In Teyvat's wilderness, night was dangerous.
And in a place as dark as Whispering Woods, it was worse.
Caravans and travelers usually wouldn't keep moving after sunset.
Even setting monsters aside—Treasure Hoarders, or outright bandits, might be watching you.
If your group was small, it was easier to handle.
When Lumine and Paimon had traveled as a pair, if they couldn't find a hidden cave, they would simply sleep in trees.
But with more people, you had to set up camp.
So finding a suitable place to spend the night was something caravans and travelers had to begin preparing for before dusk.
Over time, Teyvat's wilderness ended up dotted with many known resting spots—some known only to merchant caravans, some only to travelers, adventurers, or certain groups, and some known to everyone.
As one of Mondstadt's most influential merchants, Diluc possessed hidden information on routes large and small across Mondstadt.
To him, such resting spots weren't secrets at all.
He didn't even use the Mondstadt Merchant Guild's general sites. He relied on intelligence from his own family's caravans instead—much safer that way.
"It's here," Diluc said, stopping beneath a tree.
A stream ran nearby, its water murmuring as it flowed.
Aside from the tree trunk being thicker than most, the place looked unremarkable—barely even "hidden."
"From up there, you can see movement all around," Diluc indicated.
The first rule of choosing a campsite wasn't concealment.
Once a caravan had enough people, trying to completely hide was basically treating bandits like idiots.
The real priority was defensive advantage—easy to hold, hard to assault, and quick to spot any movement nearby.
This tree was a natural lookout.
And at its base, it was easy to form a defensive posture and set simple traps around the perimeter.
It met every standard of a good resting spot.
Only when you were few—and knew you couldn't win against monsters or bandits—did you need to hide in the first place.
Kaito took out their adventuring supplies.
Noelle began setting up camp with practiced efficiency. She scattered a powdered repellent around the area to keep snakes and insects away.
She laid down moisture-proof mats, arranged sleeping bags, set up light-blocking panels, and then lit a fire inside that sheltered space—boiling water with smooth, familiar skill.
Her movements were flowing and pleasing to watch, as if she'd turned rough work into something elegant.
Finally, she unfolded a set of collapsible tables and chairs and set them beneath the tree.
She spread a delicate tablecloth—
and placed five refined teacups.
Under the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind, beneath the quiet moonlight—
Noelle stood to the side and poured tea for everyone after they sat down.
It felt like a tea party.
"Noelle is amazing…"
"Why does this feel like we're on a picnic?"
Paimon floated beside Lumine, holding her teacup with both hands, eyes wide in awe.
When had she and Lumine ever experienced outdoor living this luxurious?
"I want some too," Lumine said, dissatisfied.
Paimon had no choice but to hand the cup over so Lumine could take a sip.
By then, Noelle was already crouched by the fire, roasting mushroom-and-chicken skewers, brushing them now and then with seasoning she'd bought earlier.
"No wonder you wanted to bring Noelle," Diluc muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching.
He compared her to the servants in his own manor, and shockingly—this girl was even more thorough.
"Nonsense," Kaito said firmly. "I brought her to train."
Noelle eventually sat down as well. After everyone ate and drank their fill, she cleaned up neatly, then prepared to climb the tree and take watch.
"I'll take first watch!" Barbara said seriously. "I'm support, and I didn't help much in the fight earlier."
Noelle could only nod with a hint of regret.
"If these little things can make Kaito feel even a bit more at ease…" Noelle murmured softly.
She climbed into her sleeping bag with faint anticipation—and soon drifted off.
Beside her, Lumine and Paimon slept soundly too.
For a traveler, being able to fall asleep quickly was a good habit.
In another tent—
"This time… are we going to that place?" Diluc asked suddenly.
"Oh?" Kaito replied.
"You handed most of the hilichurls to Noelle, and only had Lumine deal with one sentry," Diluc said. "Judging by how you distributed the Ley Line energy… I'm not wrong. The next battles will be the same."
"You're planning to kill that monster… and let Lumine, like Fischl before her, reach her power ceiling there in one go."
"Since you've guessed it, go to sleep," Kaito said calmly. "When the time comes, I'll need you."
"Tch. You really know how to put people to work," Diluc muttered.
Inside his sleeping bag, his hand had already started sweating slightly.
Just thinking back to the last time he'd fought that kind of creature—
He still felt a lingering fear.
If Kaito weren't going with him, he would never volunteer to face something like that again.
The camp quickly sank into silence.
By the time the first rays of sunlight fell into Whispering Woods, the camp had already been packed up.
By noon, the group finally left the forest's boundaries and entered a wide plain.
In the distance, a vast stretch of blue came into view—
A huge lake resting in the center of the plain: Starfell Lake.
In the middle of the lake stood a tall statue.
One of Mondstadt's Statues of the Seven.
They didn't approach Starfell Lake. There were several hilichurl camps stationed near it.
Even if Kaito and Diluc fought, they couldn't clear them all quickly.
And even if they did, the Ley Line energy Lumine, Barbara, and Noelle would receive would be limited—hardly worth the effort.
They put on plains camouflage cloaks purchased from the Adventurers' Guild and skirted around Starfell Lake.
Before night fell, they arrived at the foot of a range of towering mountains.
Here, Noelle didn't dare light a fire like she had in Whispering Woods.
Everyone ate dry rations instead.
Even at the base of the mountains, they could faintly feel it—
The Ley Line energy in this region was unusually dense.
"A high-risk area," Barbara said, a trace of tension in her voice.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios