Night gradually fell, and the dim sky revealed the bright moon and scattered stars.
In the quiet wilderness, the road outside Liyue Harbor, though unpaved, was still quite wide.
By the roadside, a campfire had long been lit. Kaeya was turning a skewer over the flames, roasting a cleaned rabbit. Beside him, an easel stood upright. The white-clothed young man was painting the last remnants of the sunset in the western sky.
After a long while, the final stroke was completed.
Albedo glanced toward Liyue, his voice tinged with worry. "I wonder if Klee has caused any trouble in Liyue."
"Since she's with the Anemo Archon, it shouldn't be too bad," Kaeya shook his head, continuing to rotate the rabbit to ensure even roasting.
He was also very fond of Klee and mused, "I just hope she doesn't offend that gentleman."
"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Albedo rubbed his temples.
His little sister was too lively. Most of the trouble she caused was unintentional.
But knowing that didn't necessarily mean others would overlook it.
"Let's hope everything goes smoothly," Kaeya stared into the fire.
The flames crackled and popped.
Had his sworn brother already set off by now?
Whoosh—Ssshh—
The two turned their attention toward the end of the road.
The sound... seemed like something sizable and heavy was moving rapidly along the dirt path.
Where it made contact with the ground, the gravel crunched and rolled.
Before long, several beams of light shot toward them from the road's end.
"What's that?" Kaeya narrowed his eye.
Albedo observed carefully.
"It appears to be some kind of mobile vehicle. Its speed is quite fast—listen to the wind resistance and the sound of wheels moving rapidly over the ground..."
As Albedo analyzed, the headlights had already illuminated the two of them.
Kaeya glanced at the vehicle's speed and, with a grim expression, moved Albedo's easel to shield the campfire.
If dust kicked up, he didn't want to eat a mouthful of dirt.
Soon, the lead vehicle slowed down.
The angular machine decelerated until it came to a stop about ten meters away from them.
Then, a figure stepped out of the vehicle.
"Young Master Kaeya?"
Kaeya froze for a moment.
Under the light from the trailing vehicle, he recognized the person.
"Head Maid Adelinde?" Kaeya said in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Running into Young Master Kaeya is also quite unexpected for me," Adelinde replied.
It turned out that at noon, Diluc had instructed Adelinde to lead the group back to Mondstadt.
With 500,000 draws, pulling out a vehicle powered by combustion energy as a card reward wasn't unusual.
To return to Dawn Winery as quickly as possible, Adelinde had chosen to drive.
Originally planning to drive through the night, she hadn't expected to encounter someone familiar on the road!
"Is this also something from the Card Shop?"
Since it was an acquaintance, Kaeya didn't hold back. He patted the car's hood and remarked, "It feels very futuristic. What do you think, Albedo?"
Albedo observed for a moment before saying, "The construction is quite ingenious, but some parts feel abrupt. It must have been modified from its original design."
"Indeed, the combustion energy device is its special feature," Adelinde confirmed.
"Impressive. What's its top speed?" Kaeya asked.
"If road conditions permit, this off-road vehicle can reach up to 200 kilometers per hour."
"200 kilometers per hour?!"
Kaeya clicked his tongue. "At that speed, we're only about a day and a half away from Liyue Harbor, right?"
Albedo nodded.
"Put that way, if we had this car, we could reach Liyue in just a few hours?" Kaeya's expression turned somewhat strange.
Three hundred kilometers in a day and a half wasn't particularly difficult for him and Albedo, both Vision bearers.
But with this comparison, the speed difference became glaringly obvious.
Three hundred kilometers—if you could drive, who would walk?
Adelinde nodded silently.
Having encountered the Card Shop, she had come across a saying:
Technology changes life.
At this moment, that phrase felt vividly real.
"Head Maid Adelinde, could we discuss something? Give us a ride?" Kaeya genuinely didn't want to walk anymore.
Adelinde hesitated.
"Young Master Kaeya, I should consult Master Diluc first before making a decision."
Kaeya rolled his eye.
Master, Young Master.
It sounded like they were a generation apart.
Adelinde called Diluc, and after a brief conversation, she hung up and said, "Young Master Kaeya, Master Diluc requests that you pay 3,000 Mora as fare."
Kaeya: "..."
"My sworn brother is truly heartless," Kaeya joked.
But deep down, he knew that if Diluc were truly that cold, the situation would be far more complicated.
"Split it half and half?" Kaeya looked at Albedo.
"Agreed," Albedo didn't refuse.
If they could ride, who would choose to walk?
Once settled, Albedo asked, "Did you see Klee in Liyue Harbor?"
"Spark Knight Klee?"
Adelinde nodded. "Yes, we've met."
"Did she cause any trouble?" Albedo asked with concern.
"No."
Adelinde shook her head. "Mr. Lu seems to like Spark Knight Klee very much. There are also two gentlemen in Liyue and a bard from Mondstadt who adore her."
A bard from Mondstadt?
Combined with the news that Klee had been taken by the Anemo Archon, Albedo and Kaeya deduced that the bard must be the Anemo Archon.
They just weren't sure who the other two gentlemen were.
"That's good."
Albedo wasn't entirely relieved, but at least his worries had lessened.
Who knew? Maybe they simply didn't bully children and would settle things quickly if needed.
"Let's go then. At this hour, there should still be restaurants open in Liyue Harbor," Kaeya said. "What a shame about my roasted rabbit."
Adelinde gave a slight bow. "If Young Master Kaeya wishes, we can take care of it for you."
Kaeya shrugged. "Alright, then please take us there, Adelinde. The others can rest here and wait for you to return."
"Understood, Young Master Kaeya."
A minute later, Kaeya and Albedo got into the car.
Adelinde turned the vehicle around and floored the accelerator, speeding toward Liyue Harbor.
Despite being a woman, Adelinde drove with surprising boldness.
As she drove, she recounted her experiences at the Card Shop to Kaeya and Albedo.
But when Kaeya asked what cards Diluc had drawn, Adelinde fell silent.
She had overheard fragments of the brothers' argument on that rainy night years ago. As a dutiful maid, she had left after hearing only a few lines and didn't know the full story.
But since Young Master Kaeya had chosen to leave Dawn Winery, certain matters had to remain confidential from him—even if many in Liyue Harbor already knew. It wasn't her place to speak of them.
Kaeya wasn't upset. He knew this was just how things were.
Besides, he had only asked casually.
He simply wanted to learn more about that mysterious shop and the unfathomable Mr. Lu.
The world had already introduced such variables.
Khaenri'ah, or perhaps the Abyss Order...
Kaeya didn't want to dwell on these thoughts.
He felt like a man caught in the middle.
Torn.
Lost.
Perhaps only when that day truly arrived would he take a step forward and choose a side.
Albedo noticed Kaeya's troubled mood but didn't pry.
The closer they got to Liyue Harbor, the more anxious he became.
Little sister, please don't cause any trouble. Otherwise, this time, your big brother Albedo might really struggle to clean up the mess for you...
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T/N:
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