"Mm-hmm! Traveler, let's just forget it. He's so pitiful…"
Paimon's heart had already softened. No matter what, she truly felt sorry for the man.
His wife was killed by his own scheme, and in the end, even his son wasn't truly his. There probably wasn't a punishment in the world more brutal than that.
"Well, since you say so, I'll go with your decision."
If Paimon wanted to spare him, then so be it.
Even though he didn't know how he ended up on this continent, his very presence would inevitably alter the predetermined course of history.
Tang San, Tang Hao… to him, they were no different from background characters.
"Mm-hmm!"
Paimon nodded cheerfully. The Traveler often respected her decisions, and that made her happy.
"Let's go find a place to rest."
Aether sheathed his Dull Blade and turned to Paimon.
"Okay! Speaking of rest, my tummy's rumbling!"
Paimon rubbed her belly. "Traveler, you promised me earlier! Today we're having Sticky Honey Carrot Fried Meat! Don't think I forgot!"
"I'll try…"
Greedy little Paimon… had she still not noticed anything strange?
Sticky Honey Carrot Fried Meat… who knew if this world even had that dish…
"Hey! Don't 'try' me! You promised!"
They left Tang Hao behind, their voices fading as their figures disappeared into the warm glow of sunset.
"Cough, cough~"
After the two were gone, Tang Hao struggled to sit up, coughing as he looked warily toward the direction Aether had vanished.
"Is this world about to fall into chaos…" he muttered.
He had faintly sensed it back when the mysterious young man clashed with Zhao Wuji—this boy's power didn't seem to come from the soul master system at all.
And their brief exchange had confirmed his suspicion.
Without cultivating soul power, he carried a divine presence with every casual move.
And that strange little creature kept calling him "Traveler"…
A bold idea began to form in Tang Hao's mind.
Maybe that foolish son of his hadn't provoked a human expert beyond even his reach—
—but a god from beyond the heavens!
…
"Traveler, why haven't we found an inn yet? I'm gonna starve to death…"
On a small village path, Paimon drooped with fatigue, wobbling as she floated beside Aether.
"Paimon, didn't you say you were the best guide?"
"Of course! Paimon is the best guide! Hmph!"
Paimon proudly puffed up.
Guiding was her specialty!
"Really~" Aether turned and said slyly,
"Then let me test you. Where are we right now?"
"This is…"
Paimon circled around Aether, glancing all around. The scenery looked a bit like Mondstadt, but then again… not really.
"Ehh? This is…"
Her little head was clearly struggling to make sense of it.
"See? Even you don't know where we are."
Aether gave a "just as I thought" expression.
"Uh—no! That's not it!" Paimon stomped her feet in the air, flustered.
"Your question is the problem, Traveler!"
"The world's huge! How could I know everything?
And I followed you into that void space—I can't possibly know where we are now!"
"What if I told you… we're not in Teyvat anymore?"
"Wha—?! We're not in Teyvat anymore?!"
Paimon was stunned by Aether's casual words.
"Yeah. Seems like we've landed on an entirely new continent."
"A new continent… Then… will they still have Sticky Honey Carrot Fried Meat here?"
Paimon's little face scrunched up in worry.
"…"
Aether knew it—unless Paimon's stomach was full, her brain would always be full of food.
"No idea if they do… but before we starve, at least I've got you as my emergency rations."
"Wahhh! Paimon is not emergency food!"
Paimon protested loudly, then paused, suddenly growing uneasy.
"Traveler, if this isn't Teyvat anymore… what'll we do? You're not gonna leave me behind, are you?"
Her Imagination spiraled. She saw herself wandering a strange land alone, starving, chased by stray cats, hunted by wild dogs, and eventually captured by bad people…
"Uuu…"
Paimon was getting scared. What if the Traveler really left her?
"Do you remember that question you once asked me?"
"Huh?"
"You asked… if one day I found my sister, would I still travel with you."
"Mm-hmm! And you promised you'd keep traveling with me! You can't go back on that!"
Paimon nodded hard. Aside from food, this was the most important promise in her heart.
"Don't worry. I always keep my promises to you."
Aether ruffled her head. "As long as I've got a meal, little Paimon's got a dish to wash~"
"Don't pat my head! And why do I only get to wash the dishes?! I want to eat too!"
The setting sun cast a golden light over the trees as a gentle breeze carried their banter into the distance.
…
"Hey! There's a village up ahead—let's go check it out."
As dusk approached, Paimon flew up and spotted a small village with smoke curling from its chimneys.
"Yeah. We should stop there and get some information."
Earlier, Aether had tried to cut through space and reach the anchor point he'd set back in Teyvat, hoping to lock onto its spatial coordinates.
But there was no response. Something on this continent seemed to be blocking his signal.
With his current strength, breaking through by force wasn't an option.
If they blindly entered the chaotic void, he couldn't guarantee either his or Paimon's safety—
—and there was no guarantee that the other side would even be Teyvat.
So, to get back, he'd have to find a way to accelerate the unraveling of the seal on his powers.
During the fight with Tang Hao, he had sensed a faint leak of the power sealed by Celestia.
Maybe stepping out of Teyvat and into another realm had caused some kind of fluctuation, loosening the constraints of the divine seal.
If he could fully reclaim his power, then even without pinpointing Teyvat's exact coordinates, he could safely travel through the void with Paimon.
And with the bond between blood relatives…
…as long as his sister was still in Teyvat, he would find his way back.
Having set his goal, his next step was clear: accelerate the unsealing of his power.
"Traveler, there's a little girl up ahead who looks like she's in trouble. Should we ask her what's going on?"
Aether's thoughts were interrupted by Paimon's all-too-familiar line. He looked ahead and saw a small girl sitting alone on a ridge, gazing into the distance, as if waiting for someone.
Wait!
Something was off—way off.
This all felt… way too familiar.
Paimon's line… that scene…
Don't tell him—was the identity of Teyvat's "Number One Manual Laborer" about to be exposed?
No way, right? They weren't even in Teyvat anymore…
_
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