Lucian continued flipping through the system notifications, realizing many were from "old acquaintances."
It was only upon seeing the system prompts that Lucian felt at ease—his familiar Rosalyne had once again been emotionally shattered. How wonderful.
Ah, it's truly heartwarming to see how much everyone "enjoys" these stories.
As Lucian browsed the notifications, a sudden gust of wind brushed past him—it was Dainsleif rushing out.
Aether had left, and Dainsleif chased after him, while Lumine silently watched the portal without a word.
"Lumine..." Paimon floated to her side, looking at her with concern.
Lumine smiled. "I'm fine, Paimon. This time... I think we had a pretty good talk."
"Really? That's great!" Paimon cheered. "Let's keep traveling! We'll definitely meet your brother again!"
Lumine nodded. Yes, once she completed this journey and found her "answer," her brother would surely return.
"Lucian, where do you think I should go next?" Lumine asked.
Lucian froze. Shouldn't you be asking Zhongli that? Why me?
Recalling Zhongli's usual response, Lucian cleared his throat and said, "Continuing your journey may prove somewhat difficult."
"Because Inazuma, the maritime neighbor of Liyue, is currently under a policy of 'Sakoku'—national isolation."
"Huh? That doesn't sound like something Lucian would say," Paimon mused, stroking her chin.
This piqued Lucian's curiosity. How did Paimon think he would phrase it?
"Lucian would probably say..." Paimon spread her hands and adopted a smug, matter-of-fact tone: "Where to go next? Just see where I set my next book, duh."
"Eek!" Paimon yelped as Lucian suddenly grabbed her, pressing his curled index fingers against her temples.
"Help! Traveler, help!" Paimon flailed toward Lumine.
Lumine facepalmed. Why do you keep provoking him? Do you just enjoy suffering?
"Anyway, the way to cross Inazuma's thunderstorm is to find Beidou. She has a method," Lucian said, releasing Paimon.
Paimon floated in the air, rubbing her head, which now throbbed as if she'd gulped down a giant mouthful of shaved ice.
"Got it. Thank you, Lucian," Lumine said.
The gratitude still felt a little unfamiliar to Lucian—he'd heard plenty of thanks by now.
But in his view, these events could've been resolved even without his involvement. At most, it just wouldn't have been as effortless.
"How can I thank you? Is there anything you need help with?" Lumine asked.
"Thanks..." Lucian pondered. "How about you handle the cooking for the next few days?"
"That's all?" Lumine blinked. That counts as thanks?
Lucian nodded. For him, it was enough. He liked the feeling of someone cooking for him.
Back on Earth, he'd had no friends or family—always cooking and eating alone. So he cherished this warmth.
That was also why he didn't mind Guizhong and the others staying at his place. After so long in solitude, he'd grown fond of liveliness.
With this matter concluded, Lucian and Lumine teleported back to Liyue.
Lumine wasn't in a hurry to leave for her next destination—now that she'd confirmed her brother's safety, she wanted to prepare by checking out Lucian's next story.
A few days later, Lucian's new book was released:
"Teyvat's Strange Tales: Chapter 2 – Prologue: Sleeves Fluttering in the Autumn Wind, Questioning the Crimson Leaves."
Readers were instantly intrigued. Chapter 2? With Liyue's tale concluded, which nation would be next?
By now, everyone had figured out Lucian's naming conventions:
"Teyvat's Strange Tales" covered national-scale stories.
"Love and Teyvat" focused on individual tales.
"Teyvat Story Collection" was a mixed bag—anything went, and it wasn't always about the future.
Since this was under "Teyvat's Strange Tales," it had to be about a nation.
Which would be the third? People from unwritten regions waited eagerly.
The story opened as a direct continuation.
At Liyue Harbor's docks, Paimon comforted Lumine, who had seen her brother but failed to "reunite" with him.
[Paimon: "Cheer up, Traveler."]
[Paimon: "I believe in you, and I believe in him."]
[Paimon: "He said we must 'reach the journey's end'—he definitely still wants to talk properly with us."]
[Lumine: "Thank you, Paimon."]
[Paimon: "No need! Partners look out for each other, right?"]
Lumine appreciated Paimon's encouragement.
Shaking off her gloom, she and Paimon set off once more.
Here, the Traveler also revealed the destination readers cared about most—Inazuma.
Fontainians sighed in disappointment. Yet again, the calamity-attracting Traveler wasn't heading their way.
Inazumans weren't thrilled either. Under the Sakoku Decree, they doubted their nation had any "fun" stories to tell.
And would the Shogun even welcome this Traveler? Most were pessimistic.
Was Inazuma about to become Teyvat's next spectacle?
Only Yae Miko was delighted. Finally, the game-changer I've been waiting for has arrived.
Not the 'prophet,' but the Traveler will do nicely.
In the story, the Traveler sought a way into Inazuma and questioned a local at the docks—Atsuko.
Atsuko recounted her perilous journey: drifting on a tiny raft, running out of food and water, nearly dying—until a Liyuean vessel miraculously saved her.
[Atsuko: "A journey where death loomed nine times out of ten. That I survived… must've been by the gods' grace."]
Readers fell silent. The "god" Atsuko meant was the Raiden Shogun… who was also the root cause of her suffering.
Paimon asked why Atsuko risked so much to leave Inazuma.
[Atsuko: "Because… it's just too oppressive there. The tension, the Kanjou Commission's endless inspections… it clashed with my nature."]
[Atsuko: "Inazuma's administrative bodies are the 'Tri-Commission.' Think of them like Liyue's 'Qixing and Eight Trades.'"]
This provided new insight: Inazuma's governance was structured under the Tri-Commission.
[Atsuko: "It's not good to speak ill of home, but staying in that stifling environment too long… it drains all hope from life."]
In other words: Stay too long, and you'll grow 'corpse spots.'
Atsuko advised the Traveler against going to Inazuma—it wasn't a "good place."
When your own people call their homeland "not good," Raiden Stubbornass, take a good look at what you've done.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice-Over: Traveler – About Lucian
Paimon: "Y'know, Lucian gives off a totally different vibe now compared to when we first met."
Lumine: "How so?"
Paimon: "Back then, he kept spouting riddles I couldn't understand. I thought he was just hard to get along with."
Paimon: "Turns out, he's just a straight-up jerk."
Lumine: "...I'll tattle on you~."
Paimon: "Wait! Nooo—!"