Rewind to that morning—
After a simple breakfast, Lumine and Paimon headed to the Adventurers' Guild and picked up a few commissions.
By nearly noon, they had already finished them all.
Just as the two were preparing to return to Mondstadt, a strange surge of pyro washed over them.
"Paimon, did you feel that?"
Lumine positioned her shortsword defensively.
"It's a really strong pyro presence…"
Paimon turned toward the north—toward Starfell Lake.
The two exchanged a glance, then sprinted in that direction.
"That's… Farmas and Klee!"
Paimon leaned forward atop Lumine's head, spotting three figures by the lakeshore.
"Mm!"
Klee saw them coming and waved energetically.
"Good afternoon, Lumine."
Farmas didn't waste words. He simply greeted her with a glance.
Lumine nodded.
The two stood in comfortable silence for a moment—Farmas didn't ask, so Lumine automatically explained, "Paimon and I picked up a few commissions."
"Alright," Farmas replied.
The casual exchange was so smooth it was as if they had been friends for years.
Paimon, meanwhile, was utterly lost.
And Xiangling—already barely holding herself back—finally burst forward.
"I'm Xiangling! From Liyue! Nice to meet you! You're Lumine, right?"
She clasped Lumine's hand with both of hers and shook with enough enthusiasm to rattle bones.
"And me! Don't forget me! I'm Paimon!"
Not wanting to be overshadowed by someone who looked like a fellow little sister, Paimon puffed her chest, placed her hands on her hips, and proudly hovered between their faces, waiting for Xiangling to shake her hand.
"Eh? This creature called 'Paimon'… is it edible? She looks delicious."
Xiangling took a step back, eyes sparkling.
Farmas nodded helpfully.
"Absolutely edible."
Xiangling lit up.
"A rare ingredient I've never seen before!"
She stared at Paimon with drool slipping from the corner of her mouth.
Her body tensed like a predator about to pounce and toss Paimon straight into a cooking pot.
"No no no! Farmas, don't say weird things—Paimon is NOT food!"
Terrified, Paimon dove behind Lumine, pointing accusingly at Farmas for stirring trouble.
"Hehe… then you're just like Guoba."
Xiangling laughed awkwardly.
"Guoba?" Lumine asked.
"Guoba and I are like you and Paimon—we're best friends!"
Xiangling giggled, pulled out a plush Guoba doll from her waist, and tossed it onto the grass.
The moment it left her hand, it transformed into the real Guoba—the same little bear who had bitten Farmas earlier.
"Why's he called Guoba?" Paimon asked, blinking at the chili-holding bear.
"My favorite childhood snack was crispy rice—so I named him Guoba! And he likes it too!"
After a bit of chatting, Lumine finally remembered why she'd come—her eyes drifted to the utterly demolished Starfell Lake.
"What happened here?"
She instinctively glanced at Farmas.
Even if she had been busy with commissions, she still heard about Farmas and Klee being put in solitary confinement.
"I have no idea."
Farmas had already decided—no matter who asked, he would never admit anything.
Overhead, the sky had been stained crimson by the thick pyro lingering in the air.
Even though it was midday, it looked like dusk.
"Maybe we should leave this area…"
Farmas suggested nervously.
The last thing he wanted was the Knights of Favonius showing up.
"Mm."
Everyone nodded.
Xiangling didn't know the scale of Farmas' destructive potential, and simple, trusting Lumine was fully convinced that Farmas wasn't responsible for any of this—
Yeah right.
Lumine knew Farmas and Klee were absolutely involved,
but strategically pretended she didn't.
"I didn't even catch any Golden Bass…"
Xiangling looked sadly at the muddy water.
"Wait—where's Klee?!"
Paimon suddenly realized someone was missing.
Farmas glanced toward a small clump of grass on the south side of the lake—one of the few spots completely untouched by the destruction.
Klee was sitting by the water, happily roasting something.
"Hehe! Farmas big brother, Xiangling, Lumine! Come try Klee's grilled fish!"
In front of her crackled a small fire.
Several Black-Back Perch she had caught earlier were skewered on sticks, sizzling over the flames.
Klee rotated one, its skin turning beautifully golden and aromatic.
"Whoa! Grilled fish!"
At the words grilled fish, Paimon dropped out of the air and floated right next to the fire, drooling instantly.
"It's ready!"
Paimon grabbed a skewer and chomped down.
Klee, standing on tiptoe, handed a skewer to everyone else, her ruby eyes shining with expectation.
"Mmm…"
Xiangling frowned slightly—but still took a bite.
Crunch.
The crispy crackle was followed by pure, rich fish aroma.
"…Huh?"
Xiangling stared at the skewer, eyes widening.
"Even kids in Mondstadt cook this well?! Everything is prepared flawlessly—the flavor is perfect, the firewood aroma mixes beautifully with the fish! Delicious!"
While she was praising Klee's craft, Lumine and Farmas were already on their second skewer.
"Wait for me!"
Paimon tried her hardest, but her tiny mouth couldn't compete with the two vacuum cleaners beside her.
"Hehe, little Paimon needs to eat faster!"
Xiangling grinned—but then her eyes lit up with an idea.
"Oh right! The key to grilling—spice!"
"If you sprinkle some Salt of the Earth and finely ground Jueyun Chili powder, it'll be even better!"
She took a bottle from her pouch and dusted the fish with bright red chili.
Instantly, a sharp, fiery aroma filled the air.
"Here!"
She handed the chili-coated fish to Paimon.
"Crispy and fragrant—and with Jueyun Chili, it's a whole different experience."
"Mondstadt fish? Not tasty.
Liyue seasoning? VERY tasty!"
Paimon's eyes sparkled like stars.
As the group enjoyed their food, Farmas suddenly felt something—a strange shift in the wind.
"…This is—!"
He shot to his feet, dragging Lumine up with him by the hand.
"Go!"
Lumine blinked, half-chewed fish still in her mouth.
"Where are we going?"
"To Springvale!
We're going boar hunting!"
Still holding her hand, Farmas sprinted forward.
The others exchanged confused glances, stomped out the campfire, and hurried after him.
And Xiangling—upon hearing the word boar meat—didn't even hesitate before taking off at full speed after them.
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