a yandere, right? Why would she want him to kick her? Wouldn''t a kiss be a better alternative or something?

    "...I''ve always dreamt of this...now is my chance." Barbara murmured to herself with excitement, her chest rising and falling rapidly, heat radiating from her body.

    Yomite looked back at Barbara, whose cheeks were flushed and her eyes were sparkling.

    It appeared she was strangely aroused by the thought of being kicked, and Yomite couldn''t understand why...

    ''It''s getting weird...

    "..."

    He didn''t know what to say, not only a Yandere, but was she also a masochist?

    "..."

    In the end, he decided to ignore the request and instead offered a more practical suggestion, "Why don''t we...just fly down together? Then we can both fly safely...you can hold onto me if you want to."

    Apromise!

    A really good one too!

    However...

    Barbara looked over her shoulder, quite disappointed, "You won''t...kick...? Ah, fine..." She turned around and started walking towards the edge of the cliff.

    "I was looking forward to it too..."

    ''...''

    Yomite followed her, and the two descended the cliff side by side towards the ind.

    ''There is no way I can kick her, unlike Hu Tao, she is just way too soft to touch, I might actually break something...''

    The others followed suit, and soon all of them were gliding through the air.

    "...Sha!"

    "Hmm?"

    "...Bisha!"

    ''What was that?''

    Yomite looked back towards the cliff but saw nothing. He could have sworn he heard his name.

    ''Oh well, who cares.''

    Eventually, they were able to make out the shape of the ind ahead. Theynded on the grassy field near the center.

    "It''s truly captivating." Lumine remarked.

    The ind wasn''trge, and the ground was mostly made up of grass and sand. The highest point of thend were two small hills, and they were covered in ayer of greenish grass.

    There was a grayish stone gate in the middle of the ind, which resembled a rough spheric door frame. A hollow ornamental sphere carved out of cobblestone with a symbol at the top sat at its center. The pattern was simr to the one he saw on some domains he conquered with his team in the past.

    An old staircase led up to it, carved out of the same greyish rock as the rest of gate

    It was a very simple, yet ancient design and didn''t seem particrly impressive or special at first nce, yet the cold cobblestone and the worn-down walls showed signs of age. Its beauty and ambiguity immediately caught their attention.

    Lisa approached the gate slowly and cautiously, and once she was close enough, she put her hand on it.

    Immediately, a pair of blue, glowing runes appeared around it, encircling the middle section.

    "Is this it?" Yomite wondered.

    "Correct. This is the entrance into the Spiral Abyss," Lisa answered. "If we enter this gate, we should be able to find our way inside."

    As Lisa spoke, the rune on the gate began to glow brighter, until finally, it was fully lit.

    A beautiful sound emerged from the portal itself, creating a rumbling noise that sounded like a rough wind passing through.

    All of them stepped forward and ced their hands on the gate. Once all of their palms touched the surface, the gate opened, revealing a long, dark blue corridor extending into the distance.

 Chapter 313: Rosaria

    The Church of Favonius nun who was the least faithful was evaluating her life decisions after meeting a certain annoying man.

    As soon as she was born into this world, she felt the icy chill of snow.

    The northern mountains were permanently covered in snow, and there were very few flowers. The sky appeared to be threatening hail, and the winter chill permeated even the heaviest clothing that could be brought from the south.

    A crying infant with no prior knowledge or experience of the world clung to her mother''s arms.

    Her tearsnded on her mother''s clothing, but neither warmed the woman nor helped her escape the icy world.

    The frostbite on her mother''s fingers worsened and spread, eventually iming her life.

    The mother epted her fate as shey immobile with her child clutched tightly to her bosom. She had given up on a better future for herself, but she still wished to provide her child with a glimmer offort.

    She prayed to the Archon she believed in, pleading with her to take pity upon her passing and grant her daughter the opportunity to survive.

    ''Survive. That''s all I ask of you...''

    The request was fulfilled, and a group of people appeared out of nowhere as the vige burned around them.

    The heroes did not wear shining armor or wield swords, as depicted in the stories recounted to children, nor did they use magical weapons. In fact, they appeared more likemoners or barbarians...a band of bandits.

    They wore in, blood-stained garments, and their faces were swollen with bruises and scrapes.

    They carried crude weapons such as spears and axes, and each appeared weary and gloomy.

    "Boss, we took what we could. I think we should leave before we attract monsters."

    "Indeed."

    "No, wait, Boss! I see some movement!"

    One of the bandits observed the corpse of the mother who was huddled over with her wailing infant and aimed his spear at her.

    "Someone is still alive, Boss!"

    Another bandit, a man they dubbed "the Boss", spotted what he was pointing at and looked in that direction.

    "Huh? What are you referring to? Isn''t that just a dead woman?"

    The first man carried on. "A child isying there! Look closely! What should we do with it?"

    "That one''s too young." said the boss. "Let''s leave it alone. Let the cold do it''s bidding."

    "...Are ya sure, Boss? What if it survives and returns to exact vengeance? I read a simr story in a book before!"

    "..."

    The leader returned his attention to the mother''s corpse.

    Frostbite was slowly consuming the body, and the infant would soon perish as well.

    "...I''m sure. This woman''s soul has already entered the afterlife, leaving behind the runt... On second thought, I will handle this myself."

    After removing his cloak, which concealed his armor, he picked up the infant.

    "B-Boss? Are you sure?"

    "But, that''s..."

    "It''s just another mouth to feed! We can barely handle ourselves!"

    Hisrades stared at him in disbelief, but the Boss responded to them with a serious expression on his face.

    "I was moved by the mother''s decision to sacrifice her life for her own child."

    As he drew the girl closer to his face, she began to cry.

    "Shhh, shh...it is fate that you''ve survived this ordeal. You''re one of us now, whether you like it or not."

    The newborn stopped weeping and gazed at him with tear-filled eyes.

    "A name is not important, but you will earn it with time."

    The other bandits were shocked as their vicious leader embraced the infant as though she were his own.

    "Let''s get going!"

    The bandits then fled the vige without a second nce.

    They were the cause of the vige''s destruction, and it was evident they were to me...but they were also the reason the child had survived.

    As the crimson mes disappeared into the night sky, they were able to findfort in one another''spany.

    Raised by those crooks, the girl learned how to fight, sometimes thieving, other times doing odd jobs for the crew.

    In exchange for the food she stole, they offered to train her in the art of battle, allowing her to be stronger than anyone her age.

    She had no experience with love or affection, but she had discovered her purpose in life.

    When she reached the appropriate age, she joined the bandits in their raids. They taught her all they knew, including how to fight, kill, and most importantly, survive.

    Rosaria''s youth resembled Mondstadt''s sunset; it was blood-red from horizon to horizon and so brief that night had descended before she had a chance to appreciate the beauty.

    This was the only life she knew, and she couldn''t imagine anything different.

    She was their servant and tool, a crook who was still a child.

    She had seen so much violence, and she had experienced so many hardships, that she slowly lost her own feelings.

    The bandits had taught her to value her life and to not fear the cold, but embrace it.

    Those who smiled were regarded as weak, and those who showed emotion were seen as fools.

    Only the cold and calctive types survived the harsh environment.

    She adhered to the bandit code, and the crew both feared and respected her to a certain point. She fought against both enemies and allies, and her childhood was a perpetual struggle for survival against starvation and cold.

    Her body and mind eventually toughened, and she became the ideal warrior.

    Once a defenseless youngster, the girl has matured into a brave warrior.

    Until one day, her life changed forever.

    ***

    Things were getting desperate for the bandit gang �� people were starving and the food supplies were dwindling.

    Never able to eat her fill, Rosaria was driven by hunger to flee into the freezing wind rather than continue another second with the hardbor she was forced to endure.

    One of the elders of the gang, the boss who retired, pursued her and brought her back.

    He was the very person who had taken her from the vige of her birth, and the one who had taught her how to kill.

    "To flee is to be a traitor, and traitors can only win their freedom throughbat triumph!"

    The old bandit tossed Rosaria a worn-out dagger.

    "Well,e on then! Kill me, and you can leave this ce. You won''t gain the respect unless you truly prove yourself!"

    "...Kill you?"

    The old bandit chuckled at her, but she responded with a nk expression.

    "What, you''re afraid of fighting your own kind? I''m long in the tooth now, while you''ve got youth on your side. You can do this, can''t ya?"

    "..."

    Rosaria''s face contorted with hesitation and unwillingness, but the elderly man would not let her off the hook.

    "Come on! I know you can fight better than any of us, so get moving!" He''d long drawn out his axe and was waiting for her.

    "You are...my father...I simply cannot..." Her voice was trembling, as if the cold air was somehow cutting straight through her skin.

    The boss snorted. "Your father? There is no one like that! You knew it all along, didn''t you? I was the one who raided your vige and killed everyone including your parents, right?!"

    "..."

    Rosaria didn''t respond.

    "If you kill me, you''ll finally have your revenge! Come on, do it!"

    He drew his axe to attack, but instead of confronting the man who ruined her life, Rosaria began to flee.

    The old man however, had expected this oue and quickly blocked her path with his weapon.

    "Run away? You intend to flee from me? That''s really amazing! Rose, I suppose you''re a failure after all!"

    Rosaria didn''t say a word and tried running away.

    The old bandit had a malicious grin on his face.

    "Don''t tell me...you''re going to let me kill you? Aren''t you going to survive?"

    As the words spilled out of his lips, the boss struck Rosaria''s shoulder with his axe.

    By repeated use, the axe had been worn down and sharpened to a razor''s edge. It sliced deeply into her flesh, causing her to scream in anguish as blood gushed forth.

    "S-Stop!" she screamed at the old bloke.

    The bandit, who''d lost his sense of humanity after years spent in this unforgiving world, simply looked at her and chuckled.

    "I wish I could, but I can''t," he answered with a smile before adding, "You should know. That''s how it goes around here." He then raised the axe above his head and brought it down with a downward swing.

    Despite being wounded, Rosaria was able to dodge the strike before it fell on top of her.

    She rolled out of the path and instinctively hurled the dagger at the old man.

    The dagger travelled through the air, and hit him square in the neck.

    The bandit soon dropped to the ground with a loud thud.

    Rosaria''s survival instinct, honed through years of training,pelled her to do something she did not want to do: fight back against her only family.

    Blood spurted out of the bandit''s neck, a fatal injury caused by the girl''s de.

    "Gah...ugh...just as I taught you...well done...''

    Her body shaking, Rosaria quickly ran over to her father''s side andid him down gently.

    "Father!"

    She cradled his head and brushed back his hair.

    "You...with your...nonsense...do what you do best...and survive."

    As he spoke, light flickered in his eyes, and hisst breath escaped his lungs.

    Consequently, he, like Rosaria''s biological mother, sacrificed his life so that she could lead a better one.

    "I...I...don''t understand...why did you do that..."

    Rosaria looked at her father''s dying form, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

    She had a feeling that the old man was trying to apologize, but he wasn''t able to say it.

    "Why...why is the snow so warm?"

    Instantaneously, her chilly ambition was born, and a pale blue amulet materialized in her hand, enveloping her body in pure coldness.

    A Vision.

    No one thought that she would be able to kill him �� and yet, the old lion would indeed fall by the newborn cub''s ws.

    Thus did the bandits lose an old member and weed a new one that very night.

    The bandits were reluctant to ept Rosaria at first since she had in one of their own respected elders, but they quickly had a change of heart after seeing the Vision in her hand.

    A God''s gift. Only for chosen one''s. There was no mistake.

    Surely, a Vision wielder had to be far stronger than some old coot who was about to kick the bucket, right? And she ate less, to boot... They could save some food this way.

    In the meantime, a doubt crept into Rosaria''s frozen heart:

    ''Did he truly let me rece him on purpose? ...Could a false father have harbored genuine affection for a child he stole so arbitrarily after he burned my vige down? So much so to give up his life for my well-being?''

    She would never be able to answer that question.

    After burying the old bandit next to the ashes of her old vige, Rosaria continued living alongside the bandits.

    She was now referred to as the Rose with Thorns, a sign of her intimidating strength.

    Her abilities and strength were unparalleled among the bandits, and the majority of those who encountered her dreaded her.

    Until one day, when the Knights of Favonius attacked them out of fear for a bandit gang that had been growing control over thend, her life was once again irrevocably altered.

    The knights crushed the bandit hideout, ying everyone in their path, except for Rosaria.

    Being the only person left alive once more, she was confronting a man named Varka whom she couldn''t even put a scratch onto no matter how much she tried.

    "Enough is enough. Give up."

    As the bandit camp''s youngest member, Rosaria was deemed to have a shot at redemption.

    "Stop resisting ande with us. I see your potential. You don''t belong in this environment."

    The man known as Grand Master Varka brought her to Mondstadt.

    He rmended her to visit the Cathedral and be purified by the light of their Archon, Barbatos, with the sincere hope that she would one day fit in.

    "You still have the opportunity to change your fate and lead a regr life. Mondstadt is the city of Freedom, and it''s perfect for someone like you. A broken person."

    "..."

    But Varka had not counted on Rosaria constantly skipping sses and dodging hymnals, and being a troublemaker.

    She would rather hunt in the wild than settled into a life of dutiful service as a sister. As far as she was concerned, the golden sunlight was not so much cleansing as blinding.

    For Rosaria had long sincee to understand that she was a child of the moonlight, and it was inevitable that she would someday return to the embrace of darkness.

    Her life would never be normal.

 Chapter 314: I Dont Know Whats Going On Anymore!!!

    ''I think you''re truly gorgeous and I find you attractive. I don''t think anyone should have a problem saying someone''s beautiful when they feel that way. At least...I don''t find it embarrassing.''

    ��Those were the words of the guy named Yomite, whom Rosaria attacked and subsequently lost dishonorably to.

    His tteries were pissing her off, and that infuriated her. But she couldn''t hate him. She''d made up her mind already; this was the only path left open to her now, if she didn''t want to recite prayers all night today.

    "Damn you! Burrite Hissha!"

    It was time for her to alleviate her boredom, so as Yomite''s group left to get stronger with Lisa, she followed them.

    Until they reached their destination, they had no idea she was following them.

    She could easily keep up with them by simply following the sound of their footsteps.

    It didn''t take long before they arrived at an isted spot in the forest, where there were plenty of trees to hide behind.

    ''Hm? They stopped?''

    The group paused without exnation, as if to rest. She followed suit and hid under some nearby bushes.

    The man known as Yomite suddenly dragged a woman away from the group. Much to her surprise, the woman let herself be pulled along without resisting.

    As Rosaria watched on with interest, he began forcefully kissing her, then grabbed her waist.

    The girl squirmed, but he held her down with his hands until she gave in and started moaning.

    "A-Ahh...! A-Ahhh...!"

    She sounded like a cat being fed cream. Just how long had they been going at it? Rosaria would''ve guessed ten minutes or so, based on what she''d seen.

    ''Disgusting. How can he act so shamelessly? Doing something like that in public. His group is right next to them.''

    They weren''t even hiding it. If anything, they were tantly doing it right out in the open, as if they wanted to be seen by their own group.

    Eventually, he finished. The next moment, the girl copsed over a tree stump, panting heavily.

    "That felt great, thanks," Yomite said, patting Hu Tao''s head. He then turned around, looking satisfied.

    Rosaria watched him walk back to his friends, who were still standing in the same ce.

    None of them seemed to notice that two of them had just gone missing, or didn''t care enough to think about it.

    ''He is so weird.''

    She waited for Yomite to depart first, then followed him while maintaining a safe distance.

    ***

    Eventually, they reached their destination, and she observed them leaping off a cliff.

    As anticipated, they dove into the water below, perhaps submerging and swimming to a location hidden underneath.

    ''I''ll jump too.''

    Rosaria leaped off the cliff after them, not realizing they were using wind gliders to reach a nearby ind, and she crashed into the ocean instead.

    "Damn you! Torti Bissha!"

    Her body submerged underwater within seconds, and she was forced to swim all the way to the ind in order to reach them, as she didn''t bring a wind glider with her.

    After swimming past the reef, she reached the ind atst.

    "Dammit...I will kill him...I will kill him..."

    There, she discovered that Yomite and his group had vanished through some sort of a portal.

    "It''s closing...!"

    She ran towards the entrance and narrowly made it inside before the portal closed itself.

    ***

    Meanwhile, Yomite''s group entered the Spiral Abyss, which connected to the true Abyss.

    "Woah, this looks a bit alien-like. Hopefully there won''t be any Xenomorphs around...that shit''s nightmare fuel."

    Yomite surveyed the surroundings, which were vastly different from what he was ustomed to.

    In contrast to what he had initially imagined the Abyss to look like, this ce was nearly devoid of darkness. Instead, it had a pristine green sky with no sun and structures that reached the heavens.

    And yet, the light was neither zing nor dark, and it feltfortable to the eye.

    However, the most peculiar thing about this location was that there were no monsters here.

    There was not the least indication that one could have been anywhere.

    Which was odd, given Lisa''s assertion that the Abyss was filled with monsters and frightening foes.

    Once they exited the portal, they found themselves on a seemingly infinite staircase leading to the skies.

    The spiraling staircase culminated at a circr tform in the center of the structure.

    "How fascinating. This Prinzessin proposes we ought to cleanse this Abyss and capture it as our own, correct?" Fischl asked, gazing at the scenery around them.

    "Paimon thinks there will be tons of treasures! Paimon can feel it in her bones!"

    "Rx a little, flying plush mascot. Lisa said it''s dangerous around here so don''t fly off and stay with us at all times.."

    "H-Hey! Who''s a mascot! Paimon will let you know that Paimon is a living and breathing��"

    h. h. h.

    h. h.

    h.

    At this rate, she would be talking forever and ever...

    In that case...

    He had a few methods to shut her up.

    "As Paimon was saying, you can''t just call Paimon��"

    Before she could finish, she was stolen from the air and hugged tightly against his chest.

    "Wha��!? D-Do you wanna fight with Paimon!? Eh, p-punk! Paimon''s not afraid!"

    It was time for some stress relief. It''s been quite some time since he had a taste of her cuteness and it healed his heart whenever he was in the need.

    "No...I just...don''t want anything bad to happen to you, Paimon. I would be devastated if I lost you...You''re very precious to me. Please be careful and take care of yourself better." Yomite confessed softly, caressing Paimon''s head.

    ''There, finally calmed her down. She''s cute indeed but it''s just so easy to tease her I couldn''t help myself saying all of that. Nowes the sweet adorable reaction of a blushing fairy~''

    "...I-Is that so...?"

    Paimon looked away shyly, feeling touched by Yomite''s sudden affection.

    Her face flushed slightly, and she rested her head against his chest, nuzzling it.

    ''There it is~ Aaaaargh I love it! I don''t think there''s anything cuter than Paimon in this world...'' Yomite screamed internally.

    As for Paimon, there was a great hesitation in her eyes, but she resolved herself and spoke to him, "...P-Paimon feels...the same way... please t-take care of...Paimon..."

    ''Hmm?''

    At this point, everyone else had gathered around them and was staring curiously.

    "Good job, Paimon." Lumine smiled. "Party Leader finally admitted that he likes you too."

    ''.....?''

    "I originally wished to eat her, but if she''s someone Master wants to copte with, I''ll abstain from consuming her," Iris sighed sadly.

    ''....Excuse me...?''

    "Well done...Paimon. You two might have a bit of a problem when ites to your proportions, but love conquers all. Love transcends even the physical standards that we live by. Whether it''s an age gap, different race or even...size in your case, you should be able to ovee it somehow. So long as you can ept each other''s differences, there shouldn''t be any obstacles for you two to fall in love." Barbara acted like a Deaconess for the first time in a long while, yet her words were filled with weird wisdom.

    ''Wait...!? They don''t think that...no...they can''t be serious...''

    Yomite''s gaze fell on one, then moved to other as he tried to figure out why the people around him were acting so strange.

    "Hoh, intriguing, does that perhaps mean that his entire party is his harem now? You''ll have to work hard to make sure everyone''s properly taken care of and satisfied~" Lisa teased.

    ''T-They...They misunderstand...theypletely misunderstood!!!''

    He was still petting Paimon on the head tenderly, while she gazed into his eyes, her cheeks glowing redder than ever.

    When her gaze met his, she immediately averted her eyes, blushing.

    Then, the realization of his actions fully hit him.

    ''No...how...no...no...I was just...teasing her because she''s cute when she''s flustered or mad, but no...how did everyone around me even arrive at that conclusion!?''

    Everyone was familiar with his personality and the fact that he loved teasing and cuddling Paimon, so how could they ever think he had romantic feelings for her?

    Yomite looked around nervously, trying to find an escape route.

    He wasn''t even remotely interested in Paimon, yet despite that, those idiots thought...

    What would he even do with her when her body was so small...? There was no way!

    She was just his cute, stress relief plushie he loved to squeeze once in a while, Lumine did the same thing to her and he had to agree it was refreshing, yet out of nowhere, everyone thought that they had some kind of romantic rtionship going on between them!

    This had to stop! Right now!

    "Ah, guys...I''m sorry to disappoint but I''m not..."

    Before he could even say another word, Yomite noticed Paimon''s ears turning pink and her breath bing ragged.

    "..."

    He hadpletely forgotten about her in the midst of being so shocked by everything, and she was hugging him so tightly.

    ''...If I tell her that I was only teasing her...her heart would break...''

    Yomite looked down, unable to speak as panic gripped him.

    ''It''s true that I care about her, but I don''t have any feelings for her whatsoever. If she knew that...she probably wouldn''t ever forgive me...and then I wouldn''t be able to squeeze her all I want...aaah god damnit it!''

    His fear was palpable, and before he realized what was happening, Paimon reached out and clutched his shirt.

    "P-Paimon also...likes y-you a lot...But...but..."

    She started stammering.

    "....."

    It was doomed, he couldn''t possibly refute her feelings, not after she''d been acting so bashful and adorable. There was no escape.

    "B-But you''ll have to wait...until...Paimon gets bigger...Paimon''s too small...for now..."

    She confessed with a trembling voice, looking up at him.

    .

    ..

    ...

    ''...Hm? Bigger...? Get...bigger? Come to think of it, when she disappeared somewhere and returned back...she did get a bit bigger...I thought it was just my eyes ying tricks on me though...''

    If she could get bigger...if she could get bigger...then there was hope.

    That was it!

    He saw the light!

    A way to escape from this predicament!

    "O-Okay!" Yomite nodded happily, a way out from this situation had finally appeared, "Thank you soooo~ much for telling me! I''ll cherish your confession until then. Until you grow up to be as tall and strong as me!" He assured her.

    "U-Umu...! P-Paimon will do her best!!!"

    After that, Paimon floated away and hid behind Lumine''s shoulder.

    Lumine was supportive to her friend, patting her headfortingly.

    ''Yes! Yes! YESSSS! HAHA! I got away from this mess! Thank god! I can just lie low and avoid contact with her as much as possible now...''

    Yomite breathed a sigh of relief, but his smile quickly faded as he realized something.

    ''Ah....Now that I''ve gotten away...I won''t be able use her as my stress relief doll...or else everyone might think it''s me showing her my undying love or something...Damn it...why didn''t I think of this sooner...?''

    The disappointment was palpable. He would have to ask one of his girls for that instead, but he knew they would never have as much effect as Paimon would...

    ''Paimon''s usually dumb but she can be weirdly smart sometimes...I hope she forgets about this...and so does everyone else...'' Yomite thought, sighing quietly.

    This was a ride he wished never happened in the first ce.

    ''Come to think of it...Paimon''s a woman...I...always came up to her and hugged and touched her...many, many times...so maybe she was always thinking that I''m trying to seduce her...or something...Ahh fuck me...I''m the problem! Arrest me! I just wanted to enjoy her cuteness! God damn it!''

    Yomite was starting to doubt his own sanity at this point.

    ''It''s okay, it''s okay... I''m a normal person. I''m still normal...I only ever thought of her as a pet. Yes, a pet. A flying dog I could pet all I wanted...Cute, adorable and cuddly...then again, Hu Tao''s also like a pet to me and I rail her every chance I get...Ahhhh God damnit! Arrest me!''

    His mind was in total shambles.

    ''When did things be so screwed? When did I lose my sense of reason? What happened to the person who had morals!? This world is changing me again! Nooo! Please, noooooo!''

    In the end, Yomite decided to stay quiet and do his best to keep his distance from Paimon.

    If he could just avoid her for a little while longer, he would regain his sanity.

    Safe to say, it didn''t work out.

    Paimon slowly floated towards him again and whispered, "A-Ahem...Paimon was thinking...i-if you would...want to spend more time...with Paimon...? S-Sometimes...?"

    The moment she said that, Yomite felt a chill run through his spine.

    ''I can''t win, now can I? Fine then.''

    Yomite quickly turned around to face Paimon, then put a gentle kiss on her forehead.

    "Of course, I''d love to spend more time with you. With everyone. You''re all precious to me. I would die for you all."

    "W-Waaa!? Okay!!! P-Paimon will remember that!" She floated away once more.

    Yomite''s shoulders slumped as he resigned himself...

    ''...Yeah, I could care less about anything anymore...Real Gods do not exist, because they never listen to what I want and only ever listen to what the girls want...Archons are scammers, all of them. If I ever meet one of them again, I''ll show them...''

    ***

    **

    *

    As they were walking on, Yomite noticed that Hu Tao seemed to be feeling unwell ever since they entered through the portal.

    "You okay? Did I kick you too hard? Sorry for that, I was just ying the part."

    He noticed a dirty stain from his shoe on the back of her coat when he kicked her and couldn''t help but grin.

    She didn''t seem to realize it yet, but once she did, she would definitely not be happy and they would y fight again.

    "No...I just...don''t like it here..." She muttered. "It feels off."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    Yomite tilted his head, bemused.

    Hu Tao responded with a troubled smile: "Well, the atmosphere isn''t quite normal, is it? It feels like something bad might happen at any moment. Besides..." She continued, a trace of uneasiness appearing on her features,"...It''s also kinda scary. Like, really, really scary..."

    Yomite was taken aback by those words. ''Whoa, she''s actually scared of something? That''s rare.''

    "Aren''t you ying around with ghosts all the time? What''s scary enough to scare even you off?"

    Hu Tao gave him a weak smile. "That''s exactly it...From what I can tell...there aren''t any ghosts in this whole ce."

    "Is that abnormal?"

    "Yeah! Of course it is! It creeps me out when there aren''t any ghosts around! There should always be around 5 to 6 ghosts! Even in our mansion, there were a lot of them before I put up the seal and told them to go away! It''s too strange!"

    In other words, she was telling him that ghosts were an integral part of her world and the fact that they were missing unsettled her.

    "..."

    ''Our mansion...man...only god knows what those poor ghosts had seen us do in our bedroom...Amitabha, Amitabha.''

    Yomite silently recited a prayer to purify the minds of the ghosts who were the victims of their terrifying bed breaking gymnastics and weird fetishes.

    "Hmm. Maybe the ghosts are sleeping..." Lumine chimed in, trying to cheer Hu Tao up.

    "Ghosts don''t sleep."

    "...I-I''m sorry."

    Lumine''s attempt tofort her failed.

 Chapter 315: Ew, Stairs...

    MHA - Return By Death - 4 chapters

    SOON TM - Konosuba, Nisekoi, League of legends, Majikoi

    Chill with us!

    ***

    "How do you know that ghosts don''t sleep? Maybe they do." Yomite continued the discussion about ghosts, "I mean, if we can dream and stuff, then maybe they can too."

    "Come on, Assistant...I would say I know a bit more than you do!"

    "Fair enough, I guess..."

    Considering her specialty was dealing with spirits, it wouldn''t be strange if she were right. She did have the knowledge of what sort of people be ghosts after death; there wasn''t any point in arguing about something like that.

    "Stop your idle chatter, we havepany." Lisa alerted them, noticing something.

    "Huh? What is it, Teacher?"

    Lisa responded with a cold gaze, "All of you, stay close. There''s a chance someone''s after us."

    "Someone?" Paimon asked, confused, "Did other peoplee to steal our treasures?"

    "Paimon, you realize those treasures, if any found, aren''t ours yet, right?"

    "Eheheh!"

    "Someone came to the entrance of the Spiral Abyss and is attempting to cross through the portal." Lisa exined.

    "Fatui maybe? Ohe on, they''re not even worth a tease! They won''t pose problems to us whatsoever!" Hu Tao responded, sure that she could defeat them all with a few blows.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r �� b��tt��r u?��r �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    Lisa, though, shook her head. "We have no idea who it is. They may pose a threat. Let''s wee them."

    At her words, the group got ready for battle, while Lisa simply raised her hand and aimed it towards the entrance, purple lighting enveloping her palm.

    Just as predicted, a mysterious figure appeared from the portal, causing them to draw their weapons in anticipation of an attack.

    However, none came.

    Instead, they were greeted by silence, apanied only by the sounds of their soft breathing...until...

    "Yomire...Bissha...found you..." A low growl escaped the throat of the figure.

    It was Rosaria, who was visibly fatigued from swimming all the way to the ind.

    Saturated to the core, her garments clung to her like a second skin, every contour of her form visible beneath the drenched fabric. Seawater streamed from her hair, cascading down her face and neck.

    "Oh! Sister Rosaria?" Barbara eximed, "How did you get here? Did something happen in Mondstadt?"

    "...Rosaria? What are you doing here...? Don''t tell me you want your Mora back? I''ll have you know I don''t have it anymore...I spent it all for furniture and stuff..." Yomite spoke up.

    "Money? No...I came here to kill you..." She snarled, her eyes glowing with hatred.

    In her entire life, she could count on one hand the number of times she had truly been consumed by anger. Yet, somehow, this man had seeded in infuriating her thrice within mere days.

    She didn''t know why he was so annoying, but he had a punchable face, a cheeky attitude, and an annoying grin, making him a good target anytime she felt the urge.

    Unfortunately, he was stronger than she was, so she had no chance of exacting revenge on him. However, she was currently irrational due to rage and frustration, and she couldn''t stop herself from doing anything foolish.

    Exhausted, soaked, and thirsty, Rosaria resolved to seize the opportunity before her, using Yomite as a means to release her pent-up fury, in the hope that it might alleviate her anger and dissipate some of her frustration.

    With deliberate steps, she advanced, unsheathing her spear and leveling it at Yomite''s chest, her intent clear in the menacing gleam in her eyes.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r th�� b��?t n��v��l r�֧�d?ng �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    "Die!"

    "No he won''t."

    Before she could even process what was happening, an otherworldly force surged from Lisa''s palm, hurtling toward the encroaching adversary with unbridled fury.

    "...!?"

    In an instant, a torrent of violet lightning branched out across the earth, the ground quaking as the tempestuous energy reverberated through the surroundings. Each person present found themselves momentarily dazed, their senses overwhelmed by the unexpected eruption of power.

    As the maelstrom of electricity subsided, they spotted Rosaria unconscious on the ground.

    All it took was one strike.

    "Ehm...Teacher...? She...wasn''t really an enemy..." Yomite murmured, confused, and then looked over at Lisa who was still standing proudly, ring coldly at Rosaria''s form lying on the ground.

    "I''m aware, but she had the arrogance to attack my student in front of me, which is a serious offense. I did my best to make it painless." She said calmly, her tone betraying absolutely nothing.

    Indeed, her strike had been merciful, but there was potential for something far more lethal had Lisa not shown restraint; with just a touch more force, Rosaria could have been obliterated in an instant.

    Not to mention, Rosaria just swam across the sea, and she was drenched in saltwater. Electricity, notorious for its conductive affinity with water, transformed what should have been a mere shove into a devastating, incapacitating blow.

    Elementalbinations in the world of Teyvat were simply too powerful, resulting in the absurd damage dealt to her.

    "Lisa...that was a bit..."

    "P-Paimon doesn''t want to get fried! Paimon will do anything Lisa says!!!"

    "Miss Lisa is so amazing..."

    The group was shocked to say the least.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r �� b��tt��r u?��r �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    It was a stark reminder that Lisa harbored fearsome abilities, and should they fail to exercise caution, a loss of consciousness might be the least of their concerns in the face of such overwhelming power.

    Yomite looked down at Rosaria''s prone form and sighed, feeling slightly guilty, "Well, she was probably still angry that I took her money...otherwise she wouldn''t havee here..."

    "Regardless, let''s move on. We''re here to train. This cardio will prove to be my undoing..." Lisa sighed as she gazed above at the number of stairs they had to ascend.

    Thest time she was here, Jean carried her to the summit on her back; but, this time...

    ''I could float up there, but that would mean spending magical power for no reason...wait a minute...''

    She looked at Yomite and winked at him, "Say, Handsome. You have your first assignment today. It involves ascending these steps."

    "Umm, okay? So, exin?"

    "Oh! I know! I know! We will need to climb these stairs while doing handstands!" Hu Tao stepped in.

    Yomite turned white. "No way in hell! I will jump off these stairs into the void down below and die rather than do that."

    "Aww, you scared? Chicken, chicken! Cluck, cluck, cluck!"

    "I''m not falling for that. You can do handstands while going upstairs for all I care. I''m definitely not doing that." Yomite shook his head furiously.

    This was one thing he hated more than anything else, and he wasn''t about to do it now.

    "Fine. Then how about a race?" Hu Tao suggested, ignoring him.

    "Nope."

    "Come on! Don''t be such a bore! The first up there gets to do whatever he wants with the loser!" Hu Tao then began performing handstands while maintaining her bnce before ascending the steps one by one.

    Yomite observed her progression prior to ncing at Lisa.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r th�� b��?t n��v��l r�֧�d?ng �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    "So...what was your assignment?"

    "Oh, carry me."

 Chapter 316: My Teacher Cant Be This Hot!

    SOON TM - Konosuba, Nisekoi, League of legends, Majikoi

    Chill with us!

    ***

    "So...what was your assignment?"

    "Oh, carry me." Lisa said simply, as if it were obvious.

    "...Ehm...I don''t mind carrying you, but what''s the point? Are you just thatzy? Can''t you just walk up there, or teleport or something?"

    "How rude...badnguage. Respect your teacher a bit more. The staircase is too narrow for my teleportation magic to work. I can only teleport a few meters, and in the worst-case scenario, I could plummet. Nevertheless, if you carry me, I will reward you handsomely. What do you think?"

    "��..."

    Yomite nced at her and then thought about it, before sighing in resignation, "Sure. Let''s do it then. It''s not like it matters."

    He approached Lisa, who smiled gently at him.

    "Now, hold tight."

    Lisa flung her arms around Yomite''s neck as soon as he finished speaking, and he hoisted her onto his back like a sack of potatoes with his hands under her knees. Once she was secure, Lisa touched the back of his neck with her fingernail, indicating for him to start walking.

    Consequently, he began to slowly climb the stairs. She was the second person he carried today, and she was a lot heavier than Hu Tao...In a good sense, though.

    He couldn''t help but notice her ample cleavage pressing against his back and gulped.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r �� b��tt��r u?��r �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    Thankfully, it made sense; he was currently carrying a woman who was quite voluptuos for an average woman, and her breasts were quite distracting. Still, he found it hard to ignore how they fit perfectly against his back, how they seemed as if they were molded perfect to his frame.

    Her smell was nice too��not just sweetly feminine or mature, but also refreshingly youthful.

    That was weird considering she said she took a shower once a week, but it was interesting because so far, all women he met in this world, had smelled so pleasant he was almost unable to resist them, regardless of whether it was natural or synthetic. He wondered if that was a norm for every woman.

    It was as if those enticing smells were embedded into their skin by some magic.

    Either way, the reason why she hated taking a shower was most likely due to the fact that she didn''t feel like she needed it, as she felt refreshed even without one.

    Or, was she simplyzy as always? Who knew.

    "Ooh...this feels rather nice..." Lisa murmured, "I could picture myself falling asleep in this position." She giggled, closing her eyes.

    "Welp��at least you''refortable."

    Barbara was observing them from behind, unable to keep her envy from showing on her face.

    "...?! Not again!" She was shocked by the sight of Lisa clinging to Yomite from behind and immediately turned to Lumine. "Lumine, I know what you''re thinking! I''ve seen you staring at him from afar too!"

    "W-W-Wait! Don''t say that out loud!" Lumine stuttered, her face started to turn beet red.

    "Why?" Barbara questioned her. "Isn''t that the truth? Aren''t you his lover now? You should be more selfish...like me! You should try to be closer to him and cling to him whenever you can! "

    "...Barbara..stop it."

    Lumine''s voice was quiet but it was firm. Her words instantly silenced Barbara, leaving her speechless.

    <strong><sub><i>��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m</i></sub></strong>

    *Sigh*

    "...Right, of course. Sorry." Barbara apologized, turning back to watch Yomite continue climbing the stairs,

    "I''m jealous. I''m just jealous! It''s fine!" She huffed, her face red.

