After Tighnari's advice, Cyno really did stop grinding.
He had a point—if Cyno overworked himself and lost all energy, how would he have the spirit to judge criminals once the truth came out? What he needed now was to rest and preserve his strength.
After all, he'd already advanced through Sumeru's opening story arc. Judging by past experience, each nation's main questline wasn't especially long, so there was no need to rush.
"Are you grinding?" Cyno asked.
"Nope."
Tighnari refused without hesitation.
Compared to Cyno, Tighnari was truly in no hurry. The Great Dendro Archon had already returned—what was there to be anxious about?
In his eyes, simply waiting patiently was the best course of action. The Great Dendro Archon would not ignore the problems of Sumeru. If he recklessly investigated on his own and something happened, that would only cause more trouble.
The real issue was that they had too few clues right now.
"Just sit tight," Tighnari said, shaking his head. "And keep an eye on the people we know. Best that no one goes around alone."
"I know." Cyno nodded.
The Akademiya had been acting stranger and stranger lately, issuing a flood of new bans.
Among them were prohibitions on things like "smart devices" and "mobile phones"—terms that would sound completely foreign to ordinary people of Sumeru. But both Tighnari and Cyno knew exactly what they referred to.
It was obvious—the Akademiya was targeting the Card Shop. But why?
Neither of them could figure it out.
The Akademiya's behavior was laughable. Just like in cultivation, if you don't advance, you regress.
Other nations were progressing forward, while they stubbornly stood still. In earlier times, such differences could be explained by varying systems of governance. But now? The Card Shop clearly existed on a higher plane than anything else in Teyvat.
No matter how unique their path was, there was no way it could compare. Anyone with half a brain could see that. Yet the Akademiya clung to its obsession.
"Clear your head and get some sleep," Cyno muttered, lying down.
Morning came.
At the Northland Bank in Liyue, the sound of frogs croaking drifted through the air.
Tartaglia's progress was among the fastest of all. He didn't care much for the so-called main storyline. What interested him was only one thing—where was Scaramouche?
That bastard was one of the Fatui Harbingers, so it was almost certain the Traveler would run into him again. The question was where.
Tartaglia had already called up his colleagues. No one knew Scaramouche's whereabouts. His only hope now was that the main quest would eventually reveal it.
"Damn it…" Tartaglia clenched his fists in frustration.
What was wrong with that lunatic? What grudge did he have? Why had he ruined Tartaglia's plans, even stealing the gift he meant to present to the Tsaritsa? That was unforgivable.
"Frog, I can feel it," Tartaglia said with a cold grin. "There's no way he's gone far."
His instincts were sharp. He was certain of one thing: Scaramouche wasn't in Mondstadt, Liyue, or Inazuma. Nor could he have returned to Snezhnaya, or he would have been held accountable immediately.
That left only three nations.
Fontaine? Impossible. With the Mirror of Reflections, Scaramouche would be exposed the instant he entered.
And Tartaglia's current status wasn't low anymore. Though still Eleventh of the Harbingers, his influence was already comparable to some who outranked him. The only reason he hadn't formally issued a bounty was because of Fatui politics.
But privately, everyone knew the situation.
So he'd even contacted Fontaine's court under diplomatic cover. The answer was clear: Scaramouche wasn't there.
That left only two options—Natlan or Sumeru.
Tartaglia didn't even bother guessing anymore. He only needed to finish Sumeru's main story. The truth would reveal itself—either Scaramouche was in Sumeru, or in Natlan.
"When I finish the questline…" Tartaglia sneered. "You'd better pray I don't find you. Or else—you'll suffer for it."
Lumine also woke early.
After a quick breakfast, she started her stream.
"Morning, everyone!" she greeted cheerfully. "Looks like most of you are catching up, but you're not grinding hard enough. Is fate itself not exciting enough for you? Or is it that your dear streamer's dazzling heroics don't inspire you?"
"Shameless—how does she say that with a straight face?"
"Can't take her seriously, lol."
"To be fair, our streamer is skilled… just has a face thicker than a city wall."
"Can you tell Paimon to stop dumping so many quests on us? I can't keep up!"
"All for your primogems, my friends," Paimon replied smoothly, adopting Lumine's shameless tone.
"These quests are so stingy." Lumine sighed. "And don't get me started on some NPCs. First thing out of their mouths is treating me like a tool. If I ever meet them in real life, I swear—"
"Terrifying."
"Honestly though, some NPCs are really unbearable."
"If I met them in reality, I'd just erase them outright."
"Alright, alright," Lumine waved it off. "I was planning to clear a few Inazuma quests, but the main storyline comes first. Once we finish Sumeru's arc, we'll take our time with side quests."
With that, she jumped into Sumeru's opening questline.
And right from the start—
"What is this?!" Lumine rubbed her temples. "I'm already dizzy."
"Seriously, what kind of constitution do you have? You step foot in Sumeru and immediately get dragged into some huge mess," Paimon exclaimed.
