In front of the Deer Hunter Restaurant in Mondstadt.
The Deer Hunter, which operated in a semi-open-air style, hadn't been hit too hard by the Dragon Calamity.
It was still open for normal business.
Su Xuan had some everyday edible items on hand, but as a traveler, it was only natural to enjoy the local cuisine and blend in with the customs.
"Boss, one order of Glazed Carrot Roast." Su Xuan glanced at the menu and placed some Mora on the counter.
*Hmm... Let's see how this dish tastes—the one that Scout Knight Amber loves so much.*
After last night's encounter with Lisa, Su Xuan felt no psychological burden whatsoever. He thought it was all perfectly normal.
As Lisa had said, Su Xuan would never let any Diary holder slip through his fingers.
It was just a matter of using different approaches for different people.
Someone like Raiden Ei, an Archon of the mortal world, had a will far beyond the ordinary. Su Xuan's "deep exchanges" with her wouldn't cause her much mental strain.
But for girls with weaker wills and limited life experience, going too fast could backfire—potentially causing psychological issues and shooting himself in the foot.
If everyone were as sensible as Lisa, Su Xuan could save a ton of effort.
She had needs, and he could fulfill them. They boarded the ship first and bought the ticket later—her problems solved without making his kindness seem cheap.
Such interactions were perfectly reasonable.
Unfortunately, women like Lisa were rare. Otherwise, Su Xuan would have battled it out with Mondstadt's beauties tonight.
"Y-You... hello..."
As Su Xuan was digging into his meal, a weak, soft voice rang out.
He looked up.
A figure with golden and silver hair appeared before him.
Lumine blushed deeply as she stared at Su Xuan, while Paimon floated limply in the air beside her.
The two looked half-dead.
"Can I borrow some Mora from you temporarily? Paimon and I rushed all night and haven't eaten a thing yet." As she spoke, Lumine pulled out Su Xuan's Diary replica.
She held it in front of him like proof of her identity.
"Paimon and I don't know anyone in Mondstadt, and that bard who was tailing us along the way... who knows where he went."
"So..."
Lumine was inwardly frustrated.
After calculating everything, she realized the only person she could count as an acquaintance was the owner of this Diary replica.
"I'll pay you back once I have money." Lumine, her face flushed red, looked especially adorable.
Su Xuan held back a laugh and asked calmly, "By rights, you should have arrived in Mondstadt yesterday. Why did you head in the opposite direction?"
Hearing Su Xuan's question, Lumine's face turned even redder.
"Afraid I'm some god from Celestia come down to catch you?" Su Xuan finally couldn't hold back his laughter.
Lumine: "..."
"Uh, you knew all along." Lumine awkwardly scratched her head.
After Su Xuan's telekinesis lock-on last night, Lumine had finally dispelled her earlier suspicions.
This man before her was far too powerful. If he'd meant her harm, she'd have been done for ages ago.
"Alright then. Since you've come to me proactively with the Diary replica, there's no need for us to act like strangers."
"It's just a meal—nothing serious. Consider it my treat."
"Order whatever you and Paimon want." Su Xuan smiled generously.
Paimon, on the verge of starving unconscious, lit up at Su Xuan's invitation to eat her fill.
"I knew someone as amazing as Su Xuan wouldn't be stingy!" Paimon looked at him gratefully. "Then I'm really ordering!"
Lumine shot Su Xuan a grateful glance too.
*This Diary replica is like a badge of identity,* she thought. *Even though it's my first time meeting Su Xuan, it feels like we're old friends.*
Once the food arrived, Lumine and Paimon's ravenous devouring stunned Su Xuan.
He couldn't resist opening the Diary to record.
[Lumine and Paimon.jpg]
[Sigh. Seeing them scarf down their food like this suddenly fills me with emotion.]
[On the Teyvat Continent, there are all sorts of helplessness and suffering for others.]
[Lumine is like me—a traveler from beyond this world. On her future path, she'll witness the helplessness and pain of Teyvat's inhabitants.]
[But in my eyes, isn't she herself a form of helplessness and pain?]
[She wanted to travel with her sibling, but they got ensnared by someone's schemes. In the end, both siblings were sealed away by the Heavenly Principles' enforcer as they parted.]
[Five hundred years later, she awakens powerless, her sibling gone, left to travel alone with a little glutton.]
[A rootless wanderer, braving wind and rain, yet still holding onto kindness, helping others along the way.]
[Of course, sometimes, driven by incomplete info and her good intentions, she'll do things she'll regret once she learns the truth.]
[But you can't deny her willingness to help.]
"Mm!" Lumine froze.
Last night, upon realizing the "Yellow Hair Aunt" was herself, she'd skimmed Su Xuan's Inazuma updates.
Besides nearly getting chopped by the Raiden Shogun, there was something crucial: during Khaenri'ah's fall, it mentioned [Yellow Hair Aunt's sibling used as an Abyss vessel].
Su Xuan definitely knew about Kong.
Paimon kept scarfing away, oblivious to the Diary update.
Lumine's heart raced with excitement at Su Xuan recording her story, but the calm girl didn't interrupt. She ate while waiting for more.
After all, with Su Xuan focusing on her, he was bound to mention Kong.
[Lumine has no idea that while she and Paimon wander Mondstadt, her sibling Kong has actually been watching her from the shadows all along.]
Lumine: "!?"
Kong—he was in Mondstadt!?
[Sadly, the siblings won't travel together like they once did.]
[Take Mondstadt's current Dragon Calamity. Dvalin's rampage is mainly due to Abyss corruption.]
[But it shouldn't be this bad.]
[The Abyss Order's mental influence on Dvalin was key.]
[Their goal: use Dvalin to attack Mondstadt and draw out Wind God Barbatos to save him.]
[Mainly to distract Barbatos from Mondstadt, paving the way for an invasion.]
[Speaking of which, this Abyss Order feels seriously unhinged.]
[Use Dvalin to lure Barbatos away, then attack Mondstadt with a bunch of hilichurls? It gets shut down without a ripple by the Knights.]
[And this was with Jean and Diluc absent—the hilichurl horde under Abyss Order control got crushed effortlessly.]
[I really can't figure out what the Abyss Order was trying to prove with this op.]
Lumine's brows furrowed deeply.
Su Xuan had just been talking about Kong—why pivot to the Abyss Order?
But Lumine didn't think Su Xuan was babbling nonsense. Her woman's intuition screamed trouble.
[Oh, forgot to mention.]
[The one orchestrating this? The Abyss Order's leader—the Prince of the Abyss Order.]
[The Prince's true identity: Lumine's sibling, Kong.]
Lumine: "!!!"