Chenyu Vale, Qiaoying Village
Just after leaving Qiaoying Village, Nolan and Lumine's group encountered a caravan being robbed by hilichurls. After helping to drive them off, they were warmly thanked by the caravan.
One of the young guards introduced himself as Jiaming. As a bodyguard and a Vision holder, he naturally wasn't afraid of mere hilichurls, but he still expressed his gratitude for their aid. He offered that once he finished escorting the goods, he would guide them around Chenyu Vale.
"Great! Having a local as a guide will make things much easier for us," Paimon said cheerfully.
"And who was it that forgot who the real best guide in Teyvat is~?" Nolan teased with a grin.
"You—!" Paimon stomped furiously in midair at the jab, then turned to Lumine. "Look at him, always picking on me!"
Lumine crossed her arms and shot a disdainful look at Nolan.
"Alright, alright, my bad," Nolan conceded, then turned to Jiaming.
"In that case, we'll trouble you."
"No trouble at all. I happen to have another delivery headed that way," Jiaming replied with a smile.
"You all go on ahead—I'll see Uncle Yuanming and the caravan safely to the shop, then catch up."
"No problem," Nolan agreed with a nod.
With that, Jiaming departed with the merchants, while Nolan and the others set out again toward Yilong Wharf.
The distance between the two places was not insignificant. Now that they were in the automobile era, there was no need to trek the whole way on foot.
Driving would be faster—and more fun.
Since Jiaming needed some time anyway, Nolan had just enough opportunity to fetch a car.
He shared the idea with Lumine and Paimon, who both nodded slightly.
"Sounds good—then we'll leave that task to you," they said.
"Alright then." Nolan chuckled, then vanished, reappearing moments later at Ningguang's side.
The Merchant Association had plenty of new test vehicles, including a recently developed off-road "Adventurer's Special" model with exceptional terrain handling.
Perfect for him to put through its paces.
He stored the steam-powered off-road car in his Mindscape World, then teleported back to Lumine's side.
She and Paimon had walked to the edge of a clear river. A light mist rose from its surface, giving the scene an ethereal beauty.
"Come, let's get in," Nolan said, summoning the steam car. Its roof folded back into a convertible design that could be opened or closed at will, ready for any weather.
"Nice! Now that Paimon think of it, we've barely ridden in cars before," Paimon said excitedly as she zipped into the vehicle.
Only… instead of sitting, she hovered awkwardly above the seat.
"..." Nolan gave a speechless laugh. "So little Paimon wants to test whether she flies faster than the car runs?"
With the car in convertible mode, once it started moving she'd be left behind instantly—and at her flight speed, catching up would be nearly impossible.
"Hehe…" Realizing the issue, Paimon sheepishly settled into the seat.
"Let me drive," Lumine said, clearly intrigued.
"Sure—but let's wait for Jiaming first. Otherwise, he'll never catch up," Nolan replied with a nod.
"Mm. I'll just practice nearby in the meantime."
Though Lumine had never driven before, with her strength, a little practice was more than enough for her to master it completely.
After about ten minutes, Jiaming finally caught up, panting slightly:
"Phew… didn't expect you all to move so fast."
He sighed in relief when he saw them.
"Hmph! For adventurers, climbing mountains and crossing rivers is daily routine. Of course our pace is faster," Paimon said proudly, hands on her hips.
"I see… eh?" Jiaming nodded, thinking it was about the same for him as a bodyguard constantly traveling the wilds. But then his eyes widened as he spotted the steam car parked by the roadside.
"Is that yours? How come I didn't see it before? So cool!"
"Just picked it up," Nolan said, already starting his sales pitch.
"This is the newest model from the Sweet Flower Merchant Association. Exceptional off-road performance—perfect for someone like you, escorting caravans. If you're interested, I could even get you a hefty discount."
"Well… I'll pass for now. We bodyguards don't always get to decide whether to use a car. It mostly depends on the caravan or the merchants we're with," Jiaming replied, shaking his head.
He knew about the new steam cars being sold in Liyue Harbor. They ran on Pyro crystals—and as a Pyro Vision holder, he wouldn't even need to pay for fuel. For him, energy was free.
He was indeed interested, but the price was steep. Even if he could afford one by gritting his teeth, not having savings in his pocket left him feeling insecure. Better to wait until he had built up more funds—then he could buy the car he really wanted.
"No worries. I'll get you a purchase voucher from the Merchant Association sometime. Then you can buy one whenever you like," Nolan said with a smile.
"Haha, thanks then!" Jiaming accepted his goodwill.
"Alright, you two—get in already, stop dawdling!" Paimon called from the passenger seat, waving at them.
Lumine was already in the driver's seat, ready to go.
Nolan nodded, then climbed into the back with Jiaming. The Pyro-powered steam engine purred quietly to life.
With a hiss of exhaust and a spray of vapor, the car shot forward down the paved road.
As they traveled, Jiaming pointed out the landscapes of Chenyu Vale and shared knowledge about its many teas.
After speeding along for quite a while, nearly noon by then, they finally reached Yilong Wharf.
There was a Sweet Flower Chamber branch here, so they parked the car there. The branch staff could drive it back to Liyue Harbor later.
Once at Yilong Wharf, Jiaming helped them buy tickets for a ship departing at 2 p.m. toward Port Romanthe. Then, acting as a guide, he showed them around the wharf.
By around one o'clock, Jiaming took his leave—time to prepare for his own work. Thanks to the car, he had arrived far earlier than expected, but arriving early just meant starting early.
The sooner he completed his escort job, the sooner the client could rest easy.
After Jiaming left, Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon strolled around Yilong Wharf on their own. When it was nearly two, they headed to the docks and boarded their ship.
Nowadays, Chenyu Vale's passenger ships were also fitted with steam engines, making them much faster than before.
After several hours at sea, just as night was falling, they arrived at Port Romanthe.
(End of Chapter / Volume 6 : Grand Infrastructure Development Start!)
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