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Chapter 57: Lumine Sets Off
🕑 Added 2025-04-06 09:22:01 +0000 UTCCreak—
"Fan, you're back."
Lumine and Paimon, who were enjoying their lunch, instinctively looked up at the sound of the door opening. Seeing the familiar silver-haired boy finally return, Lumine put down her chopsticks and went forward to greet him.
"Yeah, I'm back," Yun Fan said, patting Lumine's head before sitting down at the dining table.
"Mmm, welcome back, Fan..." Paimon's mouth was stuffed full, making her words somewhat slurred as she tried to welcome Yun Fan.
"Alright, Paimon, keep eating. Don't talk for now," Yun Fan said, poking Paimon's bulging belly with his finger. It was quite elastic—when he let go, it bounced right back.
"Fan, things in Mondstadt are pretty much settled. I plan to set off tomorrow for Liyue to try and meet the Geo Archon," Lumine said, taking a deep breath as she spoke to Yun Fan, who was about to dig into his meal. Her eyes showed a mix of reluctance and relief.
Lumine had more or less figured out Yun Fan's relationship with Barbara, so she needed some time to let go of her feelings for him. After that, she would regard him as her closest friend and best travel companion.
"Ah, weren't we supposed to leave the day after tomorrow? Why the rush?" Yun Fan was a bit puzzled but didn't press further. After a moment of thought, he pulled out a large bag of Mora and a mask from his storage space.
"This bag contains one million Mora. You two go ahead to Liyue. I won't be able to look after you, so make sure you don't skimp on yourselves. Paimon, you hold onto the Mora. I'm afraid Lumine might be too reluctant to spend it," Yun Fan said, tossing the bag of Mora to Paimon.
"No problem... Ah!" Paimon's eyes sparkled with greed as she reached out to catch the bag of Mora, only to be crushed under its weight, her eyes turning into spirals.
"Ahem, my bad," Yun Fan said, scratching his head awkwardly, which elicited a light laugh from Lumine.
"Take this mask," Yun Fan said, placing the mask in Lumine's hands. She held it up, examining it closely.
But judging by its craftsmanship, quality, and color, it seemed like just an ordinary mask—the kind you'd find at a street stall for a few Mora. Was there something special about it?
Lumine looked at Yun Fan with a questioning gaze.
"Consider it a token. If you encounter any unsolvable problems in Liyue, you can take this mask to the Yuheng, Keqing, at Yujing Terrace. She'll find a way to help you," Yun Fan explained.
Keqing? Another girl? Lumine thought to herself, but she nodded in agreement.
"I understand."
"Good," Yun Fan nodded, then added a final piece of advice. "Lumine, be careful in everything you do. Remember, caution leads to success, while recklessness often ends in failure."
"Alright, Fan, you can stop here. Once you've finished your business in Mondstadt, we'll meet again in Liyue."
At the gates of Mondstadt, Lumine waved goodbye to Yun Fan, who had come to see her off. Her face wore a soft smile, her eyes clear and bright. Her golden hair fluttered in the wind, adding a touch of vitality to the millennia-old girl.
"Alright, have a safe journey. Let's meet again in Liyue!" Yun Fan's hair was still a bit messy from waking up early. He waved back at Lumine with a smile, bidding her farewell.
"Whew, I didn't expect we'd be heading to Liyue so soon. So much has happened on this journey, Traveler," Paimon said, feeling like time had flown by. The day Lumine fished her out of the water felt like just yesterday.
"Yeah, it's been quite a winding and eventful journey," Lumine said, her eyes filled with nostalgia as a smile crept onto her lips.
"Right, right! Even though it's been tough, we've made so many friends, haven't we? And Yun Fan, he's been really good to us," Paimon said, her voice filled with a bit of cheerfulness.
"Yun Fan?" Lumine stopped walking on the bridge leading out of Mondstadt, resting her hands on the railing as she gazed at the crystal-clear lake below, lost in thought.
"Traveler, look, look!"
Paimon tugged at Lumine's clothes, snapping her out of her thoughts. Turning around, Lumine followed Paimon's pointing finger and saw a flock of plump pigeons leisurely pecking at breadcrumbs scattered on the bridge.
"Hehe, these pigeons are so fat, Traveler."
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a glance, both seeing the same mischievous spark in each other's eyes.
"Disappear!"
Lumine summoned a whirlwind, sweeping the unsuspecting pigeons into it and sending them flying to the other side of the bridge.
"Paimon, follow me!"
"Hehe, roasted pigeon..."
The two vanished from the bridge like the wind, leaving a young boy who had been about to feed the pigeons frozen in place, his hand hovering mid-air.
After a long pause, the boy let out a wail and began to cry.
"My pigeons!!"
"Lumine is heading to Liyue early, and she already knows that Morax isn't the god who took her brother. The plot is bound to change significantly, but that's what makes it interesting. If it were just an immersive playthrough of the Genshin Impact game, it would be too dull."
After seeing the two off, Yun Fan scratched his head, stretched vigorously, and then headed toward Wolvendom.
He was going there to test a theory. Initially, the Void Archives had told him that gaining the recognition of a god would grant him a chance to draw a reward. So, perhaps an Archon would work too, since the Seven are essentially powerful Archons.
But could Andrius, who was now just a remnant of his former self, still be considered an Archon?
"Razor, I'll help too..."
As Yun Fan trekked through the forest, he suddenly heard a familiar voice. With his keen senses and memory, he immediately recognized the owner of the voice—it was Klee.
Thinking of this, he quickly changed direction and headed toward the source of the voice. After all, what was a chance to draw compared to his adorable daughter?
"Please, stop!"
Klee and Razor were running through the forest, one after the other. Klee was happily dashing about, while Razor was chasing her in a panic.
Razor was filled with regret. He felt he should never have mentioned hunting wild boars to Klee. Now, this fiery little girl was determined to help him. The last time she "helped" with a hunt, she ended up burning down a large section of the forest, which still hadn't recovered.
And now, Klee was carrying her newly developed Jumpy Dumpty bomb. If it exploded, not only would today's hunt fail, leaving the wolf pack hungry, but another section of the forest might be burned down, likely angering the land's owner.
"Ah!"
The carefree Klee tripped over a branch, and the Jumpy Dumpty in her arms flew out, landing some distance away.
The bomb, as if triggered, began to tremble violently in the air, then expanded. Cracks appeared on its surface, and it started to emit a blinding white light.
