Knights of Favonius Headquarters — Captain's Office.
Jean was, as usual, buried in paperwork, diligently handling Mondstadt's affairs.
Once she wrapped things up, she planned to head over with Lisa and Klee to Han Feng's shop for some comics.
That routine had gradually become part of her life.
But suddenly—A massive pink doorframe materialized in the office.
"What's this?"
Jean frowned slightly.
Could it be a plot by the Fatui?
Her guard immediately went up.
The moment the door opened, elemental energy surged faintly around her body.
If there was the slightest hint of hostility, she would strike without hesitation.
She was the Acting Grand Master—decisiveness was her duty.
But when she saw who stepped out, Jean froze.
It was… the Traveler?!
Why was she here?
"Good morning, Captain Jean!"
Lumine waved cheerfully, her grin practically sparkling.
Just as she'd imagined, Jean was visibly stunned.
The Anywhere Door really worked!
It had actually brought her straight into the Captain's office!
Lumine glanced around at the familiar decor, eyes glittering with disbelief.
Such a miraculous item could only come from Boss Han's shop, of course.
That place never failed to surprise.
Seeing it was just a friend, Jean finally relaxed.
At least it wasn't an enemy faction.
Still, questions filled her mind.
"Honorary Knight, you… how did you appear here?"
"Captain Jean, this is a tool I got from Boss Han. Anyway, you can get back to work—I'll be going now."
With a mischievous smile, Lumine shut the door behind her and vanished.
Show off, then run—what a rush!
"So it was a tool from Boss Han's shop…"
Jean tapped her pen thoughtfully.
That explained everything.
Only that shop could produce such fantastical things.
She recalled what Eula had told her last night—about flying through the skies with a Take-copter.
Now this bizarre pink door had appeared too.
It seemed Boss Han's shop was acquiring more and more strange items lately.
"I'd better finish my work quickly and go see for myself."
Jean made a silent note in her heart.
Comic House.
As Lumine stepped back through the Anywhere Door, Paimon was waiting, brimming with curiosity.
"So? Lumine, how was it?"
"It really was Captain Jean's office… too amazing."
Lumine sank into a chair, excitement still lingering on her face.
Experiencing it firsthand was a whole different level of awe.
No wonder that manga always used this item—it was just too convenient.
"Hehe, with this, even if we go all the way to Liyue, you won't have to worry about missing any comics!"
Paimon giggled.
"Liyue? Why would we go to Liyue?"
Lumine blinked in confusion.
Paimon: (⊙_⊙)
"What do you mean why?! You're looking for your brother, remember?
If Mondstadt has no clues, the next stop has to be Liyue!"
Paimon was flabbergasted.
What was happening here?
Hadn't Lumine been saying all this time that she was searching for her brother?
Paimon thought she'd just been reluctant to leave Mondstadt because of the comics…
But no—turns out she'd simply forgotten?!
Paimon was shocked for a hundred years straight.
"…Oh, right!"
Lumine scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
Catching sight of Paimon's incredulous expression, her cheeks burned.
First Noelle had reminded her of this, and now Paimon too.
Everyone around her seemed more worried about her family than she herself was.
Meanwhile, she had… completely forgotten.
Embarrassing. Truly embarrassing.
"…But I think my brother would understand."
Lumine comforted herself silently.
It wasn't that she wasn't trying—comics were just too tempting.
Still, being reminded twice finally shook her awake.
She couldn't ignore her main quest forever.
"Then let's pack up later and prepare to head for Liyue."
She smiled.
If it were before, she might've been reluctant.
Leaving meant going without comics—or without seeing Boss Han—for who knew how long.
But now, things were different.
With this Anywhere Door, she could come back to the shop anytime.
Just picture it, and poof—instant return.
The journey itself would still need to be traveled step by step,
like inputting a map into the door.
But strolling along, taking in the scenery—it wasn't so bad.
"Yay! That's great!"
Paimon cheered.
Everything was going according to her plan.
And then she continued, her tone suddenly sly:
"Lumine, but here's the thing. Even if we go to Liyue, we'll be coming back often, right?
So we can't just randomly pick new locations every time.
One, it's inconvenient. Two, popping up in random places could scare people."
Han Feng's expression twitched.
Since when did Paimon think this carefully?
He was almost certain this little glutton was scheming something.
Lumine, however, went quiet in thought.
Paimon had a point.
Once or twice was fine, but long-term?
It'd be better to have a fixed base.
"Maybe… I could ask Captain Jean for a room?"
It seemed like the best solution she could think of.
She was the Honorary Knight, after all.
A spare room in headquarters wasn't unreasonable.
"No, no, no! Too many people at the Knights—totally unsuitable."
Paimon wagged her finger with a look of profound wisdom.
"I say, the best choice is to just rent a room here, at Boss Han's place."
"At… Boss Han's shop?"
Lumine blinked.
"Exactly! First of all, Boss Han's bed is super big and comfy—uh, I mean, this shop has plenty of rooms.
And since we're mostly coming back here for comics anyway,
obviously this is the most convenient choice!"
Paimon nodded solemnly, looking every bit the picture of someone making a completely selfless suggestion— as if she weren't hiding any ulterior motives at all.
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