    "Paimon doesn''t see what''s there to be jealous about? Paimon frequently takes naps on the traveler''s shoulder. Maybe the traveler should carry you as well if Bad Tattoo doesn''t want to? It''s quite rxing Paimon would say."

    Barbara''s cheeks turned crimson. "Don''t joke about that! Wouldn''t it feel weird if Lumine carried me...? Besides, she would have trouble climbing the stairs with me being on her back." She pointed out, trying to avoid the topic.

    In the meantime, Iris and Fischl were staring at the staircase with despair written all over their faces.

    "Ugh...So much movement...I want toy down..." Iris groaned, leaning against Fischl''s back.

    Iris'' massive frame almost ttened Fischl into a pancake, forcing her to groan as she looked back at Iris.

    "You!! Deine huge boobs art crushing this Prinzessin! Kindly get off!"

    Fischl attempted to push Iris off her back, but Iris simply leaned closer to her and tightened her grip.

    "Ahh! This Prinzessin can''t breathe! Help me!"

    "Hmm...so noisy..." Iris mumbled.

    ***

    As Yomite walked, he suddenly felt like he forgot about something important, but he couldn''t remember what it was for a while.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r �� b��tt��r u?��r �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    He eventually recalled a certain woman, fallen on the staircase below them, and he felt bad about it, but at the same time didn''t feel like going back down for her.

    "Ehm...Teacher? What about Rosaria? Isn''t she stillying down there? Should wee back for her? She''s not a bad person, just angry."

    *Snore*

    He didn''t however, get a response from Lisa.

    "Uh...Lisa...?"

    Once more, there was no reply. Instead, he heard a soft snoring sound from behind him.

    He turned around to find Lisa lying on her side on top of him, sleeping peacefully.

    "...She''s really sleeping like this..." Yomite whispered, feeling somewhat impressed.

    Was she truly that exhausted after a couple hours of walking? The travel hadn''t been that long, and he doubted that it had been that strenuous, so she shouldn''t have been this fatigued...

    Her breasts were slightly rising and falling with each breath, itching his back, but he refrained from scratching it because he knew it would be rude to wake her.

    ''She has such big boobs...'' Enjoying the sensation of their weight against his back, he thought to himself, ''They feel so...warm. It''s aplete turnaroundpared to Hu Tao or Fischl. Small breasts are nice too, but big ones are in their own league...A reward...huh.''

    As Lisa was in an intimate position with him, he felt a bit guilty about his thoughts, but it was difficult not to consider her bust size when it was pressing against his back so often, especially since he considered himself to be lecherous by nature. However, he was also a gentleman, so he resisted his desires.

    ''I really am a pervert though, no denying that.'' Yomite chuckled inwardly, as he continued to stare at the stairs that were getting higher and higher.

    There was nothing to be ashamed of.

    <strong><sub><i>��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m</i></sub></strong>

    He figured that most men would be ted if a woman like Lisa fell asleep on top of them right now and decided to focus on getting to the top of the spiral stairs.

 Chapter 317: Barbara! Watch out...

    "This...is too much...for the Prinzessin..." Fischl groaned, her legs trembling with fatigue.

    She was obviously trying to keep up with their pace, but her stamina wasn''t as good as theirs. Neither in battle neither in everyday life.

    Climbing stairs would drain her energy to the point where she wouldn''t be able to fight properly.

    "Gah, I can''t keep up with them..."

    Even without Iris on her back, she was struggling to keep up. Sweat rolled down her face while she panted for air.

    Finally, after what seemed like eternity, they reached the summit of the staircase.

    "...And here we are." Yomite sighed upon reaching the peak, he then tapped Lisa''s shoulder, causing her to snap awake. "Hey...Lisa. Are you alright? You don''t look so good."

    She had been pale since before they arrived at the Spiral Abyss and now she looked even worse, if that were possible. She barely reacted when Yomite woke her and merely nodded.

    "Mhm...quite short of a nap. My eyesight is a bit blurry." She blinked several times, adjusting herself until everything was in order again.

    "Also, I believe I told you to call me ''Teacher'' or "Master" from now on, yes? Call me Lisa in private." Her voice came out more demanding than it usually did, almost as though she were scolding him.

    <strong><sub><i>��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m</i></sub></strong>

    Yomite rolled his eyes, knowing full well that was just her way of teasing, "Whatever you say," He replied nonchntly and helped Lisa climb down from him.

    Once she stood upright once more, he gave her a pat on the back to make sure that she would stay standing, "You okay? Are you still sick? Do you want me to carry you some more?"

    "I''m fine," She took a few tentative steps forward and finally stoppedpletely, "Just...just give me some time to get used to this ce. It''s full of foul mana and dark magic which makes my skin crawl. I need to adjust my senses first."

    Her words made sense, so Yomite didn''t push it any further.

    He nced behind him and saw Barbara panting heavily with Lumine standing beside her, both of them leaning against the wall.

    "You finally made it! Paimon was getting bored!" Paimon who was floating next to them, smiled brightly, "See? Paimon told you walking up the stairs wasn''t so hard! You two were just bad at it! Hehehe!"

    "You know...Paimon...I could really go without your attitude...when you are floating the entire time..."

    Barbara revealed a sweet smile, yet she also hid some rage beneath. Her patience wore thin.

    ''This little fairy was talking and making fun of us the entire time we were climbing the stairs...If I hear one more mockery from her side...I think I''ll snap her neck.''

    Barbara finally seemed to have had enough, if only briefly.

    <strong><sub><i>��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m</i></sub></strong>

    She raised her hand towards Paimon with a frighteningly nk expression on her face, as though she weren''t really there at all, but was merely an empty canvas.

    It wasn''t long before she flinched and turned away, shaking off whatever trance she''d been in before she snapped back into reality.

    "Barbara?"

    A look of concern crossed Paimon''s face, and she quickly to made her way over to Barbara''s side to check on her, cing her small hand on her arm gently.

    "Barbara? You don''t look so good! Paimon is worried about you. Are you alright?"

    "I...I''m fine."

    "Paimon...stop talking...please...my ears are ringing..." Lumine had the same expression as Barbara as they stared at the sprite, who was still flitting about excitedly.

    Though she didn''t share Barbara''s thoughts of hurting her, she also had enough of listening to Paimon''s endless prattle, so she turned around and began focusing on her breathing instead. "Breathing in...Breathing out..."

    ''What was I...about to do to her just now...?'' Barbara thought to herself, trying her best not to let fear consume her as the adrenaline, and the murky feeling slowly left her body.

    ''I really need a break.'' She sighed softly, resting her head against the wall behind them.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r th�� b��?t n��v��l r�֧�d?ng �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    Eventually, Barbara was able to calm herself down sufficiently so that her breathing could even out, and her hands no longer trembled violently.

    But she found it hard to forget the feeling, or get rid of the terrible memory of what she''d almost done just now.

    She took a deep breath, allowing the cold air to fill her lungs, and tried to think of nothing else except for the task at hand, getting stronger to ovee her sister in at least something, and proving to Yomite that she was useful enough to keep around.

    Yomite had noticed how exhausted and disoriented everyone but him and Paimon was, so he decided that they should rest and recuperate.

    The others agreed with him, so they settled down in a rtively secluded part of the tform they had just climbed.

    The tform wasn''t that wide, but it was big enough to fit around ten peoplefortably so they didn''t have a problem to spread out.

    ''Come to think of it, would the magical pot work here?'' he thought to himself and pulled out the teapot, setting it on the ground beside him. If it could lighten up, maybe they''d be able to rest in a morefortable ce.

    As expected, it worked and immediately once he opened the lid, white smoke filled the area, obscuring the vision of everybody else. It enveloped everyone within seconds, making the tform seem like a cloudy day from outside.

    "Hoh? This is interesting" Lisa seemed surprised by this new development, her eyes wide as she nced back towards Yomite, "You surprise me again and again...Is this an artifact of some sorts?"

    Heughed at herment and gave her a quick nod, "Yeah, you could say that. It''s a pocket dimension of sorts which I obtained as a gift...or rather...reimbursement...We can rx in it for the time being."

    <strong><sub><i>��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m</i></sub></strong>

    All of them soon found themselves in the middle of a grasnd, the area within the magical teapot.

 Chapter 318: A Loser Fights Back

    "It''s like a brand new world." Lisa was looking around with fascination while Yomite stood next to her and exined what he could about the space.

    "We have a mansion here with a couple of rooms to spare so if you need somewhere to stay do so there. The girls already have their own rooms here, so only around two to three rooms should be free."

    "Handsome...How did you get your hands on such a thing? Are you perhaps tied to the legendary illuminated beasts? (Adepti)" Lisa questioned curiously.

    "Hmmm, perhaps, perhaps not..." Yomite smiled, his expression unreadable as he responded, "That mighte into y eventually but that isn''t important right now. What matters is that we are safe in here and we can chill without being afraid of monsters attaching us." He waved his hand dismissively and handed her a token, "This allows you to enter and leave this dimension whenever you want to."

    She looked down at the wooden token in his hands and took it in her palm gently. It felt warm to her touch and she saw a small ck calligraphy symbol embedded onto the wood.

    ''So it''s something like an identification card then?'' She pondered as she held it between her fingers. It was strangelyfortable.

    "Well, let''s everyone rest for a while before moving on from here." Yomite suggested. "Shower is in that room, it''s a bit small but it would have to do."

    He knew they wouldn''t make any progress until everyone had rested properly first.

    No one bothered arguing since they were all exhausted. They just nodded along sat themselves down on one of the couches by the wall.

    "Interesting, is this a spirit?" Lisa noticed Tubby cooking in the kitchen and got up to inspect her closely.

    "Wee! My name is Tubby! A teapot spirit which lives inside this magical teapot!" The finch weed Lisa excitedly and bowed to her several times in a mboyant manner, "I see you possess the token too, so I can assume you''re very important friend to the owner!"

    "Yes..." Lisa was rather taken aback by how friendly she acted towards her but also somewhat ttered, "Then can you show me to an empty room? I would like to rx after a bath."

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r �� b��tt��r u?��r �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    "Of course!" Tubby nodded happily, before showing her the way inside. She could hear Yomite sniggering behind her as she walked away.

    ''And she''ll soon be back to sleeping...so much for a prestigious teacher alright...''

    Emerging from a steaming shower feeling rejuvenated, Lisa wore naught but a towel draped loosely around her, with no apparent intention of wearing anything more.

    "Mmmm..." She yawned loudly and stretched with deliberate grace, "The water pressure here is truly exceptional. What sort of artifact is responsible for that?"

    "Teapot is indeed powerful, the girls were singing praises about it as well," Yomite informed her between bites of his fisherman''s toast, "Also, please dress up. I have morals, but if you tease me like this, I will take it as an okay sign to do whatever I want."

    "Hoh? Is that so?"

    Glistening with residual moisture, Lisa padded across the plush carpet, stopping just beside Yomite.

    "Try it, and you''ll get zapped. You''re my student after all. A student and teacher shouldn''t entertain such a rtionship."

    She leaned her face all the way down onto his waiting mouth, before crushing his expectations and biting into the toast he was holding delicately with a satisfied expression.

    Having devoured half of the toast, she cast him a mischievous wink before sauntering out of the room, leaving the door wide open behind her.

    Her curvaceous thighs brushed against one another as she walked, drawing Yomite''s attention to her retreating form for a moment before he redirected his gaze to the remnants of his toast.

    ''She sure is a tease...even going as far as eating my toast...now I have to prepare another one...''

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r �� b��tt��r u?��r �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    He couldn''t help but chuckle as he observed the rhythmic sway of her towel with each step, the damp fabric emitting an oddly enticing sound, hinting that certain areas remained not quite dry, adding an element of thrill to the scene.

    "You know, it''s a bit weird when your first wife is sitting right next to you, and you''ve got another woman shamelessly wanting to eat you!" Hu Taoined out loud, "If it was at least Fishy-Fishy I wouldn''t say anything...but her? That''s just not okie dokie. I don''t like her one bit!"

    Seated on the couch beside Yomite, Hu Tao found herself a captive audience to Lisa''s alluring performance. A wave of helplessness and frustration washed over her as she watched Lisa effortlesslymandeer Yomite''s attention, and she sighed inwardly.

    "Ah,e to think of it, you lost our bet, didn''t you?" Yomite observed and gave her a pointed nce.

    "Don''t change the subject! Either way! It doesn''t count! You didn''t go up the stairs doing handstands or whatever else...I won!" Hu Tao protested indignantly.

    "But I carried Lisa on my back. It was as if I was carrying five Hu Tao''s instead. Much harder than handstands," He said with a smile.

    "No no, that''s different! That''s not allowed!" She tried to argue with him as he continued to eat his toast.

    "Welp, I got to the top first, so I''m the winner. Try carrying Lisa next time, see how it goes." He simply shrugged his shoulders at her before finishing his lunch and walking over to take a shower as well.

    "Wait! We aren''t done here yet!" Hu Tao''s stubbornness red, unwilling to concede defeat. She leaped from the couch, pursuing Yomite into the bathroom.

    Yomite filled the tub with steaming water, the room filling with mist as he eased himself in. Hu Tao, unabashedly nude, barged in, intent on iming her victory.

    "You didn''t win! I won the bet!" Hu Tao demanded triumphantly.

    She stepped into the bath tub andy onto his chest immediately afterwards, pressing her back against him.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r th�� b��?t n��v��l r�֧�d?ng �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    After giving her an awkward look he asked, "What is going on with you today? Aren''t you especially horny today? It feels like you''re trying to steal all my attention away..."

    "As the loser, your punishment is to massage and wash me down." she dered, sshing water in his face for good measure.

    "Oh, ''my'' punishment?"

    He drew her squirming body into his arms, murmuring, "I''ll provide more than a simple massage, rest assured." He muttered while pinching her small pink buds between his fingers.

    "N-No! You''re the loser! Loser!" She squealed cutely as he yed with them, and tried desperately to keep her body from moving towards him as much as possible.

    "This loser will then show you he has quite a bit of fight in him left~"

    With that, he yfully tickled her sides, eliciting peals ofughter that escted into hysterics.

    "Enough, enough! I surrender! I''m sorry!" she managed between breaths, tears streaming from her eyes.

    He continued tickling her for another moment until she finally fell limp and stopped resisting him entirely.

    Instead, moans escaped her mouth every time he made contact with any part of her body, and eventually ended up leaning herselfpletely onto him.

    "I love you," she whispered, their positions shifting as they embraced each other closely.

    A lengthy session of emotional and physical connection ensued, culminating in both their bodies glistening, cleansed by the warm water that enveloped them.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r th�� b��?t n��v��l r�֧�d?ng �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

 Chapter 319: Devoid Of Soul

    Yomite and Hu Tao toweled off, the plush fabric absorbing the moisture that clung to their damp bodies. With the steamy haze of the bathroom behind them, they ventured back to the living room. Hu Tao''s movements were almost trance-like, a stark contrast to Yomite''s clear-headedness despite their recent activities.

    Guiding her by the hand, Yomite ensured Hu Tao''s safe passage to her bedroom, lest she stumble on the stairs. Leaving her there, he retreated to his own room, donning a clean ck T-shirt and pants before offering his assistance to Tubby in the kitchen.

    Meanwhile, Hu Tao, now d in her pajamas, sat cross-legged at the foot of her bed, her demeanor distant and vacant.

    "Hu Tao? Are you alright?" Fischl asked when she saw her sitting there motionlessly without moving.

    When it was just the two of them, Fischl and her best friend Hu Tao, Fischl loved nothing more than being around her and switching the way she spoke right into her secret "Amy" mode which she didn''t show to many people. It felt so nice!

    Fischl felt a certain kinship with Hu Tao, perhaps more so than with Yomite. Both girls shared simr appearances �C slender frames, delicate facial features, and long, flowing hair �C and as Yomite once remarked in anger, they were both "girls with issues."

    The pair shared a room, its ample spacefortably amodating two beds. The furnishings were simple, yet generous,plete with a wardrobe, a desk, an armchair, and a bookshelf brimming with literature awaiting discovery.

    "Fishy-Fishy? Is that you...?" Hu Tao said softly, barely able to whisper out those words. "Is this your room...? I thought it was mine..."

    "No, um...this is your room too, did you forget?"

    <strong><sub><i>��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m</i></sub></strong>

    "Yes..." Hu Tao nodded quietly, blinking her nk eyes slowly like some kind of strange animal.

    Fischl couldn''t understand what was happening here. It didn''t seem to her like Hu Tao was in the right state of mind.

    "Where were you the past thirty minutes? Didn''t we agree to y chess? I was waiting for so long..."

    "Thirty minutes? It''s been thirty minutes?" Hu Tao looked around, clearly confused. "I don''t remember...I''m sorry...Fishy-Fishy, this might seem like a weird question...but am I dead?"

    "What are you talking about?" Fischl frowned, "You''re not dead!"

    "Really? Oh, thank goodness...because when people die and turn into spirits, they sometimes forget their memory..."

    "...Did you...eat something weird? Like a hallucinogen inducing mushroom?"

    "...I don''t know. All I remember is the bathtub, then suddenly I felt like I was falling asleep or maybe dying...and when I opened my eyes again, it was as if I was floating..."

    "A bathtub?" Fischl repeated dubiously. "What happened in there?"

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r th�� b��?t n��v��l r�֧�d?ng �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    "Oh I think I remember...I followed my Assistant inside to punish him...and I think he squeezed the soul out of me...it felt so good...I was on my way to heaven..."

    Fischl froze on hearing that and stared at her for a moment before she realized that Hu Tao wasn''t joking and her eyes werepletely devoid of any humor or sarcasm. She sighed and shook her head slowly from side to side.

    "Jeez! Where do you two even get enough energy to do...''that'' again...my legs are sore from the stairs, yet you''re here enjoying yourself again..." Fischlined with another sigh.

    "Fishy-Fishy...I''m sorry, I''m not in the right mind for chess...I feel like I will be out for quite a while..." Saying that, Hu Tao''s eyelids closed over her tired looking dull eyes, which made them look like they''d lost all their luster and life.

    Fischl watched this silently until Hu Tao went back to bed without saying anything else.

    "Just what did he do to her in the bathroom? To even knock Hu Tao out cold..."

    ***

    "Master Yomite! You don''t need to help me! I was created just for the sole reason of making you happy!" Tubby said cheerfully as soon as she saw her boss enter the kitchen where she was preparing food for Yomite''s party. "I know how much work you have so please allow me to handle it!"

    "I can cook too, you know." Yomite answered, ignoring thement, "I''m not some helpless old man who needs his housekeeper to take care of him and change his diapers when needed... Please continue what you were doing before I came in."

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r �� b��tt��r u?��r �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    "Mou...but..." Tubby whined, a note of distress in her voice. Her purpose was to serve her master with everything she had, and seeing Yomite usurp her role left her feeling rather unneeded.

    "I truly appreciate everything you''ve been doingtely. Thank you," Yomite said as he affectionately patted her head. Her fur was luxuriantly soft, and she seemed to derive joy from his touch.

    "..."

    In the end, Tubby didn''tin and continued working at her chores after a moment.

    She was unustomed to such tender attention from her owner, but now that she understood he enjoyed her presence, she chose not to resist.

    The attentiveness from her master could make a girl feel uniquely cherished, and those additional pats on the head were undeniably pleasant. Tubby savored each touch, though she would never openly admit it.

    As she cooked, Tubby devoted even more effort than usual, driven by a desire to impress Yomite. She had observed his exhaustion ofte and, although he never divulged the details of his adventures to her, she surmised that whatever he had been through had sapped his strength.

    As Yomite and Tubby worked together in the kitchen, the air filled with the scents of a sumptuous meal taking shape. The warm glow of the room seemed to seep into their bones, providing a sense offort and familiarity that momentarily pushed aside the exhaustion and strangeness that had enveloped the house.

    The tension in Yomite''s shoulders gradually eased as he focused on the task at hand. For a moment, he could forget the bizarre urrences that had been guing his life and simply take sce in the ordinary act of cooking.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r �� b��tt��r u?��r �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

 Chapter 320: Angery

    When Rosaria finally regained consciousness, she was lying down on the stairs she was zapped by Lisa''s magic. Her body was weak due to all the damage done to her, which made moving all the harder.

    ''...I respect her punctuality when ites to closing up for the day and ditching her responsibilites, but to think she was this strong...'' Rosaria thought as she slowly got up to see where they were but instead of seeing them anywhere, she saw nothing but the staircase.

    "What kind of ce even is this? Is there no way out? Only to go further?" She muttered quietly under her breath.

    Rosaria hadn''t realized how long she had been unconscious until now; she had lost track of time. It could have been minutes, or even hours.

    With no other way but to go forward, she walked up the steps.

    "Those jerks just left me here. I see how it is."

    With a swift movement, Rosaria lifted herself back onto her feet and immediately dashed upwards while keeping her guard up and her senses alert.

    Her progress was fast, almost too fast, considering her weakened state. Unlike Yomite''s party who struggled through every single step and wasted minutes to get to the top, Rosaria moved like she would in her own home, going upstairs with ease and grace.

    When she reached the top floor, she found a simple corridor with a path leading to a tform. There weren''t any doors or windows, just holes in the walls and the ceiling that let green light inside the room.

    The path further seemed to have been blocked off by some invisible barrier, making it impossible for anyone to cross over it.

    <strong><sub><i>��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m</i></sub></strong>

    In the center of the tform, was a giant red key, floating in mid air without being attached to anything else. A purple cube rotated at the top of it in regr intervals.

    "A challenge? In this ce?" Rosaria muttered once again. "They must have climbed the stairs above as I don''t see them here..."

    She paused momentarily before walking towards the big red key.

    As soon as she came forward and touched it, the key had disappeared along with the cube and suddenly there were electro slimes together with a yellow mutant electro slime standing on the tform.

    "Electro slimes? If they were Cryo, I would have some problems, but Electro slimes? Seriously?" She thought to herself while pulling out her spear and swiftly disposing of the monsters one after another.

    Once they were all gone she received some Mora and a currency many called Primogem, although she wasn''t sure what it was for, she took it with herself anyway.

    After that, she resolutely ascended the staircase further. The barrier in front of the staircase had disappeared, and she had assumed Yomite''s party went further above.

    "He has the balls to bring Barbara into a ce like this. He should make sure nothing happens to her. That jerk. I''m going to kill him," Rosaria muttered under her breath as she started moving up the next flight of steps.

    ***

    **

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r �� b��tt��r u?��r �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    *

    Meanwhile, Yomite and his group were rxing in the living room; Yomite was sitting on the couch resting while Fischl sat next to him, hugging his arm, with Barbara on the opposite side holding onto him too.

    Lumine and Paimon were sitting in one of the leather armchairs by the firece, having a conversation about their favorite topic.

    Food.

    Lisa and Hu Tao were sleeping in their respective rooms and Irisy on the ground next to the firece curled into a ball, absorbing both the heat of the fire as well as the coldness emanating from the stone floor below her with her body.

    Barbara was ear to ear smiling and held Yomite''s hand softly without saying anything.

    She looked so happy that it almost hurt to look at her. The love she felt for Yomite radiated through her every move: it seemed to glow inside her eyes.

    When he moved slightly away from her she closed her eyes as if irritated and shifted over to be closer again. Though she didn''t show it on her face, the smile she wore seemed to be saying "I''m upset. Don''t you dare move away again."

    Fischl, who had been watching this all unfold with an expressionless face, sighed deeply. There was no point in being jealous, after all, she was her friend. But still...Fischl wanted some attention of her own. It had nothing to do with the fact that Yomite was her partner.

    "Something wrong?" Yomite asked while caressing Fischl''s hair gently and pulling back a strand of it yfully.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r th�� b��?t n��v��l r�֧�d?ng �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    "N-Nothing of note!" Fischl stammered and pushed herself off his arm only to find herself in his embrace once more and before she could make another attempt at an escape, she was trapped against his chest,pletely unable to pull herself free.

    He was not in any rush either as his arm embraced his girlfriend slowly but surely, giving them plenty of time to enjoy the closeness they shared.

    Fischl bit down on her lower lip and let out a soft moan as the warm feeling coursed through her body.

    She didn''t know herself why exactly the moment was so perfect. She just knew that it was something special and couldn''t be missed.

    ''Why am I so scared all the time?'' Fischl thought as she rxed into Yomite''s arms. ''When he pays attention to others, I get insecure, thinking he doesn''t like me, and also get worried about losing him! And when he finally pays attention to me, I freeze up and refuse all contact and intimacy from him...Am I just weird after all?''

    At this point, she might truly start calling herself crazy. She knew she wanted the attention, however she refused to ept it and put it on hold.

    Unlike Hu Tao, who simply threw herself on him at any asion, Fischl would always run away whenever her opportunity presented itself; she was also theplete opposite of what someone like Barbara was at first nce: a flirtatious person who was bold enough to pursue her crush even if he showed almost no interest in her.

    ''What am I doing!'' Fischl groaned internally while looking up to Yomite as if seeking an answer.

    "Paimon thinks you''re all enjoying yourselves too much," Paimon spoke up, breaking the silence and bringing Fischl back to reality.

    "Aww, you want a hug too? Come here!" Yomite reached out towards his emergency food and she recoiled immediately, cowering behind Lumine.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r �� b��tt��r u?��r �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    "Keep those grippers to yourself, Mister!" Paimon replied with a frown on her face that said "No touching."

 Chapter 321: Sorry, not sorry!

    As dawn kissed the horizon, Yomite''s party bade farewell to Tubby and ventured forth from the teapot dimension. Lisa, rejuvenated by her rest, stretched her limbs with newfound vigor.

    "Oh, I certainly needed that nap. Much better." she dered, sipping the exquisite tea Tubby had brewed for her. Its potency had revitalized herpletely.

    "I''m d you finally took a shower and I''m also d you''ve enjoyed your rest, Teacher. Hopefully, I won''t have to carry you anymore." Yomite poked her shoulder a few times, just to make sure she was really healed and wouldn''t fall over in no time.

    They stood upon a tform near the staircases, preparing to delve deeper into the unknown.

    "You''re acting as if you didn''t like having to carry me," Lisa replied with an amused smile as she patted Yomite''s hand back. "It gave us some much-needed bonding time, don''t you think? Now I have a new appreciation for my student and you''ve officially passed your first test...and just so you know, my artifacts have a way of keeping me clean without any effort on my part. Of course, there are exceptions when I do take a shower, like yesterday, when I was particrly exhausted and needed to unwind."

    At this point in time, Lisa hadpletely figured Yomite out when it came to his behaviour, yet the mysteries of his past and ambitions still intrigued her.

    "Imagine...being sozy you don''t even want to take a shower and use artifacts for it...Wait, I was supposed to get some sort of reward for carrying you up here, you didn''t forget that right?"

    "No...not at all." She put a hand on his arm. "As far as rewards go, getting to spend time together is enough. Wouldn''t you say, Handsome~?"

    "No, no, no...No matter how you look at it...This is a scam. This isn''t a reward but rather part of the training process..." He sighed heavily, looking slightly dejected. "A proper reward would be something else entirely, such as��"

    Lisa brought her index finger close to his lips and whispered softly,

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r th�� b��?t n��v��l r�֧�d?ng �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    "��A kiss on the cheek, perhaps?"

    He looked up sharply.

    The way he stared at her made it clear what exactly he thought of this suggestion��

    It was not enough.

    "A kiss on the cheek? Really? What are we, in a kindergarten? There are four women in this party who would dly do that you know...I mean, yes, there mighte a time where a kiss would work as a reward...but is a kiss on the cheek really worth anything in reality? Just think, you are he strong, so there are many things I could ask for! Give me an overpowered artifact or something like that! Something that can instakill. Teach me magic, give me some special broken weapons! Something worthy!"

    Yomite went from zero to one hundred in no time t.

    Lisa was taken aback. She thought she had him all figured out when it came to this topic. His attraction to her was evident, but it seemed he yearned for something more profound than a simple kiss....apparently she''d misjudged him.

    Lisa conversed with Yomite many times in the past, and she couldn''t help but notice his increasing desire for many women. The signs of his lust were unmistakable. His eyes would asionally drift towards Lisa''s chest area when they spoke, though he was too subtle to do so openly.

    She thought that a light teasing, like a simple kiss on the cheek, would satisfy his appetite. However, to her surprise, Yomite seemed fixated on more serious rewards like gaining power.

    Lisa''s beauty had undoubtedly piqued his interest, and she felt that a kiss on the cheek would be the perfect way to end their conversation.

    <strong><sub><i>l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r th�� b��?t n��v��l r�֧�d?ng �֧���r?��n���</i></sub></strong>

    "Hmm...fine then," Lisa said eventually. "You''ve certainly earned this."

    With a sly grin, she winked and reached into the depths of her cleavage, retrieving a small object that gleamed in the light. Yomite watched as she deftly flicked it in his direction, and he snatched it out of the air without a second thought.

    As he examined the object in his hand, he felt a faint warmth emanating from its surface.

    ''Right from between the breasts, huh. What a cliche.'' he thought. ''Is this an artifact?''

    The object itself was a simple piece of jewelry, a round bracelet crafted from shimmering white metal and studded with brilliant blue stones. It looked like something that might be worn at a festival, or perhaps as part of a cosy.

    But there was an undeniable aura of power emanating from it, and Yomite knew that he would have to explore its mysteries further if he hoped to uncover its secrets.

    "Put it on." She gestured with the palm of her free hand.

    "What is this? An artifact to increase my power or magic? It looks like it at least contains some magicstones, but..." He examined the item closer still. "...Why is this here?" He tapped the center of the bracelet. The crystal inside shed blue and produced a slight humming noise that sounded almost like the sounds of chains being pulled, "It looks way too suspicious! What are you up to?"

    Lisa shrugged casually. "This is a reward for you, my dear student. The object in question is a magical artifact, fashioned in the mysticalnd of Sumeru with the assistance of select Fontaine researchers. It is built upon the principles of time-honored longevity race technology, and thusly, should perform its intended function with admirable efficacy. Certain types of people in Fontaine use it."

    "...You still didn''t tell me what it does."

    <strong><sub><i>��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m</i></sub></strong>

    "Just put it on. Don''t you trust your gorgeous teacher?"

    "..."

    Yomite''s brows furrowed at her words. Despite his attempts to use his ability to decipher the mysterious item in question, he was met with a disconcerting silence. The usual green glow that apanied his power was nowhere to be seen, leaving him feeling frustrated and perplexed.

    ''She is acting suspicious as hell...and this thing is probably not even an artifact because my ability could not read it, just amon item...who does she think she''ll scam...but if it can help me get stronger...whatever.''

    Despite his initial skepticism, Yomite couldn''t deny the allure of the strange, alluring bracelet in his hand. With a deep breath, he slipped it onto his wrist, feeling the cool metal and smooth stones against his skin.

    "Fine, but I''m going to find out what this thing really doester. I don''t trust it one bit..."

    Lisa arched an eyebrow at his words, her expression betraying a trace of amusement. "Oh,ter? Why wait? You''re bound to find out soon enough."

    As the sp of the bracelet clicked into ce, a surge of chaotic energy coursed through Yomite''s veins. He crumpled to the ground, pinned by an unseen force. Panic-stricken, he struggled to move, but his body refused to obey.

    "W-W-What...the hell��?!" he shouted, unable to move a single muscle.

    The bracelet had been crafted to restrain its wearer, rendering them utterly immobile. Lisa''sughter echoed through the chamber as Yomitey trapped, a captive to the very reward he had sought, stuck to the floor.

    <strong><sub><i>��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m</i></sub></strong>

 Chapter 322: Amy vs Fischl!

    "Tattoo!" Paimon quickly floated over and checked him over, distress clearly evident in her expression. "Paimon doesn''t like this! Remove this bracelet from him!" she turned to Lisa and spoke hurriedly, waving her small hands around.

    "Party Leader, are you alright!?" Lumine also came up to him. She could see that Yomite''s condition wasn''t normal at all.

    Despite running to his aid and trying to help him up, she didn''t feel the gravitational field, nor could she do anything to help him, it was as if he was riveted in ce.

    As far as the girls were concerned, "their man" waspletely defenseless and there was nothing preventing them from taking advantage of that right now.

    "Ah...Yum-Yum...he''s...restrained...and at our mercy..." Barbara was practically drooling with desire as she looked at Yomite on the ground and tried to resist the overwhelming urge to use this chance to ravish him until his legs gave way from pleasure.

    She couldn''t help but think about it all the more as she continued to try desperately to pull herself together, even though her instincts were urging her to act on her urges. The desire inside of her was overpowering. "...If Yum-Yum gets injured...I will personally heal him...hehe...I will make sure to keep you...safe."

    Knowing how awful her healing ability was, the recovery might take...around nine months.

    And as a matter of fact, it was not only her that wanted to ravish him. Hu Tao was also inching closer to him, grinning wickedly like a Cheshire cat.

    ��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m

    "A~ Assistant can''t get up? That''s so saaaad~ Is there some sort of defect down there~?" Hu Tao teased, giggling evilly.

    Afterst night''s lovemaking incident, Hu Tao was more than pleased to take her sweet revenge upon the man who almost made her soul leave her body involuntarily. She almost passed away with regrets and turned into an evil spirit!

    And since this time Yomite was just lying there, she had a good opportunity to enjoy watching him writhe helplessly, unable to move, while she would tickle him mercilessly with her fingers once a chance presented itself.

    She wasn''t going to miss such a free chance, no sirreee!

    Hu Tao leaned over the prone Yomite with an evil glint in her eyes.

    With one finger, she started to drag down his neck, starting from the back of his neck and moving downwards.

    "...Tao! Now''s...not the time...!" Yomite yelled urgently at her but he was obviously out of breath from the pressure emitting off the bracelet.

    "Eheheh~ Poke! Poke! You get what you deserve!"

    ��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m

    "Hu...Tao!" She was starting to get on his nerves again. The next time they did it, he would pull out his new secret weapon and appropriately get back at her.

    ***

    **

    *

    Amy''s heart broke into pieces when she saw him like that, so helplesly restrained...he couldn''t even lift his head up, let alone try to defend himself.

    She was about to run up to him and check whether he was alright, but then a strange feeling washed over her, and "she" told her not to interfere at all....

    The mysterious voice inside of her head caused her to hesitate for a moment before she obeyed.

    [Most splendid indeed! Now listen well...!]

    ��h�� l��t��?t ��nd m��?t ����ul��r n��v��l? ��t l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m

    The origin of the voice was quite special. She argued with it plenty of times in the past, and it was a part of her own self.

    However, ever since it manifested itself inside of her when she received her vision, she always felt uneasy when she heard it, especially if she heard Yomite''s name being mentioned.

    [DID], more frequently referred to as "dissociative identity disorder" was a mental condition where two or even several distinct personalities shared a single body. It had been known to affect women more than men by far, though there were many cases among men as well. A lot of research had gone into trying to understand DID and how it functioned; however, the researchers of Sumeru couldn''t find enough subjects who approved of the study and had ceased their attempts due to the difficulty of observing this phenomenon.

    [Nothing would delight this Prinzessin more, than to have her beloved submit to her every desire! Be at peace, dear subject! Thy true self shall be restored!]

    ''What are you saying...? I''m worried about him. I should have gone and checked his condition. I never saw him like this before...my poor hubby...''

    [Fret not, something as trivial as that is no issue to someone as grand as him! Let''s see...Hmph! The Prinzessin Der Verurteilung needed but a single nce at that strange machination of mankind to discern its working principles. Thus, with speed and brilliance paralleled by the eternal lightning alone do I now understand what has urred. Mein consort ist schwach und unwiderstehlich at this very moment, the stars had aligned for thee...Mwahahaha! How very cute he is indeed! If only he would hurry up and fall prey to the power of this Prinzessin''s desires and ignore the weakling upying this body with her feeble emotions...but s, such an amusing little episode shall simply y out with time. Only a few more moments until she too falls victim to meine power. Once this Prinzessin heeds the call of searchfate and fully descends to this realm from Immernachtreich, I shall im the owner of this body as well, and use her as meine concubine, then gift her to meine beloved to ravish.]

    ''You realize I can hear you, right...? What are you even talking about...? We''re both the same person...'' Amy asked her inner self in frustration. Whenever the two of them talked, they could never agree on something.

    [Silence! Thee ipetent dolt! It has been foretold by those wiser than thou, that if thou hast heard me thus far, it must be so! If this Prinzessin was the one in the control of this wretched body instead of thee, I would have already sown his seeds by now. Why don''t thou just admit it and embrace thy true destiny as a mistress and a mother-to-be? If it were this Prinzessin, I would have long have had him mine and bear sixty of his children as proof of meine fealty to him! Ohhh, how sweet and fulfilling that prospect is! To rule over an empire with all these glorious descendants of his bloodline! s...such is not yet to be~! I fear this man may never take notice of meine existence due to thy ipetence!!! Depart and capture his heart once more and make him thy forevermore��or perish here, doomed to linger between two worlds until thy belovedes for thee! Mwahaha!]

    l?ghtn��v��lw��rld?���m f��r �� b��tt��r u?��r �֧���r?��n���

    ''Why do you have to be so mean to me? I''m trying to do the best job I can, but...It''s hard for me...I''m unlike Hu Tao. She''s so confident... You''re always telling me I should be like her...but...I can''t quite gather the courage...also, sixty children? You''re kidding...I''ll die.''

