"So, what exactly did you lose?" Stelle couldn't help but rub his head, curiously asking Bao'er.
They had been searching in these ruins for most of the day, but they still hadn't been able to find the package Bao'er mentioned.
"Inside were the treasures I finally found… Ahem, artifacts." Bao'er almost blurted out the word "treasures" by accident.
"Artifacts, huh." Stelle looked at Bao'er, tilting his head in confusion, but he didn't pay much attention to it.
Since he was here for archaeology, it was normal to encounter one or two precious artifacts.
Speaking of which, did Bao'er even have an archaeological license issued by the Liyue authorities? If he found any valuable artifacts, he should definitely report them, right?
Why would he post a commission asking an Adventurer for help?
Was it because he was afraid of being punished? Or was there another reason… Never mind, it didn't matter anyway; Stelle was just here for fun. Once the commission was done, he would take the money and leave.
"So, what kind of package was it? Do you still remember?" Stelle looked left and right, then asked again.
"It's just… a commonly used package, and inside there's a square box." Bao'er answered vaguely.
"A commonly used package? Why would you use something like that?" Stelle asked in surprise. Since it was an artifact, it should be stored in a specialized container, right?
Even if conditions weren't ideal, it still seemed a bit off to simply wrap it in such a crude way, didn't it?
Besides, since he was here for archaeology, why wouldn't he have prepared professional equipment…?
It felt like there were suspicious points everywhere…
"B-because it's convenient, and besides, I padded the box with several layers of clothes inside. It won't damage the artifact, so don't worry." Bao'er looked guilty.
After all, he wasn't a real scholar, and he knew nothing about archaeology.
That artifact was priceless, and of course, he wanted to protect it well if he could, but given his abilities, doing this much was already quite good. What more could be asked of him?
"So, what kind of artifact is it? Can you tell me?" The more Stelle looked at Bao'er, the more he felt something was off, and he asked again.
"What kind of… Oh, an artifact is just an artifact! It's very valuable, and you wouldn't understand if I told you, so why ask so many questions!" Bao'er was at a loss for words for a moment and became a bit exasperated.
"Only a professional like me can determine its value, understand? Please, hurry and help me find it. Don't waste time."
"Alright." Seeing Bao'er like this, Stelle temporarily put his questions aside.
No matter how strange this guy was, he was still his employer. Stelle just wanted to complete the commission, get paid, and leave.
This ruin was very large, and it was highly unlikely that the two of them alone could turn it upside down, especially since they occasionally missed spots.
Stelle eventually circled back and came to another ruin, where something immediately caught his attention.
That thing looked like a package, and it was the kind ordinary people would use.
So Stelle immediately walked forward and picked it up.
"Could it be this one…? Hey—Bao'er, I found it!" Stelle stood up, waving his hand and shouting to Bao'er in the distance.
Upon hearing Stelle's shout, Bao'er immediately ran over and snatched the package from Stelle's hand.
"This… seems not to be it. It feels very light, and the contents inside are definitely wrong."
As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. After weighing it, Bao'er sighed helplessly.
He looked up at Stelle, originally wanting to scold him for not looking more carefully before calling him.
But the words on his tongue inexplicably softened.
"But you still worked hard. It's late now, you should find a place to rest." Bao'er said slowly.
"We'll meet here again tomorrow and continue searching."
"Alright…" Seeing him say that, and looking at the sky, Stelle realized it was indeed very late. Visibility here at night was extremely low, and searching for things would be futile.
It would be better to continue tomorrow.
He could only hope that the Reward Bao'er gave him would be enough to cover his food and lodging for the night.
Stelle looked at Wangshu Inn in the distance, shook his head, and walked towards it.
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Wangshu Inn, it was no different from when Stelle last visited. What surprised Stelle even more was that the innkeeper still remembered him.
"I never would have thought, we only stayed here for a few days last time, and the innkeeper's memory is truly good." Stelle leaned on the counter, looking at the charming innkeeper in front of him, a slight smile on his lips.
"It's the innkeeper, not the innkeeper's wife." Philgoated corrected him, then also smiled.
"For someone as beautiful as Stelle, it would be difficult not to remember him."
"Haha… not really." Stelle touched her head. She knew very well that the other party remembered her mostly because her constitution affected her.
It's a pity that this proprietress is already married, otherwise, her influence on her would probably be even deeper.
"Alas, if I had met Miss Stelle a few years earlier, maybe I wouldn't have married that old fossil…" Philgoated didn't know if she was speaking from the heart or just joking.
But hearing the other party say that, Stelle inexplicably felt that this was not a good place to stay for long.
After all, she couldn't guarantee the effect of her constitution on married women. If it really affected the other party and caused problems in their marriage, that would be a great sin.
"Well, anyway, I'll be going now. I've already had dinner, so there's no need to see me out." Stelle said quickly.
Of course, this was a lie. She hadn't eaten anything, but since she was going to the Serenitea Pot later, with Xiangling there, she could eat anything delicious.
"Hey, please wait a moment, Miss Stelle." Philgoated called out to her.
"Hmm?" Stelle turned back, puzzled.
"You came from the direction of the ruins. Have you seen a Sumeru person named Soraya?"
"Soraya… No, I don't think I've seen anyone at all on my way here." Stelle shook her head.
After all, it was already very late when she came back, and there were only monsters on the road, not a single person.
"Is that so…"
"Is something wrong?"
"Soraya is a scholar who is very interested in the ruins over there, so she went there today and hasn't returned yet."
"Is that so… How about I go help look for her?"
"That's not necessary. Soraya said that sometimes when she gets engrossed in research, she forgets the time, and it's normal for her not to return for a day or two… You're going over there tomorrow, right?"
"Mhm."
"Then could I trouble you to keep an eye out for Soraya's whereabouts?"
"No problem, leave it to me." Stelle patted her chest.
Saving the Damselette is my duty!
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