When Morax and Barbatos, two ancient friends, reunited at the same table, their appetites naturally exploded.
The dishes piled high at first were now reduced to stacks of empty plates, with only scraps left behind.
What puzzled Nagami most was Paimon.
Her tiny mouth hadn't stopped moving the whole meal, and by his count, she'd eaten food equal to about a quarter of her entire body size—yet somehow her appearance hadn't changed at all.
When the meal was done, it was time to pay.
Before Zhongli could even open his mouth, Lumine boldly took the lead.
Of course, Lumine had no intention of paying with her own money—nor did she ask Nagami to conjure mora.
Today, she was determined to shatter one of Nagami's deeply rooted impressions from the "game."
The Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers—Childe, also known as Tartaglia—wasn't Zhongli's personal wallet.
"The bill goes to the Northland Bank."
Her voice was calm, her expression confident.
Lumine didn't even glance at the total.
Yes, the truth was simple: Childe wasn't just Zhongli's wallet.
He was also Lumine's.
And really, spending Fatui money didn't hurt one bit.
Lumine's personal friendship with Childe was solid—not any weaker than his connection with Zhongli.
People didn't call her Teyvat's "social butterfly" for nothing.
On one of her journeys in another world, Lumine had even achieved the impossible: eating her way across the entire continent without spending a single coin… all thanks to her ridiculously cute, irresistible face.
"Understood, Miss Lumine," the clerk replied without hesitation, jotting it down with practiced ease—as if this was routine.
"All done! Let's go~"
Lumine returned to Nagami's side with a triumphant bounce in her step, hands on her hips, chest puffed out in pride.
"As expected of you," Zhongli said, nodding with genuine approval, one hand tucked neatly behind his back.
Just from watching her pull that stunt once, he had completely mastered the art.
"Poor Childe," Paimon muttered, shaking her head, palm pressed to her forehead. "Running into these two… it's like the unluckiest curse in all his life."
Morax, the symbol of Mora itself, had now become a freeloading scrounger who made others pick up his tab.
And the cute little Traveler beside him? Paimon didn't even want to comment.
"Shh!"
With a splash of warm water, Venti returned to his male form.
He quickly pulled Paimon aside, pressing a finger to his lips.
"Careful saying that out loud. If Lumine hears you, don't be surprised if you end up on the dinner table tonight."
"Wha—?!"
Paimon's face instantly drained of color.
The worst part was—it wasn't just possible. It was likely.
Afterward, the group decided to head to a teahouse and listen to storytellers. What else would you expect them to do? Getting together for proper work? Not a chance.
"Lumine," Paimon piped up, floating ahead with her hands behind her back, "you said we're going to Inazuma. But the teleport waypoints there were sealed by the Shogun. How are we supposed to get in?"
"Well…"
Lumine tilted her head back toward Nagami.
She could ask him to warp space or even fly if she wanted.
Even if her powers were sealed, she also just got shadow-space techniques on hand.
But between those options, Lumine naturally chose the simpler one.
"Of course we'll just take Captain Beidou's ship~"
Neither she nor Nagami were in any rush.
With no urgent tasks, why not savor the journey?
Sometimes efficiency wasn't worth sacrificing life's small joys.
In truth, there was an even simpler explanation:
Laziness.
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Meanwhile…
C.C. stared into Seele's flushed, delicate face, her green eyes locked onto every detail:
The long curled lashes, the faint blush on her cheeks, the soft scent drifting from her hair.
Her smooth shoulders gleamed like jade, collarbones perfectly sculpted, her petite body trembling in shy warmth.
C.C. nearly lost control and kissed her right then and there.
[TL Note — Policeman!!! This is the person!!!!]
"N-Nagami… nii-san…"
Seele's face was burning red, little puffs of steam practically rising from her head.
She stumbled back a step, eyes spinning in dizzy circles.
"It's me, C.C.," the green-haired girl corrected softly. "When it's just us, call me whatever you like. But remember—in front of others, I'm your big sister."
She tapped a slender finger against Seele's forehead, coughing twice to cover the heat in her own cheeks, trying to look serious.
"Now… how much of the energy flow technique I just taught you did you actually remember?"
Even in her female body, C.C. almost couldn't restrain herself—Seele was just too unbearably cute.
Her lecture was supposed to be a normal training session… but it had nearly turned into something fit only for late-night broadcasts.
"U-um… Seele… Seele…"
Seele's pale cheeks flushed deeper.
Every time C.C. hugged her, she felt wrapped in warmth and fragrance.
And when she remembered that the girl in front of her was really the one who had pulled her out of that endless abyss—Nagami—her chest pounded so hard it drowned out everything else.
As for C.C.'s actual instructions? Completely forgotten.
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[Other me, help!]
———————————————————————
Seele panicked inside. If C.C. thought she was stupid, what would she do?
———————————————————————
[Yeah, yeah… I've got you, honestly.]
———————————————————————
Fortunately, thanks to C.C.'s hands-on teaching, Seele had managed to somewhat channel the energy.
If she had stuck to the confusing scribbles she'd used before, Veliona wouldn't have shown up even if she adored Seele to bits.
"I… I remembered about half…"
Raising a trembling white hand, particles of black and white light gathered into a fragile flower that wavered, barely holding together.
Mimicking Seele's voice and posture, Veliona lowered her head, bangs hiding her eyes to avoid suspicion.
She had discovered that unless Nagami or C.C.'s eyes glowed with violet starfire, they couldn't see her within Seele's inner world.
So she stepped out to cover for her.
Of course, she hadn't understood C.C.'s lecture either.
But thanks to the "muscle memory" etched into her Stigmata of the Herrscher of Death, she could copy at least part of the process.
"Not bad at all. Seele, keep it up, okay?"
C.C. ruffled the girl's silky short hair, voice as gentle as a teacher coaxing a struggling student.
She knew perfectly well this was Veliona in disguise, but that didn't matter.
Whether it was Seele or her darker half, she would take her time.
Only an idiot would get annoyed at the chance to patiently teach such an adorable girl.
"Eh? Wait… Kurumi, who's that you brought along?"
Just as she was about to continue, C.C.'s gaze landed on the fiery-haired little girl standing beside the spirit girl, and her train of thought derailed completely.