Paimon scratched her head, baffled, and pointed at the kettle on the stand. "But these kettles don't look abandoned at all… Did someone just use them?"
Lumine frowned. Paimon had a point. The kettles were worn but not dusty—there were fresh water marks along the spouts. She reached out and tapped one with a fingertip. A faint warmth pulsed back.
"They're warm," Paimon gasped. "Should we wait and see if someone comes back?"
"Hehe—travelers from Mondstadt, welcome. Please, sit."
A light chuckle drifted over. The three turned to see an old man ambling up with his hands clasped behind his back, a kindly smile on his face.
"Huh?" Paimon blinked. "How'd you know we're from Mondstadt?"
"Because this is the border between Mondstadt and Liyue. Since the dragon troubles in Mondstadt, you seldom see Mondstadters out this way." The old man smiled. "Liyue's adventurers all know this route. And from your gear you look like adventurers, so I guessed you were Mondstadt folk."
"Waaah, not bad!" Paimon grinned. "And you are…?"
"The owner of this humble tea stall. Doesn't make much coin, but the stories are plentiful." He chuckled. "Heh… setting up here, the best part is watching people come and go and listening to whatever tales they carry—sometimes sharing a few of my own."
"Stories?" Paimon tilted her head.
The old man poured them each a cup, steam curling into the cool air. "This place is Stone Gate. Cross here and head south and you're in Liyue. You'll pass Qingce Village—large, lively, full of merchants and adventurers. Feels just right for your lot."
"So that's how it is." Paimon did a little midair wiggle. "Thanks, mister!" She blew on the tea and took a sip, eyes crinkling. "Aah… hot water in the morning hits different."
Outdoors, even hot water took time and kindling. Ready-made felt like luxury.
They traded a few more tidbits with the stall owner and took their leave.
"Hehe." Paimon hummed as they moved on. "So just a bit farther and we'll reach that big inn. He said if we don't stop, we can make it by dusk—buuut with Kairo here, we'll be there by noon. Liyue food, here I come! I'm gonna eat everything."
"Liyue cuisine…" Lumine's eyes softened. "I wonder how it compares to Mondstadt's."
"Rich and plentiful," Kairo said with a small smile. He flicked a hand and layered Hunt: Ripple on the two of them; their pace quickened at once.
Back at the tea stand, the old man watched the ice-blue guardian trailing Kairo's party and frowned. "What is that? Looks like a bodyguard… but also like a monster—and yet it doesn't attack anyone." He shook his head. "Doesn't look like the Fatui either. …Best report it." With uncertainty, better to pass it up the chain—no harm done. Mondstadt still had dragon woes; lately the Millelith had been tightening Liyue's patrols too. Who knew when the Knights of Favonius would tame that dragon?
Muttering, he shuffled off.
—
Mondstadt — Favonius Cathedral
Soft morning light spilled through the window. A floral breeze teased the white curtains. The room, however, felt tense.
On the table lay a Star Rail Pass, faint light pulsing across its surface—too faint. It stubbornly refused to fully charge.
"How long has it been?" Barbara sighed, tapping the tabletop, cheeks puffed in frustration. "Why isn't it charged yet… How long is this going to take? Fischl, you didn't trick me, did you?"
"Tch…" Fischl folded her arms, golden hair catching the sun, violet eyes flashing with equal impatience. "How can the illustrious Prinzessin der Verurteilung endure such tedious waiting! The wheel of fate lurches, and Kairo, our loyal knight, has not graced us for two whole days…"
Barbara blinked, then couldn't help a small laugh. "Fischl, can you say it like a normal person? Can't you just… admit you want to see him?"
A hint of pink touched Fischl's cheeks. She tossed her chin. "Hmph! Mortals could never parse the chords of my heart. Our destinies are interwoven; only Kairo can resonate with mine and decipher my doom—!"
Barbara rolled her eyes—affectionately. She poked the Pass again. A whisper of elemental energy pulsed back, still far from full. "Sigh… At this rate, how long will it be? I wish we could contact him sooner. I hope he's okay—he's not in any trouble, is he…?"
