"Sigh, another [Heroic Spirit] has appeared in the southern region. That's the sixth one today, isn't it?"
"The number of [Heroic Spirits] appearing lately is increasing. I heard a few of them have killed many people by relying on their strength. Even when the Liyue Qixing personally led the suppression, two of them still escaped."
"It's been like this ever since that day. When will this ever end?"
Several Millelith soldiers chatted among themselves as they hurried along.
"Alright, alright, talk less."
"Speed up. If that [Heroic Spirit] also harbors ill intentions, the nearby civilians will be in danger."
"Yes, Captain!"
Hearing this, the Millelith soldiers' discussion quieted significantly. Although their bodies were already exhausted, they still maintained a relatively fast pace.
Before long, the Millelith soldiers arrived at the location where the [Heroic Spirit] had appeared.
Upon arriving at their destination, the Millelith Captain took a compass from his robes. This was the final artifact left by Cloud Retainer that could detect [Heroic Spirit] fluctuations.
Although [Heroic Spirits] appeared no different from ordinary people, there were still some distinctions. Their soul fluctuations were slightly more pronounced than those of ordinary people. Perhaps many people were unable to perceive these differences in their senses, but for this artifact, it was particularly obvious.
Soon, after the Millelith Captain clearly saw the direction on the compass, he immediately led the others toward the indicated direction.
Along the way, this Millelith squad also evacuated the civilians on the streets. On one hand, it was for their safety; on the other hand, it could also reduce interference with their duties.
Before long, this Millelith squad finally arrived near the signal source. The Millelith Captain looked at the building in front of him, and his expression changed.
"Damn, it's actually inside Wanmin Restaurant! Chef Mao is in danger!"
"Damn it, why would they target Wanmin Restaurant? If I can't eat such affordable and delicious food again in the future, what's the point of my life?!"
"Enough! Everyone, keep your voices down. Don't let them realize we've noticed they're holding hostages!"
After hearing this warning, the expressions on everyone else's faces immediately turned much more serious.
It was currently mealtime, and Wanmin Restaurant was crowded with diners. The slightest mistake could lead to another tragic incident.
"Captain, what do we do now?"
A Millelith soldier asked nervously.
The Millelith Captain pondered for a moment, then issued his orders.
"You, go notify Lady Yuheng. The rest of you, stay with me and secure the perimeter."
"Direct the diners to eat elsewhere, then wait for the civilians currently inside Wanmin Restaurant to come out."
"If the target emerges from Wanmin Restaurant, we strike immediately."
"If the target remains inside, we strike the moment Lady Yuheng arrives."
The Millelith Captain quickly finalized the plan, refusing to launch a reckless assault. They were responsible for the lives of the civilians.
Although the enemy might not have malicious intent, they had to be prepared for the worst.
Shortly after the orders were given, the Millelith squad secured every intersection around Wanmin Restaurant, their gazes fixed intently on the building.
It was mealtime, and the Millelith had been working all morning. Their stomachs were already completely empty. As the fragrant aromas wafted from Wanmin Restaurant, they couldn't help but swallow hard, one after another.
Grumble, grumble...
Hearing the sound behind him, the Millelith Captain turned around and glared at his subordinate.
A Millelith soldier was clutching his stomach, a polite yet awkward smile plastered on his face.
"Captain, sorry, I didn't eat breakfast today..."
Grumble, grumble...
"Captain, that wasn't me this time!"
The soldier's expression changed as he hastily shook his head and waved his hands.
"Ahem, alright. I haven't eaten either. I'll try to keep it under control."
The Millelith Captain cleared his throat twice before turning back around.
The soldier breathed a sigh of relief, but soon noticed something strange.
Wait a minute, that sound just now seemed to come from the Captain's direction, didn't it?!
But he quickly dismissed the thought, because the sound of grumble, grumble was already echoing all around him.
"So, none of you ate breakfast?"
The Millelith Captain finally couldn't hold back and turned around to ask again.
"Captain, please, you personally banged on our doors at six o'clock this morning to wake us up. We've been working nonstop ever since. How were we supposed to have time for breakfast?"
Hearing this somewhat resentful voice, the Millelith Captain smiled awkwardly and turned back around.
But this time he noticed something, and his brow furrowed deeply.
"Have you seen anyone leaving Wanmin Restaurant?"
