Check out my new translation!
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Port Ormos was the largest harbor in all of Sumeru—its beating commercial heart, where imports and exports flowed like the desert winds.
Nestled between twin trees that flanked the bay, the port was a crossroads of countless peoples and constant trade.
Though the sulfur fires that had ravaged Sumeru's rainforest once reached its edges—reducing parts of the city to ash and leaving behind the charred skeletons of buildings—the harbor itself had long since recovered.
After all, work was work. Without it, there would be no bread to eat.
Today, Port Ormos remained a picture of order amid chaos—ships came and went endlessly, cargo was loaded and unloaded in perfect rhythm, and commerce thrived like wildfire.
Shao Yun stood at the landward gate of the harbor, observing the bustling caravans moving in and out, and muttered to himself, "So this is Port Ormos?"
He had come to this lively trading hub with two goals in mind. First, to see Lumine and Paimon—the two had left him a letter saying they were off adventuring in Port Ormos.
Second, to find Kaveh and complete the commission Candace had entrusted to him.
Weaving through the crowd, Shao Yun's eyes swept constantly from side to side, searching for any sign of Lumine and Paimon.
At the same time, he casually asked passersby if they knew anything about Kaveh.
When he reached the waterfront, he noticed a grand event taking place—massive, dazzling, and full of life.
Just as curiosity welled up in him, a familiar, bright voice called out from behind.
"Shao Yun! Wow, you came to Port Ormos!"
At the sound of that voice, Shao Yun's heart leapt with joy. He turned around immediately.
There she was—Lumine—wearing that same elegant outfit of blue and white, radiating exotic charm.
Her sleeves were tied with white cuffs adorned with rabbit-ear ribbons; she wore tall, white-and-gold boots, and around her neck fluttered her signature white scarf with twin tails.
As always, Paimon floated cheerfully beside her.
As the saying went, "A short separation makes reunion all the sweeter." It had been a whole week since Shao Yun last saw Lumine.
Now, seeing each other again, their eyes met—but for a moment, neither knew what to say.
"Lumine, Paimon, so you were here…" Shao Yun was the first to break the silence, smiling as he approached.
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a glance, both wearing slightly awkward expressions.
Then Lumine stepped forward and explained, "Sorry, Shao Yun. We didn't stay at home waiting for you to return—it's just that…"
Shao Yun waved his hand, smiling lightly. "Ah, no need to apologize. We're close enough that you don't have to be so formal."
"Actually, if anything, I'm the one who should apologize. I came to Port Ormos not just to see you two—I've got other matters to take care of. Sorry, I might not be able to spend much time with you."
Hearing that, Paimon's lips puckered in disappointment, her big eyes glimmering faintly.
"Oh, really? That's too bad. I was hoping you could join us in the Nilotpala Cup Beast Tamer Tournament!"
Nilotpala Cup? Shao Yun recalled Sumeru's limited-time event—it was something like "Fungus Frenzy Competition," if he remembered right.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "The Nilotpala Cup? Paimon, you mean the competition where people command fungi in battle? Sounds crazy."
Paimon nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, that's the one! When Lumine and I first read about it, we were shocked!"
"After all, fungi are monsters! But the organizers kept assuring everyone it's totally safe, so we decided to join in."
Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she asked, "Hey, Shao Yun—are you sure you can't make time to join us? The registration's still open! If you teamed up with us, we'd have a much better chance of winning the prize money!"
Beside her, Lumine crossed her arms and sighed helplessly, tilting her head toward Paimon. "Paimon, Paimon… really? You just revealed your true motive that quickly?"
Paimon blinked in confusion, then scratched her head sheepishly. "Well, earning lots of Mora isn't a bad thing, right?"
Lumine facepalmed and sighed. "You little money-grubber…"
In truth, Shao Yun did feel tempted to join the Nilotpala Cup—it sounded fun, and it reminded him of that farcical "Beast Tamer Margaret" and her bizarre animals.
A "zebra" that was actually a painted donkey, a "lion" that turned out to be a dog, and then the fake lion getting eaten by a fake tiger that was really a puma. And the only real lion in the whole circus had been the one they thought was fake!
