Chapter TextHe had never seen anything like this before. Not in all his long life, never once.
Perhaps when he was still just an innocent puppet, he once dreamed about this scene but who knows if he was truly dreaming about that, after all that pathetic puppet is already long 'dead' after all.
Only Wanderer remained.
Makoto stood there, unmoving and dumb, as he looked at his unmoving mother. He never expected this from her.
He could see clearly the emotion he thought were impossible for his mother to have.
Sadness .
Makoto wanted to laugh, this, this damn woman dared to have this kind of emotion after what she did to him.
The woman who abandoned him, the one who left him alone to rot on that damned domain for Eternity.
He wants to tear apart those eyes from its socket and crush it so he doesn't need to look at those damned shows of emotion from her.
Makoto would do that. If not because the world is already stopping again. He disdainfully looked at the "Window" to read what was written there.
" Good, new quest" Makoto disdainfully mocked. It's not enough to do one quest but now there is the second quest too . Great, he hates this "window" more and more.
Makoto internally sighed as he read the part if he refused to accept or fail the quest, Teyvat would end. This is much worse than before.
" This really annoying"
Also before he accepts this quest, he needs to calm down his mind and heart. It's not good if the world is moving again and the next thing he does is attack his mother.
It would not end well for both of them, especially to him.
And so he waited, he didn't know how long he was waiting, for time itself stopped. It can be days, months, years or just mere minutes. Who knows. He is just waiting for the burning hatred in his mind and heart to die out, not even let an ember remain.
Only when he is pretty sure that he already calmed down that he finally said in his heart the answer.
" Accept"
Congratulation
Quest "The meaning of Name" has begun
Clue :
Talk to the one who give you your name (0/1)
And so the world moved again.
Makoto read the content of the quest before he frowned — or try as his entire body can't move beside his eyes, this quest implied something regarding his name. Makoto felt something was wrong when he asked Traveller regarding why he gave him this name in particular, especially with him trying to change the subject.
Now he knows, the name Traveller gave to him was the name of someone his mother knew and cherished, based on how she still failed to hide the sadness in her eyes in front of someone she right now considered just some kind stranger.
"That really a beautiful name" Ei praised as she smiled a little to him, still trying to hide the sadness in her eyes. "But no family name? Ah, sorry if I–"
"It's fine" Makoto cut, his tone cold "My mother never even bothered even naming me at all, let alone family name"
"I-i am so sor–"
"Nah, it's fine" His mother tried to apologize by being cut again by him. Huh, there is still a little bit of burning hatred from before in him apparently. At least it's not enough to make him lose control and attack her but it's enough for him to bad mouth her infront of herself. "I really hate and despise my mother but these days I tried to forget about her…unfortunately to no avail at all."
His mother looked at him in the eyes and he looked back. He now looked at his mother's eyes. It's really beautiful even though there is sadness inside it. The more he looked, the more he became aware there was more than sadness. It's a longing, a longing for someone who is already long gone.
Then…
Her hand moved to his head and unexpectedly rubbed it gently.
Makoto was shocked. Momentarily his mind allowed her to do what she is doing right now. He can feel how gentle her hand is right now. How can a warrior like her move with such gentleness?
(Un)Fortunately for him, His mother finally became aware of what she did as her eyes widened and took her hand from his head.
"...Sorry about that" after a momentary silence she apologized "i really don't know what crossed my mind when I did that"
"Just…don't do that again" Makoto replied as he sighed. This matter with his mother became more and more tiresome. "I already said my name, now this is your turn to tell me your name" He already knows her name but it's not hurt to ask either way or it's just him being petty.
"I am known as Raiden Shogun," She proudly said. If it was someone else in his position, they would have been surprised, awed or something similar. Heck even he doubted they would dare to approach and speak casually with her in the first place even if they don't recognize her. But to Makoto it's just a mere title she used. Nothing more nothing less.
"Just that? You introduce yourself by your own title?" Makoto said unimpressed by her mother's introduction, there were also undertones of mockery — it's easy thanks to his Fatui training in politics — hiding in his tone if her mother bothered to listen to his words carefully or perhaps she just didn't know anything about veiled insults, then again she is type to use emotion to drive her and violence as the answer to most her problem. "You know most people don't introduce themselves by their title only"
His mother fell silent, surprised by what he just said to her, she obviously didn't think that the young man infront her would answer with that.
