Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
===BREAK===
After a round of explanations, Xinyan returned to her usual warm and forthright self.
Paimon, ever the friendly one, said to Dvorak, "Uncle Dvorak, thanks for taking such good care of Xinyan."
Hearing Paimon say that he had been looking after Xinyan, Dvorak hurriedly waved his hands and replied humbly, "Oh no, not at all. You're flattering me far too much. In truth, I'm the one who's received so much help from Miss Xinyan."
"If it weren't for her, this Iridescence Tour Concert would have ended a long time ago."
At those words, Paimon's curiosity was instantly piqued. She blinked and asked, "Huh? What happened? What went wrong?"
Just then, Xinyan lightly cleared her throat and took over the conversation.
"Lumine and Paimon might not know about this, so I'll explain everything from start to finish."
After that, Xinyan slowly recounted to them the past events she had once mentioned to Shao Yun.
This included not only the string of misfortunes she encountered in Inazuma, but also the entire ordeal of the Iridescence Tour Concert members being shipwrecked at sea.
When she heard the words "shipwreck at sea," Paimon cried out in shock, "Huh!? A shipwreck!? Uncle Dvorak, I'm so sorry… my condolences."
Seeing Paimon's sympathetic reaction, Dvorak shook his head helplessly, a bitter smile appearing on his face as he sighed and explained, "Sigh, it's alright. Although there was a shipwreck, those of us responsible for organizing the concert were relatively lucky and didn't suffer major losses."
"It's just that Miss Xinyan had it rough. Because of that accident, she ended up wasting a long stretch of time in Inazuma."
Hearing Dvorak say this, Xinyan waved her hand boldly and said loudly, "Ah, it's no big deal! Sure, the things I ran into while staying in Inazuma were pretty thrilling and dangerous, but in the end, everything turned out fine and I came back safe!"
After saying this, she paused briefly, then went on to talk about all the efforts she made after returning to Liyue.
"Anyway, after I got back from Inazuma to Liyue, I had only one thing on my mind—finding Uncle Dvorak!"
"I went through a lot along the way, ran around to so many places, and in the end chased all the way to Fontaine before I finally found you!"
At this moment, Paimon tilted her head, seriously pondering the meaning behind the word "tour" in Iridescence Tour Concert.
Suddenly, as if something occurred to her, she looked at Dvorak and asked curiously, "Since it's called a tour, why didn't you hold a concert over in Sumeru, Uncle Dvorak? I think the Zubayr Theater would've been a great place!"
The moment Paimon mentioned Sumeru, and especially the Zubayr Theater, Dvorak's expression instantly dimmed.
He looked like a deflated balloon as he let out a heavy sigh, his face full of worry while he recalled what had happened back then.
"Sigh, don't even mention Sumeru. At the very beginning, we really did plan to hold the concert there."
"But who could've guessed that during that time, the Akademiya of Sumeru… If you happened to visit Sumeru about half a year ago, you'd probably understand what I mean."
"Back then, the Akademiya looked down on things like art from the bottom of their hearts. They didn't even spare us a proper glance as organizers."
Thinking of the suffocating, oppressive atmosphere of the Akademiya under Azar's rule, Paimon couldn't help but speak a bit awkwardly, "Th-that's true… the Akademiya back then really was… Uncle Dvorak, did you run into any danger?"
Hearing this, Dvorak sighed softly and continued recounting his miserable experiences in Sumeru.
"Danger, not really. But those Akademiya officials were completely unreasonable. They didn't even give me a chance to explain and directly expelled us from Sumeru City."
"All the flyers we'd painstakingly prepared for promotion, the Zubayr Theater we'd finally managed to rent, and all the other assorted expenses—we lost everything in one go!"
"That series of failures crushed our spirits. In the end, the whole team disbanded, and I went back home."
At this point, Dvorak paused briefly before continuing, "It wasn't until some time ago, when Xinyan traveled all the way from distant Liyue to find me."
"Through her, I realized that there truly exists someone in this world who is so full of passion for rock music."
As he said this, Dvorak looked at Xinyan with heartfelt gratitude.
