"Miss Ryougi, Catherine said you were looking for us?"
Paimon greeted Shiki very lively. It was quite strange; how did she suddenly jump like that in mid-air with no leverage?
"That's right, I need to go to Liyue for something. Didn't I ask you to arrange a meeting with Tianquan Ningguang for me earlier?"
"No problem! Liyue is about to celebrate the Moonchase Festival soon, and there will be a Chef King Competition then, so you'll definitely be able to see her," Paimon said.
Actually, given Shiki's status, they were equals.
However, Shiki didn't ask the Traveler to arrange the meeting as a Sobayonin, but simply as a regular friend of the Traveler.
After all, she was only going to ask some questions, not to establish diplomatic relations.
It's just that…
"Moonchase Festival? Is it a festival similar to the Lantern Rite?"
"Yes, in ancient Liyue, chasing the moon represented seeking the immortal path, but now it has completely become a festival of relaxation and enjoying delicious food!"
Seeking the immortal path…
Upon hearing this, Shiki looked up at the moon in the sky. She had already mastered immortal power. Could the moon have some connection to immortal arts?
Or, the Three Moon Goddesses?
Well, this question was too complex, just like the truth behind the Great Serpent's invasion of the East; it was hard to find.
No longer thinking about the moon, Shiki continued, "Lumine, can you send me to Liyue Harbor now?"
As long as the Waypoint in Liyue Harbor remembered her aura, she could travel freely between the two nations.
"I can!"
The Traveler immediately understood what was going on. She had long known that the girl, like her, could teleport through Waypoints, only the method was slightly different.
She could teleport anywhere, anytime, but to "unlock" an unfamiliar area, she had to light up the Statue of the Seven.
Shiki, however, needed to be near a Waypoint to teleport, but once an anchor was lit, the nearby area would form an image in the Ley Lines, which was what she called "unlocking."
"Then wait for me for a moment, just ten minutes."
"Okay."
Shiki returned to her room, then took off her jacket and iromuji, changing into a red inner lining and the chū-furisode she brought from Earth.
This was her first time going to Liyue, and she felt she should be a bit more formal.
Besides, this furisode was her only connection to Earth and held special significance.
It was also good to witness her first journey to Liyue.
Picking up the Kujikanesada that had been delivered from the Amenoma Smithy that afternoon, Shiki returned to the living room.
"Let's go."
"Uh… so you just went to change clothes?"
The Traveler couldn't quite understand this behavior. It was just going to a new country, why change clothes?
It wasn't because she only had this one set of clothes, of course.
"This is called a persona. Right now, I am your good friend whom you met in Inazuma, a Young Miss with superb martial arts skills. My purpose in going to Liyue is to find a way to revitalize my family's business."
"I know your reputation is very high in Liyue, but you still need to pay attention to this aspect. No leader of a country would want people of unknown origin to enter their nation."
"After all, when you introduce me to people, you can't just say I'm your friend, can you?"
Tianquan Ningguang, Tianquan, without a doubt, Ningguang was accustomed to having everything under her control. She disliked people or things that were beyond her control.
So, what Shiki had to do was first put on a shell for herself, a shell that Ningguang would believe she could control.
And the persona of a powerful but poor-at-business Young Miss was very suitable. Poor at business meant not having too many tricks up her sleeve, which was what was called being naive.
Coupled with the bonus from being a martial artist, it would be easy to disguise her as a girl who was full of justice and a bit naive.
These types of people were the easiest to control. As for being powerful… a human, how strong could they be?
On this continent, there were countless people with Visions. Would Ningguang care about this?
Shiki had long considered how to disguise herself in other countries. A fake Vision was indispensable.
So, after the Vision Hunt Decree ended, she had Master Masakatsu, who was very skilled, make another one for her. It had been in the cabinet before, but now it was clipped to the blue bow on her back.
"Is that so? I really hadn't thought of that…"
The Traveler scratched her head awkwardly. Thinking about it, it really was absurd to bring in someone of unknown identity.
"Now you know, don't you? Remember my persona: a Young Miss from a samurai family whose family business is a dojo, but due to its decline, the monthly financial income barely breaks even. Hearing that Liyue Harbor is the land where the continent's wealth accumulates, I came specifically to learn ways to make Mora."
"When you meet Ningguang, just say that, understood?" Shiki said, holding Kujikanesada.
"Got it!"
The Traveler gave a thumbs-up. It was just role-playing! She had done it before; she once fooled the Fatui and Eula's uncle just by wearing an eye patch.
As for the girl's reason for doing this, it was probably because she didn't want to reveal her identity, right?
The Traveler didn't think much of it, as it was a perfectly normal thing.
The Traveler grabbed the girl's fair hand, and accompanied by a familiar sensation of weightlessness, a cacophony of sounds surrounded Shiki's ears.
"Last time we spoke of…"
"Come on, take a look!"
"Want a raw stone, try your luck?"
"Today's special…"
Liyue at night was much livelier than Inazuma. As Teyvat's most prosperous trading port, in terms of foot traffic, it far surpassed Inazuma City.
Merchants from various countries came here to do business, hoping to make a fortune.
The brightly lit streets made Shiki recall her time on Earth. The imperial capital was also this prosperous!
Especially with the similar architectural styles, Shiki was momentarily stunned.
Liyue and Inazuma were two extremes: one was flourishing, while the other was stagnant due to the Sakoku Decree. Although both motion and stillness had their own beauty, a nation could not remain stagnant forever.
"Sigh..."
'I can't go back!'
"Don't be disheartened, Miss Ryougi. Sooner or later, Inazuma City will be as prosperous as Liyue Harbor!"
The Traveler thought the girl's sigh was due to the disparity between the two nations and couldn't help but offer comfort.
"Thank you, I'll take your word for it."
Shiki nodded lightly. She didn't explain anything; a misunderstanding was fine, even good.
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