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"Paimon, Lumine, do you remember the slip of paper Collei found inside Tales from the Box?"
Paimon waved her finger and confidently recited, "Find the 'flower that does not exist in this world,' find the 'guide who never loses their way,' find a 'person who does not lie,' and find the 'legend that never ends.' Once all of these are fulfilled, you can light the 'lantern of utmost joy' and obtain a supreme blessing. That's right, isn't it?"
Lumine deliberately put on a surprised expression. "Wow, that's rare. You remembered it so clearly?"
"Well, it is an unparalleled blessing, after all. It might even be related to treasure!"
Lumine gave a look that clearly said just as expected.
Sucrose, who had been the first to raise the topic, spoke again. "Actually… I don't know if you noticed, but during the picnic earlier, Collei didn't seem very energetic. So, I had an idea. I want to solve these four riddles and give the blessing to Collei. This isn't just something I want to do as the 'Windblume Festival Special Envoy,' it's also because I truly want to see Collei happy."
"Since Sucrose said so, friendship itself is also a kind of treasure," Paimon said. "Let's help together!"
"Thank you! But… even though I said that 'people who leave prophecies in fairy tales probably wouldn't use lies to destroy that purity,' now that we're actually going to act on it… to be honest, you also think this prophecy is reliable, right?"
Lumine didn't answer directly. "Don't worry. I have a way to confirm it."
That method was naturally to consult the well-informed Anemo Archon. However, considering that during the Lantern Rite the Anemo Archon had still been wandering around Liyue, how long it would take to find him was uncertain, so Lumine added, "It might take some time."
"That's perfect," Sucrose replied. "I also need some time to prepare. Let's meet here again in two days."
...
"Sucrose! Oh, Collei's here too?"
At the agreed meeting spot, Sucrose and Collei stood together. Two people who were both a little shy standing side by side somehow looked especially harmonious.
Collei waved in greeting, and Sucrose explained, "Um… I'm not very good at lying. When Collei asked me about it earlier, I told her the truth, and she decided to act together with us."
"That's fine. Collei was going to find out sooner or later anyway."
"So that means…?"
"Mm." Paimon nodded, then shamelessly improvised, "We asked the breeze at Windrise to divine it! The wind said the prophecy has meaning, and your idea is worth doing."
Sucrose's eyes lit up. "That's great! Then let's start looking for the answers to the four riddles right away!"
Collei took out the slip of paper with the prophecy written on it, and the four of them gathered together to discuss.
"I think the four riddles in the prophecy correspond to four different fields," Sucrose said. "In other words, the person who wrote the prophecy was actually testing the reader's wisdom. But it's hard for one person to possess every kind of wisdom, so we should boldly ask others and consult people who are knowledgeable. For example, two of the riddles clearly require finding specific 'people,' and among those we know, there might already be suitable answers."
"So that means we need to rack our brains and list people who could help us!"
"Yes. We can classify them and come up with groups of possible candidates for each riddle. That would make things clearer."
"That makes sense."
"Then let's go in order."
Paimon read from the paper. "The first riddle is 'the flower that does not exist in this world.' What ideas does everyone have?"
Collei said, "Master Tighnari knows a lot. If there's a flower even he doesn't know, maybe it could count as a 'flower that doesn't exist in this world.'"
Sucrose said, "Alchemy was the first thing that came to my mind, so I thought of Mr. Albedo. A flower created through alchemy… yes, Mr. Albedo is an expert in that field."
Lumine said, "By that logic, Sucrose is also a candidate. You researched quadruple-sized Sweet Flowers. If we're strict about it, that also fits the riddle."
"Alright, for the first riddle, let's note down Tighnari, Albedo, and Sucrose."
Paimon continued, "The second riddle is 'the guide who never loses their way.' This one is a bit hard to understand. What do you all think?"
Collei said, "Amber! Amber is an Outrider, so her sense of direction is definitely excellent. And… and she also guided my life in the right direction. I think she absolutely qualifies as the answer!"
Sucrose said, "I agree about Amber. I'll add someone similar: Mika from the Knights of Favonius reconnaissance unit. He's a surveyor and very good at finding his way, so he probably doesn't get lost easily."
Lumine said, "I was thinking about what kind of person could truly be called 'never lost.' Even Amber or Mika might get stuck in unfamiliar terrain. After thinking it over, astrologers seem to fit best. No matter where they are, they can divine the correct path. So, I recommend Mona."