Then she opened her mouth again "sorry about that, let's me repeat my introduction" this time the air around her changed, if before it was like sudden rain now Makoto feels he is hit by a thunderstorm. "My name is Raiden Ei but you can call me Ei" as quickly as it changes, her air around back to before just as quickly.
A moment of silence passed between the pair.
"So you are the infamous electro Archon eh" Makoto pretended to be surprised without any intention to make it look real, almost playful in fact. "I hear many bad things regarding your reputation even thought Sumeru is quite far from Inazuma"
Hearing that his mother just gave him a tired smile. "Is it that my reputation is that bad in other countries?"
Huh, she already knows that her reputation is that bad in Inazuma but she doesn't even know her reputation in other nations?.
Makoto just nodded. "In fact there was someone who wrote and studied about the Inazuma decline mainly caused by its own internal factors including its Archon rather than external factors.
"I once heard that from my old friend, i…thought she was just lying to me about that to make me more enthusiastic to do my work, I don't know that she was really honest to me regarding that," she explained. Makoto can also see how depressed she becomes the more she talks.
"Can you tell me more about my reputation in other nations or just from Sumeru, you are from Sumeru right?" she asked.
"And based on what you guess me are from Sumeru? There is a chance that i came from other nations" Makoto playfully asked, it's clear she knows when he explained her bad reputation before but it's quite fun to play her mother like this.
"Sorry" another apologizes huh, he can see how her poker face starts to redden trying to hide her shame "you said Sumeru before so i thought…"
"Hahahaha…" Makoto laughed, this was quite fun. He really should do this more. Fortunately for his mother, Makoto stopped laughing after a few moments "sorry your highness it's just your face is very funny".
His mother's face started to become more red than before, Makoto ready to laugh again. "P-please, just call me Ei"
Hearing that Makoto raised his eyebrow.
"Ei, Ei, Ei" Makoto said repeatedly, it felt weird saying his mother name like that. Even though his mother asked him to do that.
"Yes, right you can just call me Ei, it somehow feels right to me, if you are fine about that" She reassured him to call her that. "Regarding question about my reputation in other nations before can you tell more"
Makoto is now thinking whether to tell her or not, if we are talking about all the negative rumors and news about his mother, he can spend a few days talking to explain what the bad things she caused to the effect caused by what she did like changing in politics, economy, health, and many more and another few days to explain what she should do to undo the damage or at least speed up the recovery of Inazuma and more than a week what disdain and insult ( mostly that come from him) people said behind her back.
He looked at the sun, high in the sky. Before looking back to his mother.
"Perhaps tomorrow I can tell you, if your highness deems it worth your highness time," Makoto said sarcastically as he adjusted his hat.
His mother, not aware of the sarcasm in his tone, who she thought he just suddenly had a sore throat and happily nodded. "Good, tomorrow and also please I know you try to be polite but right now I am on vacation so just call me Ei like i said before"
" Wait, what?" Makoto is confused about her mother's reaction as he pays more attention to her to not find any deception at all. Perhaps Traveller's word can be trusted about her mother's airhead nature.
"Yes, tomorrow at the same place at the same time when we meet for the first time" Makoto emphasized the words "first time".
"See you later then" she said and
"See you later" he replied and waited a moment then another moment to pass but to his surprise his mother still didn't move from her position at all.
"Why are you still not leaving?" Makoto asked.
"I want to ask the same question too" She replied to him. "Why are you still in here too"
Makoto let out an annoyed scoff. There is another silence between them. Before his mother decided to break the silence between them first.
"Want to have lunch with me?"
Congratulation!
1+ affection point (Raiden Ei(23/300)
Huh. So She is very serious right now.
Surprisingly or he was just simply too tired, Makoto accepted her invitation and here both of them sat together eating their lunch.
Before as they just entered the restaurant, they or she, his mother to more precisely, caused all the customers and staff to freeze in fear. Her mother casually walked over to another empty table without realizing what she just caused. Did she ever think what happens if an Archon does what she does right now?.
Her mother sits there and he follows and takes the seat in front of her, he also puts down his hat beside him, it's quite uncomfortable to eat inside wearing a huge hat. She hummed as she looked at the menu book, thinking what food should she choose and so he too decided to do the same too, after all they were in the restaurant.
