Mondstadt — Jean and Lisa were already enjoying their afternoon tea.
Liyue — Lumine and Paimon sat as honored guests inside Wanmin Restaurant.
Sumeru — scholars paused their research, looking up at the sky anxiously.
Fontaine — Furina prepared desserts, and Neuvillette had even set aside paperwork and begun brewing tea.
As for Inazuma…
The temporary Raiden Shogun, Yae Miko, casually dropped her paperwork, glaring sideways full of resentment.
Ei blinked, then quietly pushed a skewer of Dango Milk Dumplings toward her friend.
A peace offering.
Yae Miko accepted it…
…and rewarded Ei with two very disdainful white-eyed glares.
[Super Dimensional Chat Group]
Lumine: Hehe, lunchtime! Have you all eaten yet~?
Jean: The Honorary Knight really is punctual. She always checks in before the reviews.
Lisa: The moment I see the Traveler, I know it's time for me to clock out and enjoy my tea~
Paimon: Huh? Aren't you always slac—
Lisa: Hmm~? Little cutie, what were you going to say? (smile.jpg)
Paimon: Ahem! Nothing!
Furina: Desserts ready! Waiting for the show to start~ (image.jpg)
Hu Tao: Watching chaos while eating is the best seasoning~ (image.jpg)
Venti: Ehe~ if only there were wine… (image.jpg)
Yae-Miko: Alas, all I have is one lonely dango stick. What a hard life I live~ (image.jpg)
Lumine: Hmph! Witness MY feast!
Lumine: image.jpg
Lumine: image.jpg
Nilou: Hmm? This place looks different from their usual eating spots.
Zhongli: Judging from the background… Wanmin Restaurant.
Paimon: Correct! Xiangling invited us today! Hehehe~
Lumine: Thanks, Master Chef Xiangling! (3)╭?～
Xiangling: Just keeping my promise! (shy.jpg)
Ningguang: The Traveler has just arrived in Liyue and has not yet been formally welcomed. Please come to the Jade Chamber tomorrow.
Keqing: And I'll cook personally! But you'll have to shout the catchphrase~
Lumine & Paimon: No problem! YAY!
Yoimiya: Wow! VIP treatment on day one! Chef today, Liyue Qixing tomorrow!
Kokomi: As expected of the Traveler…
Lumine: Ehehe~ low profile please, low profile! Mostly thanks to the Light Screen revealing my deeds…
Paimon: Otherwise we'd still be broke and starving!
Lumine & Paimon: Praise the Light Screen~!!
Everyone chuckled.
Indeed—
in the original timeline, their first arrival was…
being framed for Rex Lapis' death and hunted.
This was far better.
Navia: Speaking of which… who's getting reviewed today?
Ei: Possibly still Inazuma. Other nations got two reviews each, but we only have one.
Kujou Sara: The Shogun has spoken!
Nahida: But by order, Sumeru is next too.
Nilou: Oh! Maybe it's finally Sumeru?!
Collei: That would be wonderful… a chance to change our tragedy!
Paimon: "Withering"? "Eleazar"? What's that?
Tighnari: …You'll understand if Sumeru gets reviewed.
Yanfei: Let's see whether it's Inazuma or Sumeru next!
And right then—
the dark Light Screen lit up once more.
Blue Planet — Villa
Arthur, the mysterious Streamer, opened his fifth broadcast.
Viewers poured in instantly.
"Yo it's on! Daily ritual achieved!"
"Yesterday was Be Ayaka's dog day. Who next?"
"I vote Raiden! I want to be her dog!"
"How dare you be disrespectful to our Shogun! Bury him with the statue!!"
"So asking to be buried with the Archon is ALLOWED???"
"Fine! Today I am a Sumeru scholar! I want to be Nahida's dog!"
"OPEN THE DOOR! AKADEMIYA COPS!!"
"BEAT UP THE AKADEMIYA!!"
Arthur laughed off the ridiculous comments.
They didn't generate emotion points,
but they certainly boosted his mood.
He cleared his throat.
"Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome back."
"Yesterday we reviewed the Kamisato Clan's Lady Ayaka."
"Today, the review continues."
A donation notification flashed:
[Kamisato Ayaka tipped 100 Rocket Batteries]
Ayaka: "Inazuma has found new hope thanks to you! I am deeply grateful!"
Ayaka: "Also I am NOT a turtle princess OR a yandere! It was all that N-thing-锅's fault!! (tiny voice.jpg)"
Arthur chuckled.
Every reviewed character said this kind of complaint.