"That's called protagonist aura, ever heard of it?" Lumine shot back.
"Pfft."
"Wait, what's this about the world forgetting me?" Paimon frowned. "Why does it sound like a mystery where half the words are missing?"
"Pay attention, everyone." Lumine grew serious. "Mark my words—this line is a puzzle. A full sentence with key words erased. Only at the very end, when the truth is revealed, will the missing words be restored, and it'll all make sense."
"Makes sense."
"Just like light novels—those love their cryptic hints."
"Yeah but why does Sumeru already feel confusing?"
"Forget that—how strong is Dendro Traveler, anyway?"
"What? How can you even ask that? Traveler's rarity may be five-star, but their strength is only three-star. That's common knowledge!"
"Come on!" Lumine groaned. "Why are my abilities so weak in the game? Don't tell me…"
"Maybe you're just here to move the plot along?" Paimon mused.
"…Excuse me?" Lumine glared. "Then you're nothing more than a sidekick whose whole job is comic relief."
"No matter." She waved it off. "Let's see what Sumeru has in store. And hopefully, no one's going to put me on a wanted list again. Once in Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma—three times already! Can I get a break?"
"Don't worry, you've got four elements now. What's there to fear?"
"Yeah, go challenge the Dendro Archon herself!"
"We support you competing for the position of Archon!"
"Stop with that nonsense." Lumine rolled her eyes. "Okay, who do we meet here… ah, Tighnari and Collei!"
"Collei's kinda cute," she muttered.
"I think so too." Paimon nodded. Then she tilted her head. "Hey, Yae Miko's a fox, and so is Tighnari. But Tighnari has a tail. What about Yae's?"
"Bold words!" Lumine gasped dramatically. "Not mine, mind you! When Yae Miko comes for you, don't look at me."
"Everyone knows I'm not smart. Forgive me once," Paimon said serenely, before play-acting fainting on the spot.
"Enough fooling around. Let's focus. What's this about Collei's illness?" Lumine frowned thoughtfully.
Meanwhile, Lu Heng strolled leisurely through several shops, enjoyed tea with Venti—"borrowed" from Zhongli—dropped by Cat's Tail for a drink and a quick pat on Diona's head, and finally wandered to the Inazuma branch.
There, he found Raiden Makoto lost in thought.
"What are you staring at?" he asked curiously.
"Oh… you're here." Makoto smiled, snapping out of her daze. "I was just thinking about the Card Shop's influence on Inazuma."
"Sit down." Lu Heng gestured. "Have you figured it out?"
"I have a general idea," she nodded.
"That's good."
He chuckled. "You looked so absent-minded. Better to sit and think than stand there dazed."
"I just got distracted for a moment," Makoto admitted sheepishly. "I finished arranging most things early this morning, so I actually have some free time today."
Oh?
Lu Heng sat up straight. That was quite a statement.
Without hesitation, he said, "What a coincidence. I'm free too. Since you want to understand the changes of the era, why don't I take this chance to teach you properly?"
Makoto's eyes lit up, her smile soft. "Alright."
"But," she added gently, "I may be a bit slow to grasp new things. If I seem clumsy, please be patient."
"No problem."
Lu Heng grinned. "I'll guide you step by step."
The hours slipped by pleasantly.
Makoto's shy curiosity was endearing, and Lu Heng couldn't help but laugh at her feigned clumsiness. And yet, what he enjoyed most was the excuse to hold her hand while guiding her with the mouse.
"This is a spreadsheet. Do you know how to use it now?" he asked.
"Yes." She nodded earnestly.
She couldn't afford to ask the same thing too many times. Everyone knew her intelligence, after all—playing dumb wouldn't suit her.
But once they found their rhythm, both were in high spirits.
If Lu Heng could see affection values floating above her head, they would be ticking upward—+1, +1—at a steady pace.
By noon, he suggested, "Let's not eat out. How about lunch here?"
"Alright," Makoto agreed with a smile.
The day passed in warmth and laughter. By evening, Lu Heng walked her back to Tenshukaku.
"Such a beautiful day deserves a proper goodnight hug, don't you think?" He opened his arms.
Blushing, Makoto embraced him and whispered by his ear, "Good night~"
"Rest well," he said softly. "We've got plenty of time. Don't overwork yourself when you go back."
"Don't worry," she smiled. "I won't."
As she watched him leave, Makoto felt today had been perfectly fulfilling.
Yet when she returned inside Tenshukaku, she couldn't shake a strange feeling—like something important was missing.
But after pondering in vain, she brushed it aside and retired to rest.
Meanwhile—
In the Plane of Euthymia.
"…That's it?"
"I thought your newfound will might surprise me. But in the end… you're just as fragile as before."
The puppet Shogun's mocking words struck Raiden Ei like blades.
"I was just careless for a moment!" Ei retorted, though her voice wavered.
Her heart sank.
Once, her renewed will would have been enough to dominate this puppet.
But now—she realized with dread—the puppet's eternal resolve had already taken form as a terrifying reality.
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T/N:
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