Dragonspine.
A biting, icy wind mixed with sharp snowflakes swept between heaven and earth. A brother and sister with dazzling golden hair stood facing each other in silence amid the storm.
Ken used Anemo to blow the snow off a nearby boulder, lifted his robe and sat down on it, pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds from his system space, and decided to sit tight and watch the show.
Although the main goal of this trip was to find Eula, he now had the power of the Anemo Archon; after entering the mountain, the wind had already brought him news of Eula—she was safe for the moment.
Since that was the case, watching these two go head-to-head wasn't a bad way to pass the time.
Paimon, sensing the strange atmosphere, decisively plunged her chubby little hand into the seed bag.
Eating melon seeds while watching drama—delicious.
Watching the way the two were acting, Aether's teeth ground audibly, and just then Lumine stood up and spoke.
"An explanation?"
"Brother wants me to explain? Shouldn't it be you explaining to me?"
The joy of reuniting with family faded quickly. Looking at Aether surrounded by Abyss Mages, Lumine's fair, delicate face was full of displeasure.
She hadn't expected her brother to say something like that.
Wasn't he the one who should be explaining?
Lumine gritted her teeth and asked, "Am I the one sitting high as a prince in the Abyss? Am I the one who knows my blood kin is out there struggling, yet remains indifferent?"
"Am I the one who ignored my sleeping sister while grasping power in the Abyss? Am I the one who watched my sister suffer countless hardships searching for me, standing by coldly?"
"And now you want me to explain? What is it—have you been a prince in the Abyss so long your face is as thick as an Abyss Mage's shield?"
Lumine had watched a lot of Genshin's plot.
She felt tight-chested about all the things she went through in the game.
If she hadn't watched the story first, she really might have done just what the game suggested: run herself ragged across seven nations, driven by constant danger.
She knew Aether's aim was to temper her will and let her truly grow on this journey of creation.
But being kept in the dark… really didn't feel good.
Especially seeing Aether strike first with that question—it made her even more unhappy inside.
"Traveler really seems mad…"
Munching seeds, Paimon whispered as she watched Lumine rattle off her questions like firecrackers.
She'd been Lumine's companion for a while; this was the first time she'd seen her this angry.
"Indeed."
Ken nodded in agreement. Lumine was always a kind, lively, and strong girl, her temper usually easygoing. First time seeing her this furious.
Blame it on his unreliable future brother-in-law here—good intentions, but a bit underhanded.
"Left you speechless, huh."
Seeing Aether's expression, Ken dumped the seed shells in his hand into Paimon's pocket and thought the trip to Dragonspine had already been worth it.
Paimon: "…"
"Lumine, I admit I handled this poorly…"
Aether forced out the words after a long pause.
Lumine's questions were incisive, leaving him with nothing to say.
While his intention was to have Lumine walk the same road he had, that road was dangerous, full of unforeseeable threats.
And Lumine only knew he'd been taken by a god; she didn't know the specifics.
That kind of mental anxiety was a wordless pain.
"You handled it poorly, so why were you still so righteous interrogating me?"
Lumine lifted her smooth chin, golden hair flying in the wind and snow. The brilliant Inteyvat flower bloomed against the frost, shining with a holy white light.
"Fine then…" Aether took a deep breath and looked at Ken and Paimon. "Who's this man? And who's this flying pig?"
Paimon: "???"
Ken: "…"
If he didn't care about maintaining his grand image, Ken would've burst out laughing right there.
"Paimon isn't a flying pig! Paimon is Paimon! Traveler, tell him! How rude!" Paimon lost her appetite for seeds.
Staring at Aether in the distance, Paimon put her hands on her hips and bristled. If not for all the Abyss Mages around, she'd have leapt up to bite him.
Lumine's face went dark. "This is Paimon! My companion! Not some 'flying pig' you're talking about!"
Granted, Paimon had gained ten-plus pounds lately and was getting a little round.
But Lumine still didn't want anyone calling Paimon a flying pig.
"Then who is he?"
Aether ignored Paimon, face full of displeasure.
Was that the point?
Pig or person—what did that matter? He just wanted to confirm the man's identity to make sure his intentions were pure.
He was most curious about the man in front of him. Though he already had a good guess who he was.
"This is Mr. Ken, my good friend. If not for his help, I still wouldn't know you were hiding something like this from me."
Mentioning Ken made Lumine's face bloom with a smile.
Since arriving in Mondstadt, no one had helped her more than Ken.
"As expected…"
Lumine's answer matched Aether's guess. Staring at the extremely handsome man, Aether's face betrayed no joy or anger.
Someone with Grand Prophecy would surely be a top-tier powerhouse. Under normal circumstances, Aether would happily befriend someone like Ken and win him over to the Abyss.
But thinking of what he'd just seen, he couldn't calm down.
Right then, an Abyss Mage sidled up and whispered, "Your Highness, your brother-in-law is even more handsome in person than in his portrait. He does not disgrace your status."
Thinking he'd flattered perfectly, the Abyss Mage silently praised his own wisdom.
"You again… get lost!"
Recognizing the familiar face, Aether immediately fumed.
Every time this guy opened his mouth, it aggravated him.
After booting the Abyss Mage away, Aether looked at Ken with a dark gaze.
After traveling the seven nations, his mood had grown quite steady. Later, as Prince of the Abyss, even more unruffled.
