Xingqiu seemed like he wanted to ask Victor Wang something, but Chongyun dragged him away for exorcism work. Hu Tao and Xiangling each had their own matters to handle, and so the Bubblegum Squad disbanded.
Regarding the matter of proving he really was Dust, Victor Wang wondered whether he should use the next two days to make a trip back to Mondstadt—and maybe unlock the Teleport Waypoints along the way.
But from what Xiangling and Xingqiu said, the Crux Fleet wouldn't be back until the Lantern Rite Festival.
Every year, on the first full moon night of the year, Liyue holds its Lantern Rite Festival—roughly equivalent in timing to the combination of Shenzhou's Spring Festival and Lantern Festival.
On the nights before and after the Lantern Rite, people release Xiao Lanterns into the sky. On the night of the festival itself, the people of Liyue release (and ignite) the Mingxiao Lantern, a giant lantern built together by the entire city, crafted in the likeness of an Adeptus who gave their life to protect Liyue.
Right now, though, it was only the first month of winter. That meant Lumine would have to remain in Liyue for at least another three months… so returning to Mondstadt wasn't urgent anymore.
"Maybe I should write Lisa a letter—just to try it out."
Born in an age of advanced communication, he had never needed to write a letter before. Forget long-distance calls—he could probably hold a video conference between the Raiden Shogun's bedroom in Inazuma and the Tsaritsa's chambers in Snezhnaya if he wanted. So, naturally, letter-writing was new territory.
He was also curious about how ancient letter delivery confirmed authenticity—seals and handwriting could be forged, and he'd heard that the folding pattern of the paper or the wax used could matter. But he and Lisa had never set any prior arrangements like that.
Luckily, aside from Lisa, the only one who knew that Romeo and Juliet hadn't been published under Dust's direct approval… was himself.
Choosing his words carefully, he explained the situation in the letter, added a polite note of how he missed her, and sealed it up.
"Post office… post office… found it."
It was a fairly large building, and as soon as he approached the entrance, he heard the buzz of voices inside. There were plenty of people coming and going to send and receive letters.
To prevent chaos, wooden railings separated the lines leading to each service counter, guiding customers and cutting down on line-cutting.
Victor Wang picked a line that seemed shorter—but after waiting for a while, he realized something strange. The lines next to his were moving faster, and some people who'd arrived around the same time as him had already finished their business and left…
When it was finally his turn, the clerk gave him a professional smile that was just starting to stiffen from repetition.
After hearing his request, the clerk explained, "We have three delivery options—pigeon post, carriage, or sending it along with traveling adventurers. The price goes down in that order, but so does the speed."
"I'll choose pigeon post."
"Alright! Fill out the form, pay the fee, and by tomorrow morning, this letter will be sitting on the recipient's desk!" The rare choice of express delivery seemed to perk the clerk up.
Leaving the post office, he was about to head home when he looked up and spotted a sign across the street.
"Youshan Orphanage?"
It seemed Ning Zhen was here… He hadn't brought a gift, and even if he had, she probably wouldn't accept it. He wasn't sure what excuse to use for a visit, but since he was already here, he decided to take a look.
Once they confirmed he knew Ning Zhen, the staff let him in, even without prior arrangement.
The orphanage was laid out like an enormous courtyard house, but far larger in scale. Beyond the gatehouse was a large open yard with flowers, greenery, and play equipment for the children. A group of kids—probably aged five to seven—were playing under the guidance of a woman.
She was a woman with an almost ethereal presence.
Her long, night-black hair flowed down over snow-white robes. The loose sleeves and simple gown could not hide the graceful curves beneath, cinched at the waist with a silk sash. Below was a billowing white tulle skirt, swaying gently like a lotus in the breeze as she moved with the children.
Dressed entirely in white with no extra adornments, her only colors came from her dark hair, star-like eyes, and the ice-blue Vision at her waist—like a fairy stepping out of a fantasy novel.
"Let's play a game," she said. "From now on, everything I say will be a lie, unless I start with the words 'If.' Only those sentences are true. Understand?"
"Yes!" the children answered in unison.
"Then… I didn't bring you any gifts this time."
"That's a lie! Sister Ye brought gifts!"
"If I brought gifts, would you be happy?"
"Happy!"
"Now, whoever wants a toy, raise your hand."
The children exchanged glances. They knew it was a lie, but the temptation was strong. Eventually, one child raised his hand.