"Waiter" She called the poor waiter who was still shocked by her presence.
"R-right" the poor girl answered, as she approached her Archon. " What i can help for you"
"I order one Omelette rice, two sakura mochis and one bottle of Dango Milk and what do you order M-makoto?" his mother hesitantly said his name. He really needs to talk to the Traveller about this later.
"just one bowl Unagi chazuke and one glass of water"
"Right, your food will arrive soon" The poor girl in a hurry wrote all their orders, bowed to his mother and left as fast as possible.
It's not long for both of their orders to arrive, he eats his food with grace meanwhile her mother is like a kid there leaving crumbs all over her cheeks after she is done with her food.
Makoto sighed as he took a napkin from his pocket and cleaned the crumbs on her cheeks.
"What are you? A child?" Makoto was annoyed by her act.
"This is my vacation so no need of those annoying eating manners"
Congratulation!
1+ affection point (Raiden Ei(24/300)
It's not long after that for both to leave the restaurant, with bowing staff as they leave the restaurant.
"The price is more expensive than what Miko said to me" His mother said as she looked around Inazuma city, how its citizens looked at her with Awe and fear.
An invisible barrier that separates her and her people.
"I guess we parted here" he said to his mother as she turned her attention to look at him.
"Ma…yeah right, depart here, tomorrow?" He was pretty sure the first word she wanted to say was "Makoto".
Makoto nodded "tomorrow".
And so Raiden Shogun leaves him, he doesn't know where she will go after this but he makes sure his mother is far away from him. Before he decided to turn his back and start to walk.
" Now, where are you, Aether" He opened the "Map" and there, like before, another red mark to follow.
" There a question you need to answer "
"We'll set up camp here Paimon," Aether said as he gazed toward the setting sun. "Around a week again for Beidou and her crews to arrived to Inazuma, thank you to carry the cabbage too, Paimon"
"hehehe If Paimon can't at least carry Cabbage for Paimon own food, then Paimon don't deserve to eat at all" Aether thankful for having flying Emergency food like Paimon, extra hand is necessary after all when you need to stole few vegetables from farm guarded by it's Farmers.
Yes, Aether and Paimon get this vegetable from stealing it straight from other people's farm, it's even still dirty with dirt, sands and a few small worms. With his wallet almost empty from Mora, he was forced to do the thing he disliked and did many times, Stealing.
But He try to calm down his mind, the vegetables they eat have weird shapes and are not suitable for sale on the market, at least Aether hopes. He doesn't want to make the Farmers lose too much money after all.
He and Lumine, when desperate, always come to steal the food they need. He doesn't like it but Lumine weirdly enough quite enjoys the Thrill of it. He sometimes doesn't understand how the thing they are forced to do is fun.
Here in Teyvat, he still stole the food he needed if he was desperate enough, but this time instead with lumine he brought Paimon. An innocent child by mean and he taught her how to steal and much worse is that the frequency he steals is much more than many worlds he traveled before.
He really fell this deep after he came to this world.
Enough with this negative thinking." focus" He needs to clean this vegetable, cut it, make a fire, cook it and eat it.
So after nearly an hour he already did all that.
As the light of fire casts a shadow around him and Paimon both of them are now eating the vegetable soup. It's simple and delicious.
Paimon complained about the lack of any meat. " Should he hunt birds tomorrow?" After all, both of them need more fat and protein if they want to stay healthy, especially since they are now in Inazuma.
Weakness is not a choice here.
Then after both of them are done with their dinner, they or more precisely Paimon for he doesn't need to sleep.
"Sleep Paimon, i'll keep watch as usual" Paimon just nodded and lay down her head on his thigh, he still remembered how Paimon commented about how soft and comfy his thighs are. It's not true right? He is pretty sure Lisa's thighs are more comfortable than he's.
Then Aether hears footsteps of someone or perhaps something. He summoned his sword to his hand and grabbed the still sleeping Paimon ready to flee.
He then sees the familiar hat and dematerialised his sword back to nothingness.
"What can I help you, Wanderer?"
"Well i have one question and i want you to answer it"
Night at Tenshukaku
In Shogun's private room, Raiden Ei happily drinks her new flavor of Dango Milk. It's sweet but not only the sweetness of sugar and milk but also the savory taste of nuts.
