After a thrilling, high-speed drive across the vast wilderness of the Outer Ring,
the truck finally rolled into the small town of Calydon more than an hour later.
As soon as they stepped out, they saw Caesar, Burnice, Lucy, and Lighter already waiting for them.
For Keqing, the Traveler, and the others, this was their first time in the Outer Ring, so they didn't know the members of the Sons of Calydon.
Seeing that Hare's House and the video store cars hadn't arrived yet, Piper seized the moment to make introductions.
"They're all friends of Sam Li. This is the Traveler, and this ghost-looking Thiren is Arataki… uh, what was it again?"
"He's not a ghost, he's from the oni clan—Arataki Itto," someone corrected.
"Right, Arataki Itto. This one's Kazuha, this little raccoon is Sayu, and this flying Bangboo is Paimon—"
"It's not Bangboo, it's Paimon."
"Huh? Bangboo has a new language module now? It can even talk?"
The Sons of Calydon were stunned to see Paimon speaking.
But Paimon stamped her foot in irritation.
"I told you, I'm not Bangboo! I'm Paimon. I'll say it again—Paimon. And if you call me the wrong name again, I'm giving each of you a horrible nickname."
Caesar laughed. "Alright, alright—we'll call you Paimon from now on."
Lucy chuckled. "Small body, big temper."
"Hmph!" Paimon huffed, turning her head away and deciding she couldn't be bothered with them anymore.
...
Burnice looked around but didn't spot Nekomata.
"That little kitty didn't come with you?"
Piper explained, "Nekomata's with Sam Li and the others. They'll be here soon."
Burnice brightened immediately. "Great—finally!"
Ever since they'd parted last time, Burnice had missed Nekomata's fluffy ears, her swishing tail, and her adorable little face…
But then her gaze drifted over the group and landed on a small, drowsy-looking Sayu.
In an instant, she forgot all about Nekomata and hurried straight to Sayu.
"Wow, where did this little raccoon come from? She's so cute!"
Before anyone could react, Burnice scooped Sayu up into her arms.
The move instantly put Sayu on guard.
With a smooth twist, she slipped free, flipped in midair, and landed neatly on the ground.
And in her hands—seemingly from nowhere—a massive sword appeared.
"End of the Line—Sayu, reporting in!"
The nearby Sons of Calydon stared in shock.
They hadn't expected this tiny, adorable raccoon-like girl to be a fighter—and a skilled one at that. Her speed and precision in escaping Burnice's grip were nothing short of impressive.
Burnice, undeterred, reached out to pat her head. "Little raccoon, you're just too cute."
Sayu instantly raised her sword to block the hand. "I'm not a raccoon. I'm Sayu."
Paimon quickly explained, "Sayu hates having her head touched—especially when she's sleeping."
Sayu yawned. "If nothing's going on, I'm going back to sleep."
And with that, she dragged her sword back to the truck and climbed in for another nap.
"Just leave her," Paimon sighed. "Let her sleep."
...
"Oh, right—introductions," Piper said suddenly. "This is Caesar, our leader. This is Lucy, always trying to take her place. This is Burnice, and this is Lighter…"
At the mention of Lighter, Paimon and the Traveler immediately remembered how they'd once mistaken her for Neuvillette—and how they'd almost believed Neuvillette was in New Eridu. Now, seeing her in person, they finally knew who Lighter really was.
...
Suddenly, the sound of engines came from the distance.
Paimon turned toward it, and when she saw who it was, she called out excitedly,
"Traveler, Keqing—look! Hare's House and the video store cars! They're finally here!"
Two vehicles pulled into the town and stopped before them.
Sam Li, Nicole, Billy, Anby, and Nekomata stepped out one after another.
The moment Burnice spotted Nekomata, she ran straight to her—pinching her fluffy ears, rubbing her little face.
"Kitty, I told you to come play in the Outer Ring more often—why are you only coming now?"
"…"
"Kitty, I found a can of cat food in the Hollow. Want to try it?"
"…"
"Burnice, I told you that can was expired and to throw it away. Why'd you bring it back?"
Watching Burnice fawn over Nekomata, even Lucy couldn't stand it.
"Even if you're feeding her, at least use healthy cat food."
Burnice blinked. "Expired? Let me see… What? Two years out of date? Ugh—if they'd just made it two years later, it wouldn't be expired now."
Lucy: "…"
Nekomata: "…"
Faced with Burnice's relentless energy, Nekomata simply didn't have the strength to resist.
...
Just then, Belle and Wise—the two Proxies—got out of one of the cars and approached.
"Didn't you say you were throwing a banquet? How's the prep going?"
At the mention of the banquet, Caesar perked up.
"It's all ready—we've got a place and a ton of food and supplies. Just waiting on you."
She led the group across town to the other side of Calydon.
There, at the entrance of a shop that had been abandoned for years, she stopped.
"Let me introduce you," Caesar said seriously. "This is Kasa, the former owner of Cheesetopia."
Paimon's eyes lit up as she looked at the restaurant. "Cheesetopia? Looks nice! Way better than that other place in Calydon."
At least it wasn't as run-down.
After a short discussion, Kasa smiled.
"Caesar, Proxies, and all of you—I'm entrusting Cheesetopia's keys to your care."
Burnice frowned. "Keys? If I remember right, Cheesetopia doesn't even have a proper door…"
Before she could finish, Kasa ushered Belle, Keqing, Hu Tao, the Traveler, Paimon, and the others inside.
"This way, let me walk you through the plan for rebuilding the place."
"Rebuilding the restaurant? Weren't we here for a banquet?" Paimon asked in confusion.
But the moment she stepped inside, she understood.
Just as Burnice had said—Cheesetopia didn't even have a front door, and the interior was completely bare.
No, that wasn't quite right…
There was something—piles of trash heaped in the corners.
This wasn't a restaurant. It was a long-abandoned shell.
"That's how it is in the Outer Ring," Billy said seriously. "If you want something, you've got to build it yourself. Let's work together and bring Cheesetopia back to life."