    Amy said inside of her heart, shaking her head.

    [Die? Thee would die? Do not fool thyself! This body cannot be in! In my world, I am the ruler of the eternal darkness!'' the voice answered gleefully.

 Chapter 323: Amy Forfeits, Fischl Wants Children

    ***

    Amy''s mind started racing through all kinds of thoughts. Her head felt dizzy and her vision blurred as she struggled internally.

    [Hmph! Foolish! Such a weakling has no ce being a ruler or a consort! Look at thyself! Simply look! Imbecile! Didst thou even bother thinking for once!? Our consort needs a strong, independant woman who will carry on his legacy! Would he not steal thy lips if he did not fancy you? Would he not deflower thy so romantically back then, and visit thy chambers if he did not find thou desirable? Heh! I would bet that he''d want to devour thee whole if thou ever visited him at night and wouldn''t stop even if thou were thoroughly satisfied! He is a man after all~! Ah, what fun we shall have together in the foreseeable future! We shall feast upon each other every single day and night! Just the thought of it makes me swoon~! Remember this! If there is a hole, he ought to want to try sticking his massive world ender into it! That''s just how men are!]

    ''What are you even saying at this point!? Shut up!'' Amy cried desperately, hoping to shut her inner self out of her ears.

    [Tch! Allow me, then! I shall grant thee the confidence thou need to reproduce and aim for his seed with determination, just like that youngss Hu Tao, who relentlessly pursues our consort with all the passion in the world��harvesting his essence like a good farmer each and every night! Aaah, such bliss awaits thee in his bedchambers, dear one~! Aaaah! What joy��! It must be mine��! Hehe��! All mine!!]

    ''Geez...! Stop...stop...! Stop now...!''

    In the depths of her soul, Amy valiantly battled the whispers of temptation that threatened to consume her. Despite her best efforts, she could no longer deny the powerful yearning that had taken root within her. A primal, carnal desire began to smolder, igniting a firestorm of passion in her heart. A sudden fit of coughing shook her, as if her body was attempting to expel the unwee intrusion.

    Her cheeks burned with a feverish flush, while a peculiar tingling sensation emanated from her delicate chest. Her heart hammered against her ribcage, driven by an intoxicating thrill.

    Waves of pleasure cascaded through the depths of her being. Her thoughts became a whirlwind, a maelstrom of love, desire, and the unbridled fantasies of being swept away by her lover''s fervent embrace.

    Amid the chaos, it was thetter that gripped her the most, causing the tempest within to intensify. In that moment of surrender, Amy''s inner self emerged, seizing control of her body for the first time since she drew her first breath.

    Her eyes, now those of the true Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort, flew open in revtion.

    "Mwahahahaha!" she cackled, intoxicated with newfound power. "Quake in awe, mortals! Fortune has smiled upon thee, for the Prinzessin Der Verurteilung has graced this realm with her presence!"

    Fischl''sughter rose to a fever pitch, her hands clenched into fists before her chest, as if to contain the surge of energy coursing through her veins. The world trembled beneath her feet, for the awakening of her true self had begun.

    """..."""

    The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Fischl, but only for a fleeting moment. Soon, the crowd dismissed her outburst as inconsequential, leaving her indignantly fuming.

    "What?! How can thee mere mortals dare to overlook my divine presence?!" she spluttered, a cry of frustration escaping her lips as she stomped her heel, closing the distance between her and her target.

    With the elegance of a queen, Fischl perched herself atop Yomite''s back, her hands sping his waist as a look of utter shock crossed his face.

    "Fischl...!?" he stammered, his expression one of bewilderment. Yet, he wasn''t alone in his confusion; the entire room shared his astonishment.

    "Enough dawdling!" Fischl dered, her voice dripping with grandeur. "Our destiny lies within the Immernachtreich! As your consort, I shall bear a thousand children to honor our union! Now, rise up! Ovee this challenge and ascend to godhood!"

    She released her grip on Yomite''s waist, her hands finding purchase on his shoulders as she attempted to propel him forward. Unbeknownst to her, her own presence upon his back only served to hinder his progress, the weight of her dreams pressing down upon him all the more.

    "Forward, my steed!" cried the Prinzessin, her voice resounding with an air of divine grandeur. "In the presence of my celestial grace, let us vanquish the obstacle that stands before us! Together, we shall reim our rightful ce in this world and conquer all that has been stolen from us! Our victory is assured! Mwahahaha!!"

    Herughter echoed through the room as Yomite cast a perplexed nce over his shoulder.

    "What... what is happening?" he stammered, unable to fathom the circumstances that had befallen him.

    Was this simply another one of her usual episodes? Yet why did she suddenly leap upon his back? This was somethingpletely weird, even for her usual weird behaviour.

    ''I''m dying...I''m actually dying here...'' Yomitemented inwardly, paralyzed beneath her tender embrace.

    "Fishy-Fishy? What game are we ying?" inquired Hu Tao, her curiosity piqued as she sauntered over.

    "A game of eternal love and sacrifice! Join me, Hu Tao, sovereign of the underworld, and let us lead the charge!" Fischl dered.

    "I don''t quite understand, but it seems like fun!" With that, Hu Tao joined aboard, positioning herself just behind Fischl.

    Yomite could only grunt in confusion as another passenger joined their bizarre procession.

    ''What the hell is going on!?'' he wondered internally, stillpletely confused about all of this. As if it wasn''t enough that Fischl was currently sitting on top of him, Hu Tao had to be next.

    He could tell that the two girls wereughing and giggling, probably talking about something to do with him, though none of them showed any sign of moving from their spot.

    Instead, they keptughing and whispering among themselves in hushed tones.

    Noticing the confusion in Yomite, Fischl reached her hand out and patted him on his cheek gently, as if telling him to rx. For some reason, he had the suspicion there were two horny brats on his back, who wanted to ''do things'' to him.

    Paimon''s shrill voice cut through the air. "Hey! What are you two doing? Can''t you see Tattoo is struggling?"

    Fischl''s response was swift and merciless. "Silence, lest you be a mere ingredient in my feast!" she threatened, causing Paimon to flee in terror.

    "Hiiiiiii!"

    Though puzzled by the unfolding scene, Lisa could not contain her curiosity and decided to observe the spectacle with rapt attention, eager to see how the strange drama would y out.

 Chapter 324: Dorime

    ***

    Out of nowhere, Yomite felt a pair of warm hands caressing his butt cheeks. He tried to move away, but it was toote. The crafty hands slid inside his pants, groping him roughly. His body stiffened instantly, and he froze in ce, unsure what to do.

    "Oi! Oi, oi, oi, oi! Who was that!? Which of you just touched my ass!?"

    "Of course! It is I, Prinzessin der Verurteilung!! Ah, the pitiful Amy was right...thy backside indeed holds great power, a most noble spirit and a most beautiful soul! Thy buttocks are like a rose garden, ripe to harvest! Let my tongue be thy gardener!"

    "N-No one will be harvesting anything! Get off of me!!!"

    Yomite couldn''t believe what he was hearing right now. He turned his head around a bit and saw Hu Tao watching them with great interest.

    She also felt like something was definitely amiss, but she chose to stay silent and watch the show unfold before her eyes, with arge grin stered across her face.

    "You get what you deseeerve~ My dear Assistant!"

    "For those who do not wish to feast thy eyes upon the greatness, avert thy augen. And if thee continue watching, perhaps thee may learn some valuable lessons for the future on how to satisfy thy partner!"

    "S-Stop it!!! Ahhhh! Stop it! I don''t wanna! Nooooooo!"

    "No! Thee are going to be the Prinzessin'' consort! Do not deny thy destiny! For thou wast meant to be in meine embrace! ept thy fate! Let us consummate our marriage! Now open up!"

    "There is no opening up!!! Stoooooop!"

    Suddenly, he could feel her warm breath right above the entrance of his holynd and his heart was pounding frantically.

    He wouldn''t ept it!

    Not like this!

    Not like this!

    Not while everyone he knew was watching!

    He wasn''t about to lose his anal virginity while in public! No!

    "Iris! Save me!"

    Iris nodded and lifted both Hu Tao and Fischl off of him like a cat carrying her kittens.

    Once they got away from him, Iris pulled up Yomite''s pants back where they belonged.

    "...Thanks...I really appreciate it. I''ll buy you some delicious food once we get back..." Yomite sighed in relief. His anal virginity was still intact.

    "You''re wee...Master."

    Much to his dread, however, Iris kept on looking at that "one" certain spot on his body. He felt a chill creeping up his spine and he instinctively closed his legs. His butt was in danger again!

    And now, the danger was far worse.

    The tongue length of an average woman was around 3 inches [8 centimeters]...however...

    The tongue of Iris, who was a dragon humanoid was around 80 inches [2 meters]...

    If Iris did use her tongue to prate him there, he would die.

    He would undoubtedly die.

    Yomite never heard of a protagonist who died by getting rimmed, but he didn''t want to be the first.

    "L-Look...girls...I am...not a fan of rimming...so please...don''t look at me like that..."

    "Hmph! Such weakness shall not be tolerated!! We shalle to terms with it sooner orter and ovee thy fear!"

    "So when you do it to me, it''s all fine and dandy, but when we try to return the favor, it''s not okay? Tch, tch, tch. Assistant you are scared~ It will feel good, I promise" Hu Ta said as she crossed her arms with a cheeky smirk.

    She officially got into the idea Fischl proposed, and couldn''t help but be delighted at the expression Yomite was currently disying.

    "That''s not what I meant at all! Likee on! I''m a man and I''ve never done that before since it''s weird! That''s totally different from doing it to a woman!" Yomite loudly protested.

    He knew that all men had a so called G-spot in their ass, but that just seemed way to ufortable for him. His butt was not something that should be touched by anyone. In fact, it made him feel uneasy just thinking about it.

    "Scawed~ Scawed~ Scawed~"

    Hu Tao teased him, sticking out her tongue and moving it in a weird way, as if she was training for the future act.

    "Why are you so scared and embarrassed~? Don''t worry, Assistant. From now on, whenever we make love, I will make sure to lick you clean until you are satisfied~!"

    Yomite rolled his eyes at her immature behavior.

    ''This is my future wife, by the way...''

    Yomite knew that being immature was a part of her charm and he loved her, but sometimes he just wished to have a spar with her instead of a discussion. He felt like he was dealing with a teenager in the body of an adult rather than a grown woman in her twenties.

    "Tch...Forgot about the dragon of retribution...meine power is weakening...I promise I shall return..."

    The light in Fischl''s eyes dimmed, and it appeared the "usual Fischl" returned.

    She took a moment to realize what happened, before she quickly ran off to hide behind a pir.

    ''Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Why did you do something like that!?? What would they think about me!?''

    While Fischl was despairing and didn''t get a response back, Lisa walked up to the copsed Yomite and tapped him on the shoulder.

    "Now, now, calm down everyone~ Handsome, this is your new training device. You''re handling five times your gravity fairly well. Most would find themselves unconscious or vomit immediately." Lisa spoke calmly, her eyes slightly narrowed with amusement. She looked quite pleased with herself.

    "...Can...you get rid of it?" Lumine questioned anxiously.

    "Of course. It''s just a simple magical artifact used on death row prisoners."

    "..."

    It was clearly meant to be some sort of a punishment device or torture instrument of sorts, and not a simple artifact, that much was obvious to everyone present. The fact that she mentioned death row prisoners made it clear that this bracelet was definitely not a normal piece of jewelry either...it had some interesting...history.

    "This is something you won''t be able to take off, for the remainder of our stay here. And who knows, if you do well, you might earn yourself a few more of such bracelets~" she continued with a teasing smile. "And of course, there will be all sorts of other things you should mentally prepare yourself for. After all, as you said, I am theziest woman you know, so who knows when I''ll feel like removing it~" She stepped closer to his fallen form and knelt beside him on one knee while giving him an encouraging pat on the head.

    "Remember, my cute little student, you wanted to be stronger and this is how we''ll get there. Now get up and let''s proceed further into the Spiral Abyss."

    "T-This is...fucked...!" Yomite groaned from the floor as he tried lifting himself back onto his feet.

 Chapter 325: Delusion

    Yomite found himself standing outside Diluc''s pub, a familiar establishment he had frequented on many asions. It was a cozy ce, the kind of spot where one could easily forget the troubles of the day and lose themselves in thepany of good friends and good drinks. The night air was cool, carrying with it the scent of a distant rain. Yomite took a deep breath and stepped inside.

    The pub was dimly lit, with flickering candles casting long shadows on the walls. A soft murmur of conversation floated above the clinking of sses and the low hum of the old artifact of some sorts that yed sounds in the corner. Yomite scanned the room and spotted his friend, Venti, seated at the bar, drinking wine as usual.

    Venti had always been a free spirit, his bright green eyes sparkling with mischief and an infectious grin that could light up a room.

    His long teal hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and his slender frame was draped in his signature green and white outfit. Yomite had known Venti for months now, and they had shared a drink a couple of times.

    Yomite made his way over to the bar and took a seat next to Venti. "Hey there, long time no see, you barely show your face anymore." he greeted his friend with a smile. Venti turned to him, his eyes lighting up with joy.

    "Hey Yomite, my dear old mate. Long has been the time we''ve had to wait, to reconnect and reunite, in this world, so vast and bright." Venti eximed, his voice soft and melodic.

    Yomite sighed. "Can you talk normally, please..."

    "Alright, alright." Venti nodded in understanding, taking a sip of his wine. "I hear you. Life can be quite trying at times, can''t it?"

    Yomite couldn''t help but chuckle. "That''s an understatement. The girls are giving me the cold shoulder, saying I was a bit too forceful in my love making yesterday, but can you me me? I am just so happy."

    Venti''s cheeks flushed a soft pink as he shifted awkwardly in his seat. "Uh, well, that''s quite the, um, predicament you''ve got there, right, hehe..." he stammered, suddenly finding his wine ss extremely fascinating.

    Yomite, noticing Venti''s difort, let out a heartyugh. "Oh,e on! You are making it out to be so weird. We are both guys, after all! I am sure that even Mr. Anemo Archon himself has had some moments of love, no?"

    Venti hesitated for a moment before letting out a small, nervousugh. "You''re right, Yomite. We''re both...guys, after all, but I am afraid I was never in love, up till now."

    Yomite nodded in agreement, understanding that the topic might be too personal for the public setting. "Fair enough. So, what brings you here tonight, Venti?"

    Grateful for the change of subject, Venti''s eyes sparkled as he replied, "Ah, the same as always �C a good drink, goodpany, and the chance to lose myself in the music...Hehe..."

    "What''s wrong, Venti? You seem... different."

    Before Venti could answer, Yomite noticed something peculiar about his friend''s chest.

    The usually t area seemed to be more...filled out. Curious, Yomite reached out and squeezed Venti''s chest without thinking.

    "What is this, a pillow? Why the hell are you stuffing your chest?" Yomite asked, genuinely puzzled. For a man to be stuffing his chest there had to have been something wrong.

    Venti''s face grew even redder, his eyes darting around nervously. "Um, yes, it''s just... just a pillow. A silly prank, you know me," heughed nervously, trying to brush it off.

    Yomite took his time examining Venti''s chest further. It was quite big indeed. He wondered why Venti stuffed it, but then again, nothing Venti did ever made sense, so perhaps his thoughts were merely ridiculous and unimportant.

    Yomite pulled his hand away, still feeling confused. "That''s... unusual, even for you. But, alright. Let''s just enjoy our drinks, shall we?"

    Venti smiled sheepishly, grateful for the change of subject. "Y-Yes, let''s..."

    The two friends clinked sses and focused on their drinks, each lost in their thoughts. Yomite couldn''t help but feel that something was off with Venti, while Venti was silently hoping that Yomite wouldn''t question him any further.

    The night continued, withughter and conversation eventually pushing the awkward moment to the back of their minds, as they reveled in the warmth of their friendship.

    As the night wore on, the pub grew more crowded, and the sound ofughter and music filled the air. Yomite and Venti chatted animatedly about their recent adventures, sharing triumphs and mishaps alike. As the hours passed and the wine flowed, theirughter grew louder, and their words slurred slightly.

    Soon, both Yomite and Venti were quite tipsy, the alcohol making them feel warm and affectionate.

    Venti, in his drunken state, found himself leaning on Yomite, his head resting gently on his friend''s shoulder. Their bodies pressed together, Venti couldn''t help but feel a sense offort and safety in Yomite''s presence.

    Yomite, equally intoxicated, wrapped an arm around Venti''s shoulders, pulling him closer. "You..re such...lightweight...Venti," he teased, swaying slightly in his seat.

    Venti giggled, huping softly. "I-I may be a lightweight *Hic* but I''m a happy lightweight," he slurred, his words carrying the sweet melody of his usual sing-song voice.

    Yomite couldn''t help butugh in agreement, feeling a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the alcohol he''d consumed. "Yeah, you''re...right. It''s been a while...since we''ve had this much fun...together."

    Despite his inebriated state, Yomite couldn''t help but notice Venti''s striking beauty. Though male, Venti possessed an almost ethereal allure that transcended gender norms. His delicate, high cheekbones and soft, wless skin gave him a youthful and otherworldly appearance, as if he were a magical creature from a farawaynd.

    Venti''s eyes were a mesmerizing shade of emerald green, framed by thick, darkshes that seemed to defy gravity. When he smiled, his eyes would crinkle at the corners, adding an extrayer of warmth to his already charming expression. They seemed to hold the secrets of the wind and the stars, a window into the vast expanse of the world that Venti loved so dearly.

    Perhaps most captivating of all were Venti''s lips. Full and pink, they were a perfect contrast to his fair skin, drawing the eye and inviting admiration. They seemed perpetually on the verge of a yful smile, as if Venti was always just one step away fromughter. When Venti spoke, his lips moved gracefully, shaping each word with a natural elegance that was nothing short of enchanting.

    Yomite found himself watching Venti''s lips and eyes as they spoke, captivated by their beauty and the intoxicating spell they seemed to weave. He marveled at how Venti, in all his androgynous glory, could so effortlessly break down the barriers between the masculine and the feminine, embodying a unique blend of both that only served to enhance his charm.

    They soon left the pub, but as they walked together, Yomite began to understand that Venti''s attractiveness went far beyond mere physical appearance.

    He couldn''t seem to tear his gaze away from Venti''s alluring lips, his eyes drawn to them like a moth to a me. He found himself wondering what it might feel like to taste those lips, to feel their softness pressed against his own. As his thoughts wandered, he failed to notice the increasing frequency with which his eyes lingered on Venti''s mouth.

    Venti, however, had noticed Yomite''s fixation. For a moment, he hesitated, unsure of how to react. But then, emboldened by the alcohol coursing through his veins and the gentle warmth of the night, Venti decided to take a chance.

    Slowly, almost hesitantly, Venti leaned in towards Yomite, his eyes locked on his friend''s. Yomite''s eyes widened in surprise as he realized what was happening, but he couldn''t bring himself to pull away. The air between them seemed to crackle with electricity, charged with anticipation and a hint of vulnerability.

    With a soft, barely audible sigh, Venti closed the remaining distance between them, pressing his lips gently against Yomite''s. The kiss was tender and chaste, a delicate brush of skin against skin thatsted only a moment before Venti pulled away, his cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and exhration.

    Yomite stared at Venti, his mind racing as he processed what had just happened. The warmth of Venti''s lips still lingered on his own, sending shivers down his spine and igniting a fire within him that he hadn''t known existed.

    For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence between them heavy with unspoken questions and unexplored emotions. Then, as ifing to a silent agreement, they locked eyes once more, their gazes conveying a mutual understanding.

    In that instant, their friendship seemed to shift, opening up a world of possibilities that neither had ever considered before.

    Yomite and Venti continued to stumble through the streets, the effects of the alcohol still lingering heavily in their systems. Yomite''s vision was growing increasingly hazy, and he found it difficult to focus on anything other than the warm presence of Venti beside him.

    As they walked, Yomite reached out and grabbed Venti''s hand, seekingfort and stability in his friend''s touch. Venti looked at their intertwined fingers and smiled, his heart swelling with affection and a newfound sense of closeness.

    "Yomite," Venti slurred, his voice tinged with concern. "You don''t look so good. Maybe we should get you to rest."

    Yomite nodded, unable to form a coherent response. He felt lightheaded and disoriented, the world around him spinning out of control. Venti, sensing his friend''s distress, guided him through the maze of darkened streets towards his own home.

    When they finally reached Venti''s residence, they stumbled through the door, the cool interior a stark contrast to the warmth of the night outside. Venti led Yomite to a cozy corner, filled with plush pillows and soft nkets, perfect for sleeping off the effects of the alcohol...

    ...

    ..

    .

    As the morning light grew brighter, Yomite slowly stirred, his head pounding from the after-effects of the alcohol. The room he found himself in was unfamiliar, the walls adorned with trinkets and decorations he had never seen before. Panic began to rise in his chest, his confusion and disorientation mounting as he struggled to remember the events of the previous night.

    He nced down and realized, to his shock, that he waspletely naked. The nket beneath him was stained with blood, and his heart raced as he tried to make sense of the situation. Tentatively, he lifted the covers, his breath catching in his throat as he discovered a naked Venti lying beside him.

    But something was different. What he had initially thought were pillows stuffed in Venti''s chest were, in fact,rge, full breasts. Yomite''s eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he realized the truth �C Venti was no longer a man, but somehow turned into a woman.

    As Yomitey in bed, his mind still foggy from sleep, fragments of the previous night''s events began to resurface. He recalled the stolen kiss, a moment of pure magic, and the warmth of their bodies pressed together in a tender embrace. But what stood out the most was the unexpected revtion of Venti''s innocence, a detail Yomite only discovered when he saw the bloodstained sheets.

    "Mhm...good morning," Venti murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

    "W...What..."

    Venti, seeing Yomite''s unease, gently reached out and touched his arm. "Yomite," she began softly, "there''s something I need to tell you. I love you, and there''s more to this situation than you might realize."

    Yomite looked into Venti''s eyes, searching for answers. "What do you mean...?"

    Venti took a deep breath, gathering the courage, "I told you before I''m actually a being with the ability to change genders at will. And now, after our night together...I can no longer do that..."

    "Why...is that...?"

    "I can feel it deep within me...I''m expecting your child."

    ***

    Yomite''s eyes snapped open, his heart pounding in his chest. He found himself in his own bed, the morning light streaming through the window.

    A dream. It had all been a dream. Despite the relief that washed over him, Yomite couldn''t shake the shiver that ran down his spine.

    He sat up, trying to make sense of the vivid and surreal images that had filled his mind. It was remarkable how real the dream had felt, from the stolen kiss to Ventis'' unexpected revtion. Yomite couldn''t help but wonder what it all meant.

    "Thank god it''s not real, yikes, I need to cleanse my eyes."

    Later that day, Yomite met up with Hu Tao. As they sat down, Hu Tao noticed Yomite''s slightly troubled expression.

    "Hey, Assistant," Hu Tao began, a teasing grin on her face. "You look like you''ve seen a ghost! Been having nightmarestely?"

    Yomite hesitated for a moment before nodding, a faint smile ying at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah, I actually did have a pretty terrible onest night. It was...intense."

    Intrigued, Hu Tao leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh? Do tell, my dear Assistant."

    "No can do."

    ***

    Small 1st of april chapter not real.

 Chapter 326: Shonen Protagonist!

    ***

    The bracelet forced Yomite toypletely immobile while Lisa watched him closely. It seemed as though he''d lost control over his bodily functions and was currently in the process of dry-heaving and convulsing in pain from trying desperately to get away.

    "Damn...it...!" He shouted. "I knew...it was...too good to be true to get an artifact for free..."

    Sweat was pouring down his face. Even breathing too much required effort to achieve, resulting in heavy panting, making it hard to focus on anything else, and she wanted him to get up with this!?

    Lisa just shook her head. "What did you expect?" she replied casually. "You''re here to get stronger. Now, get up in half a minute, or else you''ll receive a punishment. And trust me, punishments by me won''t be fun, because I enjoy them far more than handing out rewards~"

    Yomite couldn''t say anything at this point; even breathing was painful for him, and every muscle tensed involuntarily in reaction to the spell ced upon him by the artifact around his wrist.

    He was starting to see what Kaeya inicially meant about the dangers of being near Lisa.

    ''I''m sorry for doubting you earlier, bro.'' The thought crossed his mind as he started thinking of ways to get out of this predicament as soon as possible��if not immediately then as quickly as humanly possible.

    Thirty seconds were ticking away and it felt like it had been an eternity since hest moved any part of himself. His body screamed for water, and rest, but none woulde.

    ''First of all...I need to get up...or else Lisa will definitely have me doing push-ups in the middle of the corridor with this bracelet on until I die as a punishment...or something far worse...''

    He could feel the sweat on his chest soaking through his shirt, furtherplicating matters. Every breath was painful, yet breathing was vital. If only his body wouldn''t try so hard to break apart.

    He took another deep breath while his muscles still tried their hardest to stay calm and work together properly despite how ufortable they currently felt.

    Adapting. It was all about adapting to his environment. He needed to adapt. He was sure that as long as he could stand up from this hell, he could definitely walk.

    Yomite wasn''t smart enough to understand how most of the stuff around gravity worked, but he heard somewhere that if a persony down, then the gravity effect upon him would increase to some extent.

    So as long as he could stand up on his own feet, even with the increased pressure from his surroundings, it should be possible to have a better time surviving.

    ''I can do this...!''

    "Twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight..." Lisa counted slowly as she watched Yomite struggle in pain in front of her. "Good boy. You did well."

    She pped when she saw that he finally managed to get himself back on his two feet. "Very good!" she praised. "You''re getting much stronger already. Now, we''ll go deeper into the Spiral Abyss."

    Yomite groaned heavily at this point, but his expression looked more relieved than anything.

    ''Thank god I can somewhat move now...'' His heart felt like it would burst out of his chest just by looking forward, and walking was like a tortuous experience; every step sent searing waves of pain across his entire body as if he was trying to walk over a bed of broken ss without shoes on.

    "So this is...what Goku and so many others...had to go through..."

    No. If he had topare it to something like that, it wouldn''t even be quarter as much. Not even one tenth of that...

    The protagonists of shonen anime were often shown going through a training harder than hell in the name of strength, though on the TV screens, they just push through it as if it was nothing. Easy as that! Let''s do a time skip here, time skip there! Finished! The overpowered protagonist milkshake was done! Training arc over!

    In reality, it hurt��it really fucking hurt! It hurt to ovee his limits, it hurt to get hit and it hurt carrying heavy things!

    "Goku? I don''t think I''ve heard of that term before." Lisa turned around to look at him with her eyes slightly widening in curiosity. For an ex-schr like her, a new term would surely catch her interest. Especially a new term from someone like "him".

    "It''s a...very powerful man...most likely could solo whole of Teyvat too."

    "Solo? I''m afraid I''m not picking up on what you mean."

    "Forget it...just take off this damn bracelet...!"

    "No can do. It''s training."

    Yomite started walking after Lisa, with his group following right behind him, whilst Lisa paid attention to him like a hawk, watching his every move.

    ''Either way...Paimon is such a sweetheart...!'' Yomite thought affectionately. ''She immediately rushed to my side when she noticed the bracelet crushed me! And Lumine came to my rescue right after...'' He felt the need to thank them both for their concern and support.

    Unlike the rest of the girls, who wanted to tease him, saddle him, eat him up, tickle him or rim him, Paimon and Lumine acted rather protective towards him during this whole episode, and that warmed his heart.

    ''Angels...these cuties are angels...I should definitely be nicer to Paimon and give her some treatster. Maybe I''ll even buy her a huge cake as thanks. As for Lumine...I better ask her out on a date next time and make it worth it.''

    Bncing time between all of the girls around him was proving difficult already without adding all these tasks into it like adventuring, learning about the world, rxing and now training; but when he had four or so gorgeous women vying for his love at the same time, he was bound to have problems in prioritizing them correctly.

    Not to mention, there was also his flying dog, his pet dragon, and Fischl''s raven Oz, who also required tending to once in a while. Tubby too!

    At this point, he ought to write down some sort of schedule and time, dot to dot where he could manage everything that needed managing��else, he would most likely end up with nothing being done right and probably no one ending up happy.

    ''Jeez, I either have all the issues in the world to worry about and no time, or I have no issues to deal with, and still no time...''

    His life had gotten crazier than before. But hey, if it wasn''t for this kind of stuff happening, then how boring it''d be? How dull would it feel living such an ordinary life, always eating what everyone else ate and never experiencing anything out of the ordinary ever again?

 Chapter 327: Tired Already?

    ***

    ''I feel like I''m having a shback right before my eyes...and I''m not even dying!'' Heughed wryly. ''I really wish someone can just exin why my life has been getting weirder by the day.''

    "That''s intriguing...why is it not here?" Lisa looked puzzled as they walked towards a wider tform inside the Spiral Abyss. "It makes little to no sense for it to disappear...unless..." Her voice trailed off, as she tilted her head and tried to think about something.

    "Is there...a problem...?" Yomite asked, but she shook her head immediately, dismissing his concern.

    "No, it''s fine." she started walking again, this time towards a new spiral staircase-looking structures leading further up into the depths of the Spiral Abyss.

    "Barbara. It appears that your little friend decided to go ahead on their own."

    "Little...friend?" Barbara blinked in confusion at first, but soon after, realization hit her like a brick. "Ah! Sister Rosaria! Ipletely forgot about her! Wasn''t she unconscious!?"

    "Yes, yes. She was. And she went ahead without us. It seems that she wanted to find us but didn''t manage to do so..."

    ''Thatplicates things. I was initially nning to use it as a warm up session for them and then continue with the rest. They reappear every day, but if she cleared out everything herself beforehand...all of the challenges...No, she couldn''t...there are parts she cannot do alone.'' Lisa mumbled under her breath, trying to keep the irritation from showing through, while still paying attention to Yomite and his group behind her.

    "Well, it appears we should...ascend the stairs."

    "The stairs...?"

    "No! Not again!"

    "How am I supposed to do it...with this damn bracelet on!?"

    "Stop whining, everyone." Lisa rolled her eyes as theyined. "As for you, Handsome, just likest time; you need to push yourself a bit more. Don''t give up when faced with difficulty."

    "Easy for...you to say..."

    Yomite groaned deeply as she walked away, leaving him and his group standing before the pair of spiralling stone stairs��as before, the way up seemed to be nothing but an endless series of those very same steps.

    "I guess I''ll have to...manage somehow then..." He sighed, already starting forward towards the staircase. Lifting his leg made it feel like someone had just jabbed a sharpened stick deep into his thigh muscles, which was probably the best analogy he could think of now.

    Step by step, he ascended, each step bing a painstaking ordeal, sending waves of intense agony all over his body. His breathing became heavier and deeper with every passing minute as sweat dripped down his face and back.

    After ten steps or so, he suddenly stopped when he noticed Lisa resting on one of the steps with her legs syed out in front of her, watching him as if observing aboratory animal under the microscope.

    Though something was off. Her breathing wasbored. Like she might pass out at any moment.

    "...Oi...you''re kidding...right?" he called out to her while staring at her intently for answers. "You''ve got to be joking right?"

    "..."

    "How are you...tired already!? It''s not even been ten seconds! I should be the one being tired! I have the bracelet on me! So you better move up!"

    "No can do. I''m spent. Carry me."

    "Fuck off." Yomite muttered with a huff as he tried to ignore how heavy his own feet felt at this point.

    Was she toying with him again? Or was she being for real?

    There was a limit to how shitty someone''s stamina could be, wasn''t there?

    If she almost died in a few steps, what would happen if she put on the gravity bracelet? Would she just explode into dust or get ttened against the ground like a pancake?

    "My stamina was never that good...but it''s been decliningtely. Not to mention...my legs hurt after the trip we took here from Mondstadt. I deserve a break."

    "Come on! I know you are a neet, but this is way over the line!"

    "Hmm? What''s neet?"

    "Unemployed, indoors person that doesn''t even know how to wipe his butt without his parents."

    "Now, now. I will excuse your conduct andck of knowledge about my private life since you''re my dear student. However..." She gave him a stern look before continuing. "...You really need to stop making such an ill-informed assumption. My legs are my third most charming feature. I need to make sure they''re in top form whenever possible. If not for myself, then for my adorable little student who keeps on admiring them," Lisa said with a giggle.

    "..."

    Yomite sighed heavily once more. She wasn''t wrong. He did often nce at her legs, so he was guilty as charged��he had noticed her pair of well shaped long ckce stockings as soon as heid eyes upon her for the very first time he entered Mondstadt, which was already enough to raise his attention level quite high.

    The way she dressed too, everything always looked rather polished; even though she didn''t wear anything ostentatious to impress, she still wore things in a refined manner instead of showing off a bit more skin or gaudiness.

    But right now, Yomite wasn''t in the mood to appreciate any part of her body or see how lovely it would be if it were bare in front of him. No matter how much he liked those long legs of hers, all that mattered now was that she was exhausted. However, there was no way in hell he was going to carry her by himself.

    "Tao,e help me out here."

    Yomite gestured towards her with an impatient wave of his hand. "Go and carry her up."

    "Eeeh...I don''t wanna..." Tao turned away and pouted slightly.

    "Haaah...Alright...If you do it for me...I''ll...do...handstands with you...but only once this braceletes off..." Yomite sighed, "Deal?"

    "Deal! Hahaha! You can''t back down now!" Hu Tao agreed eagerly.

    Without giving it another thought, she ran over to Lisa and grabbed her by the ankles.

    Yomite watched as she lifted Lisa into the air like she weighed nothing, put her on her back and ran at breakneck speed upwards.

    "Well...that''s taken care of at least..."

 Chapter 328: A Boob Growth Potion!?

    ***

    A grand underground corridor which lead to an unknown spiral constructed by a great empire that was long gone.

    What treasures awaited deep in the pce, and what monsters lurked in the shadow...

    Surrounded by mysteries, the inverse tower was now known as Spiral Abyss.

    Even if they didn''t know its origin or its purpose��the fact that it had been created by "someone" who once dwelled here was enough for them to be cautious of the ce.

    Though currently, there weren''t any treasures nor monsters lurking around them. Just endless stairs leading to nowhere.

    The group advanced into the surface of the staircase, but their pace never increased. The stairs were spiraling above endlessly without end. At this rate, it would take ages before they reached their objective.

    "Is this the great training area you told us about? So far all I see is a stair simtor."

    Yomite''sments made Lisa frown.

    But he was right.

    From her perspective, she also couldn''t think of anything more boring than climbing stairs endlessly. She could imagine how the others felt too, but this wasn''t her fault.

    Rosaria was the one who hurriedly cut down enemies and finished all of the challenges in their path.

    But that woulde to an end once they arrived to the fifth floor.

    Starting at Floor five, the Spiral Abyss would diverge into two paths.

    To dive deeper, they must arrange two teams of up to three to four people to challenge each half a chamber.

    This meant that every member must do their best to clear the chambers on their end.

    Failure toplete these tasks would result in being stuck in the Spiral Abyss until cleared.

    "Puppy, we''re almost there. No stopping now " Lisa who was still resting on Hu Tao''s back said encouragingly.

    Although Hu Tao was starting to look tired, she did her best to keep moving forward even when she felt like her legs were going numb.

    "I''m not a puppy!"

    "Yes, you indeed are, cutie." She shook her head with no intention to stop teasing her.

    "...You''re so mean��"

    Hu Tao pouted. She knew it was useless to argue with her, and so she gave up.

    It was already infuriating to her that the person on top of her had ginormous breasts��they seemed like they would crush her at any given moment.

    "Puppy, I have a question."

    "What is it?" Hu Tao responded while trying to focus on keeping her posture straight.

    "Could I touch your chest? I''ve never seen an adult woman with a chest that small, it intrigues me." As Lisa spoke, she tried to touch the girl''s breast, but Hu Tao pulled away quickly with an annoyed expression.

    "No! No touching!!" Ignoring the fact she insulted her petite chest size, Hu Tao quickly shook her head.

    "Aw~ Why not? You''re so cold." Despite the girl being angry, Lisa continued to reach for the bosoms, making Hu Tao want to bite her hand off even more and smacked her on the arm repeatedly.

    Finally, Lisa retracted her hand in defeat and asked, "Do you want your breasts to get bigger? I can help~"

    "Nope!! They''re perfect as they are!!" But even Hu Tao looked doubtful after saying that, "Assistant! Your wife is being assaulted by another woman! Save me!"

    "As much as I''d love some woman on woman stuff, if it''s without me in it, then don''t even think about it."

