At nine o'clock in the evening, the off-road vehicle screeched to a halt in front of the hotel entrance.
Of course, Liyue Harbor had hotels too, though the local term for them was "inn."
Diluc stood at the entrance of the inn, his eyes calm and indifferent.
Kaeya stepped out of the vehicle, and the moment his gaze met Diluc's, he froze.
Something was different.
The feeling Diluc gave off was truly different now.
If there was anyone in Mondstadt who knew Diluc best, it was Kaeya.
The two had grown up together, only parting ways after the incident with Crepus.
Now, standing before Diluc and being scrutinized by his gaze, Kaeya felt as though he were being sized up by a predator. Though Diluc's aura was restrained, Kaeya knew—he had grown many times stronger.
Yes, the kind of growth measured in multiples.
Kaeya's lips twitched slightly as he steadied his emotions and greeted, "Good evening."
"I've made the arrangements," Diluc replied, not even glancing at Kaeya, instead nodding at Albedo.
"Thank you," Albedo said politely.
Though Diluc ignored him, Kaeya showed no surprise.
Some things had long been laid bare.
Diluc was cold toward him, no longer the brotherly figure he once was.
Still, Kaeya knew he had also been given a room.
Diluc was the type to act aloof but care deep down. If conflict between Mondstadt and Khaenri'ah—or the Abyss Order—became inevitable, then...
Even the coldest blade could be warmed against one's chest.
When it came to the death of their foster father, Kaeya still couldn't say whether he had truly moved on.
He could only wonder:
If Crepus' spirit truly watched from above, would he be satisfied with Kaeya's answer?
"Go inside. Eat. Rest," Diluc said flatly.
"Sure," Kaeya grinned, his usual playful self.
Diluc hated that look, but he couldn't be bothered to care.
Albedo knew a little about their story.
Though not blood brothers, they had once been closer than siblings—until they abruptly parted ways. There was undoubtedly a story there.
But since neither spoke of it, he didn't pry.
Fontaine, Court of Fontaine.
After her afternoon nap, Furina was still full of energy.
She crossed her arms and gave Lu Heng a challenging look.
Could he tolerate that?
Lu Heng absolutely could not.
Focalors smirked.
By her estimate, tomorrow would be about time.
Maybe she could get a good night's sleep tomorrow?
But thinking it over, a god's body didn't seem all that different from a mortal's.
Practice was the only way to know for sure.
Focalors resorted to last night's method—watching TV!
But watching alone was a bit boring.
She called over a Melusine on night duty to join her.
It wasn't like anything would happen during the night shift anyway. Might as well let the adorable Melusine slack off a little.
The next morning.
"Tch."
If you're weak, just train more!
Lu Heng scoffed.
And here he thought she was something fierce.
"The floor's really clean today," he mused.
Focalors, confused, asked, "What do you mean?"
"No pebbles!"
Lu Heng spread his hands.
"I left her some breakfast. How about you? Want to eat together?"
"Sure~"
"How about a morning kiss?"
"That sounds wonderful. I'd love to make it a daily routine."
"Depends on your performance~"
Lu Heng adored this side of her!
He couldn't wait to see if she'd keep up this act when he finally taught her a lesson.
Looking forward to it!
Morning, Liyue Branch.
Lu Heng arrived at the Liyue branch after receiving a message from Diluc: Mondstadt's officials had arrived.
A Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius and the Chief Alchemist of the Investigation Team.
Lu Heng was familiar with both.
Kaeya, the mining expert, and Albedo, the NPC with notoriously troublesome hair modeling.
On the street, Kaeya and Albedo were waiting in line.
Diluc stood nearby with his arms crossed.
The three had come early.
"Klee's here," Diluc said, glancing toward the direction of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Albedo had already heard about Klee's experiences from Diluc.
He was particularly intrigued by the principle behind bombs being used for healing and purification.
But more than anything, he was relieved.
At least Klee hadn't caused any trouble.
"A~l~be~do~ Bro~ther~!"
Spotting Albedo from a distance, Klee immediately called out and sprinted over, her little legs carrying her as fast as they could.
"Klee," Albedo responded warmly, "slow down."
The little girl, her backpack bouncing, skidded to a stop in front of him, beaming with pride.
"Brother Albedo, Klee didn't cause any trouble! Klee even helped a lot!"
Her adorable face was practically begging for praise—Go on, praise Klee!
"Yes, I heard. You did very well, Klee," Albedo said, naturally obliging.
Kaeya, standing nearby, teased, "Oh? After just a few days apart, you don't even recognize me anymore?"
"Brother Kaeya!"
Klee quickly shook her head. "Klee didn't forget! Brother Kaeya is a good person, Klee would never forget!"
"Hahaha," Kaeya laughed.
This child was so pure, innocent as a blank sheet of paper.
Albedo turned to Venti and gave a slight bow. "Mr. Bard."
The young man knew his manners!
Venti gave an approving smile. "This is Mr. Zhongli."
Diluc had already mentioned this the night before, so Albedo understood Zhongli's identity.
"Mr. Zhongli, I hope Klee hasn't caused you any trouble."
Albedo was well aware that identities couldn't be revealed, so he kept his greeting simple, like an ordinary person's polite nod.
Zhongli smiled faintly. "Klee has been very well-behaved. She hasn't caused any trouble—in fact, we've needed her help more than once."
"Indeed," Venti chimed in, grinning. "We probably know her better than you, her half-guardian, do now."
Albedo chuckled.
Regardless, as long as Klee hadn't caused trouble or been bullied in Liyue, he could rest easy.
Kaeya also bowed to the two.
Before long, the group reached the front of the shop's line.
Without waiting for Kaeya or Albedo to speak, Klee grabbed Lu Heng's hand and eagerly said, "Let Klee introduce everyone!"
With her as the bridge, the group quickly grew familiar.
The conversation revolved around Klee.
Albedo felt even more at ease.
He could tell—though Klee called him "brother," the way Lu Heng looked at her carried the warmth of an old father doting on his daughter.
It was a feeling of absolute security.
There was no need to worry about Klee being bullied around Lu Heng. The wrath of a dragon was no joke.
After chatting for a while, Lu Heng finally asked, "You've learned about the cards before coming, right?"
Kaeya and Albedo both nodded.
Before meeting Adelinde on the road, they hadn't known much.
But after learning more, their shock only grew.
Their once-fixed worldview was being shattered piece by piece, their circle of knowledge expanding again and again.
Even now, the thought of it left them stunned.
"Since you're representing the official faction, have you considered a unified system?" Lu Heng asked
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T/N:
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