Hearing the Millelith Captain's question, the others froze for a moment, then their expressions all changed drastically.
"Oh no, could it be...!"
Now no one could hold back. After all, it was extremely unusual that no one had come out of Wanmin Restaurant for so long. Perhaps that newly appeared [Heroic Spirit] had already made a move!
"Save them!"
With the order given, the Millelith could not wait for Keqing to arrive to support them and surrounded Wanmin Restaurant directly.
However, when they saw the situation inside Wanmin Restaurant, they found it to be very different from what they had imagined and were instantly baffled.
"Holy crap, another bowl!"
"That's the 50th bowl, right? Is this little girl's stomach connected to another dimension?"
"Watching this has even given me an appetite. Chef Mao, bring out two more of your signature dishes!"
"Stop it, sister! You already weigh two hundred jin, you can't eat any more! Didn't we agree to start our diet today?"
"You misheard me. I said we'd start tomorrow..."
The Millelith Captain's confusion grew as she listened to the commotion coming from Wanmin Restaurant. She gestured for the others to stay back and entered the restaurant with only two subordinates.
By this time, most of the diners had finished their meals, but none of them had left. Instead, they were all crowded around a particular spot, occasionally letting out gasps of amazement.
The Millelith Captain flashed her badge and forced her way to the front of the crowd. The scene before her left her utterly stunned.
There sat a young woman with golden hair so beautiful it was breathtaking. Her petite frame was clad in bright silver armor that radiated a heroic aura.
The most striking feature was the ahoge on her head, which seemed to stand as a testament to her indomitable will—no, the most striking feature was the five or six stacks of empty bowls and plates piled high on the table before her.
The young woman was still eating. Her posture was elegant, but her speed was terrifying. Every few dozen seconds, another empty bowl or plate appeared on the table, making the Millelith Captain's eyelid twitch uncontrollably.
She can eat way too much!
Without a doubt, this young woman was their target.
Seeing that the target hadn't taken any hostages, the Millelith Captain secretly breathed a sigh of relief. However, she still revealed her identity to the others and told them to leave first.
Although the target didn't seem to harbor any ill will for now, the safety of the people's lives was at stake, and they couldn't afford to be careless.
"Captain, should we move in now?"
A Millelith soldier whispered softly into the Captain's ear.
"Wait a moment. Since she hasn't shown any aggression, let's wait until she finishes eating."
"As Liyue people, as long as a visitor doesn't come with ill intent, they are our guest. Covering a meal is no problem at all."
"But Captain, are you sure covering the meal is okay?"
The Millelith soldier pointed to the empty bowls and plates on the table, and the Millelith Captain fell silent.
"Did... did Lady Yuheng say we could reimburse the meal expenses before?"
The Millelith Captain's voice trembled slightly.
"She didn't seem to say anything about that..."
After hearing this, a hint of despair appeared in the Millelith Captain's eyes.
"Captain, Lady Yuheng is here!"
At this moment, hearing the voice from behind, the Millelith Captain's eyes burst with an astonishing light.
"Quick, quickly let Lady Yuheng in!"
Keqing, holding the Lion's Roar, walked into Wanmin Restaurant from outside. Her sharp gaze swept across the situation inside Wanmin Restaurant, and then her pupils quaked. She almost couldn't hold the Lion's Roar in her hand steadily and dropped it on the ground.
She can eat so much, yet still maintain such a good figure?
No, today's incident must not spread. Otherwise, who knows how many two-hundred-pound little fairies will commit suicide to become [Heroic Spirits].
Seeing that the other party didn't seem like a bad person, Keqing put away the Lion's Roar in her hand and then walked forward.
"Lady Yuheng!"
Seeing Keqing, the Millelith soldiers immediately spoke respectfully.
"Since I'm here, the three of you will stay. Everyone else, return to your posts and await orders."
Just as Keqing's words fell, the stomachs of the three people before her let out strange growls.
The three were about to agree, but this scene made their faces flush with embarrassment.
Keqing was slightly stunned for a moment, then placed her hand on her own stomach, which was also completely empty.
She had been so busy lately that she was spinning in circles, and eating meals at irregular times had already become a common occurrence.
Before this, she was too busy to think about this point, but now that she saw the girl eating so deliciously, her own stomach felt a bit hungry too.
Thinking that the Millelith had also been incomparably busy recently, Keqing shook her head, then raised her hand.
