Chapter 161: Himeko: Welt, I didn't think you were still so polite
「 "This… could he be…?"
"No, that's not right… Impossible, huff…"
As his mind caught up, Welt's chest heaved rapidly, his taut muscles gradually relaxing after a long moment.
…This was March 7th, not Luocha himself.
He had to admit, he'd been genuinely startled. The moment Luocha spoke, Welt had actually believed he was conversing with the real man. That instant of oppressive weight and suffocating dread had dragged him back to the feeling of clashing with Otto.
The moment Luocha opened his mouth, the very essence of Otto was undeniably present.
The evening breeze brought a biting chill, and only then did Welt belatedly realize that in the mere span of Luocha's single sentence, the clothes he had just changed into were once again drenched in cold sweat.
.....
("Cough, cough, cough… Isn't it better if it's smooth?" March 7th cleared her throat.)
(Welt: "We need to try and explain what Luocha did in two hours, but even circling this area twenty times wouldn't take two hours.")
(March 7th Suddenly understood: "That's true… Then his journey must have been far more perilous than I imagined. Alright, let's re-enact the scene from the beginning.")
Returning to the starting point, Luocha found himself facing a goldfish monster.
The creature actually spoke in the human tongue: "RAAAAWWWWWRRRRR! You look like a tasty morsel! Those who dare to enter here must face a delicious fate!"
Though Welt wasn't sure why March 7th's imagined monster could speak, Luocha nonetheless engaged the creature in battle.
The fantastical Luocha, a master of swordsmanship, dispatched it with swift efficiency. But after the fight, he brushed the dust from his white robes and spat with a hint of revulsion: "Tsk, what a nuisance. What are all these enemies doing on the Luofu!?"
(Trailblazer: "March 7th, explain yourself.")
("Uh…" March 7th stammered, as if a frog had leaped into her mouth: "It's becaaaause... because, because, because...")
(Welt sighed: "…March, we can wait while you develop the plot; you don't have to force a battle." )
Welt didn't believe that before the Ambrosial Arbor'sresurrection,the Luofu would possess dangerous zones rife with black market dealings and rendezvous points for dangerous individuals. However, given the difficulty in imagining what specific hardships Luocha might have encountered, he decided to provisionally accept that Luocha met many monsters here.
("Hmm… It's barely plausible," Welt nodded.) 」
「 .....」
〜Genshin Impact World〜
"Wait…! How is any of this plausible?!"
Though she didn't quite grasp it all, Furina was profoundly shocked:
"Before the Ambrosial Arbor's resurrection, would there really be dangerous zones full of automatons on the Xianzhou Luofu? And in a military-critical area, no less! Did Luocha absolutely have to come here to trade for a Stellaron?!"
"Seriously, this is way too forced?!"
"I don't see any obvious flaws, actually."
Navia, standing nearby, seemed quite approving:
"Lady Furina, if you think about it carefully, it's perfectly reasonable to have automatons guarding a military-critical area, isn't it? How could the Luofu possibly foresee a 'blind spot' right under their noses?"
"What about the buyer then? Luocha can pick the locks of a restricted area, but does the buyer also have to be a master locksmith?"
Furina felt her face beginning to flush.
"We now know the person using the Stellaron is Phantylia, so are you suggesting… that Miss Tingyun, whom she impersonated, would come to a place like this to buy a Stellaron from Luocha?"
"Of course,"
Navia said with a straight face.
"If Miss Tingyun dared to buy a Stellaron on the Xianzhou, what's so surprising about her knowing how to pick a lock?"
"Hiss…"
Furina gasped, raising both hands in surrender:
"Alright, alright, there are too many plot holes for now… Let's just keep watching."
—
「 "I wonder who this mysterious buyer interested in the Stellaron could be…" Luocha mused to himself, spotting a figure standing in a secluded spot in the distance. "The buyer is waiting for me there; I should go check the situation."
As Luocha drew closer, the figure also stepped out from the shadows, and once they reached a brightly lit area, everyone finally saw that the person was…
Welt!
Welt (Fake) stood with his hands on his hips, letting out a disdainful "Hmph," and imperiously addressed Luocha: "Halt. What are you doing here?"
(Trailblazer's expression twisted: "Why is it Uncle Yang?")
("No, this is the Tea Society's gatekeeper, 『 Pu'er 』," March 7th patiently explained. "The members of the Tea Society all have codenames based on different types of tea.")
Welt (Fake) struck an even more obnoxious pose, tilting his head back, and asked with even greater arrogance: "Hey, I'm talking to you, kid! What are you doing here?"
(Welt found it a bit hard to bear: "Can you make him speak more politely…")
("Oh, oh, alright," March 7th quickly adjusted.)
Welt (Fake) maintained his hands-on-hips stance: "Excuse me, sir! May I ask whether you're here on business, or...?"
(Welt pressed a hand to his forehead, unable to watch: "…Never mind, just leave it.")
「 .....」
〜Honkai: Impact 3rd World〜
"Pfft.... Hahahahaha…!"
Himeko couldn't help but clutch her stomach, instinctively pulling out her phone and furiously snapping screenshots of the light screen.
She then sent them one by one to Welt, along with a message:
"Welt, I never realized you were so polite?"
"…Thank you, I've always been polite."
On the other end of the screen, Welt, also watching the light display, had a face whose features were practically twisted into a knot.
Himeko continued typing with relish:
"Want to come out for a coffee? I'm with Kiana and the others; want to join us for a 'critique'?"
"…I think you just want to gang up and laugh at me, don't you?"
"Sorry, haha, I swear I won't laugh… unless I can't help it."
The thought of hearing such lines from the usually staid and composed former Anti-Entropy Leader was as amusing as Luocha's entire charade. It would be a true pity not to witness Welt's contorted expression firsthand.
—
「 Luocha calmly stated, "I've come to deliver something. I must personally hand it to your boss. Please connect me with them."
Welt (Fake): "Delivery?… Ah, the boss has been waiting for you for a long time, but you need to prove your identity before I can let you see them."
(March 7th: "This is where that item comes into play.")
Luocha handed the first record to Welt, suddenly adopting a pitiful tone: "You see, I have elders above and children below; if I don't sell this Stellaron, my whole family will starve tonight… So, be a good chap and do me a favor, will you?"
(Trailblazer: "If Luocha's such an upstanding family man, shouldn't he have considered not stealing the Stellaron in the first place?")
(March 7th said with conviction: "This is Luocha's scheme, deliberately showing weakness to make the opponent drop their guard.")
Welt (Fake)'s tone rose a few notches as he decisively shook his head: "I can't do that. Why bother making rules if everyone can just ask for a favor?"
(Welt clicked his tongue in slight surprise: "This Pu'er, quite principled in his work…") 」
「 .....」