"Thank you, Miss Ayaka."
"As for confronting that 'Little-N'… maybe one day you can tell him yourself."
Ayaka froze.
Wait.
Could she… meet the Streamer someday?
But Arthur moved right along.
"Today's Teyvat Review Targets are…"
He snapped his fingers—
"Chief Justice of Fontaine — Neuvillette!"
"President of the Spina di Rosula — Navia!"
[Local Chat Across Teyvat]
Harry: Did he say… Fontainians!?
Zhiyong: I was convinced it'd be Inazuma or Sumeru. What a twist…
Zheping: Aww… now Kokomi must wait.
Momo: Fontaine yay!! Too bad it's not Lady Furina…
Sedene: IT'S LORD NEUVILLETTE?!! AMAZING!!
Miles: Miss Navia too!!!
Silver: Perhaps this will help her resolve her doubts!
Azar: WHAT?! Why not Sumeru?! The FONTAINE people stole our turn!!
Azar of the Akademiya trembled with rage.
Sure—reviews embarrassed people…
But rewards changed nations.
Look at Mondstadt.
Look at Inazuma.
If Sumeru had been chosen—
they might have obtained wisdom greater than the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata herself!
Such rewards outweighed EVERYTHING.
Who would dare disrespect the Grand Sage then?!
He clenched his fists.
He had waited EACH time.
Traveler → Mondstadt → Liyue → Inazuma—
Clearly Sumeru was next!!!
But no—
Fontaine stole the spotlight!
Azar exploded in anger and vented at Fontaine citizens.
But Fontaine wasn't timid.
Grace: Why can't it be Fontaine? There was never a promised order!
Momo: And maybe the Light Screen thinks Sumeru sucks too much to bother!
Miles: A country that imprisoned its own Archon? And you BEG for a review??
Lawrence: If Mondstadt did that, we'd never show our faces again.
Tian Tiezui: They SHOULD get reviewed—then publicly shamed and punished! And NO rewards!!
Kura Mizu: YES!!
Rahman: Hah! As a desert dweller, I support this! We hate the Akademiya anyway!
Azar: You—you—!!
PFFT—!
He actually coughed blood.
Guards rushed over in panic.
"Grand Sage! GRAND SAGE!!!"
Chaos engulfed the Akademiya.
Liyue — Wanmin Restaurant
Lumine, Paimon, Xiangling all stared at the Light Screen, stunned.
"It's Fontaine?"
"I really thought it'd be Sumeru!"
Paimon frowned.
"So it's random? Or… did he skip Sumeru on purpose?"
That possibility…
felt very different.
Xiangling thought deeply.
"He DID speak harshly about the Akademiya before…"
Perhaps…
the Light Screen despised Sumeru's current state.
While they pondered, Lumine suddenly slapped the table.
"I got it!"
"What?"
"Say it!"
Lumine folded her arms confidently.
"Sumeru was skipped because…
they don't have enough pretty girls."
Xiangling + Paimon: "???"
Lumine proudly continued:
"Obviously the streamer is an LSP!"
"Look at everyone reviewed so far—
ALL gorgeous women!"
Me
Jean
Barbara
Keqing
Ganyu
Ayaka
"And Sumeru? Hmph!"
Paimon stared.
First time hearing someone brag about themselves so boldly.
Xiangling coughed.
"But… Sumeru has Nilou?
She's in the Teyvat Idol Group!"
"And Neuvillette isn't even a girl."
Lumine pointed with a smug grin.
"Nilou just isn't his type!"
"And Fontaine has Navia—
clearly a beautiful girl."
Paimon & Xiangling looked at each other.
Somehow…
it made a weird amount of sense???
Sumeru — Gandharva Ville
Usually Tighnari and Collei would be patrolling.
Now they watched the sky instead.
Collei drooped.
"So close… and yet… not us."
Tighnari frowned.
"It's not random."
"It's deliberate."
The Light Screen never chooses useless people.
Why pick only those tied to the group?
There was a sequence—
until purposefully skipped.
Collei stared wide-eyed.
"Why would the Light Screen skip us…?
Did we do something wrong?"
Tighnari didn't answer.
He only sighed.
A very heavy sigh.
Sumeru — Sanctuary of Surasthana
Nahida blinked.
Not Inazuma.
Not Sumeru.
Fontaine.
But logically…
Sumeru should have been chosen.
Just one explanation remained.
"Because of the… Akademiya…"
She clenched her tiny fists.
Her bright green eyes hardened with resolve.
Creak—
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