"I told you, my lady… that approach wouldn't work…" Thoma spread his hands helplessly while looking toward the folding screen.
"I'm leaving now."
Lumine turned around and started walking away.
"Ah, ah… wait!"
"Please… don't go just yet…"
"Mmm…"
Only after the footsteps outside the folding screen stopped did Kamisato Ayaka finally let out a sigh of relief.
"What is it?" Lumine turned back around, looking puzzled.
"I will arrange for you to meet the Raiden Shogun."
"But in return… I need you to help me fulfill three small wishes."
Ayaka's voice came softly from behind the folding screen.
"What wishes?" Paimon asked curiously.
"They concern… three people who lost their Visions…"
"Once you meet them, perhaps you'll understand…"
Ayaka then briefly explained the situations of the three people who had lost their Visions.
"A warrior who once protected his village."
"A former enforcer of the Vision Hunt Decree."
"And a swordsman who once sought to become the greatest in the world, right?" Paimon repeated after listening to the explanation.
"That's correct. Please do your best to help them."
"I'll wait here for your return."
Ayaka nodded gently from behind the screen.
"I'll do it."
After a moment of thought, Lumine agreed.
"Hehe, then I leave it to you."
Ayaka let out a soft laugh.
"Good luck, partner!" Thoma crossed his arms and encouraged Lumine and Paimon.
"Mm… while we're helping these people…"
"Could you help us look for someone too?"
Lumine took a few steps forward, then suddenly remembered something and turned back around.
"What person?" Thoma asked in confusion.
"The guy who came off Beidou's ship with us."
"Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's consultant, Qiuqian."
Lumine explained while gesturing lightly.
"Mr. Qiuqian…"
Thoma rested a hand on his chin, trying to recall something.
"Mr. Qiuqian?"
"So there were more than just the two of you who came to Inazuma this time?"
Ayaka's puzzled voice sounded from behind the folding screen as well.
"Oh, I remember now!"
"Mr. Qiuqian was that young man with a very unique aura, right? The one without a Vision whom Beidou praised as being no less capable than Vision holders?"
Thoma finally remembered and smiled at Lumine and Paimon.
"And ridiculously handsome too," Xuehua added while watching the scene unfold, fully deserving her title as Qiuqian's number one fan.
["No less capable than Vision holders."]
[Why do I instantly start laughing whenever I see that sentence?]
"That's right, it's him." Paimon nodded.
"So Mr. Qiuqian already made it to Narukami Island?" Thoma asked.
"Uh…"
"We're actually not sure."
"Ever since he left that day, we haven't seen him again either."
Paimon thought for a moment before answering honestly.
"But there's a high chance he's already on Narukami Island," Lumine added.
"So you really haven't seen him since then?"
"That's troubling. Narukami Island has plenty of Nobushi and monsters wandering around."
"If Mr. Qiuqian runs into them, he could be in serious danger."
Thoma frowned thoughtfully, resting a hand against his chin.
Thinking back to how scholarly and refined Mr. Qiuqian had looked, it was hard not to worry.
The moment they heard that, Lumine and Paimon exchanged strange looks, both clearly trying not to laugh.
"Hahahaha! What are those expressions on Lumine and Paimon's faces?! This is killing me!" Xuehua burst into laughter while watching the screen.
[I can't do this anymore, I'm dying of laughter.]
[Thoma's actually worried about Brother-in-law Qiuqian. He really cares, I'm crying.]
[Nobushi and monsters: Huh? Are you sure you're talking about us?]
["Mortal danger."]
[I'm losing it.]
[Lumine and Paimon after hearing Thoma → trying desperately not to laugh.]
"What's with those looks?" Thoma stared at their strange expressions in confusion.
"N-Nothing."
"Don't worry, Thoma. Qiuqian's really strong."
"Even if something happened to us, nothing would happen to him."
Paimon spread her hands while explaining confidently.
Lumine nodded in complete agreement.
"Mr. Qiuqian is really that powerful?"
"Even you two, who defeated Stormterror and fought the God of Vortex, speak so highly of him?" Thoma asked in disbelief.
"Thoma, it's not that we're looking down on you…"
"But even ten of you combined probably couldn't beat Qiuqian."
Paimon spread her hands and shook her head.
"That's still underselling it."
Under Thoma's increasingly complicated expression, Lumine carefully sized him up before calmly adding three words.
"Way underselling it."
"Hey now, partner, that's way too insulting!"
"I'm pretty strong too, you know!"
"Don't underestimate me that much!"
Thoma widened his eyes while looking at the two of them teaming up to compare him with Mr. Qiuqian.
"We're already giving you plenty of credit," Paimon replied smugly with her arms crossed.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Lumine's 'way underselling it' was way too funny!"
Xuehua laughed so hard she slapped her own thigh repeatedly.
The livestream chat instantly exploded with messages like "I'm dying," "LMAO," and endless spam.
["Way underselling it."]
[No disrespect intended.]
[They're already thinking highly of him.]
[Thoma: Wait, could ten of me actually survive two exchanges against Brother-in-law Qiuqian? Am I really that strong?]
[Thoma, Paimon already gave you a huge power-up there.]
[Hahaha, ten? I doubt even a hundred would be enough.]
"Mr. Qiuqian…"
"May I ask what his reason for coming to Inazuma is?"
After listening quietly from behind the folding screen, Ayaka finally couldn't help asking.
"Mm…"
"To sightsee?"
Lumine spread her hands and answered honestly.
"T-To sightsee?"
Ayaka froze for a moment, unable to comprehend it.
J-Just to admire the scenery…
That Mr. Qiuqian snuck all the way into Inazuma from distant Liyue for something like that?
"Ah…"
"Alright then, partner. I'll do my best to help you search for Mr. Qiuqian."
Sensing that his lady had been completely stunned speechless, Thoma nodded helplessly toward Lumine and Paimon.
"Then we'll leave it to you."
Lumine and Paimon smiled and thanked him.
Afterward, the two of them left the room together and headed outside the Yashiro Commission estate.
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