Chapter 200.
Nahida emerged from the venue, clutching the voucher for twenty million Mora provided by Arlecchino. She met Futsu Mitama and Maha Rukkhadevata at the entrance.
"An... accident happened?"
Futsu Mitama looked at the massive prize in Nahida's hands. He immediately knew things hadn't gone according to plan. Rukkhadevata also looked surprised; considering Nahida had explicitly planned to forfeit, walking out as the grand champion was certainly unexpected.
"Yes."
Nahida sighed, her tone laced with helplessness. She quickly recounted the entire sequence of events.
Both Futsu Mitama and Rukkhadevata were stunned. Nahida had tried to surrender, but Mona's sheer stubbornness had forced the divination through, allowing the astrologer to actually glimpse Irminsul and uncover the Dendro Archon's identity.
What followed was even more absurd: the Guess What I Guess tournament was secretly organized by Arlecchino.
What was The Knave's angle?
Had Mona's previous success given her a taste for foresight, prompting her to throw Mora at the continent's best diviners?
True astrologers of Mona's caliber were incredibly rare in Teyvat. Yet, to be fair, Arlecchino's net was cast masterfully. She hadn't just caught an excellent diviner; she had accidentally reeled in Lesser Lord Kusanali.
Nahida went on to explain the contract she had struck with the Harbinger. Maha Rukkhadevata nodded in approval. If the Fatui genuinely threw their logistical weight behind the Akademiya, the strain of rebuilding the desert would be vastly alleviated.
Still, Arlecchino couldn't micromanage the desert troops from afar. They would need to dispatch a highly capable scholar to oversee the Fatui's labor and use the contract to keep them in line. Given Arlecchino's authority as the Fourth Harbinger, it was unlikely any grunt would dare cause trouble.
"Alright, let's head back and regroup first."
Futsu Mitama suggested.
He felt a pang of guilt regarding Mona's condition. He had tried to steer her away from the match, but her pride as an astrologer had won out. If he had known she would push herself to the brink of a magical backlash, he would have approached it differently.
The trio made their way back to the Martial Arts Tournament venue. By the time they arrived, Lumine and Raiden Makoto's duel had already concluded, and the Traveler was currently standing in the center of the arena, accepting challenges from all comers.
Raiden Ei had also returned. The Cooking Contest had wrapped up, and judging by her stoic, perfectly calm expression, it seemed a culinary disaster had been narrowly avoided.
Or so they thought.
"Oh, you're back." Raiden Makoto greeted them with a warm chuckle. "Alright, where are we off to next? I must admit, this event was quite satisfying. It earned some Mora for our consumption, and I got to stretch my legs."
"How did you lose?"
Futsu Mitama asked, genuinely surprised. Right before he left, Makoto had been completely suppressing Lumine.
"Intentionally." Venti chimed in with a shrug. He gave Makoto an amused look. "Once she had her fill of fighting, she dramatically gasped for air, declared she was out of stamina, and conceded the match."
"I chose to surrender." Makoto clarified with a smile. "Though the audience bought the excuse entirely. I saw quite a few Vision holders visibly sigh in relief when I stepped down."
Venti found the whole spectacle hilarious.
He could have happily downed several cups of wine just watching the bewildered reactions of the crowd.
"Lumine probably noticed something was off, but she won't connect it to me."
Makoto added casually.
Throughout the entire bout, Makoto hadn't used a single Electro Archon technique. She relied entirely on fundamental Inazuman martial arts—it was just that her execution was terrifyingly superior to a mortal's.
Lumine would definitely wonder why such a powerhouse had never been mentioned in the Chat Group. After all, if there was a wandering swordmaster of this caliber, Yae Miko wouldn't constantly be complaining about a lack of talent.
Futsu Mitama nodded. Makoto was careful; Lumine wouldn't link a wandering female ronin to the first Electro Archon.
He turned his attention to the silent figure beside her.
"Ei, how did your event go?"
"When I was reducing the sauce over high heat at the end, I didn't control my output well—" Ei paused, her expression tinged with deep regret. "...and the pot exploded."
She sighed, sounding incredibly defensive.
"The cookware was simply substandard. It wasn't legendary kitchenware, so it couldn't withstand me going all out. I merely increased the temperature with a bit of elemental energy, and it shattered. Naturally, I was eliminated."
Futsu Mitama secretly breathed a massive sigh of relief. Thank the Archons the pot exploded. If the judges had actually eaten the finished dish, there would undoubtedly have been casualties.
"Well, I have twenty million Mora right here!" Nahida smiled, holding up the prize voucher. "We can all have a wonderful meal now."
"Let's get out of here first."
Futsu Mitama advised, eyeing the massive crowd. Lumine was still fighting in the arena. If she decided to wander over and chat with the 'Inazuman ronin,' seeing their entire group together would give the game away instantly.
Venti, Rukkhadevata, Makoto, and Ei readily agreed.
Venti immediately suggested finding a good tavern, while Makoto admitted a small drink sounded lovely after her warm-up. Venti, completely missing the hint, told her they could wait until evening for the real drinking to begin, leaving the group in an awkward silence.
His alcohol tolerance was truly a bottomless pit.
They made their way to Liyue Harbor's renowned gourmet food street—the exact same bustling avenue where Futsu Mitama and Black Aila had first shared Keqing's recommended beef offal.
