Thanks for _______ ________ and Nefasturis for becoming as Supporters!
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One month later.
After a period of careful recuperation, Clorinde's injuries had finally healed completely.
The vacation plan to Poisson was at last officially on the schedule!
At this moment, inside the reception hall of the Court of Fontaine Waterway Hub, the crowd was dense and the atmosphere lively.
Navia stood among the crowd, looking around as if searching for someone.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. A bright smile bloomed across her face as she waved her arms vigorously and called out loudly, "Yo-ho, partners! I'm over here! We're heading to Poisson today—are you all ready?"
Hearing her voice, Shao Yun walked over at an unhurried pace and replied, "I've been ready for this day for a long time. Even Paimon didn't sleep in today."
At that moment, Clorinde—now fully recovered—arrived as well.
Having just recovered from serious injuries, she looked refreshed and full of energy.
After coming before everyone, she nodded politely and said, "Navia, Lumine, Paimon, and Mr. Shao Yun, good morning. Sorry to keep you waiting."
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Paimon asked, "Oh right, how are we getting to Poisson this time? Same as last time?"
Navia answered with a smile, "That's right. As always, the Aquabus rail can't be used to get to Poisson. We'll be taking the Spina di Rosula's private speedboat again!"
"Though we'll need to wait just a little while longer for it to arrive, so let's be patient."
After hearing Navia's explanation, Paimon nodded obediently. "Oh, I see… alright then, let's wait here together for a bit."
With that, she sat down with the others nearby and quietly waited for the speedboat to arrive.
...
While waiting, Paimon caught sight of Charlotte sitting on a bench not far away.
At that moment, Charlotte was sighing and muttering to herself, "Ugh… there's still no trace of Dutch Van Der Linde at all?"
"Where could he possibly be hiding? Don't tell me he ran off to Mondstadt like the protagonist ofThe Gunslinger Butcher from Fontainefrom that Inazuman light novel?"
Over the past month, Charlotte had dragged Lumine and Paimon all over Fontaine, searching high and low—but they hadn't even seen Dutch's shadow.
Squinting at the figure in the distance, Paimon muttered, "Huh? Isn't that Charlotte?"
Right after that, Paimon led the others over. Once she confirmed it was Charlotte, she exclaimed in surprise, "Charlotte! What are you doing here? Looking for news again?"
Charlotte quickly composed herself, put on an optimistic smile, and greeted them warmly. "Wow! Lumine, Paimon, Shao Yun, Navia, and Clorinde! Such a big lineup—don't tell me there's some major scoop?"
At the thought that she might dig up an explosive exclusive from this group, Charlotte's previously sluggish spirits instantly revived, and she became radiant and energetic.
Seeing her like this, Paimon sighed helplessly and complained weakly, "Charlotte, why are you always obsessing over big news like this…"
However, Charlotte was completely immersed in her fantasy of landing an exclusive and didn't hear a word Paimon said.
She swiftly pulled out a small notebook and pen, preparing to take notes as she spoke at length about all the reasons she believed Shao Yun's group must be hiding a huge story.
"Come on, think about it! You three, plus the president of the Spina di Rosula, Navia, and the strongest Duelist Champion, Clorinde! All five of you acting together—what kind of high-level, ultra-important mission would require such a luxurious lineup?"
Midway through her rant, Charlotte suddenly realized she might be getting carried away. She reined in her excitement a little, but still asked nervously, "Ah—wait. Um… did I just accidentally ask about some confidential information?"
Hearing this, Shao Yun smiled and gently shook his head. "Don't worry. It's not anything confidential."
"We're not gathering for some dangerous mission this time—just heading to Poisson to relax and enjoy a vacation."
As soon as Charlotte heard his answer, the anticipation on her face collapsed, and the spark of excitement that had just been lit was instantly doused with cold water.
"Oh… so it's just a vacation to Poisson. Looks like I got a little too excited…"
Still, she quickly adjusted her mindset. Clearing her throat, she forced a smile and sincerely wished them well. "Well then, since it's a vacation, I hope you all have a pleasant and unforgettable time in Poisson!"
Even if she didn't get a big scoop, proper blessings were still a must—Charlotte Gagnépti style!
Seeing this, Shao Yun politely extended an invitation. "If you'd like to come along, I don't think Navia would mind."
