Teyvat — Fontaine.
In front of the Adventurers' Guild, Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon were looking over the message Charlotte had left for them.
As expected, there was likely a trial taking place at the Opera Epiclese.
As for whether returning to Teyvat would interfere with his work at Herta Space Station, Nolan had realized after officially starting his job that it was actually quite a relaxed position.
At the moment, there wasn't really anything that required his direct attention either.
So he simply left a stand-in — the "Sword God of Lumine" — to loaf around at work in his stead.
He borrowed an illusion formation from Ganyu's adeptus techniques, then used Yun Jin's Affection Skill "Cloud-Gathering Banner Array" as the array's nodes to project it onto the Sword God.
This allowed others to see the illusion as his true self; unless someone as powerful as a Screwllum-level being appeared, the chance of seeing through it was extremely low.
If he sensed a strong individual nearby who might see through it, he could just return and switch back himself.
Having learned quite a bit about interstellar society by now, Nolan understood that people on that level were exceedingly rare — basically impossible to run into by chance.
Even if he were caught, it wasn't a big deal. He'd just tell the truth — that he was slacking off. This was all just for convenience's sake anyway.
"Tomorrow, at nine in the morning, a commercial dispute case will be tried at the Opera Epiclese," Paimon summarized from the message.
"So that means we'll finally be able to meet that Hydro Archon tomorrow?" Lumine said, her crossed arms slightly lifting her snowy chest.
"If nothing unexpected happens, yes," Nolan nodded. "Charlotte did say she never misses a single trial."
"Then let's make sure we're on time tomorrow!" Paimon said, her tone full of anticipation.
"Mhm." Lumine looked toward Katheryne behind the counter and asked, "Katheryne, do you have any commissions near the Opera House? Something we can take along the way."
"Of course. There are escort missions for merchant caravans, monster exterminations, and sea route patrols — quite a few options," Katheryne replied with her usual gentle smile.
"Those are all pretty standard commissions." Paimon spread her hands at the two. For the past few days, she and Lumine had been taking similar jobs over and over, and it was starting to feel a bit repetitive.
"There's the sea route patrol, isn't there? Let's go with that one," Nolan suggested after a moment's thought.
"Sure, that sounds fun! Patrolling along the waterways could be interesting," Paimon agreed without objection.
"Alright then, Katheryne, please help us accept the sea route patrol commission," Lumine said to her.
"No problem." Katheryne smiled and nodded. Turning around, she plucked one of the commissions off the board and handed it to them, explaining:
"This one's from the Special Patrol Unit. Apparently, a merchant reported his daughter missing yesterday. At first, the Tribunal of Justice thought it might be another case related to the 'Serial Disappearance of Young Girls.'
"Fortunately, they later found her — turns out she'd just eloped with the boy she liked. So at least it wasn't the worst outcome.
"Since it ended up being a personal matter, the Tribunal couldn't intervene further, but the incident still gave them quite a scare.
"They feared that the notorious 'Serial Disappearance of Young Girls' — the case that once shook all of Fontaine and still remains unsolved — might have claimed another victim.
"So they decided to strengthen patrols across multiple regions.
"But since the Special Patrol Unit is currently short-staffed, they had to issue temporary commissions to recruit help."
"Paimon understands… but that 'Serial Disappearance of Young Girls'… what's that about?" Paimon asked curiously after nodding.
Nolan and Lumine also turned curious gazes toward Katheryne.
"Hm… how should I put it? It's a heinous case that can be traced back about twenty years," Katheryne said gravely.
"Ever since that time, young girls have gone missing at intervals. To this day, neither the culprit nor the missing girls have ever been found."
"What—?! That's so terrifying!" Paimon cried out, shrinking behind Lumine in fright.
"Hehe, don't worry," Katheryne chuckled softly. "Judging by the criminal's pattern, they probably wouldn't be interested in you. And with how strong the Traveler is, I doubt the culprit would dare to target you anyway."
"R-right… that's true." Paimon exhaled in relief, though she still looked nervous.
"This culprit must be incredibly cunning," Nolan said in surprise. "To evade capture for so many years—especially in a land ruled by a god and filled with powerful individuals—that's no ordinary person."
If he ever got the chance, it would be best to drag out a criminal like that—someone so dangerous to society.
"Since you've accepted the commission, you should head to the Special Patrol Unit first and find Captain Chevreuse," Katheryne reminded them.
"Got it, we'll get going then." Lumine tucked away the commission slip and nodded.
"May your commission go smoothly," Katheryne said with a gentle smile.
The slip included the Patrol Unit's location, and after walking for less than twenty minutes, Nolan and the others arrived.
It was a fairly spacious area that looked like a training ground. At the moment, a squad of soldiers in red uniforms and tall hats were running laps.
Overseeing them was a young woman wearing a black guard's hat, long violet hair cascading down beneath it. Her pale face was partially covered by an eyepatch over her left eye.
She wore a regulation-style short dress with an open back, white over-knee boots layered over sheer black tights that hugged her well-shaped legs.
She looked neat, composed, and efficient—a woman of action.
Since Nolan could see her face clearly, it also meant she had noticed them. The violet-haired girl approached calmly and said,
"A black-haired man, a blond traveler, and a floating little mascot… You must be the legendary adventurers recently featured in The Steambird's exclusive interview.
"This is the Special Patrol Unit. What brings you here?"
"Hehe, so you've heard of us too! Seems Charlotte's interview did a great job!" Paimon said proudly.
Over the past few days, Charlotte's feature on them had been published in The Steambird—and on the front page, no less.
At this point, nearly everyone in Fontaine had heard their names, whether they meant to or not. Their faces had become quite recognizable throughout the nation.
"Hello, we're here to find Captain Chevreuse of the Special Patrol Unit. We accepted the commission she posted through the Adventurers' Guild," Lumine explained, showing her the commission slip.
"Oh?" The violet-haired woman glanced at the slip, a hint of surprise flashing in her eye—she hadn't expected legendary adventurers to take on her request.
She nodded slightly and said,
"I'm Chevreuse. Thank you for accepting the commission."
[Chevreuse Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 320 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (20/300)]
(End of Chapter.)
RedX43's Note:
➤ Want More? Get up to +40 Extra Chapters on Patreon!
➤ [email protected]/RedX43
➤ +400 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter Drop!
➤ Thanks for reading! 🙌