As they settled in and began ordering an endless stream of dishes, the Chat Group suddenly sprang to life.
[Paimon] Oh my Archon, that was really close just now. Lumine almost lost! Fortunately, her stamina held out.
[Kuki Shinobu] Lumine almost lost? What happened?
[Sangonomiya Kokomi] Did you clash with the Fatui?
[Keqing] Are you in danger? I'll deploy a Millelith squad immediately.
[Paimon] No, no danger! We were just fighting in the Martial Arts Tournament arena. There was an Inazuman female ronin there. She was unbelievably strong, weaving elemental strikes together effortlessly. It was amazing!
[Azhdaha] Was it recorded?
Seeing Azhdaha's message, Futsu Mitama's group froze.
They had completely forgotten about the Camera recordings. Makoto's disguise was perfect for mortals, but for an ancient dragon like Azhdaha, her true identity would be painfully obvious on film. If a video circulated, their cover was blown.
[Paimon] Ah! I forgot to record it! I was too busy chatting with Futsu Mitama!
[Lumine] It wasn't that I almost lost; I just won an endurance battle. She ran out of stamina first. By the way, Futsu Mitama, did you come to the venue too? Do you know that female ronin?
[Yae Miko] Oh? A female ronin? What's her name? I might know her.
[Lumine] She said her name was Mikoshi.
[Yae Miko] Mikoshi? With a surname like that, it's not surprising a powerful martial artist has appeared.
[Futsu Mitama] I know her. She's a wandering ronin. I was only at the venue because I saw you and Paimon and thought it was strange. Weren't you supposed to be causing trouble for the Fatui outside the harbor?
[Nahida] I'm here in the city too! I was just playing in Liyue Harbor today. By the way... Paimon Lumine, you need to go find Mona.
[Paimon] Huh? What about Mona?
[Lumine] Nahida, you're in Liyue too? Do you want to meet up for food? We're about to head to the gourmet food street. And what do you mean about Mona? Isn't she dominating the Guess What I Guess event?
[Lumine] Lyney and Lynette told me The Knave organized it to recruit master diviners for Fontaine's prophecy.
[Cyno] Lesser Lord Kusanali, you are in Liyue? Do you require an escort?
[Nahida] No need, Cyno, I'll be returning to Sumeru shortly. I only came for a quick visit, I didn't even inform Morax~
[Azhdaha] Hahahaha! Morax definitely already knows you're here; he's just pretending not to notice.
[Nahida] Oh? Should I go to notify him, then?
[Azhdaha] No need. If he hasn't sought you out, it means the old stone is busy. He always gets wrapped up in something tedious right around the Rite of Descension. Honestly, being the Geo Archon looks exhausting.
[Nahida] I agree. Only after taking the mantle of Dendro Archon did I realize how difficult it truly is.
[Lumine] Um... I still need to ask, what happened to Mona?
[Nahida] Well, it's a bit embarrassing... but I entered the event just for fun, and I ended up winning first place. I was fully prepared to surrender to Mona, but she insisted on divining me to win fairly.
[Paimon] Huh?! Mona scryed on YOU? Even after you offered to surrender? Yeah, that sounds exactly like her.
[Lumine] Let me guess. She's unconscious again? I understand. We'll handle it.
[Yae Miko] Did the little astrologer uncover your true identity, Lesser Lord?
[Nahida] Yes, she did.
[Yae Miko] Impressive. Hydromancy is safe enough, provided you don't aim it at a god. She chose her opponent poorly.
[Paimon] And I was so confident telling Futsu Mitama that Mona had it in the bag! Wait a minute— Futsu Mitama, you ran off so fast earlier! Did you know this was going to happen?
[Futsu Mitama] Yes. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen.
[Lumine]I'll go check on her right now. I just hope she doesn't end up locked out of her astrology for half a month like last time.
[Nahida] She should be fine. I harbored no hostility towards her. At most, her consciousness brushed against Irminsul and she saw 'me.' Her physical body isn't in any real danger.
[Paimon] That still sounds terrifying! Let's go grab Mona right now.
[Nahida] Let me know the moment she wakes up.
[Lumine] Understood.
—
Standing amidst the lantern-lit stalls of the food street, Futsu Mitama closed the chat interface.
"We should probably head somewhere else soon."
He advised the group.
Venti nodded in agreement. Lumine and Paimon were going to fetch the unconscious Mona and then head straight to this exact food street. Staying here was asking to be caught.
"Futsu Mitama, try this. The ice cream here is incredible."
Raiden Ei stepped up beside him, her eyes sparkling softly as she handed him a beautifully scooped dessert.
"Thank you."
He took the ice cream, taking a slow bite. He looked around at the bustling stalls, the vibrant lanterns, and the endless array of delicacies they hadn't even begun to sample.
He glanced back at Ei, who was currently staring at a nearby pastry stand with unabashed longing.
"Actually, let's stroll around a bit more."
Futsu Mitama decided, a soft smile breaking across his face.
"It will take Lumine and Paimon quite a while to deal with Mona. We have time for a few more stalls."
Ei's eyes instantly lit up, nodding enthusiastically. There were simply too many novel desserts in Liyue she hadn't conquered yet.
Watching her sister's glowing expression, Raiden Makoto offered a knowing, gentle smile. She knew perfectly well why Mitama had just decided to risk staying a little longer.