"Alright."
"Enough nonsense."
Lumine rubbed her brow and spoke quietly.
"Taro said that for the next few days, if I follow you on missions involving the Abyss Order, there's a high chance I'll run into Aether."
"So don't drag your feet."
"What mission did you take?"
"When do we set out?"
"Where is it?"
She had no intention of letting any chance to see Aether slip by.
After thoroughly verifying how accurate the information Taro provided was, she was willing to believe one thing—that she really could meet Aether.
If she just had to stick with Dainsleif on his missions to run into him, then she would stick with him.
At worst, she would waste a few days.
Now that she knew Aether was still alive, and had become the Prince of the Abyss, Lumine felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Her heaviest burden was already gone.
The rest was urgent, but not unbearable.
She still had to travel across all Seven Nations.
She had to reawaken her power.
If possible, she even wanted to acquire some methods she'd never had before.
Otherwise, even if she knocked Aether out, she wouldn't be able to take him away.
She couldn't even get past that white-haired god who called herself the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
For now, she just wanted to see Aether again and ask him a few questions.
Everything else could be dealt with slowly.
"These next few days, if I follow you, I'll meet Aether?"
"Is that… a prophecy?"
Hearing Lumine's words, Dainsleif seemed to recall some unpleasant memory. His face went extremely pale.
The prophet, Visefnir… his own older brother.
One of the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah.
This new "Descender" could also tell prophecies?
He really didn't want to admit it, but the prophet's predictions had never once failed.
The process might be turbulent, but the result was inevitable.
"I understand."
Dainsleif nodded lightly.
"In that case, let's proceed according to the usual plan."
"I've been tracking the movements of the Abyss Order. According to my original route, the next stop is the temple of the West Wind's Eagle, one of the Four Winds."
"We'll rendezvous there."
If he could see Aether again, Dainsleif was willing.
After chasing for so many years, the number of times he'd actually met Aether was exactly zero.
Now that there was finally a chance to meet, he had no reason to refuse.
"Alright."
"Then let's head out now."
Lumine decisively got to her feet and walked toward the stairs.
"Wait!"
"What now?"
"At least eat something first…"
"…"
Lumine was silent for two seconds. "Fine. The Good Hunter."
"I'll treat you. Consider it an apology for my rudeness just now."
With that, she headed straight downstairs with Paimon in tow, not caring whether Dainsleif agreed or not.
"Sigh…"
Watching Lumine leave, Dainsleif sat there in silence for a moment, then finally rose as well.
He had far, far too many questions.
But obviously, they weren't things he could get to the bottom of in a short time.
Besides, if that Descender really was as powerful as they said, recklessly digging into them would only mean certain death.
He'd better set those doubts aside for now.
First he would see whether this time, he could actually meet Aether.
Liyue, outside Chihu Rock.
A young girl in a witch's hat and a tight blue bodysuit was fiddling with an astrolabe in her hands.
Brow furrowed, she moved forward three steps at a time, stopping every few paces.
Her gaze was locked unblinking on the constellations shown on the astrolabe. She didn't look at the road, ignored the curious stares of passersby, and walked straight toward the destination indicated on the disk.
"Ugh…"
Her face was twisted like a bitter gourd as she used her slender fingers to rub her stomach.
The smells drifting out from the side-street food stalls made her swallow hard.
Her Mora… was all gone.
Her stomach was still growling.
And of all places, her destination had to be a food street.
All those delicious smells floating through the air were downright torturous.
Unfortunately, her wallet was empty—she simply couldn't afford anything.
"It's all that damned old hag's fault~"
One hand pressed to her belly, the girl dismissed the astrolabe with the other.
Her eyes swept back and forth along the street ahead.
"The target should be somewhere around here, right?"
"If I still can't find it, I'll be stuck eating boiled mushrooms again today."
Originally, her master had sent her to Mondstadt to fetch something.
She'd been almost at her destination when a message came telling her to change course and head to Liyue instead…
The carefully calculated travel funds she'd brought were instantly not enough.
She'd already been hungry for three days.
What was that nonsense about "as long as you dare to come, your astrology will achieve an unprecedented breakthrough, and you'll become the greatest, greatest, greatest astrologer of all"?
Surpass the old hag?
Did she look like the kind of person who couldn't resist that kind of temptation?
Honestly… that old hag's eye for people was annoyingly accurate.
Because she really, really wanted that.
To be frank, when she first got the message, she didn't believe it at all.
But after trying water scrying once, she believed.
It was the first time she'd ever had the water scrying plate backlash and explode on her the moment she started divining.
Even the old hag couldn't do that.
Even when she'd had the nerve to divine about a god, at worst she'd just had to endure a little wind and rain.
Under normal circumstances, she absolutely wouldn't dare come.
But that burning desire to surpass the old hag gave her no way out.
So she changed course without hesitation and cheerfully followed her astrolabe's guidance, going around in a huge circle before finally reaching Liyue.
She could have arrived two days ago.
But the water scrying plate just had to drag her around in circles… fine, circles it was.
Being hungry for two more days was a small price to pay.
If it was to become the greatest, greatest, greatest astrologer, she was willing to go all in.
As for her original errand, she'd long since flung it to the back of her mind.
Fetch something?
The old hag could fetch it herself.
She was about to become an astrologer ten times greater than before.
"Wanmin Restaurant… Wanmin Restaurant…"
"Here we are."
The pitiful girl stopped in front of Wanmin Restaurant's door, then turned her head.
Across the street, a small two-story building entered her sight.
"So it's here?"
She tilted her head, her brows gradually knitting tighter.
This was… way too ordinary, wasn't it?
Even if a master hid in plain sight, they didn't have to hide this much.
Still feeling a little uncertain, the girl formed the water scrying disk again and aimed it at the small building in front of her.
The moment she looked up—
Pop!
The water scrying disk exploded instantly.
The water element she'd used to form it splattered all over her face.
"Alright, so it really is here."
She raised a hand and wiped her face, then drew out all the water that had seeped into her collar.
Clenching her fists, she straightened her clothes and tried to compose her expression.
Head held high, she strode forward.
"Hmm… should I maybe be a bit more low-key?"
Before she could decide what kind of attitude to use, she had already arrived.
Standing at the open doorway, she poked her head in for a look—
And immediately met four pairs of eyes, each a different color.
A terrifying pressure surged through her chest.
In an instant, cold sweat trickled down from her temples.
Her legs felt a little weak.
"A stranger, huh…"
Fanan narrowed her eyes, looking over the frozen girl standing at the door.
"Young lady, what brings you here to pay a visit?"
"I… um…"
The girl shuffled forward a couple of steps, forcing herself to stand straight.
"My name is Astrologist Mona Megistus. I'm an astrologer."
"I'm very sorry for intruding on you like this."
"This should be the residence of that great astrologer, right? I have a divination request."
"That great astrologer said I had to come here and undergo a trial, so I could become an even greater astrologer."
"So… please, I'm begging you, help me!!"
"I really don't mean any harm, I swear!!!"
"Please, you have to believe me!"
"…"
Look at how scared this kid is.
(End of Chapter)
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