Paimon said, "Then I have an even better candidate! Everyone knows Bennett has terrible luck. Astrology needs stars, right? As long as Bennett is with us, we just go the opposite way of him and we'll definitely find the right direction!"
Sucrose said, "That… doesn't sound completely unreasonable…?"
"Alright, for the second riddle, let's note down Amber, Mika, Mona, and Bennett."
Paimon moved on. "The third riddle is 'the person who does not lie.' I personally feel like this one is the hardest!"
Collei said, "What about Kaeya? He's the Cavalry Captain and very popular, but…"
Paimon immediately said, "Kaeya?! Just how good is his image in your mind for you to pick him for this riddle! You yourself don't sound convinced!"
Collei said, "I can't argue with that…"
Sucrose said, "Then what about Master Diluc? He looks very upright."
Paimon said, "Even though I can't go into details, Diluc also tells some well-intentioned lies, so he probably doesn't count."
Lumine said, "What about Acting Grand Master Jean?"
Sucrose said, "There's a similar issue. As far as I know, to take care of the people around her, Acting Grand Master Jean sometimes covers for others. For example, when Miss Lisa misses patrol because she's soaking in the library, Jean will say 'Lisa isn't feeling well.' She also tells Klee that children who don't go to bed will be caught by big monsters… so that probably doesn't meet the standard either."
Lumine said, "This prophecy is really strict…"
Paimon said, "See? That's why I said this riddle is the hardest!"
Collei said, "Come to think of it, General Mahamatra Cyno is usually very serious. As the Grand Sage's enforcer, he doesn't seem like someone who lies much. If telling unfunny jokes doesn't count as lying, then he should fit."
Sucrose said, "I just thought of someone too: Noelle! She's a trainee knight who's extremely sincere. 'Inside and out, exactly the same' fits her perfectly!"
Lumine said, "I also thought of Razor. He probably never even learned how to lie."
"Alright, for the third riddle, let's note down Cyno, Noelle, and Razor."
Finally, Paimon asked, "The fourth riddle is 'the legend that never ends.' I already have a candidate in mind, but let's hear everyone else's answers first!"
Collei said, "Victor."
Sucrose said, "I think so too."
Lumine said, "It can only be Victor."
Paimon said, "Hey! Why did all of you pick the same answer as me?!"
Collei said, "When I think of a legend that never ends, I imagine a story full of hope and dreams. That naturally makes me think of storybooks, and then of Tales from the Box. It just feels like the obvious choice, without even needing to think further."
Sucrose said, "I feel the same way. Things that never end are usually knowledge passed down through generations, alchemical formulas, or stories. Since it's a 'legend,' it naturally points to stories. And Tales from the Box has topped Teyvat's fairy-tale bestseller list for two consecutive years. Just a few days ago it dropped to second place, only because Tales from the Box II surpassed it. There really isn't another choice."
Lumine said, "I thought of it that way too. Not long ago, during the Lantern Rite, we experienced something similar. A musician's ancestor recorded their experiences as a story, and it was passed down for hundreds of years. That perfectly matches 'the legend that never ends.' And if we're looking for someone skilled at storytelling among the people around us, only Victor fits."
Paimon said, "No way, this riddle has way too few answers! You all need to recommend more people, don't steal my answer!"
Collei said, "Then I'll also recommend Lisa. She's the librarian of Mondstadt and extremely knowledgeable, so she should qualify, right?"
Sucrose said, "If I really have to recommend someone else… then Klee? Her mother, Alice, is a famous travel writer, so Klee might have been influenced and exposed to many legends and tales."
Lumine said, "I wanted to recommend Xingqiu, but he isn't here. So instead… Collei. Collei has been studying very hard and must have read a lot of books."
"Alright, for the fourth riddle, let's note down Victor, Lisa, Klee, and Collei."
Paimon clapped her hands together. "Pah! That should be about it! Next, we just need to go ask the people on this list about the prophecy."
"That's quite a lot of people."
"Then let's split up. That'll improve efficiency. And… we can also set up a mailbox next to Mondstadt's public alchemy table. When they have time, they can just drop their feedback into the mailbox."
"That sounds good."
"Paimon and Lumine are an experienced duo, so you two stick together. Collei and I will form the other team."
"Good luck!"
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