"Xiaoguang, this question is a trick—if you raise your hand, you won't get a toy!" another child warned, trying to pull his hand down, but failed.
"Anyone else want a toy? You have to raise your hand to get one!"
Most shook their heads, but Xiaoguang stubbornly kept his hand raised.
The woman in white smiled and took Xiaoguang's hand, pulling him closer. "Now… if you want a toy, raise your hand."
This time, more than half the children who understood the game raised their hands.
"Alright. The game is over now. If you want a snack, raise your hand."
Some hands shot up immediately, but others hesitated. Then a voice called out, "This sentence didn't start with 'If'—so the game isn't over!"
Realizing this, the children quickly lowered their hands.
"Very, very clever." She praised the little girl who spotted it, then added, "Now, if you want a snack, raise your hand."
This time, over half the children raised their hands again.
"Good. If the game is over, I'll hand out gifts based on your performance." She signaled to a lean, middle-aged man nearby.
From where he stood under the gatehouse eaves, Victor Wang watched from behind two flowerbeds.
Xiaoguang, who had raised his hand at the start, received two gifts. The others got exactly what they had indicated they wanted. Only Ning Zhen received nothing—because she had never raised her hand once.
"Zhenzhen, was there nothing you wanted from the gifts I brought?"
"I only want to become stronger."
The woman in white froze briefly, but didn't try to persuade her.
All the children here were orphans, each carrying the pain of a broken family, each with their own reason to grow strong. She understood that feeling.
"Do you like swords?"
"Swords?"
She beckoned, and a pure white sword appeared in her hand, as flawless as she was.
"If you like it, I'll give it to you."
Ning Zhen's eyes lit up with longing, and she almost reached out to touch it—but she stopped herself. Shaking her head, she said, "It's too precious. I can't take it."
"Just take it. It's only a sword—I have plenty more." She handed the valuable-looking weapon to Ning Zhen.
From tip to hilt, it stood as tall as Ning Zhen herself. She hugged it awkwardly, then asked softly, "Really?"
"Of course. But treat it well—never use it to harm the innocent."
"What's its name?"
"Three Thousand Weak Waters. It's called the Sword of the Three Thousand Weak Waters."
She had only been here three or four days, yet this woman was already willing to give her a weapon worth at least four stars. Even Victor Wang wouldn't part with his Wentian Sword so easily…
"You came to see Ning Zhen?"
The familiar voice came from behind him. Turning, he saw Keqing approaching gracefully.
"That's right. I was nearby, so I stopped by. You too?"
"Mm." She nodded slightly. "I was worried she wouldn't adjust well to a new place."
She came to stand beside him, not moving further in.
"Yesterday, when you fought the Overlord of the Vortex, you helped ease the pressure on the Jade Chamber. The Liyue Qixing always repay their debts. If there's a reasonable reward you want, we'll grant it."
Well then… maybe post some missing person notices for me—nah.
Truth be told, he didn't really have anything to ask for. He wasn't short on Mora, and asking for it felt tacky. What else could he want? Did Liyue have an Honorary Knight position? Or maybe an honorary Millelith title?
Maybe Lumine's choice really had been well thought out…
"Actually, I lost my identification papers. Can you issue me a new set?"
"Are you serious?" Keqing gave him a sidelong glance. Losing ID was one thing—but he had probably never had Liyue ID in the first place.
"Of course! Other than my Adventurer's Certificate, I've got nothing else. I did have Liyue papers before, but they're gone."
"Alright. Liyue's big enough for one more citizen."
"Thanks!" Officially a Liyue resident! Now, if an identity crisis cropped up again, he could just recite his ID number.
"It's nothing—you've earned it."
"By the way, has the Noctilucous Jade theft case in Mingyun Village been solved?"
"Why do you care?"
"Curiosity. I was kind of involved with you in that matter. Can't I ask?"
"...The Noctilucous Jade was definitely stolen by the Abyss Order. But then it was transported on some black ships to Guyun Stone Forest. I didn't intervene—I wanted to see who would eventually pick it up, to find out who's colluding with the Abyss Order.
But after yesterday's incident, those black ships all sank. So, for now, the trail's gone cold."
"I see."
It matched what Bailing had reported two days ago. Maybe her organization and the Qixing shared intel—but it was still hard to guess what the Abyss Order's true goal was…