    "I could make a potion to get your chest bigger, what do you say?" Lisa proposed in earnest, "I''m a master alchemist."

    There was something about Hu Tao that made her feel drawn to her.

    There was something so fragile about her, yet she carried herself proudly.

    Like a warrior who was willing to fight tooth and nail to achieve her goals, and it made her fascinating to be around.

    "...A potion? How does that work?" Hu Tao blinked her eyes in curiosity, her voice quieting down to make sure no one other than Lisa heard.

    "Well��I''d need ingredients from somewhere special, and then I''d brew a new potion that''ll increase the size of the bosom," Lisa answered vaguely.

    "Really? Are yours also brewed with a potion?" Her interest seemed to be piqued even more, and she stared at Lisa expectantly.

    "I''m afraid I''ll have to disappoint you, little one." Lisa grinned evilly, "They''repletely natural, no magic involved at all. Want to touch them yourself, sweetheart?" Her tone got more seductive as her gaze lingered over the girl, "We could try out my potions, but if they didn''t work, I can work on some massage techniques to make themrger~"

    "B-Bah! Who needs your potions! Assistant said mine are adorable! I don''t think he would like them getting any bigger! So you just leave them alone!! You hear me!" Hu Tao huffed, clearly displeased.

    But that only served to amuse Lisa even more, "It''s just a suggestion. Don''t worry, sweetie, I won''t take any action unless you personally beg me to break you~"

    "Urghhhhhhhh!!! Assistant! Can I throw her off! Please let me throw her!"

    "Denied. What would happen to my studies if she died? We can kill her after we get stronger. I also have some unfinished business with her, don''t worry."

    "Tch!"

    "Puppy, your hair is so long. Let''s tie it in a ponytail~"

    "Ughh!"

    "Your hair almost seems like a handle. I just want to run my fingers through it~ It will be so easy to pull~"

    "Don''t do that!!"

    "Come on, we''re both women. This much skinship is a minimum to get to know each other better. It''s just a hairstyle, nothing indecent~"

    "I said no touch!"

    The two girls bickered for a while before finally reaching the fifth level, leaving their argument behind.

    Lisa hopped off Hu Tao''s back and walked to the front. She raised her index finger and pointed at something. "Just as I suspected, Rosaria dear is stuck here."

    With her statement, the rest of the party turned their heads to the left and noticed Rosaria sitting on the ground near the floating key.

    "You...where have you all been...?" Rosaria''s voice sounded strained. She seemed to be struggling with a mountain of fatigue.

    "Sister Rosaria! You''re safe!" Barbara rushed to her side and hugged her tightly.

    "Barbara..." Rosaria whispered in return, rather relieved, although she would never admit it.

 Chapter 329: Rosarias Animosity

    ***

    Each floor of the spiral abyss had a so called "Challenge", a red, floating key in the middle of a tform that they were supposed to take down.

    Touching the key would immediately initiate the challenge, summoning enemies and monsters out of their respective corners of the abyss to attack them.

    When the challenger touched the key it was their responsibility to kill enemies while defending themselves, or other objectives from the monsters.

    The monsters spawned by each challenge were all different.

    "Each particr monster here, isn''t real. They''re all copies of memories of the world, and these ''Challenges'', sprout all around the world. We, as humans, need to take care of them or else they go out of control and spawn monsters that attack nearby human settlements."

    Lisa exined to them as she walked on the tform, checking every corner of it for traps.

    "Memories? Are you saying we are fighting the monsters that are already dead?"

    Yomite wondered aloud.

    "Yes, and no..." Lisa replied, looking at Yomite with a serious expression in her eyes. "Ley Lines remember all things that happen in this world, from the surface down to the deepest depths. The memories of monsters that were alive, or resentment of monsters that died because of humans, is what''s being used as a projection, so no. It''s not just memories of dead monsters.''

    "What are Ley Lines? I''ve never heard about them before."

    "The Ley Lines are awork of elemental energy and memories of everything that has lived and died in the world of Teyvat, both on the surface and down in the Abyss. It makes up the very fabric of our reality. Our memories are connected to those lines, too. Though there are some... exceptions..." Lisa said, turning her head towards Yomite, who gave her a confused look.

    "...There are certain, anomalies that prevent Ley Lines from gathering memories of individuals, who do not belong to this world."

    She stated, giving Yomite a meaningful look as she approached him again. "You, for example, are one such anomaly."

    "..."

    Yomite didn''t answer anything. One thing was clear in his mind though.

    Lisa knew he wasn''t part of this world and he didn''t know how she found out. Of course, she wasn''t like any normal person, but it was still unsettling to have her know more about him than he did about her.

    Even Zhongli managed to figure him out with one simple nce, but he was an Archon, one of the strongest gods...in thatparison, Lisa seemed like a normal librarian taking care of her books.

    "At any rate, since dear Rosaria here, defeated past four challenges all by herself, we will have to start at a harder difficulty. As for me, I''m going to help you if you truly need it, but don''t count on me. This is a bare minimum you need to do by yourself." Lisa exined to them, walking up to Rosaria and patting her shoulder.

    "As for you, I''m a bit vexed at you right now, we''ll have a nice talk now."

    Rosaria gave Lisa an annoyed look, "What made you think I''ll talk to you? Piss off."

    Lisa chuckled lightly, shaking her head at Rosaria before pping her arm lightly.

    "Now, now. I can understand your frustration after losing to me in a literal second, but you shouldn''t be so short tempered about something like this." She told her, chuckling.

    "I could take you on in a fight at any time. Circumstances just allowed you to beat me." Rosaria snapped back, crossing her arms over herrge bosom. She believed it to be true.

    Back then, Rosaria was exhausted from swimming all the way to the shore, and wet from head to toe. She waspletely soaked, and as everyone knew, water conducted electricity quite well.

    Simply put, she was "Electro-Charged" which was the Elemental Reaction triggered by inflicting Electro on a target that was already affected by Hydro or vice versa.

    In that sense, even a weak spell containing electricity could knock her out when she was wet.

    "If you want to get stronger, you should learn to ept defeat gracefully, instead of trying to prove you could do better under a different scenario. You''d be amazed at how much easier it is to die, rather than to defeat me in any scenario. Don''t start a fight you can''t win." She told her, patting her shoulder once more.

    "Tch... you''re as annoying as that guy..." Rosaria spat, clearly irritated by Lisa''s attitude.

    "Oh? Handsome, you mean? I wonder what he ever did to you? Broke your heart, perhaps?" Lisa asked, cocking her head at Rosaria with a wide smile.

    "Never. And none of your business, stay out of my way, you old hag."

    "...That can''t be. We can''t have that. In the Spiral Abyss, anything can happen, so you''ll either have to cooperate with us willingly, or I''ll be make you do so by force."

    "I''d like to see you try."

    Hearing that, Lisa looked around, and leaned in closer to her.

    "Hmm...I truly wonder how I should ruin that little cutie Barbara''s face for you. Maybe I''ll give her a permanent scar across her face...Mhmmm, maybe tear off her vocal chords so she could no longer sing all that happily?...That''ll definitely teach you a lesson, wouldn''t it?" Lisa whispered into her ear, making Rosaria shudder.

    "You...You''re a sick bitch," Rosaria murmured, "If you dare do something like that..."

    "Then what? You''re going to do something? To me? I find that hard to believe."

    "Tch!"

    Lisaughed, "Oh, don''t worry about it. I''m just joking around. Don''t be so grumpy all the time and join us. Have some fun, darling."

    "Whatever, you''re a sicko bitch...stay away from me and Barbara."

    ***

    **

    *

    The Spiral Abyss had twelve floors, each containing three chambers, which meant that Rosaria managed toplete twelve challenges before she arrived to the fifth floor.

    Each floor also had something like a notice board, where they could find information regarding the current floor, including the number of enemies and their types.

    Lisa''s test was a simple one. They had toplete all floors including the floor twelve, which contained the boss chamber. Which meant a lot of killing.

    As there was a need to have two teams, Yomite''s group would split in half.

    Team Yomite would consist of Yomite himself, Barbara, Rosaria and Hu Tao.

    Team Lumine would be Lumine herself, Paimon, Iris and Fischl.

    Lisa would be spectating both teams, watching how they handled the challenges, and helping them whenever it was truly needed.

 Chapter 330: A New Artifact

    ***

    "Sister Rosaria, I''m so d you''re here, but why did youe? Shouldn''t you be helping at the church?" Barbara asked her, while checking her equipment.

    Yomite told her that the tome she had received from Lisa, entitled the Thrilling Tales of Dragon yers, was in fact a powerful artifact. He insisted she read from it during their battles to boost the abilities of everyone around her.

    Under different circumstances, she might have disregarded such advice, but hearing it from Yomite lent it a unique credibility.

    "I simply felt likeing. No particr reason other than to make sure I won''t be stuck singing in the choir and get yelled at." Rosaria replied, walking side by side with Barbara while inspecting her own polearm.

    Though it had dulled somewhat from use, the weapon remained sturdy and sharp enough to prate the hide of any monster she came across so far.

    "I''ve always wondered... What are your thoughts on the city of Mondstadt?" Barbara asked, her words tinged with ire.

    Rosaria''s brows arched in surprise, her dead fish eyes seeking answers within Barbara''s troubled gaze.

    After a moment''s contemtion, she released a heavy sigh and gave a nonchnt shrug. "For me, it is a ce of unsettling tranquility. Though I suppose it does suit my tastes in some way, and the alcohol isn''t bad."

    "That''s so like you!"

    A small chuckle escaped Barbara''s lips as she studied her enigmaticpanion. "...For me...sometimes, I feel like the city is...too much...I feel like...it would be so much better if it didn''t exist."

    "..."

    The air seemed to thicken around them, and Rosaria shivered as a premonitory chill slithered down her spine.

    An inexplicable sense of foreboding gnawed at her, and it had grown more insistent each time she conversed with Barbara ofte.

    Her soul quivered, as if touched by the icy fingers of fear itself. ''What has changed within her?'' Rosaria pondered, her disquiet mounting. ''Could it be the aftermath of her quarrel with Jean?'' She shook her head, willing away the disconcerting sensations.

    With a silent, steely resolve, she decided to focus on the impending challenge and ensure Barbara''s safety.

    ''I just need to focus on this challenge and make sure nothing happens to her. If something goes wrong...I''ll have to make sure she is safe...'' She vowed silently.

    ***

    Yomite bade farewell to the others as they diverged, choosing a separate path to the chamber''stter half. He forged ahead, apanied by Barbara, Rosaria, and Hu Tao, into the ominous first half of the chamber.

    "Looks like we''ve got our work cut out for us," Rosaria spoke, eyeing the key warily.

    "Piece of cake," Hu Tao replied, grinning. "I''ve taken on much tougher foes than a floating key!"

    Yomite rolled his eyes. "Let''s not get too cocky. We don''t know what we''re up against. Also, you know we''re not actually going to fight the key itself, but the monsters that spawn from it, right...?"

    Barbara nodded, her agreementced with admiration. "Yum-Yum always thinks ahead, regardless of the adversaries we face."

    "Hey! Don''t be a spoil sport!" Hu Tao retorted, her ire raised by Yomite''s words. "Who knows, maybe we''ll fight with the key at some point!"

    "Yeah, right..."

    As they neared the key, itmenced to emit a luminous glow that bathed the entire chamber in its radiance.

    The ground tremored beneath them, and the group steeled themselves for the impending onught.

    A horde of monstrosities materialized before them: Slimes and Hilichurls, creatures they routinely vanquished in the world outside, yet still potent enough to pose a threat if underestimated.

    "Haha! This will be a peace of cake with my new staff!" Hu Tao eximed, brandishing her newly acquired weapon.

    Yomite nced at the red design and immediately knew it was an artifact of some kind.

    ''I want to know.''

    ��������������

    Name: Staff of Homa

    Rarity: 5* Artifact

    Description: Cleansing this world through and through, once used by a doctor, it became infused with the power of healing and destruction.

    Active Ability - Wielder''s HP increased by 40%. Additionally, provides an ATK Bonus based on 1.6% of the wielder''s Max HP. When the wielder''s HP is less than 50%, this ATK bonus is increased by an additional 1.8% of Max HP. When wielded by certain bloodline, additional effects apply.

    ��������������

    ''The less HP she has, the stronger she''ll get? Isn''t that a bit of a broken ability?''

    It was an interesting artifact, but Yomite wasn''t all that happy about her using it.

    As this would essentially mean she would be injuring herself on purpose to get stronger.

    And knowing Hu Tao, if she broke her body with an item like this, she would just say something along the lines of, "It was my time anyway." Or something stupid, and he didn''t want that to happen.

    "Tao, you know the aftereffects of this artifact, right? Where did you even get that thing from?" He asked, pointing at the staff.

    "Of course I do! It''s a staff the previous generations of Directors from our parlor used! I know the history about it too! I asked Lumi-Lumi earlier today to transport me quickly to Liyue and picked it up! It''s an amazing weapon!" Hu Tao replied with pride.

    "So, you know that when you use it, you''ll injure yourself to deal more damage to your enemies, right?"

    "Yeppy!" Hu Tao replied, nodding, "But it''s only a bit. My Vision or whatever it''s called, has regenerative properties so even if I do injure myself, the wound immediately closes."

    "If you say so...but just in case...I''m going to watch you closely so that you won''t do anything stupid..."

    Hu Tao smiled happily, "Thank you! You''re the best!"

    "Just try to keep it under control, okay? And don''t injure yourself too much. Otherwise, I''ll have to confiscate it." Yomite rolled his eyes and joined the fight.

    His movements felt dull, as though an invisible weight were holding him back.

    And that was precisely right. The artifact Lisa had ced on his wrist back then was the cause of his sluggishness.

    He gritted his teeth, struggling to swing his ymore with his usual precision and speed. Despite his best efforts, his attacks barely fazed the advancing horde.

 Chapter 331: Jealous Much?

    ***

    On the battleground, where hispanions and the monsters waged their battle, Rosaria and Hu Tao stood as defiant sentinels.

    They fought fiercely,pensating for the sudden handicap Yomite brought them. It was as if fate itself had conspired to cripple him, leaving him a bystander in this harrowing struggle.

    It was evident they did not need any help, but Hu Tao seemed to have been grinning at him the whole time, as if mocking his inability to fight, and this pissed him off.

    ''That little runt...''

    Barbara looked at herpanions and sighed at the book in her hands.

    As her friends continued to fend off the attackers, Barbara flipped through the book, searching for a passage that could help them in their time of need.

    ''Come on...please work...''

    Finally, she found a passage that seemed promising and began to read it aloud, albeit still a bit doubtful.

    Her voice, though soft, carried an undeniable strength and resolve through the battlefield.

    "And so the heroes, finding their strength dwindling in the face of adversity, chanted the ancient words of power. Their hearts, united by the bond of friendship, became a beacon of light, igniting a ze within their very souls. With renewed vigor, they took up arms against their foes, triumphing against all odds."

    As Barbara uttered thest word, the air around them seemed to hum with energy.

    Yomite, Rosaria, and Hu Tao felt a surge of strength coursing through their veins, as if the words themselves had breathed new life into them.

    To his amazement, even the oppressive weight on his body seemed to lessen, allowing him to move with greater ease.

    Yomite, now able to fight more effectively, quickly rejoined the fray.

    His ymore cleaved through the slimes and Hilichurls, his movements fluid and precise once more.

    The tide of battle began to turn in their favor, even more so than before, with the team making quick work of the remaining creatures.

    That was when he heard the usual haunting words from the fallen Hilichurls.

    "Please...kill us..."

    "...Will do so."

    In the midst of this brutal fray, Yomite alone heard the mournful cries, while the rest of his party dispatched the remaining creatures with grim efficiency.

    He had always sensed a peculiar affinity with the Hilichurls, but the nature of this bond eluded him.

    It was only when their desperate pleas for mercy echoed in his ears, articted in anguage he for som reason understood, that the full extent of his connection was revealed.

    These beings were not the savage monsters they appeared to be, but rather, once-human souls twisted by some dark power.

    This was a mystery he wished to unravel at some point, but at the moment he had more than enough on his te.

    As the final creature crumpled to the ground, Yomite turned to Barbara, his face lighting up with gratitude. "Barbs, that was amazing. I could finally move better. Thanks a lot."

    A delicate blush blossomed on Barbara''s cheeks, her eyes shimmering with joy. "I-I''m just happy I could make a difference, Yum-Yum. We stand together, united as one."

    "Yep, good job."

    Barbara wavered, her gaze flitting from Yomite to the blood-soaked earth, then back to him.

    She gnawed her lip, anxiously winding a lock of hair around her finger. "Um, Yum-Yum," she began, her voice barely more than a whisper, "I have a small request to ask of you."

    "What is it, Barbs?" He asked, still catching his breath from the battle.

    Her cheeks flushed a deeper hue of rose, and she offered him a timid, hopeful smile.

    "Well, since I was of assistance to you, might you... perhaps...give me a kiss as a token of gratitude?"

    Yomite blinked, taken aback by her unexpected request.

    A chuckle rumbled in his chest, shaking his head in amusement.

    "Barbs, you really are something else," he said, his tone light and teasing. "Alright, a kiss it is."

    With that, he inclined his head and tenderly pressed his lips to her forehead, allowing them to linger for a heartbeat before withdrawing.

    The chaste kiss brimmed with appreciation and the tender warmth of friendship.

    Barbara''s eyes drifted shut as she savored the delicate contact of Yomite''s lips, the briefmunion of their spirits. "Thank you, Yum-Yum," she murmured, her voice brimming with joy and gratitude.

    Yomite returned her smile, his gaze alight with heartfelt sincerity. "No problem."

    At a discreet distance, Rosaria had observed the tender exchange, a frown etching itself upon her brow.

    Hu Tao, who had been standing by her side, took note of the uncharacteristic reaction.

    With impish delight, Hu Tao nudged Rosaria''s elbow and shed a sly grin. "Jealous much?" she teased, her voice barely audible. "Could it be...you actually like B-B and are afraid to lose her to the big bad wolf!"

    Rosaria''s frown deepened, and she cast a cial re in Hu Tao''s direction. "Mind your own business," she snapped, her voice as cold as the winter wind.

    Hu Tao just chuckled and shrugged her shoulders, her demeanor nonchnt.

    After that exchange, the group moved on to the next stage.

    "How many stages are left?" Hu Tao asked.

    "Two for this chamber..." Yomite answered. "Have you not listened to Lisa when she was exining? There''s three for our group and three stages for their group in this chamber. Once all of them are done, we will go higher and higher up the floors..."

    "Hmm..." Hu Tao hummed, her ears twitching.

    She suddenly grinned at him, "I know what we''re gonna do! We''ll beat all of the stages before them!"

    Yomite exhaled a weary sigh. "Why can''t we just be normal for once? I got this damn restraining device on me and can barely walk... Let''s just do things at our own pace."

    "We even have a handicapped person on our team! I wanna win now more than ever to show our worth!" Hu Tao dered, grinning like a madwoman.

    "Fine," Yomite sighed again, rolling his eyes skyward. "Whatever makes you happy. Just be ready to kill as many monsters as you can."

    "Yaaay!" Hu Tao''s eyes sparkled with a mad sort of glee at the prospect of taking down more monsters.

    Yomite couldn''t help but shake his head, knowing that there was no stopping her once she got fired up.

    Meanwhile, Rosaria sized Yomite up from behind him, her eyes cool and calcting. "Barbara," she muttered, her voice low and raspy. "What do you see in him? He''s already got a wife."

    Barbara turned to look at her, her gray-blue eyes filled with warmth. "I know, he''s got three of them now."

    Rosaria raised an eyebrow, clearly unaware of this fact, "Three? How the hell does he manage to keep up with all of them?"

    Barbara giggled, the sound light and airy, like the tinkling of a wind chime. "I don''t know, but they seem to make it work. Yum-Yum is a very caring and responsible man to all of them. He always makes time for each of them and tries his best to meet their needs."

    Rosaria merely grunted in response, her gaze returning to Yomite''s back as he tried to regain his footing after Barbara''s buff expired.

    "..."

    The two of them fell into afortable silence as Rosaria switched her target and watched Hu Tao twirl her staff around, practicing her moves for the next stage.

 Chapter 332: Paimons Very Useful!

    ***

    The air was heavy with anticipation, and an uneasy feeling gnawed at the edges of their minds.

    But they hade too far to turn back now, and they knew that they would face whatevery ahead of them, together.

    On the other side, where the second team resided, Fischl was having a mental breakdown.

    "Oh gosh! How could I have done something like that! I''m so ashamed!" She was hitting her head into a pir, her eyes filled with regret and frustration.

    Her teammates, Lumine and Paimon, exchanged worried nces as they watched her spiral out of control.

    Lumine hesitated for a moment before approaching her, trying tofort her. "Hey, Fischl, it''s okay... We all make mistakes...What''s important is that we learn from them and move on..."

    Fischl groaned, burying her face in her hands. "But it was so embarrassing! I mounted on top of him as if I was some sort of wild beast! I cannot forget the look on his face...the utter disbelief..."

    Lumine offered a sympathetic smile, cing a reassuring hand on Fischl''s shoulder. "Fischl, we''ve all had our fair share of awkward moments...You''re not alone in that..."

    Paimon chimed in, floating closer with a cheeky grin. "Yeah! Besides, Paimon bets everyone will forget about it soon enough. We''ve got bigger things to worry about, like Hilichurls and other baddies! Everyone will soon forget about how you almost took his clothes off and did something weird!"

    Fischl''s face turned an even deeper shade of crimson as Paimon''s words cut through her, the cringe striking her to the core.

    She whimpered, her voice a mix of despair and mortification. "Please, Paimon, do not remind me! The memory of that will stay in my mind forever! Argh! I hate my life!"

    Paimon tilted her head, scrutinizing Fischl closely. "You know, Fischl, Paimon thinks you''re speaking differently than you usually do. What happened to the whole ''Prinzessin der Verurteilung'' thing?"

    At Paimon''s words, Fischl blinked, seeming to realize her deviation from her usual speech pattern. She cleared her throat and straightened her posture before speaking in her characteristic theatrical tone.

    "I-Indeed, thou art correct, Paimon. The Prinzessin der Verurteilung must not allow herself to be felled by such trifling matters! I shall cast off this veil of shame and continue my noble quest for justice, with the unyielding spirit of the stars themselves as my guide!"

    Lumine smiled, relieved to see Fischl returning to her usual self. "That''s the spirit, Fischl. Now, let''s focus on the task at hand and defeat those monsters."

    Together, the team worked in unison, disposing of the monsters that stood in their way.

    As they fought, their synergy grew stronger, and they began to anticipate each other''s movements, making their attacks more fluid and effective.

    Each member of the group showcased their unique skills, creating a force to be reckoned with.

    They weren''t as strong as team one, but both Lumine and Iris packed quite the punch.

    Fischl was a support for them in this case, so she mostly electrocuted the enemies to allow her team to deal with them swiftly with the help of her bow and Oz.

    And Paimon...well...moral support came in handy.

    "Hey! Paimon''s super-duper useful! Paimon will have you know!"

    As thest of the creatures fell, the team took a moment to catch their breath and regroup.

    Paimon, however, seemed to have other concerns on her mind.

    "Traveler!" Paimon eximed, her eyes wide and imploring as she floated closer to her friend. "After all that fighting, Paimon''s really hungry! We should definitely eat something, don''t you think?"

    Lumine chuckled, a fond smile spreading across her face. "You''re right, Paimon. We should replenish our energy. Though I''m unsure on how you did any fighting..."

    "Hey! Paimon is a good support! Paimon has your back all the time!"

    Lumineughed gently, nodding in agreement. "Of course, Paimon. Your support is invaluable to us. Now, let''s see if we have any food to share."

    Raising her hand, she summoned her inventory ability.

    With a slight flick of her wrist, she pulled out a variety of food and water for the group to enjoy. "Here we are. I have some sandwiches, fruits, and water...It''s not a feast, but it should help us regain our strength."

    Fischl''s eyes widened in awe, the earlier embarrassment momentarily forgotten. "Ah, the Traveler''s ability to conjure sustenance as if by magic is a marvel to behold. The Prinzessin der Verurteilung is most impressed."

    Paimon hovered impatiently, her tiny hands reaching out for the food. "Come on, let''s eat before Iris eats Paimon!"

    The flying emergency food noticed Iris'' side nces towards her directions with a saliva leaking out of her mouth and immediately sensed danger.

    The team gratefully epted the food, sitting down together to enjoy their impromptu meal.

    As they ate, they shared stories andughter, their camaraderie strengthening with each passing moment.

    It wasn''t long before they continued their journey through the floors, taking down enemies and oveing challenges with ease.

    Their teamwork was unparalleled, and they quickly found themselves standing before the door to the twelfth floor.

    As they cautiously pushed it open, they were greeted by the sight of the first team, who had been waiting there for quite the while now.

    The two teams exchanged relieved smiles and excited greetings, their voices filling the air with a mixture of relief and triumph.

    Fischl, despite her earlier mortification, found her spirits lifted by the presence of Yomite and Hu Tao, both of whom had clearly emerged from their battles unscathed.

    She resisted the urge to wrap her arms around Yomite in a tight embrace, her heart fluttering with a mix of relief and boundless affection.

 Chapter 333: A Lovely Lady

    ***

    Fischl resisted the urge to wrap her arms around Yomite in a tight embrace, her heart fluttering with a mix of relief and boundless affection.

    She wanted to, but everyone was watching, so instead, she approached him with an air of nonchnce, doing her best to maintain her proud demeanor.

    "Ah, Yomite, I see thou hast managed to survive the trials of this treacherous tower," she proimed, her voice wavering only slightly. "The Prinzessin der Verurteilung is most pleased to find thee in good health."

    Yomite smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes as he observed Fischl''s struggle to maintain herposure. "Thank you, Fischl. I''m d to see that you and your team made it through as well. Is everything alright though? What...happened to you...back then?"

    "..."

    Fischl immediately knew what he was referring to...back then, when the other person within her took control over her body and did the most embarrassing thing in her life.

    "A-Ah, well," She hesitated, searching for the right words, "Let us just say that the Prinzessin der Verurteilung momentarily lost control of her faculties, and...well, thou wert almost unwittingly initiated into the secret order of...posterior vulnerability. Yomite, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung humbly beseecheth thee for forgiveness for her most unseemly behavior in the previous encounter. Such an egregious error shall not befall mine actions henceforth."

    Yomite blinked, trying to decipher Fischl''s cryptic exnation, but in the end gave up and figured she just wanted to apologize to him.

    "I don''t mind, I just...wasn''t sure what the hell was going on back then..."

    Fischl nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thy words have quelled the tempest in mine heart, Yomite. I am most appreciative of thy kindness and understanding."

    As Fischl stood before him, her heart threatened to betray her, and the desire to hug or even kiss him became almost overwhelming.

    With a deep breath, she steeled herself and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Yomite in a brief, but meaningful hug.

    Pulling back, she cleared her throat and looked away, feigning disinterest.

    "Of course, as the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, it is mein duty to make up for mein mistakes," she stated, trying to mask her true feelings. "But let us not waste any more time on such trivial matters. We must continue our ascent and fulfill our mission."

    Yomite, seeing the sincerity in Fischl''s eyes and appreciating her effort to make amends, decided to give her a warm and reassuring response.

    He raised his hand gently to her cheek, his touch soft and tender. Fischl''s eyes widened in surprise, knowing what came next.

    Before she could react, Yomite leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a tender, romantic kiss.

    The sensation was delicate and sweet, causing Fischl''s heart to race and her thoughts to blur.

    As they shared the moment, Fischl''s thoughts melted away into a sense of warmth and happiness that enveloped her entire being.

    Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, and she allowed herself to be swept up in the embrace.

    "...Yomite," she whispered softly, her voice trembling with vulnerability.

    He smiled, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, whispering, "It''s okay, I really don''t mind what happened, Amy. I love you."

    "..."

    Fischl lowered her head in embarrassment, unable to meet Yomite''s gaze after such a bold deration.

    She was a master of thick skin in a sense, where even the cringey stuff she often said didn''t bother her one bit, yet when it came to romance she was as weak as a water.

    Her cheeks burned a brilliant shade of red, but her heart swelled with happiness.

    Hu Tao, never one to pass up an opportunity to poke fun, smirked at the couple. "Well, well, look at you two lovebirds, leaving me out of the fun again!"

    Barbara also pouted, feeling a twinge of jealousy at the difference in the kisses.

    "Yum-Yum... you only kissed me on the forehead, and then you go and kiss Fischl so romantically in front of everyone! I gotta do my best!" Her tone was a mix of disbelief and mild irritation, though she respected his choice.

    Rosaria rolled her eyes at Barbara''s deration with disgust.

    "Uwaah...Paimon''s not looking...!"

    Paimon, ever the curious observer, hid her face behind her tiny fingers but peeked through, her eyes wide with interest as she took in the scene unfolding before her.

    Lumine, standing off to the side, couldn''t help but wish for a romantic kiss as well, since she was d he was unharmed in the short while they parted.

    However, she remained silent, not wanting to steal the spotlight from their tender moment.

    Yomite, noticing the fatigue in Fischl and her team, knew that it was time to continue, but not before they took a well-deserved break.

    "Let''s all take a moment to rest and recover. Besides, I am also at my limit. Using this bracelet for hours without much break was a disaster, if it wasn''t for Barbara I would have mostly likely broken in half by now."

    "Hehehe."

    Barbara, once again happy he mentioned her name in the form of gratitude couldn''t help but giggle in delight.

    In all of their previous battles up to the 12th floor, Yomite gave her a kiss on the forehead for doing a good job as a support in their battles and she was ecstatic.

    It was almost like a tradition at this point.

    And so the united teams decided to take a short break to catch their breath.

 Chapter 334: Posterior Vulnerability

    ***

    As they rested, the topic of Yomite''s "Posterior Vulnerability" also known as "The Heavenly Butt" became the subject of light-hearted jokes and teasing among the group.

    To the surprise of many, even Rosaria joined in with a few words of her own, agreeing the term fit him well.

    Hu Tao leaned in close to Fischl, grinning mischievously. "So, Fishy-Fishy, I always knew you liked it. You steal nces at his butt from time to time~"

    Fischl''s cheeks flushed crimson, and she sputtered indignantly. "I-I assure thee, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung was not interested in such...vulgar matters!"

    Hu Tao, however, wasn''t about to let Fischl off the hook that easily.

    With a yful wink, she continued her teasing. "Oh,e on, Fishy-Fishy I know you better than anyone now, you are a secret pervert~"

    Fischl''s blush deepened, and she crossed her arms defensively. "Thy words are as baseless as they are vexing, Hu Tao. The Prinzessin der Verurteilung has far more pressing matters to concern herself with than the...physical attributes of her lover. The world we inhabit is a ce of shadows and fleeting desires, and where lust reigns supreme, and true love is cast aside like a withered rose. I refuse to sumb to the seductive allure of carnal passions, for I know in my heart of hearts that they offer but a fleeting and hollow sce! None shall stop me!"

    Despite her best efforts to feign disinterest and the heartfelt speech she just gave, Fischl couldn''t help but steal a quick nce in Yomite''s direction, her eyes momentarily drawn to his "form", and immediately looked away.

    This did not go unnoticed by the ever-observant Hu Tao, however.

    "Aha! I caught you looking!" Hu Tao crowed triumphantly, pointing an using finger at Fischl. "You can''t deny it now, Fishy-Fishy! All this true love nonsense! You''re just a lewd girl~"

    Mortified, Fischl turned her gaze away, her face burning with embarrassment. "I... I was merely ensuring that Yomite was recuperating properly, as any responsible member of our party would do. Thine usations are most unbing, Hu Tao!"

    Hu Tao burst outughing, which drew the attention of the others.

    No one knew what was going on between the two of them, but judging from Fischl''s reaction, it seemed like Hu Tao had finally gotten under her skin.

    Fischl bit her lip, unable to look at Hu Tao for fear of further embarrassment. "Thou dost mock me, Hu Tao, and I doth not appreciate it. I will not stand for such nderous statements, even if it means I must resort to the use of meine fists."

    "Whoa! Hold on a minute here! Fishy-Fishy, you can''t hit someone just because they call you a perv~"

    Fischl, her pride wounded by Hu Tao''s relentless teasing, couldn''t let the matter rest.

    With a huff, she took off after Hu Tao, who had sprinted away with a mischievousugh. "Hu Tao, thou shalt not escape the wrath of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung! These fists shall humble thee greatly!"

    "You can''t get mad just because we are together more often than you two are~"

    "This Prinzessin holds no jealousy within the tender heart of hers! Only anger!"

    "It seems like my Assistant needs to help you with some pent-up stress then~"

    "Hu Tao! You!"

    The two darted through the corridors, Fischl''s determination to catch Hu Tao momentarily overshadowing her embarrassment.

    Their yful chase caught the attention of their teammates, who couldn''t help but smile at the scene.

    Meanwhile, Barbara and Rosaria found themselves in a quiet corner, taking a break from the antics of their friends.

    The two couldn''t have been more different - Barbara, the cheerful and energetic idol, and Rosaria, the stoic and aloof nun. Despite their contrasting personalities, they had developed a surprising friendship.

    "Sister Rosaria," Barbara began, her voice full of energy, "How do you think we''re doing so far? I''m really impressed with how well everyone''s working together! We have almost reached the end and beat the entire thing!"

    Rosaria nced at her, her expression cool but not unkind. "We''re doing better than I expected, considering the circumstances. But we can''t afford to let our guard down. Something tells me the 12th floor will be quite different from the rest."

    "What makes you say that?"

    "I don''t know for sure, I''m just assuming based on the pattern we''ve seen so far. Enemies were tougher and stronger than we expected. If wee across anything worse on the 12th floor, we''ll need to be prepared for it."

    Barbara nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a smart idea. Thanks for the tip, Sister Rosaria."

    She held out a hand, but Rosaria declined, preferring thefort of silence over physical contact.

    Barbara hesitated for a moment, then lowered her hand, understanding Rosaria''s preference for personal space. "I''m sorry..."

    "No need to apologize," Rosaria replied, her tone gentle despite her stoic nature. "We all have our own ways of expressing things. I appreciate the sentiment, but I''m not that kind of person."

    "..."

    "..."

    "...You can lie to yourself, but I just don''t believe that. Everyone needs love!"

    This time, Barbara, didn''t take no for an answer.

    She wrapped her arms around Rosaria, giving her a warm hug.

    "I don''t care," Barbara said with a smile. "We''re friends, and that means showing each other love and support. Besides, a hug never hurt anyone."

    "..."

    Rosaria stiffened at first, unused to physical affection, but gradually she rxed and epted the embrace.

    They stayed like that for a few moments, but soon, Rosaria sighed softly and stepped back from the embrace.

    "..."

    "..."

    "Well...I guess we should head back to the others."

    Rosaria gave a slight nod, her eyes still focused on the distance.

    As they walked back to the rest of the group, Barbara couldn''t help but smile at Rosaria''s aloof demeanor.

    Despite her cold exterior, Barbara knew that Rosaria genuinely cared for her.

    Rosaria on the other hand, had different things on her mind.

    With the breaking to an end, Yomite called everyone together. "Alright, girls, it''s time to continue. Let''s see each other at the end of the 12th floor. Good luck."

    The group exchanged nods and words of encouragement, and they once again parted.

 Chapter 335: A Leviathan

    ***

    The massive doors groaned in protest as they inched apart, disclosing a cavernous chamber awash in an otherworldly, feeble glow.

    The air hung thick and suffocating, as if the very essence of the room aimed to smother any unwee intruders.

    Once adorned with borate designs and a kaleidoscope of hues, the walls now bore the blemishes of sinister shadows, cavorting and shimmering, whispering of the stygian power concealed within.

    The chamber itself was immense, its ceiling towering far above Yomite and hispanions, conjuring an image of an infinite, fathomless abyss.

    The floor was a jigsaw of somber, lustrous tiles, each one impably interlocked,posing a convoluted,byrinthine design that enticed and repelled all who dared sully it with their footsteps.

    The erstwhile resplendent columns encircling the room now contorted in grotesque and twisted forms, as though the very rock had been deformed by a maleficent presence.

    Once-smooth surfaces had grown jagged and keen, akin to the talons of an abhorrent beast hungering to tear through sinew and bone.

    As Yomite and hispanions ventured further into the chamber, their gazes were inexorably drawn to a levitating crimson key at the heart of the room, ensconced atop a raised tform that they all were familiar with by now.

    The object seemed to pulse with a sinister energy, its ruby luminescence painting the chamber in a sanguine hue that whispered of an impending reckoning.

    After Barbara read a passage from the book and buffed everyone, Yomite went ahead and touched the crimson key, thetter disappearing into thin air as usual.