She really needs to pay him back to help her to search for this. Perhaps Mora or those Light novels of Miko, are quite popular among youngsters in and out Inazuma or as Yae told her before.
"Ei" she hears the monotone sound of her puppet. Ei rarely hear her talking first to her lately.
" Yes, shogun?" Ei replied to other entities inside the body they shared.
"Regarding the young man you met before, are you two really planning to meet again tomorrow?" Just somehow Ei can sense a small amount of curiosity from her puppet's usual monotone way of speaking, perhaps because both of them lately are also talking more with each other.
"Yes, why?" Now Ei is curious too, why Shogun suddenly became interested in this. "Have a problem with that? I am pretty sure Ma-makoto is safe to talk with". She still feels weirded out by calling other people with her late sister's name.
"No, instead i want you talking with him for the reasons are; that boy is brave enough to talk bad thing about you not even Sara brave enough to do that" eugh she don't need to said it like that "he also based by my observation have an aura of confident which came from his own research, experience and wisdom instead just from hearing some rumor about you".
"Also what if what he said is indeed true, he can be a great help to us, don't waste this opportunity at all" Shogun is right, this chance to talk with someone with confidence and knowledge like Makoto not come Twice. She really needs to take this seriously. "And if he proved very useful, you can give him a position to sit beside you if he agreed with that"
Ei didn't understand what Shogun meant by that last part but she agreed.
"Before I end this, there is another report I need to tell you, this will be my last report tonight so please hear it carefully, it's important for both of us" What is so important about this report that make the emotionless Shogun this serious Ei wonder.
"The Damage rate of the body has just increased, from before 0.000004% rise to 1.3% in this single night" Ei hearing that start to become concerned, what can cause its rising so significantly?.
" Do you know what caused it?" Ei asked, manually searching the problem is a tiresome process. If the Shogun system can detect the problem she will be very thankful to her past self to put it.
"I have already found the cause of it, permission to eradicate the source of the problem?" Shogun asked for her permission.
"Permission granted"
"Proceed to destroy""CRASH"
"Eh!!!! Shogun, why did you destroy my Dango Milks ?"
"Problem eradicate"ter TextAether cautiously looked at Wanderer. He doesn't trust Wanderer at all, after all their first interaction was the man in front of him trying to kill him their second meeting was much worse with the man wanting to kill him slowly along taunting Aether with his failure to their last fight in Sumeru is just full of pain and suffering for him, he still remember how his body torn apart, his innard explode, beheaded, crushed, burned, drowned, electrocuted , frozen to been shatter in the moment and many more torturous way Wanderer old-self inflicted to him, even to this point of time his body still remember the phantom pain. In all being he met on Teyvat this man in front of him caused the most pain to him but in the end of day, Wanderer became his bitter ally.
Aether is still haunted how he cannot drink a single gulp of water for a week because every time he wants to drink, his body feel hot and dry because of the dehydration but everytime he put even a drop of water in his mouth, it is makes him remember, remember how his first defeat, the way hydro energy enters his body from all possible entry in his body, before his body exploding like a water balloon filled with too much water.
And then another loop began and then his torment repeated again, again and again. Its loop is different from before, but the end result is the same. He died in the end. Fortunately Nahida reached the result she wanted and thanks to her, he finally defeated the False god once for all and freed him from the cycle of pain and death.
He wants to cry the night after all the mess caused by Wanderer's old self, Scaramouche, Dottore and Fatui is done to deal with. How He wants to cry and forget everything misfortune that happened to him but He needs to hold his tears, for he doesn't want to make Paimon worry for him the last thing he wants to do is make a child like Paimon worried about his well being. He feels so pathetic and useless, he misses Lumine, misses how she and him in the past would cuddle and laugh to make themselves feel better. At the end of day it is just a mere history between them.
The same with Ei, Aether and her conflict is just another history to remember between them too.
But just because it's only a history among them now, doesn't mean Aether likes and trusts Wanderer. But he can trust Nahida.
The little Dendro Archon has promised and already made sure that Wanderer is safe to him. To never cause harm and danger to him.
Aether just nodded as his answer.
Most importantly, Wanderer will help Traveler if he needs his help, even though Aether himself feels doubtful regarding that.
