Rola thought of something funny and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Paimon and Lumine stared at her, completely bewildered.
"Rola, what are you laughing about?"
Snapping back to reality, Rola didn't explain. Instead, she pulled out a silk handkerchief and leaned in to wipe Lumine's face.
Lumine's cheeks were streaked with soot, likely from brushing against Hilichurl torches. Combined with her current expression, she looked absolutely hilarious!
Lumine's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't pull away, patiently waiting for Rola to wipe her face clean.
As she wiped, Rola added, "By the way, are you guys hungry? I brought plenty of delicious food!"
"Delicious food!"
The keyword triggered Paimon, who clapped her hands together and did a backflip. "Rola, thank you so much! You knew Paimon was hungry and brought all this yummy food! I'm so touched!"
"Ha ha, actually, I always carry a bunch of snacks with me."
Rola remembered that the Traveler was an excellent cook. I wonder if I'll ever get a chance to try her cooking, she thought.
Beneath the towering tree, Rola first spread out a cloth before retrieving a generous array of dishes from her Vision Space: potato pancakes, Mora Meat, Pile 'Em Up, Chicken-Mushroom Skewers, Sweet Madame, Stir-Fried Filet, and several rice balls. Each dish was carefully wrapped in lotus leaves, and thanks to the preservation effects of her Vision Space, they were still warm.
"Wow, Rola, you're the best! Paimon won't hold back!"
Lumine chimed in with her thanks. Throughout their journey, Rola had helped them countless times, leaving them deeply indebted. Lumine couldn't help feeling a bit awkward—Rola's pure-heartedness stood in stark contrast to the cunning people she had encountered before.
"Here's some juice. I brought several bottles. Paimon, be careful not to choke! A little juice will make it even more satisfying."
"Mm-hmm..."
After the meal, Rola was dumbfounded. The portions she'd prepared were enormous, and she'd expected plenty of leftovers. Yet, to her surprise, everything had been devoured! How did Paimon's little tummy hold so much?
"So satisfying!"
Paimon patted her full little belly, a satisfied expression spreading across her face.
Rola and Lumine were also full. After quickly tidying up, they sat down to rest, mindful of the advice not to engage in strenuous activity after eating.
Lumine meticulously organized their newly acquired loot, storing each item in her Vision Space. Rola noticed that she stored the items near her personal accessories—specifically, the gem that pulsed with Anemo Element energy.
-
Meanwhile, in another dimension:
When Guojia logged into Genshin Impact today, she was surprised to find the game had updated. Upon logging in, she discovered the update included Rola's Hangout Event.
Typically, a new Hangout Event means a new character is coming!
Guojia's heart raced with excitement, and she immediately started a live stream.
After greeting her viewers, she announced, "Family, Rola's Hangout Event is live! Today, we're tackling this event!"
[What?! The stream's starting this early today?!]
[Did Guojia change her schedule?]
[What?! The precious Rola's quest is here?! Time to get up and grind!]
Seeing the flurry of comments in the live stream chat, Guojia explained:
"Didn't you all say my progress was too slow? I checked, and Genshin Impact updates are always released in the morning. So, if there's an update, I'll stream in the morning. If not, I'll stick to my usual 6 PM streams."
[Mm-hmm, this change sounds good. Genshin is too addictive! I can't wait until evening for updates!]
[Now that the quests are live, does this mean our little darling Rola is finally joining the gacha pool?]
[There's still time to save up Intertwined Fates. I wasted all mine trying to pull Venti and didn't even get him! Can you believe it?!]
[Ugh... I wish I hadn't pulled for Venti. Honestly, I prefer Rola's style over him... Leaks say Rola uses a spear! Quick, streamer, check it out!]
[Hehe, I'm different—I want both Venti and Rola!]
Guojia glanced at the chat. Surprised by the large morning crowd, she immediately clicked the quest guidance and started Rola's Story Quest.
Hehe, a Pyro spear-wielding girl? I'm already obsessed...
-
"Lumine, what are we going to do next?"
"Rola, do you know where we can find any ore? I accepted a quest from Mr. Wagner yesterday, but I haven't had any luck finding any yet."
"Of course! Come on, I'll take you there right now."
Rola stood up, stretched, and bounced on the balls of her feet, eager to get started.
Having just woken up well-rested and eaten, she was brimming with energy.
Paimon: "Alright, let's get going then!"
Mondstadt has mineral deposits scattered throughout the region, but Rola mainly remembered the most concentrated sites, several of which had already been mined.
During their previous outing with Noelle, Rola had spotted one such site but hadn't paid much attention to it at the time. Given the recent Mondstadt Dragon Crisis, it was unlikely anyone had been mining there since.
Rola led the way, with Paimon and Lumine following close behind, as they headed toward the mining location.
The site lay to the right of Dawn Winery and to the left of Dadaupa Gorge, nestled just below the Dragonspine mountains.
Though the journey was somewhat lengthy, the trio kept each other entertained with lively conversation, making the trek pass by pleasantly.
"Lumine," Rola began, "Lord Barbatos said you're a Traveler from beyond this world and that he's learned so much from you. Could... could I ask you some questions?"
"Of course!"
Rola's praise made Lumine feel incredibly pleased. She struck a confident pose, hands on her hips, head tilted back proudly.
Paimon flew over to Lumine and struck the same pose as her.
Rola suppressed a laugh. "We've taken the Knight Order's assessment multiple times, but we've never passed. I don't think there's anything wrong with the earlier parts, but I can never pass the later sections."
Paimon rubbed her chin. "What kind of questions are they?"
"Hmm... They're questions asked by senior knights. We have to answer them. For example: What do you do if you encounter Hilichurls on the road? How do you handle a stranger claiming to be a merchant? What do you do if someone is injured?"
"So, Rola, how did you answer those questions?!" Lumine asked.
Rola thought for a moment, then recited the answers she had submitted to Lumine:
"If I encounter Hilichurls, I would charge in and eliminate them to prevent them from harming others."
"If I encounter a stranger claiming to be a merchant, I would follow the Knight Order Guidance Manual, inquire if they needed assistance, and provide help accordingly."
"If I encounter an injured person, I would immediately provide first aid and escort them to Mondstadt..."
Paimon scratched her head. "Those answers sound perfectly reasonable to me..."
Lumine disagreed. Having traveled across countless worlds, she understood the complexities of human nature far better.
Rola's thinking seemed sound on the surface, but as Amber had pointed out, someone like her would struggle to protect herself and could easily be exploited by malicious individuals.
This was likely why the Knight Order hadn't accepted her.
Yet no one could change Rola's mind, not even Diluc. How could anyone else hope to succeed where he had failed?
Perhaps the Knight Order's rejection was actually a way of protecting her? And the same might be true for that little maid, Noelle!
After a moment's thought, Lumine asked, "Rola, if someone's life was threatened by a Ruin Guard, and you were injured and unable to save them, but you were the only one who could help, would you still try to save them?"
"Yes!" Rola answered without hesitation.
Paimon finally understood and exclaimed in surprise, "Why?"
"If I didn't save them, they'd die, wouldn't they?"
"But Rola, you're injured! You couldn't possibly save them, and you might even get yourself killed!"
Rola hesitated, struggling with her convictions. "But... but I can't just stand by and watch someone die! I... I should be able to do it! I can save them! I'm really strong!"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances, speechless.
Now they understood perfectly why Rola couldn't pass the Knight Order's assessment.
If they were the examiners, they wouldn't have approved her either.