    All of a sudden, a massive, aquatic creatureposed of ever-shifting water appeared before them. It was a Leviathan, also known as the Oceanid. A titan of the deep, it towered over Yomite and hispanions, its vast bulk filling the entirety of the chamber.

    "Girls...ever seen anything like this before?" Yomite asked.

    There weren''t many boss monsters he faced overall, but this certainly looked like one.

    "It''s so big..." Barbara muttered, "I''ve only ever heard stories and read books about it...so it does exist..."

    Hu Tao grinned impishly, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "A challenge worthy of our skills," she remarked, twirling her polearm, the Staff of Homa, with practiced ease.

    Rosaria gazed upon the Oceanid with a steely resolve. "It''s unlike anything I''ve faced before, but it shall fall all the same," she said, her voice cool and unwavering.

    "Let me begiiiin!"

    With a fierce cry, Hu Tao leaped forward, the Staff of Homa held high above her head.

    She struck the Oceanid with a powerful blow, sending a shower of water droplets flying in all directions.

    The creature let out a guttural hiss, its form momentarily destabilized by the force of her attack.

    Rosaria wasted no time, her Cryo vision springing to life.

    She summoned a frozen shard and hurled it at the Oceanid, piercing the watery creature''s form.

    The shard exploded into an array of frosty needles, further damaging the Oceanid''s fluid body.

    The Oceanid, angered by their attack, roared in defiance. It summoned a horde of water illusions, each one resembling an animal, to aid it in battle.

    The creatures charged at them, their watery forms shifting and twisting as they moved.

    "A boar and two human sized crabs? Seriously?" Yomite asked. "Is this a joke?"

    "Yaaay! We will be having crabs tonight! Crabby Crabby Crabs!"

    Hu Tao cheerfully announced, her pyro-vision ring to life. She swung the Staff of Homa in wide arcs, the fire of her vision consuming the watery illusions as they drew near.

    She reveled in the heat of battle, her spirit undaunted by the relentless onught

    Rosaria, her eyes narrowed in concentration, unleashed her Cryo vision with surgical precision. Ice and frost danced around her, freezing the illusions solid and shattering them with a single, devastating blow.

    She moved with grace and purpose, her every action calcted and deadly.

    With some difficulty, Yomite jumped up and unleashed the full might of his particle cube her charged up onto the floating enemy.

    The Oceanid recoiled as Yomite''s attack struck its fluid form, causing it to lose its shape momentarily.

    However, the creature quickly recovered, reforming its body and retaliating with a barrage of water projectiles that hurtled towards him.

    "That did no damage? Seriously?" Yomite asked. "Why is this thing so hard to kill? Can it regenerate infinitely?"

    Undeterred, Yomite nimbly dodged the iing assault, his agility belying his visible exhaustion.

    He pressed onward, threading through the hailstorm of watery assaults, inching closer to the elusive Oceanid.

    As the gap between them dwindled, he summoned the arcane power of his particle cube yet again, forging a whirling vortex of raw energy that danced around his outstretched hand.

    Yomite had wrestled with the dark art of the particle cube, mastering its lethal capabilities over time. It was a fearsome weapon, one that had imed the lives of nearly every enemy whom he had used it on. It was also particrly potent against creatures with the power of regeneration.

    Though it required precision and time to cast which wasn''t the best thing ever.

    A primal scream tore from Yomite''s throat as he lunged forward, his charged palm colliding with the Oceanid''s aqueous form.

    The beast wailed in agony as the particle cube ripped through its watery flesh, the sheer force of the attack dismantling its cohesion.

    Realizing its own vulnerability, the Oceanid conjured another wave of watery phantoms to protect itself.

    The liquid beasts surged toward Yomite, their movements as unpredictable and fluid as the depths from which they came.

    Yomite fought on, acutely aware that he could not sustain this fric dance of death forever.

    They needed to deliver a fatal blow, to vanquish the Oceanid once and for all.

    With each passing moment, he carefully analyzed the creature''s movements, searching for any sign of weakness.

    ''I could most likely get rid of it in one blow, but my cube cannot get big enough to envelop its entire body...gotta think of something else.'' he pondered and spotted a brief fluctuation in the Oceanid''s form as it struggled to maintain control over its summoned illusions.

    Barbara''s words however, brought him back to reality.

    "...I''m afraid our attacks aren''t doing any real damage...I read in a book before, that If we wanted to defeat this creature, we''d need to destroy the solid illusions it summoned a couple of times first, because the main body will simply regenerate if we won''t do so..."

    At this revtion, Yomite gave a frustrated sigh. "Great...killing crabs it is then..."

    "Yaay!" Hu Tao cheered, holding her staff aloft. "Let us unleash our fiery fury upon thee, oh mighty crabs! And we shall eat thine meatter!"

    "They are made out of water, so I doubt we''ll be getting any meat from them..and why are you speaking like Fischl all of a sudden? You''re doing that on purpose, right?"

    Thest thing Yomite wanted was an epidemic of Fischl-speak. Deciphering her peculiar dialect was already a Herculean feat, and he had no desire to contend with another oddball afflicted by her linguistic gue.

 Chapter 336: Disobedience

    ***

    Exhaling a weary sigh, Yomite addressed Rosaria to ry the quick game n. "You, freeze the boar and eliminate it. Hu Tao will handle the crabs, and I''ll tackle the Oceanid once it''s weakened."

    "Hmph, who are you to give me orders?"

    "I''m your leader," he retorted.

    "No one is my leader, and most definitely not someone like you, Trisha."

    "Why are you like this!? Could you pick a better time to be a whiny bitc��"

    Yomite''s protest was cut short as the Oceanid unleashed a watery torrent upon them, hurling them to the ground.

    "Ugh...I despise being wet..." Rosaria groaned, wiping her face.

    "Damn it! Will you just listen to me, woman!? What is your problem? I told you to freeze the damn boar!" Yomite shouted after he spat the water that got into his mouth, scrambling back to his feet.

    "We''ve been running around in circles trying to figure out what to do against this stupid and annoying flying thing, and all you want to do is fight me!? Just follow a simple n!"

    Rosaria''s icy gaze locked onto Yomite''s furious expression. "Fine," she spat, "But only because I''m tired of this pointless fight with the Oceanid. Don''t think you''ve won anything else."

    Yomite gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to argue further. ''Why is she so stubborn all of a sudden? We cleared the other abyss floors with rtive ease...so why is she resisting my orders now?'' he wondered as he gathered hisposure.

    With a twisted chuckle, the words oozed from Hu Tao''s lips, "Hehe! You two are sooo~ baaad~ How can you get hit by an attack so weak~" Her face contorted in wicked delight as she sprang forward, the Staff of Homa pulsating with an infernal pyro energy.

    Her movements were fluid, like a predator on the hunt, as she closed in on the watery crustaceans summoned before her.

    The air around her shimmered with heat as her zing onught hissed and crackled, reducing the creatures to little more than steam.

    Rosaria, a picture of reluctant obedience, focused her icy gaze on the hulking boar.

    A frigid aura radiated from her, tendrils of frost snaking their way toward the beast, ensnaring it in a tomb of ice. With a heavy sigh, she brought down a forceful strike, shattering the frozen monstrosity into countless shards.

    As each illusion sumbed to their fate, the Oceanid''s once imposing form quivered and faltered.

    Its watery essence, drained and diminished, seemed to be fighting a losing battle against the relentless onught of its adversaries.

    Yomite, his senses heightened in the heat of battle, seized the fleeting moment. His particle cube, once again summoned to his hand, was now farrger than before. The swirling energy epassed his hand, and he hoped it would be enough to engulf the weakened Oceanid.

    With a guttural cry, Yomite pushed the full power of his particle cube at the Oceanid''s vulnerable eye.

    The vortex tore through the creature, consuming its essence in a maelstrom of annihtion.

    A final, tortured wail escaped the Oceanid as its watery form dissipated, leaving only a few glimmering droplets that lingered in the air before falling to the ground.

    Yomite stood there, panting, the weight of the battle pressing down on him.

    Under normal circumstances, a boss monster like this would barely challenge them, but with the restraining bracelet, he felt as feeble as a child.

    "Well, that was...something," He muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

    Hu Tao, still grinning from the thrill of the fight, twirled her staff yfully. "That was fun! But we didn''t even get to eat any crabs. Oh well, maybe next time!"

    Rosaria''s icy re was directed at Yomite, her frosty temperament unbroken. "Don''t assume I''ll heed yourmands in the future. Fortune simply favored you this time."

    Yomite, rolling his eyes, refused to be drawn into yet another dispute. "Fine, have it your way. I''m far too exhausted to fight you, woman..."

    With a fatigued exhtion, he slumped back against the wall.

    His thoughts began to drift, settling on Lumine and Fischl, the sudden yearning to embrace them as a means to recharge his gging energy.

    Hugging Paimon was off limits since it seemed to have brought forth a great misunderstanding. Paimon wasn''t a pet or a child, but unfortunately a woman.

    "I can only hope all is well on the other side," he murmured, concern coloring his voice.

    A fondness blossomed within him as he envisioned their adorable reaction to an unexpected embrace.

    He imagined their cheeks flushing with a rosy hue, and their eyes widening in surprise, only to soften into a look of endearing warmth.

    The mere thought of that moment warmed his weary heart, providing a much-needed reprieve from the lingering chill of battle.

    One might argue that Hu Tao''s presence provided some sce, but her antics had only served to exasperate him further throughout the day.

    Yomite knew better than to spoil her too much; doing so would only fuel her cockiness to another level and she needed to be punished for her constant antics or else she would grow out of control.

    ***

    Meanwhile, on the opposing end of the battlefield, Lumine, Fischl, and Iris were in a fierce struggle against a formidable entity known as the Geo Hypostasis cube.

    The monstrous being struck terror into the hearts of any students who had trouble with geometry exams, its very existence a twisted reminder of their academic shorings.

    Standing several stories tall, its intimidating presencemanded attention and respect. It wasposed of various geometric shapes, primarily resembling cubes, that were seamlesslybined to form its imposing structure.

    Its body was made from a sturdy, earthen material with an unmistakable hue of deep brown and subtle hints of amber, reflecting the Geo element that it embodied. Intricate, glowing patterns adorned its surface, pulsating with an energy that seemed toe from the very depths of the earth.

    These markings, reminiscent of ancient runes or ley lines, hinted at the immense power that the Geo Hypostasis possessed.

 Chapter 337: Geo Hypostasis

    ***

    The construct''s primary feature was itsrge, central core, which was enveloped and protected by severalyers of geometric shapes.

    The core itself appeared to be a perfectly symmetrical cube, its surface adorned with the same glowing patterns as the rest of its body. This core was the source of the Geo Hypostasis'' power and the key to its defeat.

    The Geo Hypostasis had no discernible limbs or facial features, adding to its otherworldly and enigmatic appearance. Instead, it relied on its elemental abilities to manipte the surrounding earth and stone to move and attack. It could hover gracefully above the ground, defying gravity, andunch devastating geo-based assaults on its enemies.

    Lumine, agile and precise, struck at the Geo Hypostasis with her dull de, attempting to find a weak point in the construct''s defenses. However, her attacks seemed to do little more than chip away at its stone-like exterior, leaving her feeling frustrated and exhausted.

    It''s been roughly twenty minutes since they''ve began fighting the boss monster, yet there seemed to be no end to it.

    Fischl unleashed a barrage of electro-charged arrows towards the Geo Hypostasis, hoping that the elemental reactions would weaken it. But the construct seemed unfazed, its defenses holding firm against the onught. There was no way really to damage the monster.

    "Tch! Peasant!"

    Fischl, her blonde hair cascading around her shoulders, huffed with frustration as she watched her electro-charged arrows bounce harmlessly off the Geo Hypostasis.

    "Verily, the sovereign of immateria doth bear witness to my plight," shemented, her words steeped in her usual theatrical ir. "As Oz and I unleash our indomitable tempest of arrows, they are but mere zephyrs against this geometric titan''s impervious bastion."

    Paimon provided support and encouragement to her friends. "Come on, guys! You can do it! Just keep hitting the baddie!"

    "Paimon, I''m always grateful to you...but please stop talking for a minute." Lumine groaned, feeling the weight of her fatigue weighing down upon her.

    "Aw...fine..." Paimon pouted, her usual cheery expression reced by one of disappointment as she observed her friends'' struggle.

    The group''s frustration mounted as the battle dragged on, the Geo Hypostasis showing no signs of weakening.

    ''It''s taking us too long...What would Party Leader do in this situation...?''

    Lumine had always admired Yomite''s knack for quick thinking and intelligence during battles, regardless of the enemy they faced.

    He possessed an uncanny ability to dissect situations, thinking of creative solutions from the recesses of his mind that led the team to victory time and time again.

    She aspired to be like him, to develop the dexterity to adapt and strategize in the heat of battle, and to lead others.

    She knew that if she wanted to vanquish the Geo Hypostasis, she had to think like him.

    Like the person she fell in love with.

    As Lumine persisted in her dodges and parries, evading the relentless assaults from the Geo Hypostasis, shepelled herself to zero in on the details of the battle.

    She examined the construct''s movements and attack patterns, probing for any signs of vulnerability.

    As the Geo Hypostasis continued its relentless assault, it began to spawnrge Geo pirs around the battlefield.

    The pirs rose from the ground with a thunderous crash, hemming the party in and restricting their movement. Lumine''s heart raced as she saw the predicament they were in, but she refused to let panic set in.

    Lumine noticed Iris, their residentzy dragon, near one of the pirs.

    She wanted to shout for her to get away from the pirs, else she would get hurt but to her surprise, Iris reached out to the nearest pir.

    With a heave, she lifted it from the ground, the pir now losing its glow.

    She effortlessly swung the pir around, smashing it into the others.

    The pirs shattered upon impact, sending debris flying and creating an opening for the team.

    "Good job, Iris!"

    The minutes bled away, and Lumine''s worry that she wouldn''t crack the code intensified.

    But then, as if fate intervened, she noticed something��a chink in the armor, a crack in the facade.

    Like a lighthouse piercing the darkness, this revtion illuminated a path to victory.

    The Geo Hypostasis revealed a brief moment of weakness between its attacks, the construct flickering like a faulty light bulb. In that instant, Lumine knew she had found her opening, a gateway to exploit and deliver a crushing blow.

    Her heart pounded in her chest, the adrenaline surging like wildfire through her veins.

    Lumine felt the weight of her team''s expectations, the collective desire for victory resting upon her shoulders. Now that Yomite wasn''t with them, she was expected to lead.

    With Yomite''s tactical genius as her guiding star, she readied herself to strike. In that fleeting window of opportunity, she would be the embodiment of herrade''s cunning, and together, they would bring the Geo Hypostasis to its knees.

    "Everyone, I think I''ve found its weakness!" Lumine shouted, her voice filled with determination. "When it''s about tounch a geo-based attack, its core briefly bes vulnerable! If we can time our attacks just right, we can hit it where it hurts!"

    Fischl and Iris exchanged nces before nodding, acknowledging Lumine''s insight.

    "In the presence of such unyielding fortitude, we find ourselves humbled and awestruck, for the illustrious Lumine, the Star Forger hath divined the chink in this behemoth''s armor," Fischl proimed, a note of awe in her voice.

    "With this newfound revtion, we shall vanquish the foe that hath vexed us so!"

    As the group altered their strategy based on Lumine''s keen observation, they found renewed vigor in their efforts to bring down the Geo Hypostasis.

    Lumine, her sword poised and ready, concentrated on dodging the construct''s formidable geo-based onught, anticipating the opportune moment to deliver a devastating blow.

    As the Geo Hypostasis reeled from thebined barrage of Fischl and Iris, Lumine discerned her opening.

    She sprung forward, her sword cleaving the air, and struck the exposed core with every ounce of her might.

    The impact resonated through the Geo Hypostasis, inciting it to convulse violently.

    Jagged fissures spiderwebbed across its once-imprable carapace, and the luminous patterns that adorned its body began to stutter and wane.

    Sensing their adversary was on the brink of annihtion, the group seized their advantage, bombarding the behemoth with an unyielding torrent of attacks.

    With a final, anguished bellow, the Geo Hypostasis fractured, its once-dreaded form reduced to a heap of debris and dust.

    The group stood triumphant, their visages flushed with a potent cocktail of exhration and exhaustion, as they surveyed the remnants of their defeated enemy.

 Chapter 338: The Flower

    ***

    "Bravissimo, dear Lumine!" Fischl eximed, her peculiar manner of speaking still very much intact. "Thou hast verily demonstrated the acumen of a master tactician, and I, Fischl, Prinzessin der Verurteilung, doth offer thee my most profoundmendations!"

    Lumine''s cheeks flushed with embarrassment at Fischl''s praise, and she quickly waved off thepliments. "Oh no...I-I''m not that smart," she stammered, her modesty shining through. "I...I was just trying to think like Party leader would in this situation... He''s always so quick to figure things out and reliable..."

    Fischl''s eyes sparkled at the mention of Yomite, her own admiration for him apparent. "Indeed, thou speaketh the truth, dear Lumine," she agreed, her voice taking on a dreamy quality. "Yomite, the unparalleled hero, the zenith of wisdom and might, doth forever hold a special ce in the chambers of mine heart. His visage, as radiant as the first light of dawn, and his power, as vast and boundless as the cosmos itself, stand peerless in this world."

    As Lumine listened to Fischl''s poetic praises for Yomite, she couldn''t help but smile, her own admiration for their leader evident in her eyes.

    She then turned towards Iris, who was looking back and forth between them, her expression confused.

    Fischl''s eyes sparkled as she shifted her thoughts to Iris, "And you, Iris, the pure dragon maiden of valor, the zing beacon of justice, the dazzling diamond of virtue, have likewise proved yourself worthy of my trust."

    "..."

    Iris, somewhat bewildered by the events but recalling the advice Yomite had once given her, decided to act.

    He had told her that should she ever receive praise from her friends, she ought to embrace them in a warm hug.

    And so, with the usual emotionless face of hers, Iris wrapped her arms around Fischl, who found herself nearly smothered by her ample bosom.

    Fischl''s eyes widened, and she struggled to free herself from the unexpectedly tight hug, her voice muffled by the affectionate embrace.

    "D-Dearest Iris, I appreciate thine intentions, but please...grant me reprieve! Release me from thy chest!"

    But Iris, caught up in the moment and eager to express her gratitude, failed to register Fischl''s difort. Instead, she held on tighter, her exuberance bubbling over like an overfilled cup.

    "Woah...Paimon thinks Fischl''s being eaten. Should we help? P-Paimon''s a bit scared though..."

    As Lumine looked on, she couldn''t help but smile at the scene unfolding before her, touched by the genuine bond her friends shared, even amidst the chaos and uncertainty that surrounded them.

    ***

    Finally, after surmounting the final trial of floor 12, Lumine and her team emerged onto the tform, where Yomite''s team awaited.

    The two groups exchanged warm greetings and Lumine immediately approached Yomite, this time before Fischl or anyone else could even say hi to him to make sure she was first.

    She was eager to share her experience with the boss they had faced. Simrly, Yomite listened intently, keen on recounting his own team''s encounter with their formidable enemy that annoyed them.

    As they conversed, Yomite''s hand reached out to gently hold Lumine''s, as if in silent assurance he was d she was okay.

    As he squeezed it gently, a faint blush appeared upon her cheeks.

    Her bodynguage betrayed that she felt relieved and reassured by Yomite''s touch, as well as by his reassuring words.

    In a tender moment, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss upon her lips, the sensation both thrilling andforting.

    She sheepishly returned his gesture, her heart overflowing with feelings of warmth and affection for him. As the kiss lingered, she closed her eyes and basked in the tranquil moment.

    "Come."

    As they settled down, Yomite motioned for Lumine to rest her head on hisp, providing her with a cozy pillow.

    "A-Are you sure?" Lumine asked hesitantly, worried she would be perceived as needy and clingy, despite having been intimate with him a couple of times before.

    "It''s fine," he replied, smiling at her, and then added, "You deserve it, Ms. Vice-leader."

    Lumine''s cheeks flushed again at his tteringpliment.

    She obliged, her eyes shining with affection as she rxed into theforting embrace of her trusted leader.

    This wouldn''t be possible without the help of Hu Tao, who dried him off with her pyro vision, after he was sted by the water attack of Oceanid.

    Yomite''s fingers began to y with Lumine''s hair, twirling the golden strands around his finger as he reveled in the simple intimacy between them.

    Lumine didn''t mind the casual attention, though. In fact, she rather liked being pampered by him.

    She relished every stroke of Yomite''s soft hand, each caress bringing a soothing sense of peace and contentment.

    As he continued ying with her locks, Yomite''s hand paused, and he gently took the white flower from Lumine''s hair, careful not to disturb her too much.

    He held it up, examining it with curiosity. It was a flower he had seen her wear since they first met, and he couldn''t help but wonder about its significance. It was unusual, as it never seemed to wilt or fade and she didn''t water it either.

    "What is this flower?" He asked, his eyes studying the delicate petals. "I''ve been meaning to ask for a while now."

    Lumine opened her eyes and smiled, a hint of nostalgia glimmering in her gaze. "It''s a special flower my brother, Aether, gave me before we were separated," she exined, her voice gentle and wistful. "It gives me strength to keep going and to never give up on trying to find him. Kind of...like you do."

    She turned towards him, cing her hands atop his own. Her golden eyes shone with an intensity that pierced his very soul.

    "There have been moments when I doubted myself, questioned whether he was really out there somewhere and whether I was even strong enough to find him..." Her expression grew grimmer as memories yed in her mind like vivid shes of lightning across the darkening sky.

    The harsh realities of life, as well as the pain and loss, made their mark on Lumine''s features.

    "But thanks to you, I haven''t lost hope. I genuinely..love you for everything you''ve done for me."

    She stared into Yomites'' eyes, soaking in every detail of his face,mitting it all to memory.

    He looked at her, bewildered at the sudden turn in the conversation, and delicately ced the flower back in her hair, making sure it was secure.

    "..."

    Yomite was momentarily speechless, his heart swelling with emotion as he absorbed the depth of Lumine''s words.

 Chapter 339: Sunshine

    ***

    He wasn''t quite certain how to respond, he''d already had two women in his heart whom he deeply loved, Fischl and Hu Tao and yet he couldn''t deny he felt something special for Lumine, too.

    He felt his heart expanding, as if breaking free from the constraints of his previous emotions.

    He realized that he had been holding back his feelings for Lumine, hesitant to acknowledge them fully due to already having two most important people of his life in his heart.

    But now, as he looked into her eyes, he knew that he loved her. It wasn''t a fleeting feeling or a passing infatuation. It was a deep, abiding love that had been growing inside him for a long time, waiting for the right moment to bloom.

    Back when she confessed to him, he epted her feelings, as who would deny the feelings of a cute girl in love.

    He cared about her a lot, yet he wasn''t entirely sure he was in love with her.

    But thistest disy of her affection only solidified his feelings. She didn''t know it, but by expressing those sentiments over and over again at multiple asions, Lumine had revealed the full extent of her true feelings and opened herself up to Yomitepletely.

    Her confession before made his chest ache, thinking he would disappoint her feelings because he didn''t feel quite as like as she did, but now there was no turning back. He was in love and he knew it.

    Her lips were parted, ready to ept his kiss...but not just any kiss; one that promised undying devotion and boundless passion.

    A kiss that meant to show his love for her.

    The moment hung precariously in the bnce as Yomite stared down into Lumine''s eyes.

    Then, as if on impulse, he leaned forward and tenderly ced his lips on hers.

    They kissed softly at first, but soon grew more passionate until they were desperately exploring each other''s mouths like two lost souls yearning to be reunited.

    Yomite couldn''t contain himself anymore. His hands gripped her silken hair as he continued kissing her, savoring every second of their embrace.

    "You''re important to me as well." The words escaped him before he could stop them, and he couldn''t believe how easily it rolled off his tongue.

    He wasn''t the type who told women he loved them out loud, but for som reason he felt she needed to hear it.

    Once he heard the wordse out of his mouth, all rationality was abandoned as the words reverberated in the room like the crackling thunder that apanies theing storm. "I love you as well, Lumine."

    Lumine broke away from the kiss for a moment and looked into Yomites'' eyes with a warm smile, which gradually blossomed into a radiant grin.

    "That''s the first time you''ve said you truly loved me too," Lumine whispered, her voice brimming with happiness.

    She leaned in for another tender kiss, their love cementing in that instant.

    Yomite held her close, knowing that his heart had expanded to make room for Lumine.

    This new love didn''t diminish his feelings for Fischl and Hu Tao; instead, it added another dimension to his life, making him feel moreplete than ever before.

    He couldn''t help but think to himself that he was weak against girls who told him they were in love with him.

    He had never really had anyone to love in the past, and the affection showered upon him by the girls of this strange world was both overwhelming and intoxicating.

    Barbara too, had been growing on him by constantly telling him she loved him, despite his initial protests.

    Yomite realized that he had a vulnerability when it came to love, and at first, it made him question whether his feelings for Lumine, Fischl, Hu Tao, and even Barbara were genuine, or if he was simply responding to their affection and his own lust.

    His feelings for Lumine had grown over time, nurtured by their shared experiences and the support they provided each other.

    Fischl and Hu Tao had captured his heart with their individual charms and the bonds they had formed through their adventures together.

    And while his rtionship with Barbara was different, Yomite couldn''t deny the warmth that her constant affection brought to his life.

    Her begging for attention or kisses, warm smile or repeated talks about how she loved him...all of that made it hard for him to resist.

    As he considered each of them, he realized that the love he felt for them was real and unique in its own way.

    It was true that he might have been more susceptible to the love of others due to his past, but he knew that the feelings he had now were more than genuine.

    It didn''t matter what others thought of him. If he ever had other girls who told him they loved him, he would ept their love and love them back.

    Yomite held Lumine''s gaze for a moment, a yful smile slowly spreading across his face. "You know," he said, his voice light and teasing, "I''ll find your brother, and once I do, I''ll make sure to drag that bastard to our wedding!"

    Lumine''s eyes widened, and she stared at him in disbelief.

    Then, a smallugh bubbled up from within her, and she yfully swatted at his arm. "I swear! You''re such a dummy sometimes!" she eximed, her face flushing a lovely shade of pink.

    As they shared a tenderugh, Yomite noticed that Lumine''s eyes had be ssy. Tears brimmed at the edges, threatening to spill over at any moment.

    For so long, she had buried a part of herself beneath the weight of her responsibilities and her search for her brother. It had been ages since she''d allowed herself to feel this light and carefree.

    Always somber and quiet, not talking much to the point she used Paimon as her spokesperson at many asions.

    "Can''t have my beautiful bride missing any family members on her special day, even if it means dragging your brother to the wedding kicking and screaming."

    Lumineughed loudly, a sound so genuine and joyous that it warmed Yomite''s heart.

    It was a rare sight to see her this happy.

    "Thank you, Yomite," she said, her voice stillced withughter. "I can''t tell you how much it means to me that you''re willing to go through all this trouble for me and my brother. I really love you."

    Herughter subsided, but her smile remained, bright and unwavering.

 Chapter 340: Teaching

    ***

    As Lumine wept in Yomite''s arms, the others in the group had respectfully turned away, granting them a semnce of privacy during this tender moment. The friends had been conversing among themselves, but now, their gazes were drawn back to the pair, their expressions a blend of curiosity and concern.

    Fischl and Hu Tao exchanged a meaningful nce, both keenly aware of the deepening connection between Yomite and Lumine. Barbara, however, couldn''t help but feel a twinge of unease. Despite her reservations, she managed to offer a smile. Witnessing the bond between Lumine and Yomite stirred a pang of jealousy within her, but she understood that her friends'' happiness was as important as her own, and she resolved to support them wholeheartedly.

    Over time, Barbara grew to appreciate the unique rtionships that each of them shared with Yomite. She began to celebrate the love cultivated by Fischl, Hu Tao, and Lumine, recognizing that these connections enriched their collective journey. In this epiphany, she found sce and the inspiration to explore her own bond with Yomite.

    As Barbara gradually opened herself up to her friends, her emotions evolved into something more selfless and profound. Though jealousy continued to flicker within her, it was tempered by the understanding that the love they all shared could coexist in harmony, nurturing a sense of unity and growth.

    She realized that winning Yomite''s heart and affection required her own individual effort. The delicate art of captivating his attention and fostering a deeper connection could not be aplished through the influence of others. Instead, it was through the genuine expression of her unique qualities and the shared experiences they would create together.

    But, did she possess those qualities? Was her unwavering kindness and gentle demeanor enough to leave asting impression on Yomite? Would he grow fond of her for her virtues or her beauty alone? Could she offer something more than the other girls vying for his affections? As these questions swirled through her mind, Barbara felt a mix of uncertainty and hope at the prospect that perhaps, her time with Yomite would yield something truly special.

    Lumine took a deep breath and addressed the group, her voice steady and confident. "Thank you all for giving us a moment. I just want you to know that, no matter what happens, I''m grateful to have each and every one of you by my side��"

    "��Well, well, well, look who''s finally finished thest floor," Lisa spoke as she arrived, interrupting Lumine, a knowing smirk ying on her lips. "I must say, I''m impressed with your performance. Congrattions, all of you. Oh, did I perhaps interrupt something?"

    Lumine shook her head, "No, it''s alright. You didn''t. Wee."

    "If that''s the case, then I''m d. I''ve been observing all of you. There are a lot of things I''ll say, but don''t take my criticism too harshly, just keep it in your mind."

    With amused eyes, Lisa addressed each member individually, her words both gentle and firm, urging them toward growth and improvement.

    "My dear Fischl, your raven Oz is indeed powerful, but your stamina to draw your arrows requires attention. Yougged behind in many battles. Don''t rely solely on Oz��diversify your moves or you''ll regret itter."

    Fischl''s lips pursed in contemtion before she nodded, epting the wisdom in Lisa''s words. "Hmph...I shall acknowledge your teachings."

    Turning to Lumine, Lisa''s gaze lingered as she spoke. "Your swordy is sufficient, Cutie, yet further training would serve you well. I''ve observed a hidden potential within you, untapped and waiting. Allow me to help you unleash it with my teachings." Lumine''s eyes widened in surprise, but she swiftly nodded in agreement, her expression resolute to gain more power.

    Next, Barbara fidgeted nervously as Lisa''s attention turned to her.

    "Barbara, my dear, I must be frank��your potential seems rather limited. Jean''s artifact has been doing most of the work for both you and your team. It''s crucial that you enhance your healing abilities or discover your own strength. At Jean''s request, I shall endeavor to assist you, but ultimately, the oue depends on your dedication."

    "..."

    Barbara''s eyes fell to the ground, a mixture of disappointment and anger at herself flickering across her features as she silently vowed to heed Lisa''s advice to be more useful to Yomite.

    Lisa''s sigh preceded her words to Iris. "Dvalin...or rather...Iris, you possess immense power within you, but your indolence restrains you. To truly reach your full potential, you must apply yourself with diligence. I know it''s weirding from me, but stop beingzy."

    Iris offered a fleeting nce before shrugging and dismissing Lisa''s counsel. Lisa exhaled, knowing that Iris heeded only Yomite Hissha''s words and no one else''

    Finally, Lisa regarded Yomite, her tone earnest. "As for you, Handsome, I know you''re aware of your weaknesses. It''s important that you confront them and strive for improvement. Remember, the journey to growth and betterment is never-ending."

    Yomite nodded, understanding that gaining strength required unwavering effort.

    As Lisa''s words tapered off, the group fell into solemn silence. Though her counsel was stern, the truth it conveyed resonated within each of them. They recognized the need to embrace her guidance to be more capable.

    With renewed determination, most of the membersmitted to the pursuit of growth and self-improvement, their hearts aze with the desire to unlock the full extent of their potential.

    Lisa, however, wasn''t done just yet. She turned to Rosaria, who had been standing off to the side, her arms crossed under her breasts, and her expression inscrutable.

    "Rosaria, your abilities as a fighter are unquestionable, but your stubbornness is a hindrance. You''re too unwilling to concede the kill and work together with yourpanions. If you wish to truly excel, you must learn to work alongside others."

    Rosaria''s eyes narrowed as she listened to Lisa''s critique, her pride clearly bruised by the candid evaluation. She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she responded, "I don''t need your advice, witch. I am always alone and I fight alone. I''ll fight how I see fit."

    Rosaria''s cold demeanor concealed the sting of Lisa''s words as she turned on her heel and strode away from the group. Despite her icy reply, she couldn''t help but mull over Lisa''s criticism.

    Exhausted from their long day, the group agreed to seek rest in Yomite''s teapot dimension.

    After taking turns showering, the group settled in for a well-deserved night''s rest.

 Chapter 341: Nasty Little Creep!

    ***

    After taking turns showering, the group settled in for a well-deserved night''s rest.

    However, sleep eluded Yomite, his mind consumed by the day''s battles. Seeking sce in the night air, he left his room and ventured outside for a quiet stroll.

    It was then that he spotted Rosaria, perched upon a rooftop, lost in slumber. Intrigued, he deftly scaled the roof to join her.

    "..."

    Bathed in moonlight, Rosaria''s distinctive beauty captivated him, her gray skin shimmering like silver.

    Though she despised herplexion, Yomite found it enchanting.

    Ovee by curiosity, he delicately grazed her arm with his fingertips, marveling at its texture and wondering if her entire body shared this unique trait.

    As Yomite''s fingertips made contact with Rosaria''s skin on her arm, he was struck by its distinctive coolness. Her skin, though delicate, felt cold, it was a smooth surface of her skin that seemed to defy the warmth of human touch.

    At his touch, Rosaria''s violet eyes snapped open, aze with shock and fury. "You''ve finally shown your true colors, you animal! I knew it! Leaving Barbara with you is a mistake!" she hissed, misconstruing Yomite''s intentions. A spear materialized in her hand, its deadly point aimed at his most vulnerable region. At his crotch.

    "Castration isn''t enough!"

    Yomite raised his hands defensively, his heart pounding in his chest. "Oi, oi, oi! Staaaaph! I didn''t have any intentions like that! I''m all for consent between both parties! Leave my little brother alone!"

    Rosaria''s grip on her spear tightened, but her eyes wavered with doubt. "Exin yourself," she demanded, her voice as frigid as the night air.

    Yomite inhaled deeply, choosing his words with care. "I couldn''t sleep and saw you here. I...didn''t mean to startle you...Why not sleep inside, where it''s morefortable? Even Barbara is there, you know? You''ll just catch cold."

    "I prefer it here," Rosaria replied, her tone defensive. "It''s quieter, and I can stand guard. Using Barbara as a bargaining chip won''t always work."

    Yomite nodded, understanding her desire for solitude. He knew that Rosaria''s presence in the teapot was due in part to her concern for Barbara.

    He had offered her a token to his teapot, unwilling to leave her alone outside in the abyss again while they rested in his abode. He felt bad forst time, so he wanted to make it up to her.

    Rosaria initially declined, but when Yomite yfully threatened to attack Barbara during the night, she reluctantly agreed to enter, her sour expression betraying her wariness. "I''ll be watching your every move," she warned.

    "Alright, if you prefer it here, stay. But know that you''re safe here; I doubt anyone would attack us in this ce."

    "Quite possibly no one except you," she retorted, still suspicious. "I bet this is where you lure all the girls that fell for your charms. If it''s not what I think it is, then why did you touch me? What did you want?"

    "I didn''t want anything," Yomite admitted, his voice sincere. "I just thought you looked... beautiful. I didn''t mean to disturb you. Somehow my body moved on its own and I just touched you...you could attribute that to my perversion, I guess."

    "Is this about my skin again...? You pervert."

    "I admit, I''m a pervert. I like what I like. Will you tear off your skin just because a handsome pervert likes it?"

    Yomite found himself captivated by the diverse colors of skin. Blue and green hues added an air of mystery that he couldn''t resist. Now, confronted with Rosaria''s silver skin, akin to that of a vampire, his fascination reached new heights. There was an otherworldly beauty about her, one that was both ethereal and haunting. In the presence of such a rare and alluring sight, he couldn''t help but feel drawn to her.

    "...My skin again...why are you..."

    To Yomite''s surprise, the corners of Rosaria''s lips curved into a subtle smile. "You really are...a strange one, Yomite. An attention-seeking fly, always buzzing and waiting to be swatted."

    "Welp, unfortunately, that''s me. Being the center of attention means I not only wee troublemakers like you but try to resolve their problems. Oh, and you finally called me by my name. How nice of you."

    Rosaria lowered her spear and sighed, "Great, Trisha, now, if you''re done being a pervert and a weirdo, I suggest you go and find your own spot to rest. Preferably far, far away from me. I won''t let you off the hook next time you touch me in my sleep, you creep."

    Yomite smiled gently, relieved that the tension had eased. "I guess I''ll be more careful around the sexy assassin nun, thanks for the heads up. I''ll leave you here for the time being, but if you feel cold or something, thene inside. Good night."

    "Hmph."