" What kind of question?" Aether though, cautiously looked at his former enemy. It's uncommon for him to search for Aether in the first place. Aether was curious, what kind of question is that?.
Aether takes a short sigh before he gives Wanderer a small hint for him to sit beside him. Even with limited light sources, Aether can see Wanderer rising an eyebrow.
"You want to talk right?" Aether will act polite to someone regarding if that person is a former hateful enemy as long as the person does not do something that caused that act of politeness pointless. "Sit beside me if you want to ask something to me, it's not polite to come uninvite and then asking something without any greeting you know"
Aether then continued again " or perhaps Nahida did not teach you about that?"
Aether really should not have said that to Wanderer at all, it's a foolish thing to say. Aether can see the way Wanderer gaze sharpened, like an eagle ready to strike his prey. But he cannot really stop himself from saying that to him, Wanderer's presence always makes him want to do something bad toward him.
He knows it's wrong to do that to a changing man like Wanderer but Aether can't help it. For he can momentarily forget the phantom pain caused by Scaramouche.
But this is not the time, if Wanderer decides to end him right now he can do it but Aether also knows deep in his heart that Wanderer will never do that.
"Just kidding" Aether hopes it's enough for Wanderer to stop looking at him like that, it's very scary especially from a man like Wanderer.
Wanderer looked at him with that scary gaze before sighed and walked to sit beside him.
"Now can I ask you the question, Traveller?" Wanderer tone was intimidating. Aether can feel his body trembling by that, he now realizes this is the first time that he and Wanderer are talking with each other without other company, the sleeping Paimon doesn't count. "Why are you shaking so much?".
Aether doesn't want to answer it, answering it means that he admits that he is really afraid of Wanderer, he hopes someone or something will help him right now but thankfully to World blessing or something outside Teyvat, he can divert Wanderer attention from his trembling body to…
"Growwlll…"
His growling stomach.
Aether blushing this is really embarrassing for him, the famous traveler was found out starving by his worst former enemy. Aether looked at Wanderer, he looked straight at him, Aether ready to tremble again before he realized something. Wanderer is not looking at him at all but instead looks at something in front of him, something that Aether cannot see.
"You really need to eat more for your own health" Wanderer said, he now somewhat sounds empathetic to him now. What happened to him suddenly?. "I understand that the price of food and ingredient of inazuma is very expensive to this days but really the famous Traveler and Hero of many nations himself decided to steal crops from Farmers?"
Aether's face paled, he was already sure to speak around carefully and quietly, he was also making sure no one noticed him and Paimon when they stole those crops, so how did Wanderer know about that?.
"You call that sneaking around?" Wanderer mock, definitely talking about he and Paimon's performance when they sneak around the farms "how even the Fatui still failed to notice you is annoying. Perhaps their quality has already dropped since I first joined, hehehe now it's another reason to add that leaving Fatui is a good idea".
"That is very pathetic from both of you" he continued as he looked at the sleeping Paimon, Aether looked at Paimon and gently rubbed her head, this little girl willingly followed and helped him across their journey, he can't ask better companion than her "but it makes me more pathetic to lose from both of you".
Aether not expected self-deprecation from Wanderer at all.
"You should eat more, I know your little bleeding heart doesn't want to see your little Paimon starving, but allow yourself to starve instead, is stupid you know that" Aether doesn't know what Wanderer is really trying to say to him.
"What do you mean by that? I'm already used to starvation but Paimon is different, she is just a child". Ever since come to Teyvat he more often felt starved than full.
"You are a moron, you know that" Wanderer mock him, everytime he talks the more Aether forgets about his fear and trembles in front of him It's now slowly replaced by anger. "What I mean to say is the more you get used to starvation the more your body adapts to the starvation also makes your body start to consume the fat and the breakdown of your muscle causing you to become weak".
Aether in one of the worlds, he and lumine once visit he hear about that too from one of the scholars in that world. But Aether never thought much about that, food is important to him but not that important to that his life depends on it. He is not Lumine who eats not only when hungry but also really enjoys it just because she simply found it fun.
The more Aether thought about it the more he realized that Wanderer is right, while he can feel his original power back every time he resonated with other elements, Aether feels physically weaker every year. But then it came to another question, why did Wanderer tell him about this? Does he perhaps care for him?.