Hearing that Shao Yun was actually inviting her on the trip, Charlotte's heart stirred, and a flash of excitement crossed her eyes.
However, the thought vanished almost instantly as she remembered she still had work to do and needed to stay on duty searching for leads.
She shook her head helplessly and declined politely. "I'm really sorry—I still have to work. Looks like I'll have to miss out."
Shao Yun didn't show much reaction to her refusal. He simply nodded calmly. "Alright then. In that case, I hope you manage to find a big scoop soon."
...
Before long, the sound of engines roaring grew closer—vrrrrr—as a speedboat belonging to the Spina di Rosula entered the docking area of the waterway hub.
Once the boat pulled in and docked securely, Shao Yun and the others boarded one after another.
With the engine revving up again, the speedboat sped toward Poisson's harbor.
During the not-too-long journey, Shao Yun and the others stood on the deck, enjoying the cool sea breeze and chatting casually to pass the time.
Amid their cheerful conversation, Navia suddenly remembered something Chevreuse had asked her to pass on to Shao Yun, and she brought it up.
"Oh right, Mr. Shao Yun—Miss Chevreuse asked me to ask if you'd be interested in serving as a Special Patrol instructor for a while."
Hearing this, Shao Yun frowned slightly. After hesitating for a moment, he replied, "Ah… so it's about that. To be honest, I haven't decided yet."
Lumine asked curiously, "Chevreuse? Asking you to be an instructor? What does that mean?"
Shao Yun explained slowly, "Well, over the past month, I helped the security forces and the Spina di Rosula capture suspects. Remember when you told me before to make more friends?"
"So, to follow your advice, every time they offered me payment, I only accepted something symbolic—like a simple meal. You could say I was helping out in a very friendly way…"
At this point, Shao Yun realized he'd gone off topic and quickly corrected himself. "Ah—sorry, I'm rambling. Anyway, because of that, Chevreuse thinks I've got decent skills and wants me to help train the Special Patrol members. She also said the pay is completely negotiable."
Seeing that Shao Yun had actually followed her advice, Lumine felt quite pleased. She smiled, nodded, and praised him. "Mm, looks like you really took my words to heart and started expanding your normal social circle. Not bad. So how many friends did you make?"
But Shao Yun poured cold water on the mood, muttering, "I didn't really make many friends. I just feel exhausted after this month…"
Before he could finish, Lumine quickly cut him off and said teasingly, "Oh, come on, why do you always get stuck on the details? Stop complaining. You'll go meet Chevreuse, right?"
Counting on his fingers, Shao Yun said, "Clorinde wants to take me as her master, Chevreuse wants me as a Special Patrol instructor—are you sure this counts as making friends?"
Lumine elbowed him and said with a grin, "Even if you don't agree to be anyone's master or instructor, you still left a good impression, didn't you? That's a good thing!"
Shao Yun shrugged helplessly. "Hopefully… I'll just treat it as killing time."
Since Lumine wanted him to leave a good impression, Shao Yun really did work hard to raise his reputation—pushing Fontaine's reputation to +3. He'd done his best to meet Lumine's expectations…
...
At Poisson's simple harbor, the speedboat slowly docked.
As the gangplank was lowered, everyone disembarked.
Clorinde suddenly stopped, turned to face the group, and asked proactively, "Before we officially start our vacation, may I visit the cemetery first?"
Navia recalled how Clorinde had wanted to visit her father, Callas, when she was injured, and immediately agreed. "No problem."
And so, the group temporarily changed their plans, accompanying Clorinde to Poisson's cemetery before heading to the seaside.
Under the warm daylight, Poisson's cemetery appeared peaceful and serene.
Occasionally, one or two small birds landed briefly on a tombstone, adding a touch of life that didn't belong to such a somber place.
At that moment, a figure stood quietly before Callas' grave.
Looking closer, it was Neuvillette. With his back to the group, he stood motionless, gazing at the tombstone. Sunlight outlined his figure, creating a scene both lonely and mysterious.
Seeing his back, Paimon's eyes widened in surprise, and she blurted out, "Huh! Neuvillette!"
Hearing the call, Neuvillette slowly turned around. A faint smile appeared on his face as he greeted them.
"Oh? Greetings."
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