    Yomite descended from the rooftop, leaving Rosaria to her thoughts as she settled back into her makeshift perch, her heart perhaps a little lighter than before. As she resumed her watch, her eyes were drawn to Yomite''s retreating figure. A flurry of emotions cascaded through her, ones she had never thought she would feel.

    The usual calmness of hers that once shrouded her had been reced with anger and something she couldn''t quite identify, something that lingered at the edge of her consciousness whenever she talked to him.

    The night air grew colder, but her heart felt warmer, inexplicably so. She couldn''t deny that Yomite had affected her in a way no one had before.

    His honesty about what he liked about her, his peculiar sense of humor, and his unwavering willingness to approach her despite her nasty exterior��all of it had slowly begun to erode the walls she had built around herself.

    Could it be that she was beginning to harbor feelings for this strange and unpredictable man? The idea seemed absurd.

    She was a disciplined warrior, a woman of focus and resolve. Crushes were for little girls who needed protection from their prince in shining armor and dreamers like Barbara, not for someone like her.

    Rosaria scolded herself for entertaining such thoughts. She was an assassin, a servant of darkness. She had no time for sentimentality or foolish crushes. The mission always came first; there was no room for distractions.

    But as the night wore on, she found herself contemting Yomite''s words and actions. His voice echoed in her mind, his smile lingering like a ghost.

 Chapter 342: A Worm

    In the depths of her soul, she felt it.

    It was a weakness, a vulnerability that she could not afford to expose. Rosaria was a warrior, after all, and warriors had no ce for love on the battlefield.

    Despite her best efforts, Rosaria found herself unable to sleep that night.

    Her thoughts circled around Yomite, refusing to quiet down. She stared at the made-up stars, contemting the man who had somehow managed to pierce the armor around her heart.

    As the hours passed, her fatigue grew, but sleep remained elusive.

    When the sun began to rise, painting the sky with shades of pink and orange, Rosaria finally decided to give up on sleep altogether. She climbed down from the rooftop, her limbs heavy and her eyes rimmed with dark circles, even darker than usual.

    She had spent the entire night wrestling with her newfound emotions, and it had taken a toll on her appearance.

    As she walked through the teapot dimension, she came across Yomite, who was already awake and seemingly unaffected by their conversation the night before. He grinned at her, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Ah, Sister Rosaria. You look more deadly than ever this morning." he eximed, clearly amused by her disheveled state."

    Rosaria''s gaze narrowed, her exhaustion making her even more irritable than usual. "Shut up, or I''ll cut off your tongue and feed it to the teapot gremlin," she snapped, her voice sharp as a de. "And don''t call me Sister Rosaria, you creep,"

    Yomite chuckled, unfazed by her hostility. "My, my, someone''s touchy today. That''s my adorable servant Finch, her name is Tubby. We have no gremlins around here. Welp, I''m sorry if I''m the reason you couldn''t sleepst night, but you have to admit, it''s kind of funny. You look like you''re ready to murder someone at any moment." he remarked, stretching out his arms and arching his back after a good night''s sleep.

    Unbeknownst to him, he was indeed the cause of her sleeplessness, though not in the way he presumed. In truth, Rosaria''s heart had been waging a silent war with her mind, emotions churning like a stormy sea.

    She cursed him silently, trying to maintain her icyposure. "Just because I didn''t sleep well doesn''t mean I''m in a murderous mood," she grumbled, "Don''t tter yourself. You''re not the reason."

    Yomite''s grin only widened at her response. "I''m not ttering myself, I''m just concerned about my fellow teapot dweller. But if you insist, I''ll leave you alone."

    Rosaria rolled her eyes, "Fine. Just...stay out of my way, and don''t bother me with your nonsense."

    Yomite raised his hands in surrender, "Can''t even joke around with you, shame, shame."

    With that, he walked away, leaving Rosaria to wrestle with her conflicting emotions.

    She couldn''t deny that Yomite had managed to find his way into her thoughts, and perhaps, even into her heart, like an inscent. A worm, more specifically.

    He had managed to weave his way through the tangled roots of her emotions, leaving behind a trail of confusion and vulnerability.

    Much like a worm persistently burrowing through the earth, Yomite had mirrored this determination in his pursuit of her heart, although unintentionally and without any genuine intent.

    Rosaria knew she couldn''t ignore the worm-like feelings Yomite had inspired within her. She had to confront them, to understand their origin and determine whether they were beneficial or destructive.

    She would have to tread carefully, lest she allowed Yomite''s worm-like persistence to consume her from the inside out. It was time for Rosaria to face the truth of her emotions, to acknowledge the worm''s presence, and decide whether to nurture it, or to extinguish it before it could do any more damage to her way of thinking.

    Later that day, as Rosaria stood alone, deep in thought, Lisa approached her. With a serious expression, she spoke, "Rosaria, we''re about tomence intense training with our party. We''ll be venturing deeper into the spiral abyss, and once we embark, there''s no turning back for quite some time."

    Rosaria looked at Lisa, her violet eyes unreadable. "And what does that have to do with me?"

    "Well, you have two options," Lisa continued. "You can either join our party, train with us, and confront whatever challenges await, or you''ll have to leave the abyss now and return to Mondstadt."

    "..."

    Rosaria weighed her choices.

    On one hand, departing the abyss meant distancing herself from Barbara, whom she sought to protect, and Yomite, with the perplexing emotions she had been contending with.

    On the other hand, joining their party would give her the opportunity to perhaps grow stronger through the teachings of that insufferable witch, and maybe she would finally be able to defeat Yomite in a fight.

    After a moment of hesitation, Rosaria made her decision. "I''ll join you," she said quietly. "But don''t expect me to be buddy-buddy with the rest of you weirdos. Tough luck if that''s what you want me to do."

    Lisa smiled gently. "That''s fine, Rosaria dear. You don''t have to change who you are."

    "Dont call me ''dear'', you evil witch," Rosaria snapped, her face flushing with annoyance.

    Lisa merely chuckled, unfazed by the harsh response. "That I am. Very well, I won''t call you ''dear,'' but I hope you''ll at least allow me to teach you what I know," she replied, her voice warm and inviting.

    Rosaria nodded, still wary but resigned to the fact that she had made her decision. "Fine. But only because I need to get stronger to wipe the floor with him."

    The rest of the party gathered around, eager to wee their newest member.

    As Rosaria consented to join the party, Barbara emerged from around the corner, her eyes shimmering with anticipation. Unable to contain her tion, she rushed towards Rosaria, enveloping her in a heartfelt embrace.

    "Sister Rosaria! I''m so d you decided to join us! We''ll be spending more time together!" she eximed, her voice filled with genuine happiness.

    Caught off guard by the sudden hug, Rosaria stiffened, unsure how to react. As much as she wanted to push Barbara away, a part of her couldn''t deny the warmth andfort she felt from the embrace.

    "I... I''m not doing this for you," Rosaria mumbled, barely audible. "I simply thought it would be...a valuable chance to grow stronger and beat that man."

    "Beat that man? Who are you talking about?"

    "No...no one..."

    Barbara pulled away from the hug, her smile unwavering. "Regardless of the reason, I''m grateful you''re with us, Sister Rosaria. I know we''ll face many challenges, but I have faith in you. You are more than amazing in my eyes!"

    Rosaria averted her eyes, trying to hide the emotions that threatened to surface. "Just...don''t expect me to engage in your stupid team-building activities," she warned, her tone returning to its usual icy detachment.

    "No promises, Sister Rosaria!"

    ***

 Chapter 343: The First Trial Beginns

    As the party departed from the teapot and ventured down the serpentine path thaty beyond the twelfth floor, Barbara stayed close to Rosaria, her eagerness almost stifling. Despite her irritation with Barbara''s clinginess, Rosaria couldn''t deny the tiny spark of warmth that ignited within her.

    Barbara chatted ceaselessly as they walked, describing each party member and their unique strengths. Rosaria tried to drown her out, concentrating instead on the surrounding sounds to ensure no enemies were nearby, but Barbara''s relentless prattle made it difficult.

    Thendscape gradually transformed as they continued down the path, bing darker and more foreboding, with a palpable sense of danger looming overhead.

    Eventually, they reached a vast tform, at the heart of which stood an immense stone structure featuring thirteen distinct doors. Each door was ornately decorated with vibrant colors, borate patterns, and enigmatic inscriptions that hinted at hidden meanings

    The party members gathered around the doors, studying them closely in an attempt to decipher the cryptic messages.

    Lisa, who had visited this ce before, suddenly dered, "I''ve been here, and it''s perfect for your training. These doors lead to different challenges designed to test our abilities and push our limits. Handsome," she said, addressing him, "I believe you have the potential to pass these challenges. It won''t be easy, but if you seed, you''ll be stronger than you ever thought possible. In this regard, you will focus on the challenges within the doors, while I''ll train your team with any method I can."

    "Sounds good. Alright, girls, I''ll be right back."

    Yomite took a deep breath and approached the first door, only for Lisa to stop him.

    "Wait," she said, gently grasping his hand. With her free hand, she removed the restraining bracelet she had fastened on him earlier.

    Yomite''s eyes widened in surprise as the oppressive pressure he had felt vanished. "Why did you remove it? I thought you said I would have it for the rest of my stay here, right?" he asked, his voice tinged with bewilderment.

    Lisa smiled tenderly, her eyes softening. "You won''t be able toplete these trials with the bracelet, Handsome. It restricts your abilities considerably, and you''ll need every ounce of your strength to confront these challenges. I don''t want you to die, after all. You''re my precious student. I care about you."

    Yomite gazed at his now unshackled wrist, ovee with relief. He took another deep breath and nodded, epting Lisa''s counsel. "Thanks, Teach. Any tips for me?"

    Lisa nodded and began outlining the first trial. "In this challenge, you will face a session of five battles. Each encounter will pit you against enemies recreated from the collective memories of Teyvat. They can be any type of adversary you''ve faced before, or even foes you''ve only heard of. The final battle will feature a more powerful and fearsome opponent��a so-called boss."

    She paused for a moment, allowing Yomite to process the information. "There''s nothing particrly extraordinary about these enemies. Sess hinges on your ability to adapt to their diverse strengths and weaknesses. Focus on utilizing your own abilities effectively and strategize to exploit their vulnerabilities. As long as you can defeat them, you will pass this trial."

    With a dismissive wave of his hand, Yomite dered, "This doesn''t seem too hard."

    Lisa''s eyes narrowed, her stern gaze cautioning him against underestimating the trials. "Don''t let appearances deceive you, Handsome. This is merely the first of many trials, each escting in difficulty. The further you venture, the more arduous the journey."

    She hesitated, then confessed, "To bepletely honest, I''ve only ever reached the third trial. Despite my best efforts, I couldn''t ovee it. I remain in the dark about what challenges lie beyond that point."

    Yomite''s expression shifted from disbelief to concern, and he fell silent, processing the gravity of the situation. The realization that even Lisa �C arguably the most powerful person he knew, apart from deities like Zhongli �C couldn''t surpass the third trial filled him with apprehension. ''Thirteen challenges, and she couldn''t evenplete the third? How can I possibly pass them all by myself?''

    Recognizing Yomite''s growing unease, Lisa offered reassurance. "Don''t let my experience discourage you. Your potential is immense, and I have faith that you can triumph where I faltered. Remain focused, adapt, and trust in your strengths. I will support you as much as possible, and even if you fail a challenge, you''ll simply be forced to leave and can try againter."

    Yomite nodded slowly, absorbing Lisa''s wisdom. "I understand. If I''m ever confused, I won''t hesitate to seek you out, Teach."

    "Be careful Yum-Yum!"

    "If you dare die I shall perish with you."

    "Assistant isn''t the type of person to die like that, you know!"

    "Paimon thinks this is too dangerous...but if Good Tattoo wants to go..."

    "My heart is with you."

    "Master, goodbye."

    "Yeah, yeah...you girls sure are making it out to be as if I was about to die...so dramatic for no reason..."

    He bid the girls farewell and approached the first door.

    As Yomite stood before the imposing entrance, he studied it closely. The massive door, crafted from ancient, weathered wood, bore a deep, rich hue. An array of weapons adorned its surface, each meticulously embedded to create a captivating pattern. Swords, spears, bows, and even more exotic armaments that Yomite had never seen before filled the design. He attempted to pry the weapons from the door or damage it, but the ancient structure remained unblemished, as if mocking his efforts.

    IIn the heart of the door, the word "Pugna" was masterfully etched into the timber, its potent and elegant script evoking an aura of majesty. The characters shimmered with a gentle, radiant light, as if infused with the very essence of ancient power. Although inscribed in a tongue unknown to Yomite, he could for some reason understand its meaning: "Battle."

    Drawing a deep breath, he ventured forth into the inaugural challenge.

    ***

 Chapter 344: The Healing Training

    Crossing the threshold, Yomite found himself within an immense coliseum, its floor nketed in sand and encircled by soaring stone battlements. Grasping his ymore, he fortified his resolve for the trial that awaited.

    "So this is it. The arena sure is pretty."

    As the initial onught of adversaries emerged, Yomite confronted a horde of Hilichurls brandishing primitive wooden clubs and slingshots. Their eyes aze with ferocious loathing, theyunched themselves at Yomite with reckless abandon for injury or life. Swiftly evaluating the predicament, he recognized the slingshot-wielding Hilichurls as the most pressing and vexatious threat.

    With his ymore firmly in hand, Yomite surged forward. He brandished the colossal weapon with unparalleled precision, cleaving the air and hurtling the first Hilichurl across the arena. Whirling, he instantly engaged the next foe, his de carving its target asunder.

    Now that he wasn''t being restrained by the bracelet device, he felt so much more alive and capable.

    Yomite''s onught persisted, masterfully deflecting a club from another Hilichurl, the wooden weapon shattering like kindling under the might of his ymore. He retorted with a lightning-fast upward sweep, bisecting the foe as it crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

    He flowed seamlessly from one opponent to the next, his ymore carving a symphony of destruction in its wake. The slingshot-wielding Hilichurls endeavored to maintain their distance, bombarding him with a hail of projectiles. Yet Yomite, with preternatural foresight, nimbly evaded their assault.

    His movements a mere blur, the ymore''s weight appeared inconsequential in Yomite''s hands. Each formidable swing imed another life, their broken forms strewn upon the sands. He descended upon the remaining Hilichurls, dispatching them with merciless precision.

    One of the final Hilichurls endeavored to catch Yomite off guard with a formidable overhead strike. Anticipating the blow, he sidestepped in the nick of time, retaliating with a cataclysmic upward sh that catapulted the creature skyward before it plummeted to earth.

    As the ultimate Hilichurl stood before him, Yomite discerned the dread in its eyes. It wavered momentarily, deliberating between flight and fight. It chose thetter, lunging at Yomite with a desperate swing of its club. Yomite effortlessly parried, twirling his ymore and delivering a pulverizing strike to the creature''s cranium.

    With the final adversary vanquished, Yomite stood amid the carnage, his ymore slick with the blood of the fallen. He paused to recover his breath. Though his foes had proven manageable thus far, the shifting sands beneath him began to exact a toll. The treacherous terrain tested his bnce and footing, demanding extra exertion simply to remain upright. As the sands whispered their warning, Yomite understood the need to adapt hisbat technique to prevail on this unstable battleground.

    As the next wave of enemies materialized, Yomite found himself facing a group of agile and fierce Abyss Mages, each wielding elemental powers.

    He knew that to defeat them, he would need to exploit their elemental weaknesses and avoid their powerful attacks. Luckily for him, his cube ability was a perfect counter to their annoying magical shield and immediately pierced through it.

    The abyss mages who wereughing andy in the air as if mocking him suddently realized, with a growing sense of dread, that their enemy possessed a unique and devastating ability that could prate their elemental shields with ease. They could no longer rely on their protective barriers to save them from Yomite''s relentless assault.

    ***

    **

    *

    Everyone''s eyes widened in astonishment as they scanned the various rooms that had materialized before the party. Each one had a uniqueyout, with obstacles and challenges designed to test their strength, agility, and mental acuity.

    Lisa, noticing their confusion, stepped forward with a reassuring smile. "These rooms," she began, gesturing to the array of training facilities, "are here to help you grow. They only appear once someone has begun their journey through the trials, so it''s no surprise you haven''t seen them before."

    The party members exchanged nces, emotions ying across their eyes. They knew their original goal. Yomite brought them here to train. They were all aware that Yomite would soon gain arge amount of power with Lisa''s help, and they couldn''t afford to fall behind if they wanted to stand beside him.

    Lisa''s gaze swept across the party members, taking in their varying expressions. She could see their excitement, and perhaps even a hint of fear. "Alright, everyone," she said, her voice firm yet encouraging. "Choose a room that appeals to you and begin your training. Remember, the goal here is to grow and improve, so push yourselves."

    The party members nodded, understanding the importance of making the most of this opportunity. They began to disperse, each selecting a room that suited their individual skills and interests.

    Turning to Barbara, Lisa gently ced a hand on her shoulder. "Barbara," she said softly, "I''d like you toe with me. You are the only one here who can heal others, but out of everyone here, you are the weakest link by a significant margin. It''s crucial that we work together to enhance your abilities, so you can support the team effectively."

    Barbara swallowed hard, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She knew Lisa was right, but it was difficult to hear it said so bluntly. Determined to prove her worth, she followed Lisa into a room specifically designed for honing healing skills.

    Inside, the room was filled with various nts, crystals, and other materials used in healing rituals. The walls were adorned with symbols and diagrams detailing different techniques and applications of healing magic. Barbara had no idea what those diagrams meant, but she knew they were profound.

    "Now, listen to everything I say. As long as you listen, you will improve."

    Barbara nodded vigorously, eager to prove herself and support her team.

    ***

    No excuses, tired, busy, depressed, star rail, league of legends.

 Chapter 345: Radical Measures

    Lisa started the training, exining various techniques, guiding Barbara through the process of channeling her healing magic more efficiently, and demonstrating the proper usage of the different materials in the room.

    As the hours passed, however, Barbara struggled to grasp the concepts and put them into practice. Her healing spells stillcked potency, and her hands shook with uncertainty as she attempted to follow the intricate diagrams on the walls.

    Lisa''s patience began to wear thin. After five hours, she realized that Barbara''s progress was minimal, if any.

    "Barbara, you''re no good."

    With a dangerous glint in her eyes, Lisa decided to resort to drastic measures. "I understand that this is challenging for you, but we need to see results. I''m going to push you beyond yourfort zone. This might be painful, but it''s necessary," Lisa warned, and reached for Barbara''s hand.

    "L-Lisa...?"

    Barbara''s eyes widened in fear as she saw a knife in Lisa''s hand. She wanted to protest, but the words caught in her throat.

    "Trust me, Barbara. This is for your own good," Lisa said firmly, gripping Barbara''s arm tightly. With a swift motion, she made a small cut on Barbara''s forearm. Barbara winced in pain, tears filling her eyes.

    "Your task is to heal this wound, and once you heal it sessfully, I will cut your arm again. We will be doing this until you''re as good of a healer as your father, Seamus Pegg... until you''re able to regrow an entire arm," Lisa spoke coldly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You have to push past your fear and your doubts, and focus on the magic within you."

    Barbara looked at the wound, her heart pounding. She knew that she needed to improve, but the idea of being pushed to her limits like this terrified her.

    Her tears began to flow, and she stammered, "D-don''t...do this to me...please...Lisa..."

    Lisa''s expression remained cold and unyielding, despite Barbara''s pleas and tears. She knew this method was harsh, but she also knew that time was of the essence, and they could not afford to waste any more of it.

    "I understand you''re scared, Barbara, but imagine what would happen if Handsome, or anyone else you care about on the team were seriously injured, and you were unable to help them. How would you feel then? You need to find the strength within yourself to push through this fear and be the healer your team needs. If someone important to you died, you would me yourself for the rest of your life."

    Barbara''s tears continued to flow, but she understood Lisa''s point. The thought of being unable to help her friends when they needed her the most was terrible. The thought of losing Yomite was especially unbearable.

    "O-okay...I''ll...I''ll do my best."

    Barbara sobbed heavily, her body trembling as she looked at the wound on her arm. She was terrified, but she knew deep down that Lisa was right. If she didn''t be a better healer, she would be a burden to her friends, and she couldn''t bear that thought.

    Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady her shaking hands and focus on the healing magic within her. She whispered an incantation, and a soft, blue glow enveloped her hands. As she ced them over the wound, she could feel the warmth of the healing energy flowing into her arm.

    The wound slowly began to close, but it was not as quick or as seamless as it should have been. Barbara winced as the healing process seemed to drag on, and she could see the disappointment in Lisa''s eyes.

    "Not good enough," Lisa said sternly, grabbing the knife once again. "You need to do better, Barbara."

    Tears streaming down her cheeks, Barbara nodded, steeling herself for another cut.

    "...!!"

    As Lisa sliced her arm again, Barbara gritted her teeth, trying to focus on the pain as motivation. She could not let her friends down, and she would not let herself be weak any longer.

    Over and over again, Lisa cut Barbara''s arm, forcing her to heal each new wound. The pain was intense, but with each attempt, Barbara''s healing spells grew stronger and more efficient. Her hands became steadier, and the blue glow of her magic seemed brighter and more vibrant.

    As the hours passed, the training continued. Lisa remained silent, her expression unreadable. Barbara was exhausted, no longer even registering what was happening in front of her eyes. She lost so much blood she felt anemic and wanted to vomit on the spot.

    "Haah...This won''t do."

    "...?"

    Without any warning, Lisa suddenly grabbed the knife and drove it into her own arm.

    "��!!?"

    Barbara looked at her in disbelief.

    "...Ms. Lisa! Wha...What are you doing! Why did you stab yourself!?"

    "You aren''t paying attention." Lisa''s voice was harsh and unyielding. "Heal it, Barbara. Now."

    Having realized Barbara was afraid of getting hurt and on the verge of copsing, Lisa took things into her own hands.

    Barbara struggled to focus on the wound on Lisa''s hand. Blood seeped out of the wound, dark and thick, dripping onto the ground below her. The metallic scent of it filled the air, intensifying the nausea that threatened to overwhelm her.

    Gritting her teeth, Barbara tried to focus on the task at hand to heal it as fast as possible to stop the bleeding.

    As the blue glow of her magic enveloped her hand, she could feel the powerful surge of energy flowing through her veins.

    Bit by bit, the wound started to close, the edges of the torn flesh drawing together as if guided by an invisible force. As the healing process continued, the blood flow slowed to a trickle and then stopped altogether.

    "Well done. Now, do it again."

    "Ms. Lisa...? Please don''t stab yourself again..."

    "I will do so again and again, until you are capable of healing a small injury like this. Pain is only in your head. If you numb nociceptors in your brain with magic, or paralyze them altogether just like this, there won''t be any pain, just bleeding."

    Lisa stated, holding up her healed arm. Her eyes were clear. She was ready to push Barbara to her limits, even if it meant inflicting damage on herself in the process.

    Barbara stared at Lisa in disbelief, but she understood the point that the she was trying to make. Pain was a mental construct, something that they could ovee with enough focus and determination. If they could numb their senses to it, they would be able to continue fighting enemies even when wounded.

    "Ms. Lisa..." Barbara began, a tremor in her voice. "Thank you...I...I understand. Let''s continue."

    With that, the two women plunged back into their hellish training. As the hours stretched on, Barbara''s healing magic improved significantly, able to seal wounds with greater speed and less strain on her magic reserves.

    "Focus, Barbara. Visualize the wound healing. See the skin closing, the blood stopping, the pain disappearing. That''s your goal,"

    "Yes!"

    Lisa watched Barbara''s progress with a sense of grim satisfaction. This method was harsh, but it was effective. If Barbara was to survive in the world, she needed to be able to heal under pressure, and this training was preparing her for that reality.

    Lisa watched, satisfied with Barbara''s progress, but she did not let up. "You''re improving, but you''re not there yet," she stated, preparing to stab her own arm again.

    The pattern continued, stab, heal, stab, heal, and slowly, Barbara became more efficient, her healing magic more potent. Her hands, previously shaky with fear, now moved with much more confidence, albeit still a bit restrained. The look in her eyes had changed too, from uncertainty to something akin to a resolve.

    "Good job, Barbara," Lisa finally said after many hours, her tone a mix of praise and sternness. "We''ll continue this tomorrow. For now, rest. You''ve earned it."

    As Barbara copsed into an exhausted sleep, Lisa looked at the young woman with aplicated expression. She hoped that the price of this training wouldn''t be too high, that Barbara wouldn''te to resent her for the harsh methods she had used.

    "Jean loves you, yet you don''t realize it at all."

    ***

 Chapter 346: Geovishaps

    Panic coursed through the ranks of the Abyss Mages, as they desperately sought to counter Yomite''s devastating power. Despite their attempts to keep their distance by hurling long-range spells and elemental projectiles, Yomite''s nimble footing upon the sandy terrain rendered their efforts futile.

    Closing the distance, his cube ability pulsed with raw power, tearing through the first Abyss Mage''s shield and reducing it to a fine mist of elemental particles. The remaining Mages watched in abject horror as theirrade vanished in an instant.

    Emboldened by his triumph, Yomite carved a path through the remaining Abyss Mages, his cube ability shattering their defenses and consigning them to oblivion. The once-arrogant Mages now quaked with terror, realizing the futility of their resistance. In their desperation, they sought to flee, but Yomite''s relentless pursuit ensured that none would escape his wrath.

    As the final Abyss Mage sumbed to its fate, Yomite surveyed the battlefield, victorious yet weary from the repeated deployment of his cube ability.

    With no respite, the third wave of adversaries materialized before him �C a battalion of colossal Ruin Guards, ancient mechanical titans armed to the teeth with an arsenal of devastating rockets and weapons, which seemed weird in the magical realm of Teyvat.

    Yomite darted around the battlefield, evading the Ruin Guards'' missile barrages and spinning de attacks.

    He focused on identifying the weak spots on their metallic armor, looking for any opportunity to strike a decisive blow. He also had to be careful with his cube usage, as his energy reserves were dwindling from the previous battle, and he knew there were two more waves after this one, so spamming the cube wasn''t the greatest of options.

    The moment came when a Ruin Guard''s missileuncher malfunctioned, revealing a weakness in its armor. Yomite seized the opportunity, vaulting into the air and striking a devastating blow with his ymore to the Guard''s exposed eye. The colossal machine shuddered, its frame buckling under the sheer force of Yomite''s attack.

    The remaining Ruin Guards lumbered towards Yomite, their metallic forms towering over him menacingly. He gripped his ymore tightly, taking a deep breath and focusing his mind on the task at hand. He knew he had to take advantage of the agility his human form granted him against these colossal machines.

    He charged at the first Ruin Guard he saw, leaping into the air and swinging his ymore with immense force, aiming for the joints of the robot''s limbs. The de bit deep into the metal, causing the Ruin Guard to falter and slow down. Yomite quickly followed up with a series of rapid punches to the same weak point, further damaging the mechanical behemoth.

    The other Ruin Guards closed in, trying to surround Yomite and limit his mobility. He deftly maneuvered around the battlefield, evading their spinning des and missile attacks, destroying them in one fell swoop.

    He then targeted thest Ruin Guard, using the momentum of his evasive movements to deliver a powerful kick to the robot''s knee joint.

    The Ruin Guard buckled under the force of the blow, its leg crippled and unable to support its weight. Yomite then swung his ymore in a wide arc, severing the Ruin Guard''s arm and disabling its primary weapon.

    Thest Ruin Guard trembled and sparked, its internal mechanisms grinding to a halt. With a final shudder, the colossal robot copsed to the ground.

    In the hallowed arena, Yomite''s breath caught in his chest, a fleeting moment of respite after single-handedly dismantling twelve Ruin Guards. Yet, before the echoes of shing metal faded, the fourth wave surged forth.

    "Great...what the hell are these? Pokemon on steroids?"

    Facing Yomite stood a formidable pair of Geovishaps, their massive, armored bodies shimmering in the arena''s dim light. Though he''d never encountered these monstrosities before, he recalled Hu Tao''s tales of the fearsome creatures that haunted thend of Liyue. The Geovishaps'' rock-hard exteriors rendered them near impervious to damage, while their elemental breath attacks��one Pyro, one Cryo��added a deadly edge to the fray.

    As the Pyro Geovishap unleashed a torrent of mes, the heat swelled and roared, threatening to engulf Yomite. In the nick of time, he narrowly avoided immtion, rolling away and positioning himself closer to the Cryo Geovishap.

    Seizing the moment, Yomite darted in and cleaved at the Cryo Geovishap''s legs, his ymore rending through the rock-like exterior to reveal vulnerable flesh. The beast roared in pain and fury, its movements hindered as it unleashed a chilling st of freezing air in retaliation.

    Yomite leaped backwards, avoiding the frigid attack and using the momentary reprieve to n his next move. He knew that he couldn''t afford to focus solely on one Geovishap, as the other would undoubtedly seize the chance to strike him down. As the two lumbering beasts closed in, Yomite devised a strategy to use their own strengths against them.

    Dodging and weaving between the Geovishaps, Yomite skillfully baited their elemental breath attacks, causing the creatures to inadvertently strike one another. AAs fire met ice, the ensuing explosion of steam and energy sent both titans reeling, creating an opening for Yomite to exploit.

    With adrenaline surging, Yomite charged in, his ymore slicing through the air as hended a series of powerful blows on each Geovishap. They roared in agony, their once-imprable armor cracking and shattering under Yomite''s relentless assault.

    Yet, despite their grievous injuries, the Geovishaps fought on, their movements growing increasingly erratic and desperate. Yomite was pushed to his limits, his body aching from the strain of battle. He had to end this quickly, before the Geovishaps couldnd a killing blow.

    As the sh raged on, Yomite''s agile maneuvers and well-timed strikes wore away at the indomitable creatures. However, they still harbored a fierce determination, bing more unpredictable in their desperation.

    ***

 Chapter 347: The Golden Wolflord

    As the sh raged on, Yomite''s agile maneuvers and well-timed strikes wore away at the indomitable creatures. However, they still harbored a fierce determination, bing more unpredictable in their desperation.

    In one particrly intense moment, Yomite''s luck took a turn for the worse. As he attempted to dodge the Cryo Geovishap''s freezing breath, his foot slipped on the ice that had formed on the ground. The freezing attack hit Yomite''s leg, encasing it in ayer of ice and causing him to cry out in pain.

    "Aargh!"

    The Pyro Geovishap seized the opportunity, unleashing a torrent of mes at the immobilized Yomite. Despite his best efforts to shield himself, the fire attack caught his left arm, leaving it badly burnt and scorched.

    The pain was immense, but Yomite knew that he couldn''t afford to falter now. He gritted his teeth, willing himself to push through the agony and continue fighting.

    As Yomite surveyed the damage inflicted on his arm by the Pyro Geovishap, he couldn''t help but wince at the severity of the burns.

    The once smooth and healthy skin was now marred by a patchwork of angry, blistered reds and purples, the result of the intense heat generated by the fearsome creature''s fiery assault.

    "Damn it!"

    With great effort, he managed to break free from the ice encasing his leg, his movement now slightly hampered by the lingering cold and stiffness.

    The burn stretched from his wrist up to his shoulder, the flesh appearing almost melted in ces, with the skin cracked and weeping a mixture of blood and clear fluid. The texture of the damaged skin was a stark contrast to the surrounding healthy tissue, appearing raw and rough to the touch, like the scorched surface of volcanic rock.

    The pain emanating from the burn was near constant, a relentless, searing agony that seemed to pulse in time with Yomite''s heartbeat. Even the most gentle of movements sent waves of pain radiating through his arm.

    "I need to...change location..."

    Summoning his remaining strength, Yomite lured the Geovishaps into a narrow gap between two colossal boulders. Driven by their primal desire to vanquish their foe, the beasts followed him into the confined space, their movements restrained by the tight quarters.

    Yomite unleashed a barrage of rapid attacks upon the trapped Geovishaps, his injured arm screaming in protest with each swing of his ymore. Yet, he refused to let the pain hinder him. As the beasts struggled to maneuver and counter Yomite''s onught, the damage they had sustained throughout the battle began to take its toll.

    With a final, desperate effort, Yomite channeled thest of his strength into a charged attack. He mmed his ymore into the ground, sending a shockwave of energy rippling through the earth. The Geovishaps, unable to withstand the force of the impact, crumbled to the ground, their once-imposing armored exteriors shattered and broken, blood pooling around their lifeless forms.

    Exhausted and battered, Yomite slumped against a boulder, his breath ragged as pain throbbed in his leg and arm. These injuries served as stark reminders of the price he had paid for victory, and that he was far from the strongest being in the world.

    "I can manage...two more cubes...and then I''m spent..." he reminded himself.

    Despite the severity of his wounds, Yomite knew he couldn''t rest for long. The fifth and final wave of the first trial still awaited him, and he had to muster the strength to face it. With a weary expression, he forced himself back onto his feet, his eyes fixed on the arena''s center where the formidable enemy known as the Golden Wolflord would soon emerge.

    In the wake of a chilling, electrifying air, the atmosphere seemed to shift, growing colder and more intense.

    A cataclysmic bellow heralded the emergence of an interdimensional gateway, from which the Golden Wolflord materialized, an awe-inspiring apparition bathed in celestial luminescence. It loomed over Yomite, its colossal lupine form swathed in glistening gold fur that danced and shimmered like living fire. Its eyes, aze with fierce intelligence, bore into Yomite''s soul with an amber hue that pierced the depths of his being.

    The sovereign presence of the creature was unequivocal, exuding an aura thatmanded both reverence and astonishment. Its razor-sharp contours and the borate designs woven into its fur radiated an alien allure, as though it had transcended the boundaries of myth.

    Though wearied and wounded, Yomite couldn''t suppress the wonder that stirred within him at the sight of the Golden Wolflord. The beast was an exquisite enigma, a formidable adversary, and an embodiment of nature''s grandeur.

    "I kinda want to pet it..."

    An inexplicable desire to stroke its fur tempted him, but he couldn''t allow the creature''s splendor to distract him from the ultimate trial that stood before him.

    The Golden Wolflord scrutinized Yomite with a fusion of curiosity and contempt, its unyielding gaze fixated upon him as it circled the arena. Suspended in midair, it surveyed its opponent with fluid grace, its potent sinews undting beneath its golden coat.

    Yomite''s pulse raced, his breaths shallow and erratic as he struggled to match the Golden Wolflord''s agility. He recognized his disadvantage, his injuries hindering his ability topete with the creature''s unparalleled dexterity.

    As the tension within the arena intensified, he knew he must act swiftly, lest his injuries further debilitate him. He resolved to seize the moment,unching an ambush to catch the regal creature off guard.

    Propelled by a surge of velocity, Yomite barreled toward the Golden Wolflord, his ymore brandished high. The creature, seemingly unperturbed by the sudden onught, elegantly sidestepped Yomite''s strike, its nimble form effortlessly evading his advances.

    "Damn it!"

    Unwavering in his resolve, Yomite persisted, unleashing a barrage of ferocious, rapid blows. The Golden Wolflord artfully dodged each assault, its movements fluid and graceful. However, Yomite''s unremitting aggression began to tax the creature,pelling it to assume a defensive posture.

    Sensing a window of opportunity, Yomite feigned an overhead swing, luring the Golden Wolflord''s focus upward.

    In a split second, he pivoted, redirecting his ymore into a sweeping arc toward the Golden Wolflord''s nk. The majestic beast, caught off guard by the ruse, barely managed to evade the de, its fur grazing the cold steel.

    A faint wisp of golden strands drifted through the air, evidence of the near miss.

    A sh of fury ignited within the Wolflord''s amber eyes, and it let out an earsplitting snarl that shook the very foundations of the arena. As if responding to an unspokenmand, the atmosphere became tempestuous, with swirling winds whipping violently around the battlefield, lifting the sand below.

    Yomite, realizing that he had wounded the Wolflord''s pride, braced himself for the inevitable counterattack. The Golden Wolflord, now incensed, lunged at Yomite with blinding speed, its gleaming fangs bared in a snarl. Yomite narrowly dodged the snapping jaws, feeling the rush of air and the electric energy of the Wolflord''s presence as it passed.

    The turbulent gale continued to escte, sand particles spiraling in a furious vortex, obscuring Yomite''s vision. The stinging grains tore at his eyes, rendering him momentarily blind. He strained to see through the swirling haze, but the relentless tempest engulfed him, leaving him to rely on his instincts and heightened senses.

    Though blinded, Yomite''s goal remained steadfast. He tuned into the subtlest of sounds, the faintest of movements, acutely aware of the Golden Wolflord''s proximity.

    The primal dance continued, a symphony of shing steel and snarling fury, eachbatant seeking an advantage in the midst of the blinding storm.

    ***

 Chapter 348: Not That Easy

    The Golden Wolflord, sensing Yomite''s vulnerability amidst the chaos of the storm, saw its chance to strike. In a swift, fluid motion, it lunged forward, its massive jaws mping down on Yomite''s arm.