Aether looked back at Wanderer and get his answer "I know what you are thinking,
no i don't care much about you,
I just…promised to Nahida to help you if necessary".
Aether nodded, at least his reasoning is something he can accept regardless of the fact that in his heart he is still afraid of him. And He would probably be weirded out by Wanderer act to help him because he cares or something similar.
"Thanks for your suggestion, i will start to eat better from now on" He will eat better now, and getting Wanderer attention to him feels oddly…nice.
"But first you need sleep, a good night sleep" Wanderer then slapped his thigh, a hint to Aether to sleep using his thigh as a pillow.
Now this feels really weird for Wanderer to act like this. He is not sick right? Wait, can a puppet like him get sick in the first place?
"Are you… okay? And what about Paimon" Aether hesitantly asked. Wanderer feels really out of character right now.
Wanderer scoffed "I'm fine, give Paimon to me" as he gave Aether a hint to put Paimon in his other thigh. Aether was conflicted on one side; he wanted to trust Paimon to him but on the other side the distrust in his heart screamed to never allow him to touch Paimon. There is also the probability that the Wanderer in front of him is Abyss' order who disguise themselves as Wanderer or perhaps—
"Hey, you hear me or are you just deaf!" Wanderer yells at him, yups that aggravating personality is definitely him. Aether doubted that Abyss' order could mimic his 'Unique' personality so precisely.
"Sorry, I can hear you so I'm definitely not deaf at all but thank you for your concern and please lower your voice, Paimon would awoke if you start to act like when you fight me with that giant robot". He answered playfully or at least tried to do so, it sounded more like he was some kind of jerk who dig his friend's dark past.
Wanderer scoffed hearing his answer.
"Now give me the girl" Wanderer commanded, Aether nodded while he was reluctant to do so, Wanderer had no reason to hurt Paimon and the fact that there was a rumor about him playing with other kids on Sumeru too.
He gives Wanderer the still sleeping Paimon, ignorant of what happened around her. Wanderer in turn put her head gently on his thigh.
"So…soft, Ae~theer soffft" Paimon was delicious on her sleep mistaken. In response, Wanderers softly stroked her head.
For a moment, Aether looked at the mother and her kid before he shook his head and looked again, it's just Wanderer and Paimon.
"It must be just my imagination" He reasoned, no way Wanderer was that soft right. The nameless puppet perhaps but definitely not him.
"Now it's your turn" Wanderer turns his attention to Aether right now as he gives a hint to sleep on his other thigh.
Aether sighed, looking like Wanderer still not giving up and based on his personality Wanderer was the type of man who better give what he wants or he's gonna make your life difficult.
Aether gave up and put his head on Wanderer's thigh.
" W-what is this!?" Surprising is not enough to describe what Aether felt right now. Wanderer thigh is surprisingly soft, not too fat but also not too muscled. Amber and furina thighs are too small for his taste, Noelle too muscled, Eula, Shenhe and many other girls too Fat or too thick and other girls or women are just not right for his taste.
What Aether did not realize was he unawarely caused many girls and women across Teyvat to suddenly have heartbreak without reason unknown to them. But that's for another story.
Aether could feel his consciousness slowly start to sink into drowsiness. He tries to resist at first but the more he resists the more the drowsiness hits and a small warm hand stroking his hair gently is the final nail before he gives up and sleeps.
He wakes in the morning, Aether expects Wanderer to leave him and Paimon in the end but instead he wakes up to find Paimon eating heartily some kind of soup and roasted Lavender Melon. That fruit can be eaten simply by roasted it?.
Aether looks at Wanderer who takes a bowl (Aether bowl) and scoops a hot soup from the cauldron.
"Here" Wanderer gives Aether the bowl and another bowl with roasted Lavender Melon.
"Thank" Aether said he looked at the food Wanderer gave to him "Lavender Melon can be eaten like this? And where do you get this from?"
"Of course, you don't know that?" Aether can feel Wanderer mocked Him somehow. "Here I thought you knew about this when you went on an adventure in Inazuma and where I got it from around here".
"I thought you need to process it thoroughly first before it is edible to eat" Did the people lie to him perhaps?.
Wanderer shaked his head, and didn't believe what he just heard from Aether mouth "from where do you even hear that?"