"Our knight would not falter so easily," Fischl said, a sliver of certainty in her tone. Then, softer: "And yet… the stars offer no guidance tonight. My heart is unquiet."
Barbara glanced at her and realized the truth behind the theatrics: Fischl was worried too. "He'll be fine," she said gently. "Kairo's amazing. Even if something happens, he'll handle it." She hesitated. "I just… really want to know where he is and what he's doing right now."
Fischl turned to the window, cloak stirring. "As do I," she murmured, eyes on the city beyond. "May he walk in safety."
Silence settled, broken only by the whisper of wind through the curtains.
—
Within Liyue
Kairo, Lumine, and Paimon moved in easy rhythm, the Everwinter Shade taking point. "Gotta say, Liyue's side feels a lot safer than Mondstadt's," Paimon said, drifting along. "No monster ambushes at all. This road is super safe."
"Of course," Lumine replied. "It's the main artery between Liyue and Mondstadt—and there's even a tea stall. People like Amber must sweep it often. They have to keep it safe."
"Hehe, true." Paimon waved happily.
Up ahead, a caravan creaked along the mountain road—wooden handcarts piled with goods, a few Liyue adventurers in light armor flanking them. Laughter and quiet talk floated on the breeze.
Then all sound hiccupped. Their eyes fixed on the ice-blue warrior walking just behind Kairo.
"Wh-what is that?!"
A young Liyue merchant froze, eyes bulging at the armored figure wreathed in frostlight. The helm's jagged crown hid its face; cold radiated from it until the air itself felt thin and sharp. In its hands, a broad ice-axe trailed flecks of frost that etched pale scars into the stone.
Several adventurers sucked in a breath and tightened their grips on spear and blade. Instinct said to retreat; awe pinned them in place.
"Is… is that a monster?" an older merchant whispered, sweat beading. "Or some kind of… ruin guard?"
"Are you mad? Liyue doesn't have things like that!" another hissed, just as rattled.
"Maybe it's a bodyguard from somewhere?" a young adventurer muttered. "But I've never seen armor like that…"
Fear and fascination warred across their faces. The Shade's presence wasn't aggressive, and yet that chill—unnerving.
Someone quietly produced a Kamera.
Click.
The shutter crack snapped the moment into a rectangle of light.
"If this reaches Liyue Harbor, the whole port will blow up with rumors," the cameraman murmured, suddenly excited. "Might fetch a good price, too."
"Idiot!" a seasoned trader barked softly. "Spread the wrong story and you'll bring trouble down on us."
They hurriedly tucked the Kamera away, voices dropping to a thin whisper.
The Everwinter Shade tilted its helmed head a fraction, and even with its face hidden, the look felt like a blade of winter laid along the spine. Frost prickled across the road in a whispering ring from the axe's tip.
"Ah—!"
"G-go, go!"
The merchant nearly tripped shoving the Kamera into his pack. The adventurers signaled the caravan to move on, giving Kairo's group a very wide berth. No one dared get close; they watched from afar, terrified the ice warshade would erupt and drag them into a blizzard of steel.
"Hehe, this big guy sure turns heads," Paimon said, amused.
"Er…" Lumine scratched her cheek. "We're not going to get barred from Liyue Harbor because of him, are we?"
"We should be fine," Paimon said. "As long as we register, it'll be okay."
They kept walking. Travelers grew more common as Wangshu Inn drew near; so did the whispers about the Shade, though none dared approach.
Time slipped on.
By late morning they reached a stone bridge in Dihua Marsh. Sunlight hammered the blue-gray flagstones; water glittered along both sides. Here, on a key artery into Liyue, a Millelith checkpoint stood at attention.
"All travelers crossing the bridge—submit to inspection. Routine check!"
A Millelith officer's voice rolled like a drum, firm but practiced. Papers flashed; the line moved. Then several soldiers' gazes shifted to Kairo, Lumine, and Paimon coming up the span. At first it was a casual look—nothing out of the ordinary…
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