    He screamed in pain, feeling the crushing force of the Wolflord''s fangs as they tore through his armor and into his flesh.

    "Aaargh!!!"

    In a desperate attempt to free himself, Yomite mustered all of his strength and pried open the Wolflord''s massive teeth, wincing as the sharp edges tore at his arm even further. With a final surge of effort, he managed to pull his injured limb away from the beast''s relentless grasp.

    The agony Yomite experienced was akin to a thousand needles piercing his flesh simultaneously, each one burrowing deeper and deeper into the tender muscle. It was as if moltenva flowed through his veins, scorching every nerve ending in its path.

    "Haah...haah..."

    With his uninjured arm, he gripped his ymore tightly, sweat mixing with the blood that had stained the hilt.

    Yomite''s vision gradually returned, the storm dissipating as the Golden Wolflord assessed its wounded prey.

    The beast appeared more cautious now, wary of the warrior''s deceptive tactics. Yomite''s breathing wasbored, and he knew that he couldn''t keep up the fight for much longer.

    With a fierce growl, he charged towards the Golden Wolflord, his ymore raised high above his head.

    The beast snarled in response, its eyes gleaming with a primal fury. It leapt forward, aiming to take down Yomite once and for all.

    But Yomite was too smart for the beast.

    He sidestepped the Wolflord''s attack, using his uninjured arm to sh at the beast''s stomach.

    The Golden Wolflord let out a howl of pain, stumbling backwards. Yomite seized the opportunity, plunging his ymore into the beast''s exposed underbelly even deeper than before. The de cut through flesh and sinew, causing the beast to writhe in agony.

    The Golden Wolflord flew away, reeling from the vicious blow.

    It gathered its remaining strength for a devastating retaliation. Its amber eyes zed with an inner fire, and the air around it crackled with an ominous energy. Yomite, sensing the impending danger, braced himself for the creature''s ultimate attack.

    With a deafening roar, the Golden Wolflord unleashed a colossalser beam from its maw. The searing energy, channeled into a slow-moving frontal cone, scorched the earth and threatened to incinerate Yomite. He deftly maneuvered around the lethal onught, narrowly avoiding the seething energy that threatened to consume him.

    The intensity of the attack gradually diminished as the Golden Wolflord''s reserves dwindled. Its movements becamebored and strained, a testament to the toll the battle had taken on the majestic creature. As theser beam dissipated, the Wolflord stumbled, its exhaustion rendering it vulnerable.

    Yomite recognized that this fleeting moment of weakness was his chance to deliver the decisive blow. His muscles ached, his lungs burned, but he refused to yield. With a final surge of adrenaline, he charged at the faltering Wolflord, his ymore poised for the fatal strike.

    The Golden Wolflord, sensing the impending doom, attempted to rally its strength for a final defense. But its efforts were in vain, as Yomite''s ymore plunged deep into its heart. The creature let out a mournful howl, the anguish and agony resonating throughout the arena. As its life force ebbed away, the Wolflord''s body began to shimmer, its golden fur dissipating into a luminous cloud.

    The once formidable adversary nowy defeated at Yomite''s feet, its essence dissipating into the air like a fading dream. A mixture of relief, exhaustion, and reverence washed over Yomite, as he sheathed his ymore and copsed to his knees.

    "Finally...dead..."

    As Yomite stood over the fallen beast, he couldn''t help but notice the aftermath of the Golden Wolflord''s devastatingser beam attack.

    The heat it had produced was so intense that the sand upon which it had been cast had fused and transformed into ss. The once-chaotic battleground now shimmered with an eerie beauty, the crystalline surface reflecting the light in a mesmerizing array of colors.

    Had he been hit by that attack, his body would be pulverized. It wasparable in power to his cube, which he could not even summon during their fight due to no openings.

    Despite his victory, Yomite''s battered body cried out for respite. His burnt arm throbbed, the lingering bleeding from the Wolflord''s bite tormented him, and his half-frozen leg threatened to give way.

    Limping away from the site of his triumph, Yomite passed through the gate, re-entering the spiral abyss. The second trial''s entrance now beckoned him to continue his arduous journey, but his injuries hindered his ability to walk.

    ''Seems like Lisa really was right. If I had the restraining bracelet on, I would have most definitely died there. I''m still too weak.''

    As Yomite stumbled, a pair of slender arms caught him just before he hit the ground. "Well done. It seems like your first trial was much harder than the one I did ages ago," Lisa said. Her eyes, brimming with concern, surveyed Yomite''s injuries. "Handsome, you''re badly hurt. We need to get you some help. Stand up if you can."

    With a wince, Yomite managed to stand. "Where...are the others?"

    "They''re fine," Lisa reassured him. "They''re all training alone in ''peaceful areas,'' where they can hone their skills without constant danger. Right now, we need to focus on you."

    Guided by Lisa, Yomite hobbled towards the nearest healing chamber, a sanctuary for warriors to recover from their wounds. The chamber, hidden from sight, revealed itself only after he entered the trial.

    Once inside, Yomite was ced on a soft, cushioned surface. The moment his body touched the cushion, a soothing energy enveloped him. His pain subsided almost instantly, and he marveled as his wounds closed, bruises faded, and cuts healed before his eyes.

    ***

 Chapter 349: Determination For Love

    The healing chamber''s warm,forting energy seeped into every fiber of Yomite''s being, tending not only to his physical injuries but also providing emotional and mental sce. Though the chamber''s healing capabilities were considerable, it could not regenerate lost limbs or save someone on the brink of death. Additionally, it was unable to heal Yomite''s burnt skin, leaving an ugly scar on his arm.

    As the healing process drew to a close, Yomite sat up, testing his newfound strength and flexibility. To his delight, he felt even better than before his ordeal. The healing chamber had not only repaired the damage but revitalized him entirely.

    "Thank God something like this exists. I didn''t see anything like this before entering the door to the first challenge."

    Lisa exined, "The reason being, it only opened upon your entrance. This healing facility, just like the training areas, will yield greater benefits as more doors arepleted. Now, tell me, what adversaries did you face?"

    Yomite took a deep breath, ready to recount his experience. "When I first entered the trial, I encountered a group of cannon fodder Hilichurls and Abyss Mages. Then around ten or more Ruin Guards which was annoying and exhausting but bearable, the burn on my arm however, is from the creatures I believe are called Geovishaps. Those were tough."

    He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Then at the end, the most difficult part was when I faced a flying wolf. It was massive, and its speed and ferocity were like nothing I''ve ever seen before, but somehow I killed it. Thankfully it let its guard down because I was badly wounded."

    Lisa frowned as Yomite described his encounters, her eyes narrowing in thought. Suddenly, she recalled seeing Yomite having a bite mark on his arm, "Wait a moment, you were bitten by something, correct? Was it the flying wolf that bit you?"

    Yomite nodded. "Yes, it bit my shoulder, but the pain was almost immediately overshadowed by the intensity of the fight. Why?"

    Lisa''s eyes widened in realization. "That flying wolf you faced is mostly known as the Golden Wolflord, its bite is said to inflict a deadly corrosion effect that''s mostly incurable. It can kill a person within minutes if not treated, and yet��you''repletely fine."

    Yomite looked down at his shoulder, where the bite mark had been. The healing chamber had worked wonders, leaving no trace of the injury. "I didn''t even realize. Is it possible that the healing chamber saved me?"

    Lisa shook her head. "No, the healing chamber can''t cure the corrosion effect. It must be something else. Perhaps your body has a natural immunity or resistance to it, which is incredibly rare."

    Yomite grinned mischievously, "Well, maybe it''s because of my natural charm and good looks that the corrosion didn''t affect me. Or perhaps it''s because the Golden Wolflord knew that you wouldn''t be able to resist me if we had the chance to be alone together, so it spared me, to have a good time."

    Lisa sighed, her expression softening, "You''re definitely alright if you can still make jokes like that," shaking her head with a small smile. "But seriously, this immunity or resistance you have is something we should investigate further. It could be a valuable asset in the future."

    Yomite chuckled, "Well, if it''s as valuable as you say your legs are, then I''m sure we''re onto something incredibly important." he teased, dodging a yful swat from Lisa.

    She smirked, but didn''t take the bait, "Very funny, Handsome. But let''s keep our focus on the task at hand. We can discuss my ''legs'' another time."

    "Fair enough. I apologize for the cringe jokes, it seems I was infected by the terminal Hu Tao disease."

    "No, don''t apologize. Your humor is one of the things I like about you, after all." The moment the words left her lips, she realized what she''d just said.

    Yomite raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn''t react. "like, huh? That''s a pretty strong word there, Lisa."

    "Of course, I meant it, uh, as your mentor and friend, Handsome. That''s all. You are my precious student and nothing will change that." she replied in a calm and collected tone.

    "Oh, really? As a student, huh? Are you sure you don''t want to upgrade that to something more, Ms. Teacher?"

    Her eyes twinkled, and she leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to an alluring whisper. "Perhaps... there could be room for... something more in the future." Her gaze locked onto Yomite''s, daring him to respond. "The current you, however, is no good."

    A slow, delighted smile spread across Yomite''s face, and his eyes darkened with intrigue. "Is that so, Ms. Teacher? I might have to consider that offer."

    She rolled her eyes but couldn''t help butugh. "It all depends on how well you train. I''m not interested in anyone ordinary. Either way, let''s get back to work before I change my mind and decide to put the restraining bracelet back onto you with ten times the gravity now."

    Yomite grinned, "Ordinary? Fuuh...that makes me sad, my dear Teacher. Oh well, lead the way."

    "The next trial will be an interesting one."

    "What would it be about?"

    "Nightmare."

    ***

    Right as Yomite left for the second trial, Lisa entered Barbara''s training facility.

    Barbara looked up as Lisa entered the room, her eyes widening at the sight of her mentor''s grim expression. "Lisa...what happened...why do you look like that...?" she asked, her voice trembling with concern. Fearing that her worst fears came true.

    "It''s...Handsome," Lisa replied, her tone heavy with worry. "He''s badly wounded and won''t be able to fight for a while... He needs time to rest and recover for a couple of weeks...He is currently unconscious..."

    Barbara''s hands flew to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. "No! Yum-Yum! Please! Let me go see him! I need to see him!"

    Lisa shook her head, her eyes sad but firm. "No, I''m afraid that''s not possible. Handsome needs time to heal, and seeing him now won''t do anything for him. Besides, he wouldn''t want you to worry about him like this."

    "...But I-I-I have to do something," Barbara protested, her voice rising in desperation. "I-I can''t just sit here and do nothing...while he''s hurt."

    "You can do something," Lisa said firmly, her eyes meeting Barbara''s with a stern gaze. "You can train. Handsome needs you to be strong, and needs your healing before he enters the next trial. He is counting on you."

    Barbara nodded slowly, her tears drying up as determination took over. "You''re right...I need to do my best for the person I love..."

    "Good girl, now, where is the knife?"

    ***

 Chapter 350: Nightmare

    "Haah...Haah..."

    Darkness enveloped him, and the world went away.

    There was no more light; only a flickering gray dimness all about him.

    The sound of his ownboured breathing seemed to fill the air about him from every direction at once, as if it wereing out of an endless distance.

    His lungs burned with pain, but he could not draw breath.

    Yes, he couldn''t afford to do so. Pitch ck wasn''t the only thing that had made itself aware of him now.

    Something else was close by��close enough to hear him breathe��and whatever it was, its awareness extended far beyond mere hearing; for though his heart gave a great thump when he heard it move, the eerie silence of this cold, dark ce deepened as swiftly as it came: there was nothing save the faintest murmur in the air.

    "Where are you~?" A woman''s voice whispered through the darkness, her wordsing from some point in front of him.

    It seemed to be calling his name, but he dared not answer lest he bring down death upon himself.

    The woman sounded very near; perhaps just ten feet away.

    He knew she must have been following his tracks from earlier; yet he sensed that her movements had been stealthy and careful, as if she was on a hunt and in pursuit of her prey.

    Crouching in the locker room, Yomite wondered if the woman was a witch or something worse, and how he might escape from her clutches when she finally caught up with him.

    The whispering sound grew fainter and fainter with each passing instant, as if she were moving farther off into the gloom...

    His breathing became easier when he realised that the danger was over for the moment.

    He listened intently, but heard no other sounds besides the faintest rustle of his own breath. Everything was utterly still except for the whisper of his own tortured lungs.

    The girl who had followed him here was gone now; he didn''t know where.

    Perhaps she''d given up trying to catch him, or perhaps she''d lost him after all, he decided.

    "Why...Why is this happening to me...?"

    Light sobbs escaped his lips despite his efforts to keep them inside.

    Whatever might have been wrong with that girl, he knew he couldn''t get away from this ce.

    Wiping off his tears, he gathered enough courage to peek out through the small linear holes of the locker room.

    His heart leaped when he saw a pair of keys thaty on the floor. They were the keys to the main door of the university building.

    "The keys!" he muttered, feeling a sudden rush of hope. "She must have dropped them by an ident when she was chasing after me earlier..."

    They were too far from the locker to reach without stretching, though.

    And even if they weren''t, he doubted whether he could get a grip on either key in the pitch-ckness.

    His eyes were now ustomed to the gloom, and he could somewhat see even in this absolute darkness.

    ''I have no other choice...Eventually she is going to find me...even if this is a trap...I must get the fuck out of this ce...''

    So, rather than try to stretch over to the keys, he slipped out of the locker, grabbed the keys, and moved towards the entrance.

    Step by step, he crept forward, hoping to avoid any further encounters.

    He reached for the handle, put the keys in, turned them, pushed hard, and then flung open the door.

    The air was much colder than before, and he shivered involuntarily from the sudden chill.

    A sharp wind blew past his face, carrying with it a smell like rotting meat, making him feel queasy.

    Before he could run out, however, a sharp pain pierced his shoulder.

    He fell forward onto the ground, in pain.

    "Found you~"

    The woman''s bittersweet voice came from behind him.

    Yomite tried to turn around, but could not.

    "Ah~"

    A gush of blood spilled from his right shoulder.

    "Gaaaah!!"

    With thest ounce of strength he possessed, he rolled over to the left, narrowly avoiding the woman''s foot.

    "Nnngh!!! Stop it! Stop! Please don''t do this!"

    As he felt her foot brush past his ear, he jerked his head upwards��and found himself face to face with the woman.

    "Did you really think I would drop the keys~? You''re so stupid, Assistant~"

    "What do you want from me!? Just leave me be!"

    His terror and pleading didn''t seem to have any effect on her. She smiled nastily, took a step closer to him, and raised the de high overhead.

    "I want your love~!" she yelled, her voice low and sweet.

    Her smile widened until it formed a ghastly grin; and then she brought the knife down.

    The sharp, stinging pain tore through Yomite''s body like lightning.

    Even before he passed out, he felt that his insides had been torn apart and his organs shredded.

    ***

    "Hah! Haah...haah..."

    Yomite suddenly jolted awake, covered in a cold sweat. His heart raced as he tried to catch his breath, realizing that everything he had just experienced was nothing more than a vivid dream. The intensity of the emotions he felt in the dream left him feeling disoriented and confused. He was back in the healing facility and all in one piece.

    "Did I...fall asleep?"

    "You did," Lisa replied. "But it''s okay; you needed the rest. Do you want me to tell you what the next trial will be about again?"

    He nodded, "Yeah, sorry for that..."

    As Lisa was exining the details of the next trial, Yomite''s exhaustion caught up to him. His eyelids grew heavy, and before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep. This time, he would listen to her.

    "It''s hard to exin...In essence, you will be forced to run from an entity and hide. You will be powerless and your goal is to escape this trial alive. I think you''ll find it much easier than thest trial though."

    Yomite frowned, "That sounds annoying...like a horror game of some sorts? I hate the horror genre."

    "You''ll be chased by a weird ck entity. I personally don''t know what happens once it catches you, but I don''t rmend trying to find out...in the best case youll be greatly injured before being thrown out by the trial...in the worst case, you might not make it out alive. So it''s crucial that you stay alert, move quickly, and avoid getting caught at all costs. Hide, run, find the keys and escape the location."

    ***

 Chapter 351: The Second Trial Begins

    As Yomite approached the door to the second challenge, a wave of cold air hit him, sending shivers down his spine. The door appeared to be made of solid ck stone, but as he got closer, he realized that it was not stone at all. Instead, it seemed to be made of pure darkness, as if it were a void in the very fabric of reality.

    The surface of the door was smooth and featureless, except for two words that were written in a glowing red script in the center: "Materia Incubi." Once again, Yomite didn''t recognized the words but somehow knew that they tranted to "Nightmare Demon."

    The words also seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, as if they were alive.

    As Yomite looked closer at the door, he noticed that it seemed to shift and writhe like a living creature, as if it were trying to escape its own darkness. He could see faint outlines of twisted, demonic faces and writhing tendrils of ck energy within the door''s surface, as if it were a portal to some terrible realm.

    "Creepy as fuck. I hate horror."

    The moment Yomite stepped into the trial, an ominous shift in his surroundings ured.

    A peculiar tingling sensation enveloped him, distorting his perception. ncing down, he was aghast to find himself transformed into a small boy, barely eight or nine years old. His limbs were now short, his once-mighty frame reced with a frail, delicate silhouette, and his once-powerful arms and legs seemed to struggle to support him.

    "What the hell?" Yomite whispered, his now-higher pitched voice betraying his altered state. He gazed at his childlike body, emotions churning with confusion and apprehension. "Are you kidding me!? Am I really a freaking child...? Is this to make sure I can''t defend myself at all?"

    Yomite''s frustration grew as he realized his clothes were now far toorge for his tiny frame. His pants pooled around his ankles, his shirt sleeves dangled to his fingertips, and his shoes were so enormous they continually slipped from his feet. He stood there, feeling exposed and vulnerable, as the stark reality of his situation settled in: he was a small, naked child.

    A shiver ran through his body as he attempted to shield himself from the biting chill in the air. "I need to do something about this... I can''t run around naked in an unknown dungeon with entities from a horror movie..."

    With grim determination, Yomite set about adapting his clothes to fit his new form. He removed his oversized shirt and tore off strips of fabric, using them to wrap around his body like a makeshift toga. It was far from perfect, but it offered some semnce of coverage and protection against the cold.

    Turning his attention to his pants, he found a sharp stone and used it to cut the legs shorter, making them more suitable for his smaller stature. He crafted a belt from the excess fabric to secure the pants in ce. Although his shoes remained toorge, he had an idea. Yomite stuffed more fabric strips into the toes, creating a snug fit that would prevent them from slipping off as he ran.

    However, his ymore presented the most significant challenge, as it was now too heavy andrge for his tiny frame. Frustrated, Yomite reluctantly stashed the ymore among some rocks, hoping he might somehow recover itter.

    Surveying his surroundings, Yomite found himself standing in what appeared to be an abandoned high school. The hallways were lined with lockers and ssroom doors, while posters and flyers, decaying with age, advertised long-forgotten clubs and activities. The familiar yet unnerving setting only served to heighten his sense of istion and vulnerability.

    Flickering fluorescent lights cast sinister, dancing shadows throughout the dim corridors. A thickyer of dust nketed the floors, signaling that the school had been deserted for ages. A malevolent energy seemed to permeate the very air, making the hairs on the back of Yomite''s neck stand on end.

    "Of all the ces, why did it have to be a school?" Yomite murmured, a wave of annoyance washing over him. He recalled the instructions he''d been given by Lisa: hide, run, find the keys, and escape the location.

    His face contorted into a grimace as he added, "This is definitely a horror game."

    Before Yomite could delve deeper into his thoughts, an eerie sound echoed through the forsaken halls. The disembodied wail sent a shudder down his spine, and he felt the sinister atmosphere close in around him.

    He held his breath, straining to listen, and pinpoint the origin of the unsettling noise. The chilling sound reverberated through the dimly lit corridors, making it impossible to determine its exact location. Yomite knew that he couldn''t afford to stand idly by, paralyzed with fear. He had to act swiftly and cautiously to have any chance of surviving the trial. He hated horror games and horror genre in general, and now that he was a helpless child, there was literally no counter y against the creatures lurking in.

    He couldn''t summon his teapot, his ymore was too heavy and his cube wasn''t activating no matter how hard he tried. For the first time in ages, he feltpletely powerless, as if he was a small, defenseless animal facing a pack of hungry predators. No matter how hard he fought, he knew deep down that he was outmatched and outgunned.

    He decided to prioritize finding the keys as fast as possible before finding the actual entrance itself. With each step, Yomite''s boots tapped softly against the dusty floor, as he moved cautiously through the abandoned school, trying not to alert whatever malevolent force was lurking within.

    As Yomite walked down the hallways, the oppressive silence weighed heavily upon him. He could feel the stillness in the air, as if the building itself was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

    Suddenly, a door creaked open, and Yomite jumped in fright.

    "Fucking hell!"

    He kept his distance for a while before peering into the room, but it was too dark to see anything. His heart pounded in his chest as he debated whether to investigate or continue on his path.

    Yomite hesitated, his eyes fixed on the open door. A million thoughts raced through his mind, each one more terrifying than thest. What if there was something waiting for him inside? What if it was a trap? What if he never made it out?

    The silence was deafening, broken only by the soft, rhythmic thudding of his heart. He could feel his breath quickening as fear took hold. But he knew he couldn''t let his fear paralyze him. He had to keep moving forward, no matter how scared he was.

    ''There ain''t no way I''m going inside of that room...this is exactly how dumbasses die in movies. I will ignore everything, because noises are always in video games and movies just to be investigated. As long as I don''t give a damn, it should be fine and dandy.''

    With a newfound resolve, Yomite steeled himself, opting to ignore the mysterious door and press onward. ''I''ve seen enough horror movies to know better,'' he muttered under his breath, trying to inject some humor into his dire predicament. ''I ain''t gonna be one of those idiots who goes into the creepy room and ends up dead. I don''t know what will happen if it catches me, but I don''t wanna try finding out either. Considering I''m a child, I''ll probably be broken in half like a twig if it catches me...''

    ***

 Chapter 352: The Worst Possible Nightmare Ever!

    As Yomite continued his cautious trek through the abandoned school, the eerie atmosphere only grew more intense.

    The flickering lights cast twisted shadows along the walls, making it difficult to discern what was real and what was a figment of his fearful imagination.

    As he rounded a corner, Yomite caught sight of a familiar figure standing in the dimly lit hallway.

    Someone...who was not supposed to be there...

    "..."

    "Assistant...?"

    "..."

    It was Hu Tao, but she was nothing like he remembered her.

    Her once smooth, porcin skin was now marred with deep gouges and festering wounds, oozing a sickly green pus.

    Her eyes, usually so full of life and mischief, were now hollow, lifeless orbs that seemed to stare right through him. Her vibrant brown hair hung limply around her face, matted with blood and filth.

    Her clothing was in tatters, barely hanging on to her emaciated frame.

    The once cool ck fabric was now faded and shredded, and her signature hat was nowhere to be found.

    She appeared to be a twisted, grotesque mockery of the person he once knew.

    Yomite''s gaze drifted lower, and he couldn''t help but notice that there was...something there...something...that shouldn''t have been there in the first ce...

    "...No shot..."

    There...

    There stood...

    There was...an obscene, unnatural growth that protruded from her groin...

    It was a giant, throbbing erection that seemed entirely out of ce and ipatible with her horrifying appearance, ready to burst at any moment.

    "What the hell is that!? Why did this trial think it was okay to give my wife a giant penis!?? Oh hell naw!"

    His heart raced, and panic set in as he struggled toprehend the disturbing sight before him.

    "Uuuuraagh!"

    Hu Tao''s monstrous form let out a guttural growl, and Yomite immediately dipped.

    Yomite tore his gaze away from the monstrous Hu Tao and sprinted down the corridor, his small legs carrying him as fast as they could.

    He tried to block out the grotesque images of his lover, but the scene was seared into his mind.

    "I won''t be able to get this out of my mind for a long time! Jesus christ that thing is huge! It''s almost bigger than her entire body! Sweet lord grant me mercy and end my suffering!"

    As he rounded another corner, however, he nearly collided with yet another familiar figure.

    "...!?"

    Yomite''s eyes widened in shock as he realized it was Fischl, but like Hu Tao, she too was a horrifying, twisted version of herself.

    Fischl''s once beautiful blonde hair was now a tangled, greasy mess, with strands of it hanging over her face, obscuring her eyes.

    Her skin was ashen and covered in painful-looking sores that wept a foul-smelling ichor.

    The eyepatch she once wore was now gone, revealing a grotesque, empty socket where her eye should have been.

    Her remaining eye was bloodshot, with the iris clouded and milky.

    Her signature outfit had been reduced to tatters, barely covering her mangled body. The raven feathers that once adorned her outfit were now a sickly, molted gray, and they seemed to twitch and squirm as if they were alive.

    Just like the monstrous Hu Tao, Fischl''s impostor also possessed a massive, throbbing erection that seemed to defy thews of nature and was long enough to almost reach her mouth.

    It was an unsettling sight, a perverse contradiction to the decaying horror that her body had be.

    Fear clenched Yomite''s chest, and he knew that he couldn''t afford to stay rooted in ce.

    These grotesque, monstrous versions of his lovers were clearly part of the trial, and he had to find a way to ovee the terror they evoked.

    "Meine...tongue...thy gardener..."

    "Oh hell naw!!! Get me out!"

    With a shaking breath, Yomite summoned every ounce of courage he had and darted away from the horrifying apparition of Fischl.

    He could hear the guttural growls and unnatural sounds of both twisted Hu Tao and Fischl as they gave chase, their throbbing erections bobbing and weaving menacingly as they ran.

    "ASS...istant...mine..."

    "Booty...licious...fermenting in meine cum."

    "Fuck off, and go fuck each other! You have instruments for it! Leave me be!"

    The nightmare versions of his lovers seemed to exude an insatiable, predatory desire, their intentions clearly malicious.

    They wanted his booty and they wanted it now.

    Yomite''s small heart pounded in his chest, fear and adrenaline fueling his every step.

    He knew he couldn''t let these monstrous beings catch him, or he would be subjected to a fate worse than death.

    "Forget dying by being rimmed, I will be fucked to death! In other circumstances that would be the best way to go out, but not by two futanaris! Hell naw!"

    As he sprinted through the abandoned school''s darkened corridors, Yomite''s thoughts raced.

    He needed to find the keys and escape this terrifying ce before these perverse creatures could get their hands on him and vite him.

    Despite his fear, Yomite realized that he had a small advantage �C his small stature and nimbleness.

    As a child, he was more agile and able to squeeze through tight spaces that the two weird beings with giant penises couldn''t.

    With this knowledge, Yomite began to strategize, looking for narrow gaps and small openings where he could elude his monstrous pursuers.

    As he dashed down a dimly lit hallway, he spotted a small venttion shaft opening in the wall. In his current form, he should be able to fit through.

    Taking a sharp turn, Yomite scrambled to the vent and pried the grate open. He squeezed himself inside just as the grotesque Hu Tao and Fischl reached the spot where he''d been moments before.

    "Huff...huff..."

    Yomite''s heart raced as he crawled through the narrow passage, praying that he would make it out safely.

    "Fuck...!"

    He could hear thebored breathing and guttural moans of the monstrous duo, and he knew that they were aware of his escape route.

    Suddenly, he felt the vent shake violently.

    "..."

    Looking back, he saw Hu Tao''s enormous, throbbing erection smashing through the opening, probing the vent like a nightmarish tentacle.

    "Move! Move! MOVE!"

    The horrifying sight spurred Yomite to move faster, frantically crawling deeper into the shaft.

    The monstrous phallus pursued him relentlessly, smashing through the vent''s walls, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

    Yomite''s heart pounded in his chest, his breathing in ragged gasps as he pushed himself to move even faster.

    "Go, go, go, go, go, go, gooooo!!!!!"

    Finally, Yomite reached an opening at the other end of the vent.

    Kicking the grate off, he tumbled out into another hallway.

    As he quickly got to his feet, he could hear the monstrous phallus retreating back through the vent, its prey now out of reach.

    "Creepy as hell! What the hell is this trial!?"

    ***

 Chapter 353: Shit Show!

    Panting, Yomite took a moment to catch his breath and collect himself. The horrifying chase had left him shaken, but he couldn''t afford to linger.

    He continued to search for the keys, navigating through the dimly lit corridors of the abandoned school. He was constantly on alert, anticipating another encounter with the monstrous versions of his lovers.

    As he turned a corner, he spotted a figure standing in the middle of the hallway.

    It was Lumine, but like Hu Tao and Fischl before her, she was a grotesque and twisted version of herself.

    Her once-angelic face was marred with a sinister smirk, and her eyes gleamed with a dark, sadistic hunger. Lumine''s clothes had been reced by a tight leather outfit, reminiscent of a sadist''s attire, and her skin was adorned with various piercings and tattoos.

    She held a long, menacing whip in her hand, which she cracked against the ground with a sinister smile.

    And just like the others, Lumine also possessed a massive, throbbing erection that seemed entirely out of ce with her otherwise nightmarish appearance, and she seemed to have been waiting for him, aware of his arrival.

    Gritting his teeth, Yomite prepared himself for another confrontation. He couldn''t afford to back down, not now when he hade so far.

    He watched as the sinister Lumine cracked the whip against the ground again, her eyes locked on him with a predatory re.

    In a sudden, shocking move, she brought the whip down on her own throbbing erection with a loud snap, the sound echoing throughout the hallway.

    The sight was both grotesque and terrifying, and Yomite couldn''t help but recoil in fear.

    It was clear that this monstrous Lumine was a force to be reckoned with, and he couldn''t allow himself to be caught by her.

    Her intentions were undoubtedly malicious, and Yomite knew that he would have to use every ounce of his cunning to evade her grasp.

    Not to mention, the noise from her cracking the whip seemed to have attracted both Fischl and Hu Tao. Their guttural growls and twisted voices echoed through the halls as they closed in on Yomite''s location.

    The monstrous trio had converged, and Yomite knew he had to act fast to avoid being cornered.

    His heart pounding, Yomite looked for an escape route.

    Lumine''s twisted grin widened as she opened her mouth, "You pathetic little shit, I can''t believe you thought you could escape from us! You''re nothing but a useless pig, just waiting to be ughtered and devoured! You''re such a moron, it''s a miracle you remember to breathe! You''ve got the brain capacity of a freakin'' slime! Your stupidity is an art form, a goddamn masterpiece of idiocy! Just look at you, quivering like a fucking coward! You think you can run away? Ha! Not a chance!" She cackled manically, her eyes narrowing with a sinister intent. "You ain''t seen nothing yet, motherfucker. You''ll be begging for mercy, but there won''t be any, not for a useless sack of shit like you! Now, spread those ass cheeks of yours, or you''ll wish you''d never been fucking born!"

    "...Fuck!"

    There seemed to have been a huge personality change, from the cute and shy Lumine, to this talkative dominatrix monster...

    Yomite''s eyes darted around the corridor, desperately searching for a way out. Spying a nearby door, he mustered all the strength he had left and sprinted towards it, hoping it would lead him to safety.

    As he burst through the door, Yomite found himself in an old storage room filled with dusty boxes and discarded furniture.

    He hurriedly pushed arge, heavy bookshelf in front of the door, creating a makeshift barricade.

    "Ass...ass...istant"

    "My tongue...my tongue...thy gardener...mhmmm..."

    "Open up, you filthy cunt! I''ll spank you till you bleed oceans of blood, you worm! I''ll drill that ass to no tomorrow! You dare, cheat on me!? Quicklye out and ept your death!"

    The pounding of twisted Hu Tao, Fischl, and Lumine grew louder, but Yomite hoped that the barrier would buy him some time.

    As he caught his breath, he noticed a figure in the shadows of the storage room. As the figure stepped into the dim light, he saw that it was another very familiar person.

    But what was he doing here?

    "Yo, Yomite...For many months had passed us by, since you and Ist had met. And memories of our times gone by, were etched in my heart, a cherished set!"

    He very much recognized those cringey poems.

    It was Venti. The funny, unfunny bard.

    "Venti...I am honestly so d to see you...I never would have thought I would say something like this ever..."

    Unlike the other characters he had encountered, Venti appeared normal as always, with the only difference being him, having stuffed his chests with pillows for whatever the reason, but that was still quite normal considering his usual weirdness.

    His deep green eyes were filled with warmth andpassion, a stark contrast to the monstrous beings he had encountered so far.

    His delicate features were framed by his long, long hair, creating an ethereal beauty that seemed otherworldly, befitting of a god.

    And while he seemed harmless enough, Yomite couldn''t help but feel a sense of dread upon seeing Venti. Something about the guy seemed too good to be true...

    "Yomite. Your brilliance is better today than ever!"

    "Uhh...thanks?" Yomite replied, unsure of how to respond, "I''m currently being chased by monstrosities so I don''t really have time to talk."

    "Oh my, I do apologize for disturbing you then... carry on doing whatever you were doing."

    Yomite couldn''t shake the feeling of unease as he continued his search for the keys, all the while trying to find a way out of this nightmarish situation.

    He kept a cautious eye on Venti, who remained silent but seemed to be observing his every move.

    As he rummaged through the storage room, he found a dusty old map of the school. It wasn''t the most reliable source, but it was better than nothing. Yomite traced his finger along the various paths and corridors, attempting to identify the most likely locations where the keys could be hidden.

    Venti continued to watch him, not offering any assistance or guidance. Yomite''s heart raced, unsure whether to trust the bard or not.

    The fact that Venti had not attacked him like the others was both a relief and a source of confusion.

    He couldn''t help but wonder if Venti was simply waiting for the right moment to strike.

    Despite his suspicions, Yomite knew that he couldn''t afford to waste any more time. The pounding on the barricaded door had grown stronger and the door was barely holding in ce.

    As he studied the map, Yomite suddenly heard a faint rustling sound that seemed to being from behind him.

    The soft sound of clothes being removed made him tense up, his heart pounding in his chest.

    He turned around slowly, dreading what he might see. To his shock and confusion, he saw that Venti had unexpectedly began to remove his clothes.

    His movements were slow and deliberate, like a dancer gracefully undressing.

    He started with his flowing green top, which gently slipped off his shoulders, revealing his enticing corbones and the soft swell of hisrge breasts.

    "W-Wait!!! What the hell are you doing you weirdo...why are you undressing...you...you are...wait...breasts...huge breasts!?"

    Venti''s teal eyes locked onto Yomite''s, daring him to look away as she continued to undress.

    To his surprise, in this trial, Venti wasn''t a femboy, he turned into a gorgeous woman!

    ***

 Chapter 354: What The Hell Is Happening!?

    The atmosphere in the room grew warmer, as if charged with an electric current, as Venti stood before Yomite, clothed only in delicate, whitece undergarments that barely concealed her perfect form. Her legs were d in white stockings that seemed to glow with an ethereal light.

    Venti reached down to her ankles, fingertips grazing the top of her stockings.

    With a tantalizingly slow and deliberate motion, she began to roll them off, each inch of exposed skin revealing the graceful contours of her feet. Yomite could only watch, captivated, his breath catching in his throat.

    Her high arches, slender legs, and delicate ankles exuded elegance, while her soft, smooth skin seemed to beckon for his touch.

    The entire scene unfolded like a choreographed dance of temptation, each of Venti''s movements designed to ensnare Yomite''s senses.

    "My heart is bursting with a desire so strong, to hold fifty children, and sing them a song. To teach them, guide them, watch them grow, to be a mother and let your love flow."

    Venti''s wicked grin now seemed to hold a hint of mischief, as she stood before Yomite, utterly exposed.

    Her gaze met his, unwavering and intense, as she made a daring request.

    "Yomite, give me your children,"

    Dazed by her bewitching presence, Yomite barely registered her words.

    ''What the hell is happening!?''

    Confusion swirled within him like a storm.

    He thought back to when Venti had imed to possess the ability to transform into a woman, but he had never imagined anything so breathtaking.

    In moments like these, Yomite would usually be able to restrain himself in front of a gorgeous woman, but being in the body of a child who appeared to be at the beginning of his puberty, he felt something rising, and it wasn''t the Shield Hero.

    How could he possibly resist her now?

    Venti approached Yomite with a mischievous grin, her eyes dancing with a hint of yfulness.

    Leaning in close, her breath hot and alluring, she whispered into Yomite''s ear.

    "You can do it inside all you want~ I want you to get me pregnant~" she looked down at him, her eyes filled with lust. "I love you, let me taste you. Any kind of fetish you have, I''ll grant you a free passage. I have lived for thousands of years, my body is pure, yet I have knowledge about any position you would want to try. Be it from the past, present or the future~"

    She spoke of the untold secrets she carried, tantalizing him with the promise of billions of experiences to pleasure him from across time itself.

    Yomite was ovee with a sense of helplessness. He had no idea what to say.

    It seemed that Venti didn''t care, either.

