"So you woke up on that beach, Miya?"
I nodded.
He had ordered a small hotpot, which was still larger than my head. It bubbled audibly when placed on the table—this was apparently the local style of hotpot. Thoma quickly stood up and began adding the contents of other plates into it. A small vent pipe rose from the pot to draw away smoke or steam; it was unobtrusive until the pot boiled, then it became very noticeable.
Thoma explained what each ingredient was and gestured for me to serve myself first.
"Miya, you look like you're starving. After days of travel, you need a proper meal."
His words hit home.
Holding my bowl, I stared fixatedly at the simmering pot.
"...It was just Violetgrass. I only ate Violetgrass for a week."
Thoma paused, looking incredulous. "You didn't even think to roast something for yourself?"
"Squirrels," I said. "I used traps to catch squirrels."
Just as his expression began to soften with approval, I added—
"—But they were so cute. I still didn't eat any."
Thoma fell silent. He simply handed me a ladle, his gaze as pitying as if he were looking at a starved pig on his family's farm.
I had originally intended to mimic a character from an anime called Ashiripa, I thought. I'd previously read about preparing squirrel meat and brains, but even after numbly killing Hilichurls, I still couldn't bring myself to harm a squirrel.
［Please refrain from such JK-level excessive sentimentality］
Shut up.
The System always offered cold, blunt critiques.
"Thoma—" I began. Since he consistently hinted that I drop the formal "Mister" and fixed me with those green eyes every time I spoke, I reluctantly swallowed the honorific.
"What was my mother like?"
Thoma looked at me, then lowered his gaze. I could tell he was retreating into memory.
"Aunt Minella was quite popular in Mondstadt. The tavern guests loved her cocktails—martinis, and many others I can't even name—"
A crackling, staticky sound filled my mind.
The System must be playing the corresponding memory—a woman in a red dress spun a cocktail shaker in the recollection. Her features were strikingly beautiful. The shaker made a rhythmic clacking sound, and the air carried a distinct aroma, like wine. As she set down a glass, the woman hummed a simple tune.
［See, Miyabi? This much is one ounce of Dandelion Wine. It needs a bit of lemon juice, but not too much］
［But］ a child's voice protested, ［I hate the smell of Dandelion Wine. It's too bitter］
Of course it was sour and bitter.
［How do you know what it tastes like? Did your father sneak you some again?］ The woman immediately stopped what she was doing and stormed into the next room—
The memory ended, but I could almost smell the contents of the shaker—bitter, yet with a faint grape fragrance.
"One of her most famous creations was a particular drink. My mother told me Aunt Minella moved like she was dancing when she worked. She carved ice roses so lifelike they seemed real. She loved her work deeply." Thoma continued, "Although I grew up in Mondstadt, I don't drink much. That drink was called—"
I knew the name. It circled in my mind before finally escaping my lips—
"Frozen Sorrow of the North."
Thoma stopped speaking.
A barely perceptible scrutinizing gaze lingered on my face for a moment.
Staring at the wood grain of the table, I felt strange.
My vision grew blurry. My heart felt heavy and congested. Then, the weight in my eyes spilled over, becoming tears.
——
Frozen Sorrow of the North was the signature drink that made Minella famous in her youth in Mondstadt. On her eighteenth birthday, she already wielded a sharp, short ice pick with breathtaking skill, though she was still just a barmaid working in a tavern. Patrons loved watching her fiery red hair and green eyes as she moved through the crowd like a spirit, deftly carrying fine drinks.
She herself was as intoxicating as the finest wine.
Minella loved alcohol so deeply it seemingly drew the gaze of a god—though not the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt. Instead, a Cryo Vision, radiating cold, appeared one night among her birthday gifts, resting in a gilded cup nestled in velvet.
Frozen Sorrow of the North was a gradient drink: four parts Dandelion Wine, one part lemon juice, one part white wine, and one part firewater.
Bitter, with a burning spice hidden beneath the icy temperature, followed by a subtle grape aroma.
Her Vision made exquisite snow dust fall within the glass. The base held a mountain carved from ice, with frost crystals blooming into delicate ice flowers along the rim—a stunningly beautiful, picture-perfect drink that made Minella famous. By twenty-three, she had opened her own tavern. But at the height of its success, Minella disappeared.
Thoma was only six at the time.
He only remembered that Aunt Minella walked out one night and never returned.
Minella had gone to search for mint growing near the edges of Dragonspine.