"From the merchant that gave me a quest to collect this Lavender Melon in the wilds" Aether still remembers the old man who gave him this quest, he was desperate for money at the time and the man came to him like an angel and gave him the quest. " He even pay me 10 Mora each"
"Can you repeat how much he pays you?" Wanderer asked, he could see how Wanderer looked at him like He is something pitiful and funny at the same time.
"10 Mora each"
"Pft…Congratulations, you have been scammed by someone, you know each Lavender Melon can be priced at 200-240 Mora each you know, especially harvested from the wild, can be priced more" He mockingly said.
" am i really being scammed?" Aether can feel heat radiated from his face, he never feels this humiliated before before he decides to divert his attention to his breakfast.
He takes one spoonful of the soup and then " What, what is this!?" Aether can taste the Umami in the soup, the saltiness and savory is just right on his tongue.
He takes a bite of the roasted Lavender melon, its combination dancing perfectly in his tongue.
Without Aether realizing he takes another spoon and another bite of his breakfast.
Wanderer smiles proudly seeing him enjoying the food he has already prepared for him.
It's no take long for Aether and Paimon to finish their breakfast.
"Fuaah Paimon is full, the breakfast is very tasty!" Paimon said as she fly beside Aether. Aether himself just nodded, agreeing with Paimon's statement.
A pity Wanderer is not a girl, Aether has no mind having a girl like him. Know how to cook but also not obsessed with it. Not certain cook from Liyue.
"Your bag is very convenient you know" Hearing that Aether froze as touch his small bag. What does Wanderer mean by that!?. "It can fit many things inside"
"You, you open my bag without permission" Aether really really dont like someone touching his thing even if it is someone deep in his heart very afraid to face.
"Relax Traveler, Paimon is the one who opened it" Paimon said to him. The only person beside himself and Lumine to access his bag is just Paimon.
Aether sighed. Relieved that Wanderer didn't look at his bag. If he does that Aether will report that to Nahida. He too afraid to comfort him straight to his face.
"It's a very fascinating bag, where do you get that from?" Wanderer asked, clearly interested in his bag. "I see Paimon takes many things that supposedly do not fit at all inside that small bag".
"It's none of your business Wanderer" Aether replied harsly, before Aether whimpered back as Wanderer gave him the same Sharp gaze the night before.
"I-i get that from my travel but i don't remember where" Aether was not lying, he already forgot the name of the planet he got this bag after all.
"Fine if You don't want said it"
Makoto is annoyed as he remembers the 'window' that popped out last night.
Congratulation!
You get a New clue!
Help Aether first before you can get the New clue regarding your name!
Help Aether to take the first step to heal! :
Make Aether sleep peacefully this night (0/1)
Make Aether and Paimon breakfast
(0/1)
Bonus for get a New clue
3+ affection point (Aether (3/100))
He doesn't even understand what this 'window' is trying to tell him. That he needs to help the Traveler to heal?. Makoto is pretty sure that the traveler is very healthy. Little bit scared for some reason but healthy regardless.
And so Makoto already makes sure Traveller sleeps soundly and he also makes sure that Traveler eats the breakfast he prepared.
And the 'window' pop out again.
Help Aether first before you can talk more!
Help Aether to take the first step to heal! :
Make Aether sleep peacefully this night
(1/1)
Make Aether and Paimon breakfast
(1/1)
Bonus for helping the Traveller
5+ affection point (Aether (8/100))
Now he just needs to ask the question he has wanted to ask since yesterday. Unfortunately another damn 'window' popped out again.
It's now written.
Congratulation!
You get a New clue!
Use Aether as your 'victim' to get your loved one!
"What!?" What does this damned 'window' mean by that? He understands that the loved one is referring to his mother.
But what 'victim' means? Makoto thinks for a moment before he understands what it means.
"Aether" He called the Traveler name, Aether froze as Makoto called his name, surprised.
"H-how you know my name, i never tell you my name" Now this is quite cute and funny as the traveler asked even though he was still scared, Makoto didn't understand why the Traveller suddenly became scared when he said his name.
"from Nahida and Paimon also told me before regarding your money problem, Aether looks like your money problem would go away if you agreed to help me".
Aether looked at Paimon. He was surprised that Paimon would tell Wanderer of all people "You tell him our problem, Paimon?"
