Lumine stared at the gray-haired girl wielding a baseball bat before her. Inexplicably, she felt an invisible, intricate connection to her.
At the same time, the gray-haired girl's gaze fell upon Lumine, studying her intently.
They just stared at each other, not saying a word, like two mutes.
After what felt like an eternity, Lumine and the gray-haired girl clasped hands tightly. They understood: the other was the kindred spirit they had been desperately searching for.
The gray-haired girl made an inviting gesture, hoping Lumine would join her on the path of trailblazing.
Embark on a journey together? Lumine knew that feeling all too well. She had been wanting a travel companion herself!
And so, the two of them stepped off the sightseeing train and onto a space station.
Along the way, they learned each other's names. One was the Traveler, the other the Trailblazer... wait, no, that's not right. One was Lumine, the other Stelle.
Don't ask how two mutes learned each other's names. Mutes have their own unique ways of communicating.
As Lumine arrived at the space station, she couldn't help but marvel at the magnificent, sprawling architecture before her. She didn't recall seeing anything quite like it on her travels.
This place is incredible!
Lumine was about to share her excitement with her newfound kindred spirit when she suddenly realized Stelle was gone.
Her soulmate had vanished into thin air! Was she actually a ghost?
But soon, Lumine spotted her. Stelle was standing in front of a trash can, her face a mask of extreme hesitation.
Confused, Lumine started walking toward her. Halfway there, she saw Stelle make a decision. She tucked her baseball bat into her belt, rolled up her sleeves, and prepared to... rummage through the trash can!!!
Lumine's pupils dilated in shock.
So, my newfound kindred spirit is actually a vagrant!
How tragic!
An image instantly flashed through Lumine's mind: Stelle, so destitute she had to scavenge for food. A more detailed scene followed: Stelle pulling a black trash bag from the can, tossing it into an Omni-Synthesizer, adding a few other items, and—voilà—a fresh meal was synthesized...
As Lumine's mind wandered, Stelle's eyes suddenly lit up. She began rummaging through the trash can with even greater vigor, finally pulling out a statue giving a thumbs-up.
Upon retrieving the item, a brilliant, almost goofy smile spread across Stelle's face. The sight gave Lumine a strange sense of déjà vu, as if she were seeing an old acquaintance.
That's right... that little white floating thing that's always buzzing around me.
What was her name again?
Oh, right, I remember now—Emergency Food!
Stelle set the trash can upright, then returned to Lumine's side and presented her newfound treasure.
Is... is this for me?!
Lumine was touched. She couldn't believe Stelle would so readily give her a gift that was clearly so precious.
Stelle smiled and nodded, mimicking the statue's pose by giving Lumine a thumbs-up and flashing a dazzlingly white grin.
Lumine wasn't sure if this was some special custom of Stelle's, but she found the brightness of her teeth a little blinding.
After accepting the gift, Stelle once again led Lumine on a chaotic dash through the space station, her eyes constantly scanning the ground, seemingly in search of the next trash can.
Though Lumine couldn't understand Stelle's deep obsession with trash cans, as her kindred spirit, she knew her role was to respect her friend's hobby.
So, Lumine joined the hunt. Before long, she spotted a cylindrical object in the distance and eagerly gestured for Stelle to follow.
But when they got closer, they realized it wasn't a trash can—just a barrel.
Lumine sighed in disappointment, shaking her head. She resolved to get a better look next time before alerting Stelle, to avoid getting her hopes up for nothing.
To her surprise, however, Stelle strode right past her toward the barrel, brandishing her baseball bat and rolling up her sleeves.
Lumine froze for a second, then rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Stelle.
"Calm down, calm down!"
Even if it's not a trash can, you don't have to get this angry!
It's not that serious!
Stelle struggled, her eyes fixed on the barrel just ahead, desperate to smash it.
Money... money... my precious credits!
Feeling Stelle's frantic movements, Lumine hugged her even tighter.
In the end, Lumine's strength won out, and she managed to drag Stelle away from the scene.
Lumine let out a sigh of relief. She had finally convinced her kindred spirit not to go around smashing random objects.
However, her kindred spirit now seemed to be in a foul mood. Her eyes were unfocused, and she looked like she'd just lost a fortune.
To cheer her up, Lumine decided to find a trash can on her own and report back to Stelle.
She slipped away quietly. A short while later, Lumine returned, her face beaming with excitement. She grabbed Stelle's hand and gestured wildly.
Stelle seemed to understand, and the light returned to her eyes.
Soon, they stood before a brand-new trash can. Stelle's expression immediately turned to one of pure ecstasy.
Go on!
Lumine released Stelle's hand and watched her go.
The sight of her friend rummaging through the trash can felt so... right.
But just then, the trash can suddenly did a backflip and kicked Stelle square in the stomach, sending her flying.
Holy crap, the trash can is attacking people!
Snapping back to reality, Lumine rushed to check on Stelle's injuries. Her health bar was nearly empty! In a panic, Lumine immediately dragged her to a Statue of The Seven to heal.
Nourished by the Statue's power, Stelle was restored to full health.
Seeing this, Lumine wiped the sweat from her brow. That was a close one!
A smile then spread across Lumine's face. After all the wandering Stelle had dragged her on, she still hadn't eaten!
Lumine took Stelle to Good Hunter, then to Wangshu Inn, and then to Wanmin Restaurant...
For some reason, Stelle's stomach seemed to be a black hole, eternally insatiable.
Lumine looked at her dwindling Mora with a bitter expression.
But soon, she came up with a brilliant idea and went to find Tartaglia.
He was Zhongli's friend.
Lumine introduced Stelle to Tartaglia, who then declared with immense generosity:
"Today's bill is on me, Childe!"
Lumine and Stelle ate to their hearts' content. As they say, food tastes best when someone else is paying.
But there was a problem: Tartaglia's card couldn't be used for Inazuman food. By this point, he had already been dealt with internally by the Fatui.
With no other choice, Lumine racked her brain again. No matter what, she had to make sure her kindred spirit ate her fill today!
Suddenly, Lumine's eyes lit up. She had another brilliant idea.
Lumine took Stelle to find Zhongli and offered to treat him to a hot spring bath.
After Zhongli finished his bath and left, Lumine immediately directed Stelle to help her scoop all the water into barrels and transport it to Inazuma overnight to sell.
Fresh Dragon Soup!
Not 99,998 Mora a bowl! Not 9,998! Just 998, and you can take it home!
Finally, Lumine watched Stelle ravenously devour Inazuman delicacies while counting her small fortune, a wide grin on her face. I really have a talent for business, she thought. If I'd gone into commerce, Ningguang wouldn't stand a chance!
"Planet Befall!"
Huh? Where did that BGM come from?
Lumine looked up. The sky seemed to be growing dark...
"Traveler..."
Lumine shot up from her bed, startling Paimon.
Wow, the training was even more successful than I thought!
Meanwhile, Lumine was drenched in sweat. She'd just dreamed that Zhongli had... humanely annihilated her.
Hiss...
That scene had been absolutely terrifying!
But speaking of which, what had she done to make Zhongli so angry? In Lumine's memory, Zhongli was always good-tempered; she'd almost never seen him angry.
Maybe I should try it for real?
At that thought, Lumine shuddered violently. How could I even think of something so suicidal?!
Until she had a Revival Coin, she'd better not tempt fate.
Lumine climbed out of bed. Paimon watched her with a worried expression.
"Traveler, are you okay?"
Lumine scratched her head. The dream was already hazy, but she vaguely recalled it being a good one, so she nodded at Paimon.
Seeing that Lumine had indeed fully recovered, Paimon relaxed. After washing up, they left the room together.
Just then, Lumine spotted the trash can by the door, and a sudden impulse welled up inside her.
But in the end, she resisted the urge, turned, and walked away with Paimon. Even after they had gone some distance, she still felt a sense of wistful loss.
"Traveler, are you sure you're okay? You're acting a little strange."