    Crouching down, she gently guided Yomite''s face between her cleavage, allowing him to take in her scent. Her perfume was intoxicating, and he couldn''t help but inhale deeply.

    The strong smell of her arousal tempted him for a few seconds, before he finally noticed that Venti''s hands were slowly undressing him.

    Once he realized that, he shook his head back and forth and somehow managed to wake up to his senses, deciding to ignore Venti''s actions and focusing on finding another way out of the room.

    "Eh...? How did you get out of the hypnosis?"

    "Piss off!"

    "Eeek!"

    He scanned the area, searching for any hidden exits or potential escape routes.

    As he did so, Venti suddenly held up a key, the metallic jingle capturing his attention.

    Yomite''s eyes widened as he realized that the key was exactly what he needed to escape the enigmatic school.

    Cautiously, he approached Venti, trying to gauge her intentions. "That key...hand it over."

    Venti giggled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Hmm, what would you give me in return for this key? This key is ve~ry important, you know~" she asked, twirling the key around her finger, her movements fluid and graceful.

    Yomite was at a loss for words. He didn''t know what he could possibly offer someone like Venti, especially in this surreal situation where he was barely clothed and a kid to boot.

    Her request for children was out of the question.

    Desperation coursed through him as Venti''sughter filled the room.

    Theughter transformed into a symphony of giggles as Venti began to gracefully jog naked around the room, the key glinting in her hand. "Catch me if you can!" she teased, herughter reverberating off the walls like a yful melody.

    Yomite knew his time was limited, the monstrous figures relentlessly hammering at the door.

    He had no choice but to engage in Venti''s twisted game. Gritting his teeth, he pursued her around the room, straining to match her nimble movements.

    Just as he was about to apprehend her, Venti suddenly levitated, the key securely in her grasp, far beyond Yomite''s reach.

    With a taunting smirk, she teasingly licked the key. "You''ll need to be faster, Yomite...or should I say...Yum-Yum? It has a certain ring to it," she called out yfully.

    Yomite''s irritation intensified, but he recognized that losing his temper would serve no purpose.

    He needed a clear mind to escape this nightmare. As Venti continued to float tantalizingly out of reach, Yomite devised a new n. He scanned the storage room for anything that could help him reach her or persuade her to descend.

    In the corner, he noticed a stack of old wooden crates and an idea took shape. Swiftly, he piled the crates atop one another, constructing an improviseddder.

    Ascending the unsteady structure, Yomite drew nearer to Venti. Taking a deep breath, he leaped from the summit of the crates, stretching his arm to grab her.

    Incredibly, Yomite managed to seize Venti just as she tried to evade him. However, the force of the leap sent them both plummeting towards the ground.

    In the chaos, Yomite''s hand identally found itself clutching Venti''s breast.

    As they tumbled to the floor, Yomite could feel the softness of Venti''s breast in his hand...it was warm and inviting.

    He quickly released his grip, and woke up from his stupor trying to find where she put the key.

    Venti, seemingly unfazed by the incident, cut him off with a teasing grin. "Well, that was certainly an interesting turn of events. But I must say, you''ve got quite the grip for a little kid~"

    She stood up, Yomite''s frail form falling off of her.

    "It''s toote now, however~"

    Yomite looked up, and watched as Venti slowly inserted the key into her "entrance", followed by a *plop* sound.

    "..."

    ***

 Chapter 355: Heartache

    "Ahnn~ This key isn''t enough to satisfy me though~ My body has been deprived of male attention for so long that my hormones need some kind of outlet...so I suggest youe willingly, before I decide to take matters into my own hands~"

    Her voice was low and sultry, her eyes gleaming with malevolent delight. He couldn''t believe what he was witnessing, his mind racing toprehend the unfolding situation.

    "What the hell are you doing?! Where did you just put that key you freaking weirdo!? How am I supposed to get it back!?" He eximed, his voiceced with disbelief.

    Venti chuckled, a sultry smile on her face, "Oh, don''t be so uptight, Yomite. You should learn to loosen up a bit," she teased. "That being said, unless you give me your children, you can say goodbye to ever seeing that key again, or leaving this ce alive."

    Her ominous words hung heavily in the air, casting a sinister pall over the room. Yomite hesitated, realizing that Venti might be right.

    He hadn''t found the door yet, but Lisa had informed him that the key and the door were necessary to escape. If he failed to secure them, he would undoubtedly be trapped here forever.

    But could he trust her? Was this key truly the one thing that could set him free? What if it was a duplicate? A fake key?

    No.

    He wasn''t nning on having sex with anyone, especially not Venti. He needed to find another solution. Games like this were never one faced.

    "Venti...I...I believe I told you, you''re my dear friend. I don''t want to enter a rtionship with you, because what would happen to our friendship then? I don''t have many male friends so that''s why... please leave it be..." Yomite replied.

    Venti''s eyes narrowed, her yful grin reced with a cold, stern expression. "So you think the other girls in your party are so much better than I am, right? Even when I changed my appearance to a girl to appeal to you, you still don''t want to...be with me..."

    "No! I mean...I..."

    "Then why did you help Dvalin? Why did you bother saving Mondstadt!? I thought...I thought...I was the reason...I begged you to help me and you did...do you feel nothing towards me? Do you not like me at all...? We''re you not doing that for me?"

    Venti''s cruel words cut deep, leaving Yomite at a loss for words. He stood there, silent and stunned.

    Why did he save Mondstadt? Because it was a tutorial location, and he wanted money and housing.

    Why did he save the Dragon Dvalin? Initially, he nned on killing it because it threatened his tutorial town, where he could establish his base.

    Venti''s feelings were never really his concern to begin with. It just so happened that he was there when he learned Dvalin wasn''t a bad dragon, and then, once defeated, the dragon turned into Iris, who now belonged to him, and he was taking care of her.

    "Even Dvalin is now...living with you...eating with you, sleeping in the same house as you...being hugged and cherished like an important pet...yet I''m still the only one left alone...just as I always was..."

    But why did he choose to help Dvalin instead of killing it?

    Why did he help Iris out of nowhere? Nobody knew, not even Yomite himself. He simply wanted to do the right thing.

    He couldn''t deny Venti''s attractiveness, regardless of gender, but he didn''t see him or her as anything he would ever date. He did care about him, but dating...

    "Come on...Venti... you''re my friend...you''re one of the bro''s I never had back on Earth... I''m really d you''re here for me...but I''m really not interested in you romantically...so please stop this..."

    Even if this was a trial of darkness and nightmares, he couldn''t bear to see Venti like this, her face twisted with pain and tears streaming down her cheeks.

    "Why!? Why can''t you see my appeal...my heart hurts when I think we can''t be together! It breaks apart! Yet you''re ignorant!"

    "...I''m sorry, Venti, but I have to go. I can''t stay here anymore, I need to get out of here or else they''ll catch me. If you won''t give me the key, then I''ll find another way out of this trial." Yomite said, turning his back on her. "You''re indeed dear to me. A great friend I sometimes wish to choke to death, but that''s what friends are there for, at least I think."

    The door shuddered, on the verge of being breached. Sinister beings, taking on the visages of his lovers, waited to strike with malicious intent.

    "..."

    Venti''s haunting wails of despair behind him were impossible to ignore, but he forced his focus on the door and his surroundings.

    There were no vents, no alternate exits from this room.

    His only chance of escape would be to somehow maneuver around the monsters and dash for freedom. He had to keep in mind their "things down there" could change shape and even extend. He truly had to be careful.

    ording to the map, and his best estimation of his location, he needed to make a sharp left and sprint toward a corner where a maintenance room awaited.

    That room could be his salvation, providing him the means to illuminate the darkened hallways and gain the upper hand against the skin-walker creatures.

    As he steeled himself for this daring gambit, Venti''s hand mped onto his arm with unexpected force.

    Yomite''s instincts red, and he struggled to free himself, fearing an attack.

    "What are you doing again!?"

    "Wait..." she whispered, leaning against his back, "Please...I beg of you...at least...at least...let me have this...in a nightmare...if not in the real world..."

    Venti''s lips brushed softly against Yomite''s cheek, the kiss as delicate as a butterfly alighting on a flower.

    The key, which Yomite thought she had hidden within her body, now appeared in her hands as if by illusion.

    "Why...why would you..."

    Venti drew back from him after the kiss, her eyes filled with yearning. "Just this once, I''ll make an exception...after all, you are my dearest...friend, and I don''t want to lose you to some ugly monster weirdos, ehe~"

    She ced the key in Yomite''s hand, closing his fingers around it. Yomite stared at the key, feeling its weight as he held it tight.

    With a wave of her hand, the space around him warped, and they were teleported to another room.

    Venti opened the door, gesturing in one direction. "If you go that way, you''ll find the exit, though it''s still quite far."

    "Why are you suddenly...helping me...? Aren''t you supposed to be my enemy in the trial? This doesn''t make any sense..." Yomite asked as he exited the room.

    Venti followed him outside, giving him a wink. "You should know that by now, silly~ How many times do I have to repeat myself? It''s becau��!" Her voice cut off abruptly, interrupted by a loud noise and a blinding light filling the room.

    Yomite shielded his eyes as he stepped outside. Soon enough, he reopened them, noticing a floating wall of text standing before him.

    [#Error# The Entity 4 (4/6) has encountered an error. A reboot is necessary. Entity 4 (4/6) is blocked from furthermunication until the issue is solved. Error: Cheating. Failed to chase and immobilize the enemy. An error urred during the encounter with the enemy. Reason: Feelings of deep love within the entity. Source: #Cheating# Description: The Entity 4''s (4/6) strategy was incorrect for defeating the yer for the given scenario. Solution: Due to helping the yer by skipping countless of hours worth of mandatory progress by teleporting and handing him the key to the entrance, Entity 4 (4/6) shall be disposed of until further notice.]

    Yomite stared at the wall of text, trying to process it all, when he noticed Venti''s body floating in front of him, her mouth opening and shutting wordlessly.

    There was no voiceing out of her, but it seemed like she was trying to speak.

    Yomite was focusing intently on her lips, trying to decipher what she was saying.

    "...!? Venti!"

    Venti gave him a weak smile before her body turned white and exploded into a cloud of tiny particles, which flew off in all directions.

    The light faded away, and the white substance disappeared as well, leaving Yomite alone in the dark.

    "..."

    Yomite lingered for a few moments, disoriented and bewildered, before finally rising and continuing onward.

    Perhaps it was because he was still in the body of a young child who couldn''t yet control his feelings, or perhaps because he truly felt touched by the imposter Venti''s affection, he found himself wiping tears from his eyes as he continued.

    All of this was just an illusion. All of these nightmares were something he shouldn''t have cared about whatsoever.

    Yet, if someone dear to him died just like that in front of him, sacrificing themselves for him, would he be able to bear it?

    As he continued walking, he couldn''t help but think about Venti''s final words before disappearing.

    The words she tried so desperately to mouth out despite her inability to speak.

    ''Because I love you.''

    Those words echoed in his mind, and he felt a strange sense of guilt and sadness enveloping him.

    ***

 Chapter 356: Macho

    To think that even in this twisted nightmare trial, Venti, who was supposed to be his enemy, had chosen to help him, putting her own existence at risk... She had defied the rules of the trial to help him, and in doing so, she had been removed from the game. It made no sense. Why would she sacrifice herself for him? A monster that took on Venti''s appearance. Did it perhaps also take on his feelings as well? For a moment, he wondered if he was going crazy.

    When he reached the end of the hallway, he heard a faint scream behind him.

    "Food!"

    The scream was in a high pitch that was very familiar.

    ''Paimon.''

    Turning around, he...

    ...

    ..

    .

    Started running.

    ***

    Yomite raced down the hallways, his breath growing ragged as he began to tire.

    How long had he been running? Twenty or so minutes already?

    Wasn''t the exit supposed to be close? Paimon��or rather, that "thing"��continued to chase him.

    Was this actually Paimon? A three-meter giant, with bulging muscles ready to explode.

    It looked like it had been sculpted out of rock, but it was more detailed than one would expect. The way its muscles moved, the way it walked, its very presence was undeniably inhuman.

    "Little. Pig. Little. Pig. No. More. Escape."

    "Damn it!" Yomite dove off the nearest staircase, rolling down the stairs andnding on the floor below with a heavy thud.

    He picked up his head and saw that the creature was at the top of the stairs, looking down upon him with a creepy grin.

    "Emergency. Food. Heheheh. You. Can''t. Escape. Paimon."

    Yomite''s heart pounded in his chest as he scrambled to his feet and bolted down the corridor. His frail form was more than exhausted, and if he didn''t take a break soon, he would undoubtedly vomit.

    The monstrous Paimon pursued him relentlessly, everyrge, terrifying, echoing footstep a reminder of the terror that hunted him.

    The horrifying creature, nothing like the Paimon he knew, relentlessly pursued him.

    Paimon''s massive muscles flexed and pulsed with every movement, as if they were capable of splitting the very air.

    The enormous arms and legs that propelled her forward seemed like they could easily crush Yomite with a single blow.

    The sheer size of her powerful, sinewy body was a force to be reckoned with, instilling terror in Yomite''s heart.

    Her face, asrge as two watermelons, was a grotesque distortion of the familiar Paimon he once knew.

    Her eyes, usually full of curiosity and mischief, were now cold and lifeless, sending chills down Yomite''s spine.

    Her wide, menacing grin was filled with rows of sharp, gnarled teeth, giving her the appearance of a predator, eager for its next meal.

    "Little. Pig. Little. Pig. Little. Pig," the monstrous Paimon growled, her voice a bone-chilling rumble that echoed through the endless corridors.

    Yomite''s legs felt like they were on fire as he pushed himself to keep moving. He knew he couldn''t outrun this monstrosity forever.

    His eyes frantically scanned the area as he sprinted down the hallway, searching for a ce to hide or something to use as a weapon.

    Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a door with a sign that read "Kitchen."

    Desperate, he dashed into the room and mmed the door shut behind him.

    He knew it wouldn''t hold the monstrous Paimon back for long, but it was the best he could do at the moment.

    The room was dimly lit, filled with rows of stainless steel countertops, stoves, and refrigerators.

    The scent of lingering spices and cooked food permeated the air. Yomite quickly scanned the area, searching for something, anything, that could help him. Knives, pots, pans �C none of these would be of any use against that thing.

    As he continued searching, the pounding of Paimon''s footsteps grew louder, and Yomite knew she was right outside the door. He braced himself for the inevitable.

    With a terrifying roar, Paimon effortlessly ripped the door from its hinges with one of her giant hands, sending splinters flying.

    Yomite''s heart leaped into his throat as he stared at the massive creature standing in the doorway, her cold eyes locked onto his.

    "Little. Pig. Little. Pig," Paimon taunted, her voice a low, menacing growl. "Found. You."

    Yomite''s breath caught in his chest, he could no longer run, his mind racing for a n. He had to do something.

    Anything.

    ''Think. Think. Think! You''re not that dumb Yomite! Think of something!"

    Then, a flicker of hope caught his eye �C arge industrial-sized fire extinguisher mounted on the wall. He didn''t know if it would work, but it was his only chance.

    With a burst of adrenaline, Yomite lunged for the fire extinguisher, unhooked it from the wall, and aimed it at the monstrous Paimon. He pulled the trigger, releasing a torrent of foam and CO2 at her.

    The creature roared in surprise and confusion, momentarily blinded and disoriented by the sudden attack, but when he tried to run away, he noticed that Paimon had absorbed all of it and ate the foam that was shot at her.

    "Se-Seriously!?"

    Yomite stared in disbelief as Paimon effortlessly devoured the foam from the fire extinguisher, the chemicals seemingly having no effect on her monstrous form.

    As the foam disappeared into her gaping maw, Yomite''s mind raced, searching for any other way to fend her off.

    That''s when it hit him: Paimon was always a heavy eater, consumingrge quantities of food without hesitation.

    ''Perhaps if I feed her...''

    He frantically began grabbing everything he could find in the kitchen - fruits, vegetables, cooked meats, and even uncooked ingredients. He threw them at the monstrous Paimon, hoping that she would bepelled to eat them.

    To his amazement, Paimon caught the food in mid-air and began stuffing it into her mouth.

    As she consumed the food, she seemed to shrink slightly with each bite.

    Yomite didn''t waste any time, continuing to throw food at her as fast as he could find it.

    As Paimon continued to eat, she grew smaller and smaller, her massive form gradually shrinking back to a more familiar size.

    Her frightening, lifeless eyes began to regain their warmth and curiosity, and her menacing grin softened, reced by the yful smile Yomite remembered.

    Finally, after consuming all the food he had thrown at her, Paimon returned to her original, small fairy form.

    Exhausted from the ordeal, she gently floated to the ground, fast asleep.

    Yomite, panting and covered in sweat, copsed to the floor as well, his heart still pounding from the terrifying chase.

    ***

 Chapter 357: Terminal Yandere Cured

    Taking a deep breath, Yomite''s pulse steadied after resting for around ten minutes. He was keenly aware that time was of the essence. He still needed to find the exit, and if his calctions were correct, there was one more foe waiting for him. Gently, he lifted the slumbering Paimon from the floor and ced her on a table, ensuring she wouldn''t have to sleep on the cold ground.

    He affectionately stroked her with his fingers, aforting gesture he wished he could do in the real world, if only the girls wouldn''t immediately misunderstand his intentions...

    From this moment on, he vowed never to let Paimon go hungry again...

    With a cautious hand, Yomite pushed the kitchen door open and stepped back into the dimly lit hallway. His eyes darted around, surveying the surroundings as he mentally retraced his steps and estimated the most likely location of the exit. He braced himself, acutely aware that the final enemy lurked somewhere, poised to attack.

    Yomite''s assumption of onest adversary stemmed from the cryptic error message he''d seen after Venti''s disappearance,beling her as Entity 4 (4/6). During their time together, he had encountered four monstrous beings in total, including her.

    Following Venti''s departure, he had stumbled upon Paimon, who he deduced to be Entity 5 (5/6). It seemed only logical that a sixth entity remained, waiting to challenge him in this eeriebyrinth.

    Armed with this knowledge, Yomite ventured forth, each step echoing through the corridor as he prepared for the inevitable confrontation, his mind and body honed to face the final enemy.

    ''The question is, who...?''

    Numerous possibilities raced through Yomite''s mind as to the identity of the final enemy. Kaeya, Diluc, Lisa, or even...

    The figure currently standing before him, brandishing a bloodstained kitchen knife.

    "..."

    Yomite sighed in resignation. "Here we go again... What did I do to deserve this again?"

    "How dare you show up in front of me?" Barbara''s voice trembled with rage. "You ignored my advances, yed with my heart for years, impregnated my big sister, and even made Sister Rosaria cry!"

    Yomite couldn''t help but roll his eyes at the absurd situation he found himself in once more.

    Barbara stood before him, her face a twisted mask of fury as she clutched the knife.

    "Really? Pregnant? Jean and I haven''t even held hands! And making Rosaria cry? She''s so insufferable that she''d make me cry first! What kind of stupid trial is this?"

    It was clear, however, that Barbara was beyond reason. She tightened her grip on the knife and lunged at Yomite, tears of betrayal and anguish streaming down her face. "You always ignored me! Always! I hate you!"

    "That''s not true!" Yomite protested. "I''ve always found you charming! You''re just too young! Wait another year, and I''ll give you all the attention I can!"

    "Lies! You''re just trying to escape this situation!"

    "I admit that''s true, but my words are real! Haven''t I told you this many times before?"

    "..."

    As he dodged her relentless stabs, Yomite''s gaze fell upon a bucket of water nearby.

    Recalling Barbara''s hydro powers, he hoped that drenching her might help her regain her senses. With swift reflexes, he grabbed the bucket and sshed its contents onto Barbara, halting her momentarily.

    "..."

    "..."

    "Did it... work, maybe...?"

    "It did not. Die!"

    Realizing a more drastic approach was necessary, Yomite hesitated no more, hurling the empty bucket directly at her face. The impact momentarily staggered her, providing a brief respite in the tense confrontation.

    Capitalizing on the momentary respite, Yomite sprinted down the corridor, desperate to put some distance between himself and Barbara. He knew he couldn''t run forever, but for now, it was his only option.

    "Ugh! All talk and no action! If you really love me like you im, then prove it! Who would throw an empty bucket at someone they love?!"

    "I usually wouldn''t, but do I really need to remind you that you''re wielding a kitchen knife, woman?!"

    "A few stab wounds are nothing for love! I can heal them!"

    As Yomite dashed down the hallway, his eyes scanned the surroundings for anything that might help subdue or soothe Barbara. Spotting a vase filled with flowers, he swiftly snatched it up. ncing back, he saw Barbara still pursuing him, knife in hand, her face a fusion of fury and tears.

    Inhaling deeply, Yomite skidded to a halt, turned to face her, and held out the vase, proffering the flowers inside. "Barbara, please listen. I''m not your enemy. I care for you deeply. I''ve never said I disliked you; quite the opposite, you''re stunning. Even more adorable than your sister."

    She halted abruptly, her anger giving way to shock. "You... think I''m cuter than... my big sister?"

    Seizing her momentary doubt, Yomite continued his appeal. "I know I haven''t given you the attention you deserve, but that doesn''t mean I don''t care. You''re important to me, and it breaks my heart to see you cry."

    Her grip on the knife faltered as tears welled up in her eyes. "But you... always ignored me... and told me to wait..."

    "Barbara, I didn''t intend to hurt you. I promise that when this is over, I''ll make it up to you! We can spend more time together, and I''ll show you how much I value you. Please, believe me. I''ll do everything in my power to make you happy."

    As Yomite spoke, the flowers emitted a soft, tranquil light. Their petals brushed against Barbara''s hands, prompting her to release the knife, which ttered to the floor.

    Her expression softened as she took the vase, her gaze locked on Yomite''s earnest face.

    A blend of relief and bewilderment washed over her as she hesitantly stepped closer, the flowers'' calming light providing sce. Yomite''s heart raced, praying that he had reached her and could finally leave unscathed.

    Stopping before him, Barbara''s eyes shimmered with tears. "I... I''m sorry, Yum-Yum... I don''t know what came over me... I was just so... angry and hurt..."

    Relief flooded Yomite as he offered a reassuring smile. "It''s okay, Barbara. I understand. Let''s forget about this and move on, alright?"

    She nodded, and unexpectedly, she embraced him tightly. Yomite felt her tremble, her tears seeping into his shirt. As they held each other, Barbara lifted her gaze to meet his.

    Before Yomite could react, she pressed her lips to his��a tender, hesitant kiss,den with vulnerability. Though caught off guard, Yomite didn''t resist. They were already in a rtionship, and she had kissed him before.

    Allowing the kiss to linger for a few heartbeats, he gently pulled away, hoping the worst was behind them.

    ***

 Chapter 358: Nine Children...? Again...?

    Barbara hesitated, her face reddening as she bit her lip before speaking up. "Yum-Yum, there''s... something I need to ask you. After you leave this trial, please... sleep with me."

    Yomite blinked, taken aback by her sudden request. He could tell she was serious, but he also understood that her emotions were running high, and she was trying to secure her ce in his heart.

    He sighed, weighing his options, and looked into her eyes. He knew it was important to reassure her that she meant something to him, even if it meant agreeing to something he might not have considered otherwise. "Alright, Barbara. If that''s what you really want, I promise you, once this trial is over, I''ll do anything you want."

    A blend of relief and happiness washed over Barbara''s face, and she nodded, her grip on the vase tightening. "Thank you, Yum-Yum. That means a lot to me."

    With their agreement in ce, Barbara led him towards the exit, their hands entwined, andughter bubbling between them. Soon enough, they stood before the door.

    "Thank you, Yum-Yum. Now my heart can rest easy, knowing the other me will be happy to hear you''re nning to have arge family with her, with over nine children."

    Yomite''s eyes widened in surprise and confusion at Barbara''s statement. "Wait, what? Nine children? When did I agree to that?"

    Barbara giggled, her mood noticeably lighter than before. "Well, Yum-Yum, you did promise me that you''d do anything I want once this trial is over. And that includes having a big, happy family with lots of children, right?"

    Yomite hesitated, unsure of how to respond to her sudden demand. He had indeed promised her that he would do anything she wanted, but he hadn''t expected her to make such a significant request. He gulped, trying to think of a way to negotiate with her.

    "Barbara, I understand that you want to have a family with me, but nine children is... quite a lot. How about we take things one step at a time and see how things go? We can start with one or two, and if we feel like we can handle more, we can have more...What do you...think?"

    Barbara pouted, clearly not pleased with his counterproposal.

    "But Yum-Yum, you promised! And I love children so much. Besides, having a big family has always been a dream of mine."

    Yomite sighed, realizing that there was no easy way out of this situation. He had made a promise, after all, and it was important to keep his word sometimes.

    "Alright, Barbara. If that''s what you truly want, then I''ll do my best to make it happen. But please, let''s not rush into things. We need to make sure we''re ready for such a big responsibility..."

    He was more than inexperienced with having children...and having nine of them at once to boot...seemed rough.

    Barbara beamed at him, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Thank you, Yum-Yum. I promise I won''t rush into anything!"

    Yomite nodded, feeling a strange mix of relief and apprehension at the thought of their future together.

    As they stepped towards the door together, hand in hand, he couldn''t help but wonder what other surprises awaited him beyond the trials.

    "That being said, I''m just a recreation of memories and alternate scenarios from the ???, so I''ll never actually know whether you followed up on your promise. Still, I''m happy. Happier than ever, and I believe the true me will be even more so."

    "..."

    Yomite was taken aback by Barbara''s revtion.

    "Wait, so how does that work exactly? Can you exin it to me in a detail? I''m quite interested in how this trial worked behind the scenes. I do know a bit from what I deduced, but it''s not much."

    Barbara nodded her head, smiling.

    "Of course, Yum-Yum. The trial is designed to test your mental and emotional resilience by creating various scenarios based on your memories and the people you know, with the intent to show you everything you''re scared of to some degree. Each entity you encounter in the trial, like me, is a reflection of the thoughts, emotions, and desires of the person they represent. We''re not the real individuals, but we''re shaped by your experiences and feelings towards them, just like their experiences and feelings towards you."

    Yomite furrowed his brow, trying to understand theplexity of the trial. "So, every entity I''ve encountered here was created based on my memories and emotions, right? Doesn''t that mean that if I had no one I cared about, nothing would appear in this trial?"

    Barbara shook her head. "Not exactly, Yum-Yum. The trial evaluates how well you can adapt, make decisions, and deal with difficult emotional situations involving the people you care about, however, that includes your fears. Fear of death, fear of animals, fear of hunger and so on. There is always something you fear deep down. The trial is a way to test your strength of character and your ability to handle the challenges that life throws at you. If a person with no fear or connections to society entered this trial, all he would find is the exit door without even needing the key, instantly passing. Such person has never appeared so far, but I deduce this would happen."

    Yomite mulled over the information, feeling intrigued, "Do you perhaps know who put all of these trials here in the Spiral Abyss? I heard some weird message pop up, when Fake Venti was about to disappear, who was talking back then?"

    Barbara hesitated, her expression turning serious.

    "I''m sorry, Yum-Yum, but I cannot reveal that information. The origins and purpose of the Spiral Abyss and its trials are a closely guarded secret, known only to those who have been entrusted with it."

    Yomite''s curiosity only grew with Barbara''s refusal to disclose the information. However, he knew he wouldn''t be able to get it out of her. There was bound to be some bullshit anime filter that would prevent her from speaking or something, it always happened to main characters when they were about to know the truth of the world or more information about the final viin of an arc...

    "Thanks, Barbara. For everything. Mostly for leading me to the door without trying to kill me again... I really appreciate that. I''ll make sure to cherish the time we had together and do my best for the Real Barbara too."

    Barbara''s eyes filled with tears, but she smiled through them. "That''s all I could ever ask for, Yum-Yum. I''m grateful for the time we shared, and I know the other me will be even more grateful for the love and support you''ll give her." she smiled warmly as she slowly began to fade into the air. "Remember, Yum-Yum, always take care of the girls around you."

    As her image disappearedpletely, Yomite sighed and faced the door. He reached for the key he was given by Venti before, and with a slight hesitation, he inserted it into the keyhole.

    ***

 Chapter 359: Not Again!

    As Barbara''s image disappearedpletely, Yomite sighed and faced the door. He reached for the key he was given by Venti before, and with a slight hesitation, he inserted it into the keyhole.

    The door creaked open, revealing not an exit but an elevator.

    "An elevator? Seriously?" Yomite groaned, feeling a wave of annoyance wash over him. He had been afraid of elevators ever since that fateful day, and the thought of stepping inside one after such an emotionally draining trial was not a pleasant prospect.

    Once he clicked the button to call the elevator, it slowly descended to his floor, opening up.

    As it did, Yomite immediately frowned.

    "Are you fucking...kidding?"

    It was as if a nightmarish scene from a horror movie hade to life before his eyes. The once luxurious elevator had been transformed into a chamber of horrors, with blood and gore smeared across every surface.

    The walls, once adorned with intricate patterns and delicate artwork, were now sttered with dark red stains, as if someone had taken a paintbrush soaked in blood and flung it carelessly around the confined space. The once gleaming golden trim that framed the elevator was now tarnished and dull, obscured by the grime of violence.

    The floor was no better. A thickyer of coagted blood covered it like a macabre carpet, making it difficult to discern the original color beneath. Among the blood, bits of crushed organs and torn flesh were scattered haphazardly, as if a human body had been forcibly torn apart and thrown about the small space. Some of the organs were still identifiable �C a section of intestine here, a piece of lung there �C while others had been so mangled and crushed that it was impossible to determine what they had once been.

    The smell was overwhelming �C a potent mix of iron from the blood and the stench of decay, with a hint of something almost metallic. The air was thick and oppressive, making it difficult for Yomite to breathe without feeling nauseous. Thebination of the sights, smells, and the eerie silence that filled the elevator created an atmosphere of absolute dread.

    Despite the horrifying scene, Yomite noticed that the elevator''s single button was oddly untouched by the carnage. The polished gold buttons gleamed in the dim light, providing a stark contrast to the bloody chaos that surrounded them.

    Yomite took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. "Alright, Yomite, you can do this. It''s just an elevator, and you''ve faced far, far worse disgusting beings with giant penises today." He cautiously stepped inside, doing his best to ignore the tight feeling in his chest.

    The doors closed behind him, and the elevator began to ascend slowly. Yomite clenched his fists, his heart pounding as he attempted to keep his fear in check. He reminded himself that he had just navigated the trials and faced his worst fears, so he could surely endure a simple elevator ride.

    As the elevator ascended, it began to wiggle weirdly, causing Yomite to frown at the unsettling sensation. He gripped the railing tightly, his knuckles turning white as his heart raced.

    He looked below him at the remains of some human and suddenly had a thought, "That''s...not my old body, right...? If that''s the case, then it''s understandable why Sia had to make me a new body from scratch instead of just healing it...yikes..."

    *Screee!*

    Suddenly, the elevator came to an abrupt halt, and without warning, it plummeted downward at an rming speed. Yomite screamed, his terror reaching new heights as he clung to the railing for dear life.

    "I knew it would happen again! I hate elevators! I HATE THEM!" he shouted, his voice cracking with panic.

    The elevator continued to fall, and Yomite''s thoughts raced as he mentally prepared himself for the worst. Just as he began to lose hope, the elevator screeched to a stop, jolting him violently but ultimately sparing him from a disastrous fate.

    Gasping for air, Yomite cautiously opened his eyes and found himself on an unknown floor. The elevator doors creaked open, revealing a dimly lit hallway that stretched into the darkness. His heart still pounding from the harrowing experience, Yomite cautiously stepped out of the elevator and into the unfamiliar hallway.

    As Yomite''s eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed a figure further down the corridor. A woman, hidden within the shadows, her gaze fixed intently on him. Yomite felt an overwhelming pressure emanating from her, forcing him to his knees involuntarily.

    "Gah..!?"

    He tried to speak, but his voice failed him. It felt as if he put on the restraining bracelet once again.

    The mysterious woman appeared surprised at Yomite''s presence. "A new person attempting the trials after five hundred years? How intriguing," she mused, her voice low and melodic.

    She studied Yomite for a moment, her gaze piercing through the darkness. "You have made it this far, but your true test awaits you on thest floor," she informed him. "If you manage toplete every trial, we shall meet again."

    With those words, the enigmatic woman vanished, leaving Yomite alone in the dimly lit hallway. He struggled to process what had just transpired, his heart still racing from the unexpected encounter.

    As soon as the mysterious woman disappeared, the darkness that enveloped the area lifted as well, revealing the exit from the second trial. Yomite, relieved to have finallypleted the challenge, stepped outside.

    Little did he know that the challenges he had faced so far were just the very beginning, a small tip of the iceberg, and that his journey in the Spiral Abyss was far from finished.

    "Finally, back home..."

    However, as soon as he emerged from the trial, he noticed that something was amiss. He looked down at himself, only to realize that he was still in the body of a small boy. Despite having finished the trial, the debuff hadn''t disappeared!

    "Are you serious!? There is no way I''ll be a kid forever, right?

    Yomite couldn''t help but feel frustrated by this unexpected development. He had assumed thatpleting the trial would restore him to his normal self, but it seemed that the trials had more surprises in store for him.

    ncing at the ground, Yomite sighed in relief as he noticed his ymore lying nearby. Thankfully, it hade with him afterpleting the second trial. He couldn''t imagine having to go back to the location filled with those bizarre and unsettling "dick monsters."

    Lost in thought, Yomite was caught off guard by the sound of footsteps approaching. He looked up to see Lisa, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Ara, it seems you have passed the trial. Congrattions, my dear student."

    "Yeah, but...Why am I still like this? I thoughtpleting the trial would change me back to normal."

    Despite his sess, Yomite was clearly unhappy with his current situation, his frustration palpable.

    Lisa chuckled, evidently relishing Yomite''s predicament, "Well, it seems the trial had asting effect on you. But don''t worry, these effects should wear off eventually...I think."

    Yomite''s eyes widened in panic. "You think?! What if I''m stuck like this forever?!"

    Lisa simply shrugged, her grin never leaving her face. "Well, I suppose that''s just something you''ll have to live with. But look on the bright side �C you''ll get to experience the wonders of childhood all over again. Something I always wish for. Being an adult is depressing, you know. Once you grow up, you''ll find out."

    Yomite groaned, knowing that Lisa was teasing him, but was unable toe up with a witty retort.

    As they walked together, Lisa couldn''t resist teasing Yomite even further, "You know, I''ve always wondered what it would be like to have a little brother. I suppose now I can find out," she said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

    Yomite rolled his eyes, trying to ignore her yful jabs. "Hey, hold on a second. Don''t forget, I''m still a grown man stuck in a child''s body. I wouldn''t want you to underestimate me and end up losing your underwear to a little kid."

    With that Lisa, stopped. Her face lit up with joy as she let out peal after peal ofughter, her breathsing in short gasps.

    A tear glistened in her eye, and she chuckled softly, brushing it away. "You never fail to amuse me, Handsome," Lisa said, her voice rich with genuine delight.

    She leaned in close, the warmth of her breath tantalizing his ear as she yfully whispered, "But I''m not sure you''ll be able to manage that."

    Yomite''s face clouded with confusion. "What do you mean? Why wouldn''t I be able to do that? I can sneak around without a problem, especially in this small body of mine. It should be easy to steal."

    Lisa''s lips grazed his earlobe as she whispered seductively, "Because, at the moment, I''m not wearing any."

    "..."

    She pulled back, herughter as melodious as a symphony, reveling in Yomite''s stunned expression.

    Her hand rose to her lips, and she blew a teasing kiss in his direction, followed by a yful wink. "Caught you off guard, didn''t I?" sheughed, the sound dancing through the air.

    Yomite, recovering from his surprise, couldn''t help but join in herughter. "You certainly did," he admitted, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

    As herughter faded, Lisa gifted Yomite with a warm, heartfelt smile. "I cherish our yful banter, Handsome. It brings light to my day. I should savor these moments while I still can."

    Yomite''s brow furrowed. "What do you mean? ''While you still can''?"

    Lisa''s smile persisted, but she offered no exnation, leaving her words shrouded in mystery.

    "Hey, would you exin?"

    "..."

    "You aren''t nning on killing all of us or somethingter on, are you? Like doing some brutal experiments on us like on animals and then disposing of us...right...?"

    "..."

    Her eyes twinkled with mischief, and she seemed to relish in Yomite''s growing frustration.

    Sighing, he conceded, "Alright, if you don''t want to tell me, that''s fine. But don''teining to me if something goes wrong because you kept secrets."

    "Secrets?" she challenged. "Don''t you have things you''d never tell anyone, too?"

    He paused. "...True."

    Lisa''s enigmatic smile remained as she looked away, her gaze wandering over their surroundings. Yomite, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, decided to let the matter rest for now.

    ***

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