After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon were preparing to board the Alcor.
Just then, Beidou caught sight of Thoma hurrying toward them in a rush.
Thoma jogged all the way over to Beidou, panting heavily, and only after catching his breath did he quickly greet everyone.
"Boss, hello there! I heard you had arrived, so I came specially to welcome you."
Beidou, seeing Thoma—an old acquaintance she had once worked with—beamed with delight.
She immediately reached out and gave Thoma a hearty slap on the shoulder, joking as she did so.
"Hey, so it's Thoma! Been quite a while since we last met. This time, though, I'm not here to deliver cargo, so you won't have to trouble yourself finding me sales channels."
Thoma naturally understood she was teasing, so he replied with a laugh.
"Haha, Boss, don't say that!"
"I just came by to see you. Besides, now that the Sakoku Decree has been lifted and the Commission has gone through a big reshuffle, this so-called 'local fixer' of yours has no use anymore. Trade will certainly be far smoother from now on."
Then he added, "That way, I can devote myself wholeheartedly to my duties as housekeeper of the Kamisato household."
Shao Yun noticed that Thoma's gaze drifted toward him, intentionally or not.
So, he quickly signaled Lumine and Paimon to board the ship first, choosing to stay behind to deal with Thoma himself.
Once the two had left, Shao Yun stepped forward, wearing a polite smile as he extended his right hand.
"Thoma, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
Seeing Shao Yun still so enthusiastic, Thoma felt a bit embarrassed, forcing a dry laugh as he scratched the back of his head.
"Haha, not bad I guess, just a little busy."
Shao Yun, at a loss for better topics, casually asked, "I see. Well then… from the times I hit you before, I didn't leave you with any lasting injuries, did I?"
Hearing this, Thoma couldn't help recalling all those memories with Shao Yun.
No, he hadn't been left with any hidden wounds physically, but the scars on his spirit could never be erased.
From his perspective, it was either watching Shao Yun kill and burn, or getting beaten and threatened by him.
The last one to get similar treatment and still "survive" was Mondstadt's "strange bird."
The atmosphere between Shao Yun and Thoma grew stiff and awkward, the two unable to find common ground, their conversation faltering.
Finally, Shao Yun couldn't stand it any longer. Finding a random excuse, he quickly went off to find Lumine and Paimon, leaving Beidou to face Thoma alone.
…
Time passed, and the crew of the Alcor finished restocking supplies.
Beidou also bid farewell to Thoma as she prepared to continue the voyage.
Once Beidou boarded the Alcor, Thoma slowly turned, giving a couple of light coughs.
That faint sound was a signal. From behind a large crate taller than a man, a graceful figure emerged, moving lightly.
It was none other than Kamisato Ayaka.
Thoma bowed respectfully to her.
"My Lady, Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon have all boarded."
Hearing this, Ayaka's expression grew complex. She gazed quietly at the majestic Alcor before whispering softly.
"That's good… that's good."
Seeing his lady sneaking around so timidly just to say farewell, like a guilty thief, Thoma couldn't help but speak up.
"My Lady, though our relationship with Shao Yun and the others wasn't exactly harmonious…"
At that, he paused. Not harmonious? More like a disaster—two of the three Commissions gone. If not for Kamisato Ayato's intervention, everyone would have ended up accompanying the Shogun.
"But still, you know them. Just a simple greeting, a farewell—there's no need to hide like this. It isn't shameful."
Ayaka pressed her lips together, her eyes full of emotions she couldn't describe, still watching the Alcor.
"I understand what you mean… but I don't think it's necessary."
After all, they hadn't come looking for her…
Ayaka took a deep breath, her thoughts drifting to the past.
Back then, after the banquet of atonement had ended, she had been eager to befriend Lumine and Paimon.
She had taken them everywhere, showing them the sights of Inazuma, even cooking for them herself to win their affection.
Everything had been going well—until Lumine began imitating Shao Yun's manner. That had frightened Ayaka so much that a shadow was left in her heart.
Still, she thought, with effort even iron can be ground into a needle. With enough time, she could become their true friend.
But fate had other plans. Lumine was injured by the Raiden Shogun, and Shao Yun hurriedly took her and Paimon away to Watatsumi Island.
Their budding friendship never even had the soil to grow roots.
After Shao Yun killed Baal, Inazuma was thrown into chaos over Tatarasuna, and Ayaka was buried in endless duties, with no chance to spend personal time with Lumine.
It wasn't until the recent Irodori Festival that she saw them again.
Yet by then, everyone's attention was focused on uncovering the truth behind the Raiden Five's downfall. No one had the time to nurture friendship.
Could a bond so incomplete at the start and neglected afterward even be called friendship?
When her memories ended, Ayaka sighed deeply, her eyes clouded with confusion.
Then, out of nowhere, she held a book—The Gunslinger Butcher from Fontaine, the newly released third volume.
She gently brushed her fingers across its cover, eyes filled with longing.
Turning to Thoma, she asked, with doubt and frustration in her voice,
"Thoma, tell me… why can't Inazuma turn out like the story in this light novel?"
At her words, Thoma looked troubled.
Scratching his head, he forced a smile.
"If this world could be as beautiful as a light novel, that would be wonderful. But… reality is rarely so simple."
Ayaka pressed further.
"Then, Thoma, do you think Inazuma could have had a completely different ending?"
Though many of its problems had been resolved, the outcome was far from what had once been hoped for.
Ayaka couldn't understand why in Mondstadt and Liyue, crises could be resolved with joy and reunion, but in Inazuma, only blood and cruelty could bring results.
Even if the Raiden Shogun was doomed to die, Ayaka wished at least it could have been like the novel—falling in a grand, heroic battle, not leaving in such a pitiful way.
Yae Miko could blame it all on some mysterious figure.
But Ayaka had no such scapegoat.
And there was something else that haunted her.
Even if buried deep, in the quiet of night she still felt that suffocating presence—Shao Yun's predatory gaze, vivid as ever.
And the memory of her own fatal strategic missteps and mistakes… nightmares that tormented her endlessly.
She wondered: if time could be rewound, if she hadn't spoken those words to Shao Yun, or had stopped Lumine at the Vision Hunt Ceremony… would everything have been different?
Thoma had no answers, only gentle comfort.
"My Lady, what's done is done. Dwelling on the past won't change anything."
Ayaka stroked the book in her hands, whispering.
"You're right…"
At that moment, the sails of the Alcor rose high, and Beidou's booming voice carried across the harbor.
"Set sail! Our next stop, Liyue!"
With that bold command, the Alcor began to move steadily out to sea.
Ayaka lifted her head, clutching the light novel to her chest, watching as the ship grew smaller and smaller until it vanished over the horizon.
Her eyes held a storm of emotions she could not name.
After lingering in the sea breeze, Ayaka finally sighed softly, turning with Thoma to leave the harbor.
…
On the long voyage back to Liyue, the wide ocean lay calm and peaceful, a sharp contrast to the raging storms they had faced earlier.
Beidou entrusted the helm to her seasoned first mate, Sea Drake, then strode toward Shao Yun and his companions, who were enjoying the sea view on deck.
She greeted them with her trademark hearty grin.
"You three heroes who saved Liyue, why don't you tell me about your adventures in Inazuma?"
Shao Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in thought for a moment.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"My story in Inazuma… the first half of it… hard to say. And the second half… hard to explain."
Then he gently patted Lumine on the shoulder, giving her an encouraging look.
"Lumine, why don't you tell Captain Beidou about the things you and Paimon experienced in Inazuma?"