"And in that moment, I suddenly understood that even if there were only one person left in the entire world who genuinely cared about the Iridescence Tour Concert…"
"Even if it were just to give the Iridescence Tour Concert a proper ending, I absolutely shouldn't give up so easily. No matter what, I had to give it one last all-out try!"
"That's why I went through great effort to secure a chance to perform at the Opera Épiclèse."
"Even if it was only after someone else's show, even if it wasn't an official time slot, and even if I didn't earn a single mora from ticket sales, it was all worth it for a perfect finale!"
"Beginning in Fontaine, ending in Fontaine… it feels like my story itself could be turned into a play."
After quietly listening to Dvorak finish recounting his experiences, Furina found herself unconsciously drawn to the words "perfect finale."
In a voice only she could hear, she repeated them softly, her tone carrying an indescribable depth.
"A perfect finale…"
Beside her, Paimon looked a little reluctant to let go and asked with hopeful eyes, "So… will there really be no more Iridescence Tour Concerts in the future?"
Hearing Paimon's question, Dvorak revealed a helpless expression and replied, "Sigh, that is indeed a possibility. Maybe this truly was the final one…"
At that, Paimon was filled with regret and murmured to herself, "Huh? How could it be like this… that's such a shame…"
Xinyan also felt it was a great pity, but when faced with reality, there was nothing anyone could do.
"After all, Paimon, you saw it too. With just me singing alone, hardly anyone really cared."
Dvorak gave a wry smile and continued, "Xinyan's right. You all saw it earlier—she was the only one performing here."
As he said this, he spread his hands helplessly and shook his head.
But soon, Dvorak seemed to recall something pleasant, and a relieved smile returned to his face as he said with emotion, "But no matter what, there are no regrets left in the end."
"To be able to stage the final act of the Iridescence Tour Concert in such a magnificent opera house, and even have the Hydro Archon personally bear witness…"
As he spoke, Dvorak looked gratefully toward Furina, who was lost in thought, and said sincerely, "Thank you, Hydro Archon. Your presence ensured that the Iridescence Tour Concert ended without regret, with a truly perfect conclusion."
Furina, immersed in her own thoughts, suddenly heard Dvorak addressing her and snapped back to reality.
"Ah? Oh! There's no need to be so polite. Your unwavering pursuit of your dream is something even I, as a god, deeply admire. Naturally, I must also show my highest respect for such perseverance."
After receiving Furina's praise, Dvorak felt much lighter at heart.
After all, being praised was always a good thing, and it served as a small comfort after more than a year of fruitless effort.
Overcome with gratitude, he said, "Thank you very much for your kind words, Hydro Archon. I still need to help clean up the stage. Please excuse me."
Before his words had even fully settled, Dvorak turned and quickly returned to the stage to assist the opera house staff with dismantling the set.
Watching Dvorak leave, Paimon asked Xinyan about her next plans.
"What about you, Xinyan? What's next? Are you going to take a vacation in Fontaine?"
Hearing this, Xinyan immediately began calculating her travel funds and other related matters in her head.
"A vacation in Fontaine? That probably won't work. My travel funds aren't enough for that… and besides, I've been away from Liyue for quite a while. My family…"
"If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be heading back to Liyue in a few days. I don't want my family worrying about me the whole time."
Hearing that Xinyan was short on funds and eager to return to Liyue, Paimon said a little dejectedly, "Oh… I see. That's such a shame. I was hoping to find a good chance to really catch up with you."
Seeing Paimon's slightly downcast expression, Xinyan quickly smiled to lighten the mood.
"Hey, don't look so gloomy, Paimon! Next time you come to Liyue, I'll treat you all to Wanmin Restaurant's Black-Back Perch Stew. We've got plenty of time ahead of us!"
The moment Paimon heard the words "Black-Back Perch Stew," her eyes instantly lit up.
Feeling down? One good meal, and she was back to full energy.
"Mm-hmm, sounds great! It's a promise then, Xinyan! Oh, and be careful on your way home, alright?"
===BREAK===
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