"Everyone, eat lunch before you leave."
Hearing Keqing's words, everyone's faces lit up with joy, and then they thanked her repeatedly.
After doing this, Keqing then walked toward the girl and sat down in front of her.
Keqing didn't even hurry to ask about the other person's background, just quietly watching her rapidly devour the food in front of her.
Clearly, these were very ordinary meals on other days, but at this moment, under the other person's blissful expression, they seemed to have become exceptionally delicious. Keqing couldn't help but swallow several times in a row.
"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle..."
A strange sound came from Keqing's stomach. Keqing was stunned first, then her face instantly turned bright red.
This is a bit embarrassing!
Fortunately, the onlookers at the scene had all been evacuated... Wait a minute, she seemed to have called all the Millelith who were executing the mission to Wanmin Restaurant to eat.
Doesn't that mean the other people noticed the commotion just now?!
Thinking of this, Keqing wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"Are you hungry too?"
"Eat up."
The other person suddenly spoke. Her voice was very pleasant, flowing like a clear mountain spring, but the content of her words left Keqing a little bewildered.
Looking at the bowl of white rice the other person handed over, as well as the several dishes pushed over to her side of the table, Keqing blankly took the bowl.
"...Thank you."
"It's all right, hunger is a great enemy!"
The young girl waved her small fist at Keqing with a serious expression, the ahoge on her head seeming to stand even straighter. This scene dealt an even greater shock to Keqing's heart.
However, at this moment, Keqing was completely caught up in the other person's rhythm.
"Oh, okay."
Keqing picked up her bowl and started eating, then her heart shook violently.
No, she wasn't here to eat, she was here to send the other person back to the World of the Dead.
But... the food today is really fragrant!
Seeing Keqing start to devour the food, the Millelith were completely stunned.
Good grief, she fell for it so quickly!
But soon, the Millelith also started to eat rapidly.
Her appetite greatly stimulated, Keqing quickly finished two bowls of rice. Just as she was about to add a third bowl, she suddenly snapped awake.
No, what was she doing, how did she start devouring the food?!
Fortunately, at this time, the young girl also put down her one hundredth empty bowl, then wiped her mouth elegantly like a noble, but the words from her mouth almost made Keqing fall straight under the table.
"I need to hold back when I'm out in public. I'll just eat until I'm half full this time."
Hearing the girl's mutterings, Keqing seriously wondered if she was even human, or perhaps some ancient Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Keqing took a deep breath and then expressed her goodwill to the girl.
"Hello, I am Yuheng, one of the Liyue Qixing. My name is Keqing."
"Judging by your attire, are you from Mondstadt?"
"Mondstadt?"
Upon hearing Keqing's words, a look of confusion crossed the girl's face.
"I've never heard of it. Liyue and the Liyue Qixing as well, I've never heard of them before."
"I suppose I might not be from this world."
Seeing that the girl had such a clear understanding of the situation, Keqing sensed that she was no ordinary person.
"I am Artoria Pendragon, a... knight of Ancient Britain," Artoria said after a moment's hesitation.
Obviously, Keqing had never heard of where Ancient Britain was either. It was basically certain that she came from another world.
Many of the "Heroic Spirits" who had appeared recently were from other worlds, so Keqing quickly accepted this fact.
If she was a knight, it basically confirmed she posed no threat. With this thought, Keqing felt much more at ease.
Just then, Artoria stood up and walked toward the back of the restaurant to pay the bill.
"That'll be 30,000 Mora in total. I've already rounded down the change."
Chef Mao wiped the sweat from his forehead. With Xiangling away, he had no one to assist him and had nearly fainted from exhaustion.
He truly couldn't understand how this young lady, with her slender and well-proportioned figure, had managed to eat so much.
Upon hearing Chef Mao's words, Artoria nodded. She then reached into the air to grab something, but when nothing happened, she froze in astonishment.
After a moment, Artoria snapped back to her senses and spoke with a hint of embarrassment.
"My apologies. For some reason, I cannot retrieve my belongings. It seems I am temporarily unable to pay for the meal."
"If you are willing, I can stay and work off the debt."
Hearing Artoria's words, Chef Mao's mouth twitched.
If he actually kept her, he feared he'd be so exhausted he'd ride a crane to the Western Paradise within a few days.
I spent all this effort making you so much delicious food, and you're trying to ruin me?!