By now, they had reached Dr. Edward's door. Paimon immediately flew into the room, shouting, "Dr. Edward, come quick and check on the Traveler! I think something's off with her today!"
As soon as Paimon finished speaking, footsteps echoed from within the room.
"What's wrong? Another nightmare?"
Looking at Dr. Edward's gentle, smiling face, Lumine quickly shook her head.
Although the final scene had been a bit terrifying, the earlier parts seemed quite pleasant. It was just that she'd already forgotten what had happened.
Strange... why is this dream so hazy?
Just as Lumine was lost in thought, Dunyarzad's voice called out from nearby.
"Morning, Traveler, Paimon, Dr. Edward!"
"Morning, Dunyarzad! And Dehya!" Paimon flew over to them, waving her little hands enthusiastically.
The sight brought a wide smile to Dehya's face. "Hello, you two. Did you sleep well last night?"
After exchanging greetings, Dunyarzad turned to Lumine and Paimon, her voice filled with excitement. "Today's the Sabzeruz Festival! Let's hurry outside and see the floats!"
Dunyarzad's words suddenly reminded Lumine—today was the Sabzeruz Festival.
"Yay!" Paimon cheered, then turned to Lumine with an eager expression. "Traveler, I've never seen a festival float before! Let's go check them out!"
Lumine nodded. The plan had always been for them to attend the festival together today.
"Dr. Edward, would you like to join us?" Dunyarzad asked.
Dr. Edward just smiled wryly. "I'd better not. Even with a mask, I'd probably be recognized easily. It would be a hassle if that happened."
"You all go have fun. I'll keep working on the cure for Eleazar and try to develop it as soon as possible."
Since Dr. Edward declined, the others didn't press him. It was true—given his fame in Sumeru, he would easily be recognized.
"I'll go ask Madam Faruzan!" Paimon declared before zipping off toward Faruzan's room.
"Wait, Paimon!" Dunyarzad tried to call out, but Paimon was already too far away.
Dunyarzad sighed helplessly just as an angry shout erupted from Faruzan's room: "Don't disturb my sleep this early in the morning!"
Watching Paimon fly back, looking utterly dejected, Dunyarzad chuckled and explained, "Madam Faruzan pulled an all-nighter with her research and only just went to bed this morning. The fact that she didn't beat you for knocking on her door means you two must be on pretty good terms."
At this, both Dunyarzad and Dehya burst into laughter.
"Hehe, so that's what happened," Paimon said, instantly perking up after hearing the explanation.
"Alright, let's get going," Dehya urged. "If we don't leave now, we'll miss not just the floats but maybe even Miss Nilou's performance."
"Remember to wear your masks."
A short while later, the four of them left and joined the procession of festival floats.
The lively scene before them temporarily washed away their worries, and they threw themselves wholeheartedly into the celebration.
Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes from high above had locked onto them the moment they joined the crowd.
Dottore watched Lumine's figure, the smile on his face deepening.
"I finally see you again, Traveler from another world."
"Or perhaps I should call you the Fourth Descender?"
"Never mind. It's all the same."
"It truly astonishes me that someone managed to use you as a pawn, and that even I remained completely unaware until now."
Dottore recalled the earlier scene and shook his head gently.
"It's about time the game officially begins. I imagine that 'chessmaster' is growing impatient."
"For today, I wish you both a delightful time. Smile while you can, because tomorrow... you might not be able to smile at all."
"Of course, that's assuming you even have a tomorrow."
Lumine seemed to sense something and glanced upward.
But Dottore had already withdrawn his gaze and turned to leave.
He had wasted his precious time confirming Lumine's presence mainly because the game was about to start, and it would be far too dull if she weren't a participant.
Lumine saw nothing, yet the feeling she'd just had didn't seem like an illusion. She fell into deep thought.
"Traveler, hurry up and help me choose! I want something sweet!"
Paimon's call snapped Lumine out of her wandering thoughts. She took one last, careful look at the spot where she'd sensed the presence. Seeing nothing, she decided to set the matter aside for now.