Rola rushed through the journey, desperate not to miss the protagonist group's storyline at Angel's Share.
When she finally reached a spot just a few dozen meters from the tavern, she stopped to catch her breath before slowly approaching the entrance.
Though the distance seemed short in the game, Mondstadt on the real Teyvat continent was many times larger than its in-game representation.
The tavern door was open, and Rola walked straight inside.
"Brother?!"
After two long days, Rola was thrilled to see her brother again.
"Hmm? Rola, wait here a moment. Charles, close up for the day. The tavern won't be serving customers today. You can head home too."
"Understood, Master Diluc."
Charles quickly tidied up, left the tavern, and closed the door behind him.
"Brother..."
Rola was about to speak when her brother cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Our friends upstairs can come down now."
"Huh?"
-
Player's perspective.
Finally, netizens were thrilled to see Rola again.
In Little Fruit's live stream, she remained the streamer with the slowest progress through the storyline.
Aside from her meticulous attention to detail, which made her a prime candidate for becoming a "lore scholar," the most crucial reason was that she had been stuck on the quest to steal Jean's lyre for a very long time!
Now that she had finally reached this point and reunited with Rola, a wave of intense affection washed over her.
After all, Rola was the first friend she had made in Teyvat, aside from Paimon.
Of course, Noelle also counted.
"Everyone, looking at them side by side, these siblings really do resemble each other," Little Fruit observed. "Diluc wears red and black winter attire, while our adorable Rola's dressed in summer clothes!"
-
Rola looked up and saw two figures—one in green, one in yellow—and a white flying pet descending the stairs from the second floor.
"Lumine, Paimon, and... Venti!"
Finally, I've caught up with you!
"Rola, hey! Long time no see!"
Paimon zipped over to Rola, her small face beaming with excitement.
"Oh my, look who it is again! My dear friend."
Rola feigned ignorance, fully aware she was now in the main storyline of the game and had to tread carefully.
"Hello, everyone! It's so nice to see you. But why are you here? I thought my brother's tavern didn't allow minors."
Lumine spoke up emphatically, "I'm already an adult!"
"Ahem—"
Diluc's cough interrupted their reunion. "Everyone, now is not the time for this."
This was Lumine and Paimon's first meeting with Diluc. Venti stepped forward to introduce them.
After Venti's introduction, Diluc said, "I know. Honorary Knight of the Knights of Favonius."
Paimon whispered in Lumine's ear, though her voice carried clearly to everyone present:
"Lumine, we're already this famous?"
Diluc cut to the chase: "Two Knights of Favonius just questioned me about the theft. What's your take on this?"
"M-me? I don't know... I just got here..."
Diluc glanced at his naive younger sister. "Not you."
Little Paimon still harbored resentment over the earlier incident. "We didn't steal it! We were just about to get our hands on it when..."
Paimon, you're practically confessing!
Lumine sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation.
As Paimon explained what had happened, Venti began strumming his lyre, weaving a story for the group through his music.
Rola listened intently.
A tale from Lord Barbatos himself was invaluable, especially one as significant as this.
"Why are you telling me such an important story?" Diluc asked, looking at Venti. He now believed the tale's authenticity.
Rola's mouth hung slightly open, clearly astonished.
"Venti, is all this really true? And how do you know so much?"
"Ehe~"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Diluc instructed everyone to wait at the tavern while he left to find someone.
"Where are you going, Brother?" Rola called after him.
"To find someone."
As Rola and the others settled into their seats at the tavern, a rumbling sound suddenly filled the air.
All eyes turned to Paimon, whose face flushed crimson.
"Um, I didn't eat enough last night, and I haven't had anything today..."
Before Paimon could finish speaking, a wrapped Sweet Madame was thrust in front of her face.
"Wow, it's a Sweet Madame!"
The Sweet Madame was, of course, provided by Rola, who had a habit of stockpiling food. Her Vision's spatial ability made it even more convenient. The only downside was that the food couldn't stay warm indefinitely; it would cool down over time.
The savory aroma of roasted chicken filled the small tavern, and Lumine joined in eating. Like Paimon, she was also a bit hungry.
Venti, on the other hand, sat calmly to the side, a bottle of Dandelion Wine having materialized in his hand from who knows where. He took occasional sips.
Paimon ate with gusto, her spirits visibly lifting.
"Rola, I hereby declare you the number one good person on my list!"
"Ha ha ha, what an honor!" Rola laughed cheerfully.
"Oh, right, Lumine, I promised you a gift. I couldn't find you earlier, but now's the perfect time."
Lumine's eyes lit up instantly. She adored Amber's Wind Glider, which had proven invaluable. She wondered what Rola's gift would be!
It was a shame she hadn't been in Mondstadt long enough to prepare a proper return gift, but Lumine vowed to remember this act of kindness!
The viewers in the live stream erupted in excitement.
[Finally! Rola's gift has arrived!]
[I know what it is, but spoilers ruin the fun.]
[Honestly, I think people are focusing too much on the gift itself. What truly matters is the thought behind it. Even if the gift isn't spectacular, let's not criticize it. That would be unfair to Rola, our little angel.]
[Ha, the comment above is spot on! Even if Rola gifted me a single Sunsettia, I'd treasure it forever.]
Little Fruit quickly clicked through the story progression. A beautifully crafted gift box appeared in the center of her screen, with an explanation below:
[A gift from your dear friend, Rola.]
Clicking it open, a golden stream of light descended from the sky—the unmistakable animation for pulling a gold character in a gacha game.
"Holy shit! Did I accidentally click to pull a character? Or did Rola just gift herself to us?!"
The chat flooded with question marks, interspersed with countless "Holy shit!"
As the animation ended, a golden one-handed sword appeared at the center of the screen.
[5-Star One-Handed Sword - Unrelenting Will!]
This sword closely resembled the one used by the Twins in the game's opening animation, though with distinct differences. Yet anyone could tell it was a weapon specifically tailored for the Traveler.
"A 5-star one-handed sword?! Holy crap, this sword is so cool!"
"Rola really loves us! She's gifting us a signature weapon. Look at that color and design—it's absolutely perfect for the Traveler!"
"And family, did you see? It's a Crit DMG sword!"
Little Fruit was ecstatic. She was still equipping the Traveler with the Harbinger of Dawn.
This was also a non-refinable weapon, meaning it was unique. Would this be the only chance to obtain it?
Would it be impossible to pull later on?
After a long bout of excitement, prompted by chat reminders, Little Fruit finally checked the weapon's effects.