But now, with his time split between finding his brother-in-law, tracking down Kaveh, and planning a trip to Inazuma, his schedule was too tight.
After a moment's thought, Shao Yun gently declined. "Honestly, I'd love to try—but I've got some things I need to handle. I really don't have the time."
Then he added meaningfully, "You know, I might already have a tiny bit of a lead on that matter."
Paimon instantly understood what he meant and sighed, spreading her tiny hands helplessly. "Aww, that's a shame. But don't worry—Lumine and I will definitely win! Once we get that big prize, we'll treat you to a huge meal!"
Shao Yun chuckled and reached out to pinch her soft, round cheek. "As long as you two have fun, that's what matters. Winning's secondary."
Suddenly, Paimon gasped as if she'd just remembered something, clapping her hands together excitedly.
"Oh, right! Shao Yun, guess who we ran into here in Port Ormos?"
Shao Yun thought for a moment—maybe that girl named Layla? But since neither Lumine nor Paimon had fungi with them yet, probably not.
Unable to guess, he raised his hands in mock surrender and smiled wryly. "I give up! Don't leave me hanging, Paimon—just tell me!"
Paimon grinned triumphantly, spun around, and waved energetically toward a nearby stall.
"Ayaka! Ayaka! Come over here!"
At a jewelry stall nearby—lined with delicate, feminine accessories—a graceful figure was browsing with quiet focus.
When she heard her name called, she hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly set down a lovely hair ribbon and turned around.
It was Kamisato Ayaka.
Her gentle eyes fell first upon Lumine and Paimon—but then, when she saw Shao Yun, her body stiffened in surprise.
She clasped her pale hands tightly before her, tension written all over her.
But after a brief moment, she regained her composure, nodding politely. "Hello, Mr. Shao Yun… I was just thinking it was strange not to see you here—and the next moment, you appear."
Shao Yun couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Kamisato Ayaka? I didn't expect to see you here in Sumeru. What brings you to this nation?"
He thought for a moment. Wasn't this Sumeru event supposed to involve Yae Miko?
But then again, she was probably busy as the third Raiden Shogun. She couldn't just travel abroad freely… So she sent Ayaka instead.
Sure enough, Ayaka placed a hand over her chest and explained softly, "I came at Lady Yae's request, along with several editors and new writers from Yae Publishing House, to observe the Nilotpala Cup."
Then she furrowed her brows slightly, recalling Yae Miko's earlier words.
"She said Yae Publishing House is planning a 'masterpiece that will define the next fifty years,' themed around 'companionship and competition.' So we came here for field research."
Shao Yun chuckled. "So you're working for Yae Publishing House now? Well, traveling on the company's dime isn't bad—good way to relax and see the world."
Ayaka froze, visibly embarrassed by his teasing.
But quickly recovering her poise, she replied softly, "Ah… not exactly working for them. I'm simply fulfilling Lady Yae's entrusted task."
Shao Yun waved it off with a casual grin. "Haha, no worries. Traveling for a bit of change and fresh air is perfectly normal."
"But still—running into you here, along with Lumine and Paimon, that's quite the coincidence."
He meant it casually, just to make conversation.
Yet, Ayaka's heart jolted at his words. For a moment, panic flickered across her eyes, afraid he might misunderstand her intentions toward Lumine and Paimon.
Her cheeks flushed red like an apple, and she stammered, unable to form a reply.
Noticing her embarrassment, Shao Yun sighed and said calmly, "Don't worry, I didn't mean anything by it. I won't interfere with their personal plans. You three enjoy yourselves—I've got no objections."
And just like that, their awkward exchange came to an abrupt end.
Watching them, Paimon couldn't help but think, Why's the air so tense between those two? I thought everything that happened in Inazuma was long over…
Determined to ease the tension, Paimon suddenly piped up, "Uh—Shao Yun, we're taking Ayaka to catch some fungi now! Bye-bye!"
She waved energetically as Lumine joined her.