Paimon nodded. "Yes, Paimon told him about our problem"
Aether hesitantly asked, afraid that Wanderer's answer was "what kind of help?"
It looked like He still did not get the answer he wanted right now. Fortunately, patience is one of his few virtues.
Unfortunately for Aether, being a manipulative bastard is one of Wanderer's worst sins second after Wrath, and with that Wanderer knows how to get Traveler to move to his whim.
Raiden Ei wakes up and starts to do her usual activity. It's already been a long time since she got a nice sleep.
The difference is that she is more energetic and in high spirits than yesterday.
This day she will meet Makoto again. The young man was very knowledgeable and wise for people his age.
She also needs breakfast before meeting Makoto, based on what he said would take a few hours. The food prepared for her breakfast can be described as rich and full of variety, but lacks something she doesn't know.
But it makes Ei wonder if Makoto knows how to cook too, if he can, could he give her a few samples to taste. But what if after tasting his food, Makoto wants to taste her food too.
Ei don't know what to say, if he asked that, she doesn't know how to cook after all. The last time she cooked something, half of Tenshukaku exploded.
Her sister ends up banning her from ever using Kitchen again.
"Ah Shogun-sama, are you enjoying breakfast?" Her thought was suddenly cut off from one of her servants. Who her name is? Yuki? Yuki is her name.
"Like usual Yuki, the food is amazing" Ei politely answered her question, the servant just smiled hearing her answer.
She then finished the rest of the food. It's still a few hours before her meeting with Makoto, so what should she do right now?.
Ei thought for a moment. Perhaps continue with her training or look around Inazuma again?. No, wait she should probably give a gift to Makoto, the young man after all willingly tell her about Inazuma problem and solutions without demanding anything, the least she can do is give him something as repayment.
What kind of gift? Food, clothes, Light novel. No, no, She needs to give him something she makes with her own hands.
A sword.
But to make a sword in a few hours is impossible, perhaps in another time.
So what should she give him? Ei thinks harder and then she gets the answer she is looking for.
She will give him right for a few days stays in Tenshukaku!.
Ei once heard that many tourists both locals and foreigners, want to look inside Tenshukaku but it's forbidden for them to enter. Wanderer is a foreigner with Inazuma heritage so there is a huge chance he would be interested in it.
She needs to talk with Sara then. Now this makes Ei frowned, while Scara was very royal to her. The very same royalty itself is too much for her to deal with.
Shogun is much better when dealing with Sara. She can respond with Sara overwhelming royalty without problem.
" Shogun" Ei called to her puppet consciousness. The puppet instantly responded when she called her name.
"What can I help you with, Ei?" The puppet asked her creator.
" Can you talk with general kujo? I want to invite Makoto to Tenshukaku, so I really want to increase security and tell her about the possible guest and make her accompany him. when he is at tenshukaku " Ei tells her the reason why she needs Shogun's help.
"Permission to ask"
"Granted, let me hear what you want to ask".
"Makoto, the same man you talked about last night?" Shogun asked, trying to confirm something Ei don't understand. Shogun's mind is Indeed Ei who created it, but the self-learning program she put in, allows Shogun to develop in the way Ei did not expect even though she had put a limiter on the very program.
"Yes"
"For what reason?"
Hearing that, Ei starts to explain the reason why she wants to invite him to Tenshukaku. Shogun hears it thoroughly from beginning to end.
"Can I give you my opinion on this Ei?" Opinion from Shogun is always logical but also lacks creativity and sometimes morality. So Ei needs to thread carefully, or less the plan based on Shogun opinion would backfire on her.
"Yes, please don't hold back on me" Even without her saying that Shogun will not hesitate at all.
"It's very idea itself is very reckless" ouch "You don't know much about him to begin with but to invite him to Tenshukaku is just to much and he still not proved he really help Inazuma at all let alone would he even keeping his promise meet you, you supposed only give him this right after he proved himself worthy".
Shogun continued "But the idea at the same time are not that bad to begin with so i will agree with you this time, give him the right to enter the Tenshukaku if keep his promise and proved himself"
Ei let out a sigh of relief, it's always tiresome when she needs something from Shogun.
"But with little bit change"
" What's that?" .
"You need to accompany him herself, not General kujo."