"A gentle person?" Nahida murmured to herself, then seemed to remember something. "By the way, Sister Griseo, are you also going to Inazuma?"
"Inazuma?" Griseo tilted her cute little head, looking puzzled.
"Huh? Sister Griseo, don't you know about Inazuma? Isn't that where the Divine Lord went?" This time, it was Nahida's turn to be confused. Did Yun Fan not even tell his sister where he was going?
"I don't know. Yun Fan just told me to wait here, and he would return soon."
"This..." Just as Nahida was struggling with this, Griseo suddenly reached out and took Nahida's small hand in hers. "Nahida, take me to Yun Fan."
——————
The next day...
Led by Baiwen, Lumine and Paimon arrived at the dock where the Crux Fleet was temporarily anchored. Seeing that the visitor was Ningguang's secretary, the first mate, Juza, laughed heartily and came forward to greet them.
"Hahaha, isn't this the Tianquan's secretary? What brings you to the Crux Fleet?" Though his words were friendly, Juza was inwardly wary. Was she here to inspect their cargo?
"Ah, First Mate Juza. No need to be nervous. I'm here on Lady Ningguang's orders to bring Miss Lumine to meet Captain Beidou." Baiwen wore a professional smile and gestured to Lumine beside her.
"Miss Lumine?" Only then did Juza notice the golden-haired girl behind Baiwen, accompanied by a floating white... creature.
After repeating the name 'Lumine' a few times, Juza finally remembered who she was—the Traveler who had helped the Qixing repel the ancient god.
"Miss Lumine, it's an honor to meet you!" Juza clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, his eyes filled with admiration. The Traveler's name was now known throughout Liyue, and meeting such a legendary figure was thrilling.
"Hello." Lumine mimicked Juza's gesture, returning the courtesy.
"Please, this way. Our Captain Beidou is inspecting cargo on the Alcor. I'll take you to her."
Juza led the way up the gangplank to the Alcor, and the group followed. Under the first mate's guidance, they soon reached the ship's bow.
"♪～♪～♪～♪～♪～…"
"Huh?" A melodious tune reached their ears, causing the group to pause as they were about to head to the deck to find Beidou.
"What a beautiful melody! Where is it coming from?"
Paimon rubbed her hands together, her curious eyes scanning the surrounding cargo, as if trying to find the hidden musical genius.
"Look up!" Juza pointed above them.
"Let me see..." Paimon followed his finger and saw a young samurai with light brown hair sitting atop the ship's crow's nest, holding a green leaf to his lips. The enchanting melody was coming from him.
"Hey, Kazuha!" Juza called out to the young man, who stopped playing and leaped down from the high platform.
"Ah!" Seeing Kazuha jump from such a height, Paimon couldn't help but gasp, and Lumine was already preparing to catch him.
However, just before he landed, a gentle whirlwind formed beneath his feet, countering his descent. Kazuha landed gracefully on the deck.
"Juza, we have guests." Kazuha greeted the first mate, then turned his clear gaze to Lumine and Paimon.
"Haha, let me introduce you. This is Kaedehara Kazuha, a samurai from Inazuma. If you have any questions, feel free to ask him." Juza patted Kazuha's shoulder and introduced him with a hearty laugh.
"I am Kaedehara Kazuha. Pleased to meet you." Kazuha gave a slight bow, a faint smile on his face. Combined with his striking looks, he was undoubtedly a heartthrob.
"Hello, I'm Lumine, and this is Paimon." Lumine politely introduced herself, her expression calm and unaffected by Kazuha's charm.
"Nice to meet you. I..." Just as Kazuha was about to continue, a hearty voice interrupted them.
"Hahaha, how can you make friends without me?" The voice came before the person. Turning toward the sound, they saw a spirited woman walking toward them with a laugh.
The woman wore a tight-fitting uniform, carried a brown gourd of wine, and had a heavy greatsword strapped to her back. A Vision in the shape of a jade pendant swayed at her waist. Most notably, her left eye was covered by a brown eyepatch, adding a touch of rugged charm to her graceful figure.
"Captain Beidou." Kazuha greeted her with a smile.
"Hahaha, let me introduce you. This is our captain, the 'Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean,' Captain Beidou!" Juza boomed in his loud voice, formally introducing Beidou.
"Captain Beidou, hello, I..."
"No need for introductions!" Beidou waved her hand, cutting Lumine off. "You're the famous Traveler, right? Ningguang told me about you. You're as impressive as they say! Hahaha!"
After another hearty laugh, Beidou continued, "So, what brings you two to the Alcor?"
"Captain Beidou, this is a letter from Lady Ningguang." Baiwen, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up and handed the letter to Beidou.
"Hmm, let me see... So you want to go to Inazuma." After reading the letter, Beidou casually tore it up and tossed it into the sea.
"I see Ningguang mentioned you want to participate in the Crux Clash. Hahaha! With a hero like you as our star attraction, the competition will surely draw more participants! I agree. Regardless of whether you win, I'll take you to Inazuma!"