The blond-haired girl was named Lumine.
The emergency food floating beside her was called Paimon.
With Paimon acting as her guide, Lumine had arrived in Mondstadt, searching for clues about her lost sibling.
Along the way, the two of them survived on wild delicacies and whatever they could forage, and at long last, the silhouette of Mondstadt City appeared on the horizon.
Paimon bounced excitedly in midair, pointing ahead.
"Lumine, look! That's Mondstadt! If we keep going, we'll be there in half a day!"
Before Lumine could even nod, the light around them suddenly dimmed.
"Huh? Lumine… is it night already?" Paimon asked, puzzled, as she looked up.
The moment she did—
She froze.
A massive dragon swept across the sky above them.
Its scales shimmered in blue and cyan, crystalline growths glowing faintly along its body—majestic, beautiful… and utterly terrifying.
"W–W–WAAAH!! A DRAGON?!"
Paimon screamed and dove behind Lumine.
Lumine herself stared upward, mouth wide open, completely stunned.
Once the dragon disappeared into the distance, Paimon urgently tugged at Lumine.
"Lumine, let's hurry! We should get to Mondstadt before it gets dark—this place feels dangerous!"
Lumine nodded and quickened her pace.
But after only a few minutes—
A rich, mouthwatering aroma drifted through the air.
Both of them stopped.
Not far away, they spotted a small campsite. A tall, slender man was cooking there.
Paimon's eyes lit up instantly.
"Smells sooo good~! Lumine, I'm hungry! Let's go take a look!"
Lumine frowned.
"That's rude. You just want to freeload food."
The very next second—
Grrr~
Her stomach betrayed her.
Her face flushed red.
She coughed lightly.
"W–We'll just… take a look."
"Hehe~"
"Out here in the wilderness, there's barely any ingredients. Good thing Xiangling gave me some before I left, or I'd be stuck roasting Sunsettias again…"
Cael muttered to himself as he stirred the pan.
He had traveled all the way from Liyue to Mondstadt just to find Lumine and Paimon—but after searching all day with no luck, he decided to wait along the main road instead.
He sprinkled in some seasoning from his system inventory and continued stir-frying.
The fragrance of Yangzhou Fried Rice spread instantly.
Paimon completely lost her composure.
She flew straight up to him, ignoring Lumine entirely.
"Uh… big brother, that smells amazing! You probably can't finish all of that by yourself, right?"
Cael paused, surprised by the sudden floating creature.
When he recognized who it was, he relaxed.
He smiled.
"If you call me 'big brother,' I might make extra."
Paimon hesitated.
Suddenly—
Bonk!
A fist landed on her head.
"Paimon! That's incredibly rude!" Lumine scolded, though her eyes were glued to the pan.
Paimon clutched her head, teary-eyed.
"Lumine, how could you hit me… It's his fault for cooking something that smells this good…"
Cael chuckled.
"You two are travelers, right? Since we've met, it must be fate. Sit down and eat—if you don't mind."
Lumine waved her hands nervously.
"N–No, no, that would be too much trouble."
Her eyes never left the fried rice.
Cael continued calmly.
"In Liyue, we say: 'Since you're already here.' Are you really sure, miss?"
"I–I'm sure," Lumine insisted, fighting temptation.
Cael sighed theatrically.
"What a shame. Then how about this… cute white-haired young lady?"
He held out a bowl of fried rice toward Paimon.
Paimon froze.
"C–Cute white-haired… lady? Me?"
"Yes. Care to join?"
She didn't hesitate for even a second.
She grabbed the bowl and started devouring it in front of Lumine's shocked gaze.
"This is AMAZING! After suffering with Lumine for so long, I finally get a proper meal!"
She cried while eating.
Cael looked at Lumine with concern.
"…Are you sure you're not abusing her?"
Lumine felt utterly humiliated.
She shot Paimon a glare.
"Don't sleep too deeply tonight."
Her stomach growled again.
Regret hit instantly.
Just then, another bowl of fried rice was offered to her.
"Really… you don't want any?"
Seeing Cael's gentle smile, Lumine gave in.
"…Thank you for the trouble."
After the meal, both were completely satisfied.
Only then did Lumine remember introductions.
She stood up politely.
"I'm sorry we didn't introduce ourselves earlier. My name is Lumine. I'm a traveler. This is Paimon—my emergency food."
"I'M NOT EMERGENCY FOOD! At least call me a mascot!" Paimon protested.
Cael laughed.
"You two get along really well."
"I'm Cael. As you can see, I'm from Liyue—a playwright, a chef, and a capable assistant at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!"
He said it with absolute confidence.
"Wow! I don't understand, but I'm impressed!" Paimon said in awe.
Lumine nodded as well.
"I came to Mondstadt mainly to travel," Cael continued, lowering his voice, "but I'm very weak. I've been extra careful this whole journey."
He glanced subtly at Lumine.
Then added casually:
"If someone could protect me, I'd be willing to pay 60 Primogems."
Whoosh!
Lumine slid in front of him in a perfect stance.
"I think I'm extremely qualified for this job!"
She didn't know what Primogems were—but her soul wanted them.
Cael smiled.
"Then I'll be in your care, Miss Lumine."
Somewhere in the Abyss
A hunched Abyss Mage knelt respectfully before a blond-haired young man.
"Your Highness, your sibling has awakened."
The youth nodded calmly.
"I know."
He murmured softly:
"Lumine… once this is over, we'll reunite. Time is always on our side."
The Abyss Mage hesitated, then spoke again.
"There is one more matter that must be reported."
"Speak."
"Your close friend—Agarest—has returned."
"What?!"
The youth shot to his feet, shock and excitement eclipsing even the news of his sister.
"…However, his memories are gone, and his power has yet to recover…"
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