The Knights of Favonius found her Vision, still clutching a shred of red fabric, near the southern edge of Dragonspine. It had been brutally torn from its owner. Disturbed soil, footprints, and marks from a boat being dragged ashore pointed toward the sea—
Toward the Electro Nation, shrouded in storm and lightning.
Then, seven years after Minella's disappearance, her Vision lost its color, turning completely gray.
——
"I remember now," I quickly explained. "I remember some things about her."
Tears fell.
In the memories, whenever Minella felt homesick, she would make a few drinks. No ice flowers, no brilliance—just mixing the alcohol, not even carving elaborate ice.
Minella had taught a young Miya Ryuguu how to use a carving knife and the names of those drinks.
Why was I, not the real Miya Ryuguu, still unable to stop the tears because of these memories? Confused, I had no idea how to stem the overwhelming flood.
They fell relentlessly.
Flustered, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder.
"Miya, take a deep breath," Thoma said. "You're shaking."
I wanted to explain that I wasn't shaking, but I could feel my hands clenching uncontrollably.
He handed me a towel, likely obtained from the restaurant. Regardless, I took it and wiped my face roughly before pressing it over my eyes.
Why is this happening, System?
My mind was filled with question marks, but the System merely coldly informed me that Thoma's Favorability had increased to 20, all thanks to the simulation's effects.
—Well, at least it's somewhat useful.
At least the identity crisis was temporarily resolved. This body's tendency to cry uncontrollably couldn't be fixed immediately. Crying like this in the middle of a meal was utterly embarrassing. Covering my eyes, I thought awkwardly that this body probably just missed its mother.
——
Only after I had calmed down did Thoma suggest we leave.
Of course, he discreetly paid the bill. Standing nearby with swollen eyes, I fretfully touched my fragile wallet, wanting to protest but unable to find the words.
Outside, the sky had darkened. The streets, once bustling, were now nearly empty. Inazuma's unique customs didn't seem to include a vibrant nightlife. A pale moon hung in the sky—it was always pale, reminding me of the theory that the moon was a corpse.
The moon is the pale remains of a certain goddess, left hanging in the sky.
Thoma didn't bring up Minella from Mondstadt again. He seemed almost guilty that the topic had triggered my sudden outburst. He only asked about my plans as we prepared to part ways at the crossroads.
"I want to earn more Mora, then go see Mondstadt."
"Miya, if you need help, you can come to me. And—" Thoma said, his steps slowing to a halt. I watched as he reached into his inner coat pocket—a movement that sparked a guess. I suspected he had brought Minella's dulled Vision.
［——］
System, I'm sure I guessed right.
I recognized the Mondstadt-style Vision, but I had never seen such a dull, gray luster embedded in its distinctive shape. He took out the Vision that belonged to Minella, hesitating for a moment.
Thoma handed it to me.
He believed I was Miya Ryuguu.
"This belonged to Aunt Minella. I originally wanted to find news of my father and Aunt Minella—but I think entrusting it to you is also good."
It lay in Thoma's palm.
"Has it really lost its light…?" I stared at it, feeling something was off. Very off. The cold emanating from it the moment it was revealed felt like it could knock me over—
［Cryo Vision detected. Available for integration］
Huh?
Thoma looked at me puzzledly, as if I'd been hit by a gust of wind. He felt nothing. It wasn't until I reached out confusedly toward the Vision and touched it that—
An almost sharp cold suddenly erupted from the dulled Vision.
Thoma quickly withdrew his hand.
But the Vision didn't fall. Instead, it pulsed with blue-white energy. Intense cold spread, coating nearby trees and the ground with a thin layer of frost. I stared, shocked, as the power surged toward me—but it didn't harm me. The Vision conveyed intense, almost emotional waves—a snowflake emblem flickered intermittently before solidifying.
Such rage, such sorrow—these emotions flooded my mind the moment I took hold of it.
I heard heart-wrenching screams and rolling thunder, the sound of tearing and curses. The Vision in my hand began to frost over, ice spreading like a snake across my skin and up my arm.
"Miya!" Thoma called out.
I saw him staring nervously at the object in my hand. The fiery Vision at his side glowed brightly, as if he was about to rush forward.
"I'm fine!"
［Vision integrated. Constellation: Snow Falcon activated. Elemental abilities unlocked. Attack increased by 45%—Level increased. 10 attribute points awarded］
［Level increased to 20. Level reward "Save Point" obtained］
［Achievement Unlocked: Bitter Cold Buried Deep Within Life］
［Congratulations on becoming an Allogene］
The System remained coldly impersonal.
［—Welcome to the world］