Shao Yun smiled. "Alright, have fun!"
Ayaka blinked in surprise. "Fungi? Wait, I—but…"
Before she could finish, Lumine took her hand and grinned. "Come on, Ayaka! Paimon and I will show you around Sumeru!"
With that, the two whisked her away, the three of them vanishing into the lively streets.
…
As Lumine and Paimon happily dragged Ayaka off on their adventure, another familiar figure appeared before Shao Yun.
It was Kamisato Ayato.
Calm and composed as always, he strolled toward Shao Yun with a cup of homemade milk tea in hand.
But the instant he saw Shao Yun, the drink vanished into his sleeve.
He smiled courteously. "Oh? Mr. Shao Yun—what a coincidence."
Shao Yun returned the smile. "Kamisato Ayato? So you and your sister came to Sumeru together?"
Ayato's polite smile deepened—he could tell Shao Yun had already met Ayaka.
"That's right. Still, meeting a familiar face in a foreign land is a stroke of good fortune."
Shao Yun didn't bother with small talk. "Let me guess—you're here for diplomatic reasons?"
Ayato's expression turned faintly complicated, though only for a heartbeat. Then he nodded.
"You're half right. I'm here on official business—to meet with the Acting Grand Sage. And, if possible, with the Lesser Lord Kusanali herself."
"As for Ayaka, she has no official duties—she's just accompanying the Yae Publishing House staff for their research."
Shao Yun wasn't interested in Ayaka's side of things. What he wanted to know was Ayato's real purpose.
"Business negotiations or political ones?"
The blunt question caught Ayato off guard.
After a pause, he forced a smile. "Well, Mr. Shao Yun, that's a rather… direct curiosity of yours."
Before he could finish his thought, Shao Yun raised a brow and said flatly, "You were about to say I'm asking too much, weren't you?"
Ayato chuckled awkwardly. "Haha, just routine diplomatic work—nothing you'd find interesting. By the way, I found a lovely restaurant here in Port Ormos. Since the ladies are out, how about we share a few drinks?"
Though Ayato tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, Shao Yun wasn't buying it.
Expressionless, he cut straight through the pretense. "No need to dodge the question. You're here because of the Sixth Fatui Harbinger—Scaramouche. Am I right?"
At those words, the trademark smile vanished from Ayato's face, replaced by a sharp, calculating look.
"How did you know that?"
Shao Yun ignored the question. "Yae Miko sent you to retrieve him, didn't she? Don't worry—I made a private deal with her back in Inazuma. We're on the same side… for now."
Hearing that, Ayato relaxed slightly and nodded. "You're correct. That's my main purpose here."
"Lady Yae said that Kunikuzushi was created by the previous Shogun—his rightful ownership lies with Inazuma. So I was sent to negotiate his extradition."
Shao Yun shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. He's already dead. I burned him—and cut off his head. Want to see it?"
He reached for his Legend of the East satchel, ready to pull out the charred head of Scaramouche right there in the middle of bustling Port Ormos.
Ayato reacted instantly, grabbing his arm with alarm. "Wait! Not here! Showing a burnt human head in public would cause a riot!"
He glanced around nervously, checking to make sure no one had noticed.
Shao Yun sighed. "Alright, fine. But if you don't believe me, you can ask the Dendro Archon yourself."
Ayato wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow, trying to regain composure. "It's not that I doubt you—it's just that I also have… other matters to handle."
Shao Yun waved dismissively. "I don't care about your other business. I just wanted to share my little trophy."
Ayato coughed lightly, looking for an excuse to retreat. "Well then, if there's nothing else, I'll just—"
Shao Yun clapped him on the shoulder. "Hold on. You mentioned earlier that the girls are off having fun, and there's a good restaurant nearby. You said we'd grab a drink?"
Realizing his own excuse had backfired, Ayato gave a resigned smile and nodded. "Fine. Let's go."
He thought to himself, It's just a meal. I can afford that—and Yae Miko will reimburse me anyway.
Shao Yun patted his arm and grinned. "You're buying. Lead the way."