But… today, he really couldn't stay calm.
"Brother Aether, don't misunderstand. Lumine and I are just friends. She pinned me down just now because she saw you arriving and had no choice."
As a man, Ken naturally understood what Aether was angry about.
If your own sister did something like that with a strange man, anyone would be upset.
Better to explain things clearly than let him stew in a misunderstanding.
Otherwise, if it came to blows, Lumine would be the one in the toughest spot.
"Brother, what are you thinking? You… you weren't thinking something weird, were you?"
Hearing Ken's explanation, Lumine finally realized the real reason for Aether's sarcastic tone.
Her fair cheeks flushed instantly.
Her earlier bold actions already made her shy; she hadn't expected her brother to misunderstand.
"Ahem…" Aether coughed, emotions smoothing out. "No, I was just asking."
"If it's cleared up, then I'll go check on Eula," Ken said.
Aether narrowed his eyes. "Eula? The Spindrift Knight, if I recall. What's your relationship with her?"
Even though Ken had explained, judging from his sister's reaction, these two were definitely not just clean.
Now hearing him mention another girl's name, Aether grew wary.
If Ken might be his future brother-in-law, it was only right as the big brother to vet him properly.
"She's our friend. We came to the mountain to find her," Lumine said helplessly at the side.
Judging from her brother's face, he was definitely thinking weird things again.
After so long apart, he talked a bit more now, but his mind was still as active as ever.
"I see… If I'm not mistaken, my people spotted her earlier near the Snow-Covered Path."
Aether mused.
Ken nodded. "You two siblings should talk. I'll go check on Eula."
As for the avalanche, though he suspected the Abyss Order, Ken didn't ask.
Even if it really was the Order's doing, Aether wouldn't admit it.
On that front, Aether had the proper prince of the Abyss discipline.
"Hmph, Traveler, hurry and talk to him. It's cold, and Paimon doesn't want to hang around with this lot."
Being called a flying pig still rankled.
She didn't dare blow up at Aether, so she grabbed the seed shells Ken had tossed into her pocket and started pelting the face of the Abyss Mage Aether had kicked away.
Abyss Mage: "…"
…
Snow-Covered Path.
Dragonspine's geography was vast, not tiny like in the game.
But with his cheat, the Vortex Gates, Ken had it easy. In the blink of an eye, he moved from deep in the mountain to the area near the Snow-Covered Path.
"Looks like Eula is indeed around here."
Soon after arriving, he found a Hilichurl camp in a valley that had been cleared out.
Cold traces of Cryo still lingered—the mark of Eula's ice blade.
"Did I guess the wrong bath spot? Does Eula actually like bathing here?"
With that thought, Ken followed the trail toward a nearby lake.
The lake at the edge of the Snow-Covered Path was crystal clear. Birds and squirrels occasionally skimmed over it. An island sat in the middle—nice scenery, by mountain standards.
Splashing…
As he drew closer, he heard faint water sounds on the wind.
But before Ken reached the lake, the temperature suddenly plunged.
"Burn."
At the instant that chilling elemental force swept over, Ken raised his hand slightly. A surging, blazing Pyro force blasted the cold back.
Eula was strong, but Ken now wielded three elements.
The power born of their fusion was not something Eula could withstand.
"Eula, is this how you welcome me?"
As the chill dissipated, Ken moved in a flash, appearing over the clear lake.
Eula really was bathing there.
But she had her clothes on.
The surrounding Cryo was a trap she'd set—if anyone approached, it would freeze them and buy her time to react.
"Mr. Ken? Why are you here?"
Seeing him, Eula finally relaxed her guard a little.
"I heard about the avalanche and worried about your safety, so I came with Lumine to check. Didn't expect to find you bathing," Ken said, his gaze naturally passing over her.
Clothed in water, she was even more alluring.
Her soaked clothes clung to her figure. Pale, smooth long legs beaded with droplets; her slime accessory trembled as she rose. Her pretty face held a touch of cool indifference.
Her explosive curves were even harder to ignore under wet fabric.
Eula arched a brow, a little tsundere. "The avalanche was caused by Hilichurls experimenting nearby. I've already cleared them out. Thank you for the concern. As for you seeing me bathe… I'll remember this vengeance."
"Clothes on hardly counts as a bath," Ken said regretfully, but then noticed her shoulder. "You're hurt?"
He'd been too busy admiring the scenery earlier to notice.
Now he saw crimson on her exposed shoulder.
"I'm fine…" Eula moved her arm subconsciously, speaking lightly. "The avalanche came suddenly. I got scraped. It's just a small wound."
"Taking an ice bath while injured—is this your way of tempering your will and body?"
Whatever teasing Ken had in mind vanished.
He knew she was tough, but seeing it with his own eyes stirred complicated feelings.
Others saw her as heir to old nobility, the unstoppable Spindrift Knight. Many forgot she was still a young woman.
Such harsh experiences would crush many.
But Eula shouldered it all alone in the mountain.
Her resilience and solitude moved Ken.
After a moment's silence, Eula said, "I'm used to it."
"Come to Blue Star with me. I'll clean you up," Ken said in a calm but unquestionable tone.
Eula paused, then nodded. "All right…"
…
Advanced chapter here: p-atreon.com/Sajaboyzzz
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