Paimon finally understood what the Traveler was planning, worry flickering in her eyes.
"Uh… Traveler, isn't that a little dangerous? If Idris really is a bona fide lecher, won't you just be handing him the advantage?"
"Relax. First, I'm confident in my strength."
"Second, I have to find out what kind of person he is."
Lumine brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and murmured, "Collei is our friend. Amber treats her like a kid sister—and Amber was my first friend in all of Teyvat. So, rounding up the numbers, Collei is my sister too."
"I can't let my friends drown in some messy 'romance trap.' I'm stepping in."
With that, she parked Paimon to one side and, alone, began walking toward Idris.
"Traveler…" Paimon watched her go, moved despite herself. For all the hot-blooded, boneheaded moments, the Traveler was the sort to take a blade for a friend. All Paimon could do now was pray she wouldn't get the short end of the stick.
…
Misunderstanding born of lopsided information—under such auspices, Lumine and Idris were about to truly meet for the first time.
But someone already knew the truth: the "ring spirit" drifting eternally at Idris's side—Lesser Lord Kusanali, Nahida.
Right now, she was practically shaking with laughter.
Thanks to her mind-reading—and thanks to Lumine and Paimon donning Akasha headsets upon entering Sumeru City—Nahida could hear everything in the Traveler's heart.
Which only made it funnier.
"Hahaha—this is too good. Too good!"
"Mortals are endlessly entertaining. Even with Idris the way he is, who'd think such a bizarre misunderstanding could happen?"
"I won't tell him. I want to see how he handles this."
Yes, after spending long enough at a certain someone's side, even the pure, kind God of Wisdom could harbor a few mischievous notions. Perhaps "a little black-bellied" is simply part of every person—and every god.
Idris, of course, had no idea Lumine was heading his way. He was busy letting Nilou sell him on desserts.
"Grand Sage Idris, this Patisserie Pudding is so good—please try some!"
"Thanks," he said, "but I came to eat, not nibble sweets. Pudding doesn't fill you up."
He ordered a mille-feuille for himself; it seemed he and Nilou would be eating separately tonight.
Nilou exhaled, a touch deflated. Now she fully understood why Little Grass God had suggested that if she truly liked him, she'd have to take the initiative. The Grand Sage was a workaholic—and a block of wood besides. Or perhaps… he noticed and simply pretended not to?
While Nilou spooned pudding and plotted her next move, another blonde girl slipped in.
Seeing Idris's profile, the newcomer's cheeks pinked—like a shy girl in her first crush.
"Mr. Idris… may I sit here?"
It was the Traveler.
Idris blinked. Among the many "versions" of the Traveler he'd heard about—clever hot-blooded protagonist, sharp and a touch sly, pure camera with no personality, or even certain "fan-made" personas—there wasn't one that matched "bashful maiden."
For a second, he couldn't tell what play she was trying to run.
Nilou, on the other hand, went rigid. The girl was very pretty; her figure close to Nilou's, yet somehow carrying an air of greater maturity. Why is she here now? To ruin my chance?
Idris kept it simple. "Who are you, and what do you need?"
"I'm an adventurer with the Guild," Lumine said with an innocent smile. "I saw the commission you left and asked the Guild for your location. I hurried over."
"May I sit and discuss the commission? And, um… share a meal?"
She held the look, pure and just a little awkward—like a green girl who'd fallen head over heels at first sight.
Even Idris's brain lagged a beat. For a dark moment he wondered if Il Dottore had made a female "slice" that looked like the Traveler and sent it to him. No—that'd be too disgusting…
Her excuse, however, was sound. He nodded. "Sit."
"Mm."
It was a four-top. Idris took the corner, Nilou opposite, visibly wary of Lumine. Lumine did not choose an empty seat—she chose the one right beside Idris. She even scooted her chair with little shuffling noises.
…She wasn't exactly busty, but shuffling like that still created a few ripples.
Pity she's not wearing her hair long, Idris thought absently. At this rate she'd be flicking it across my shoulder.
Obviously, Lumine was doing it on purpose.
But to her surprise, Idris didn't even look over—head down, he seemed lost in thought.
Because he was. He'd pinged the Akasha to model scenarios: Under what circumstances would someone with the Traveler's personality put on a shy, alluring act the first day we meet—to seduce me?
The Akasha… crashed.
Even this "pinnacle of human wisdom" refused to calculate certain human absurdities.
From the shadows, Paimon clenched a tiny fist in delight. The Traveler's pretext was flawless; she'd won the seat at Idris's side. No "breaks" yet, but Paimon believed—one slip into lechery and they'd have him recorded, then straight back to Gandharva Ville to warn Collei: forget that philanderer.
They'd handled scumbags before. Once in Liyue Harbor, a sailor named "Tide" spent a long, thoughtful time inside an Astrolabe after crossing paths with a certain passerby…
If Idris proved worse—and if he'd hurt their friend—they wouldn't hesitate to teach even a Grand Sage some color.
Nahida, meanwhile, wore the biggest "drama-enjoyer" grin. Of the three at the table, each had an agenda.
The "purest" one was, ironically, the supposed villain—Idris. Yeah.
Now the show truly began.
Eyeing the plates, Lumine flagged the server with a bright smile. "Could I have the exact same dishes as this gentleman? Turns out he orders just what I like."
The waiter nodded and whisked away.
"Such fate, Mr. Idris," Lumine cooed. "Your tastes match mine perfectly. Mmm… smells wonderful."
She leaned in to "catch the aroma." A fresh, girlish scent drifted his way—underlain by the light salt of travel. She'd run all the way to Sumeru City; a faint sheen of sweat made the fragrance warmer.
Nilou's eyes widened. How is she this good at flirting? We look the same age!
Idris, on the other hand, grew more puzzled. He knew every word she'd said was a polite fiction. With a companion who could burn through 300,000 mora in a month on food alone, wasn't "anything tasty" their usual standard?
She was clearly trying to tempt him. Had the Traveler changed jobs from "journeyer" to "assassin," specializing in honey traps?
To her credit, she sold it well; looks and figure were both more than adequate.
He didn't bother staring. Without comment, he slid the plate toward her. "If you like it, eat first. I'm not that hungry. I can wait for the next course."
His face and tone remained flat.
Across the table, Nilou shot the plate a look of pure envy. Why didn't I order something heartier?
Lumine took in a silent breath. Huh. Unexpected.
I've already sacrificed this much and you still won't bite?
Did I… misunderstand him? Is this Grand Sage Idris not a lecher after all?
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito