Goth Grand Hotel
When Severin returned with Paimon, the Traveler broke down the moment he saw her, emotions flooding out uncontrollably.
After Paimon explained everything that had happened, he finally calmed down.
"Prince of Snezhnaya," Aether said hoarsely, eyes still red from crying, "no matter what your intentions are, Paimon is my most important companion. We'll never be separated. I hope you won't do something like that again."
"I act in my own way," Severin replied calmly, accepting the steaming tea handed over by the Mirror Maiden.
"And I speak with my own reasons."
"Traveler," he continued, "I heard from Albedo that you possess a remarkable purification ability. The reason I invited you here is precisely to ask you to help lift a curse."
Aether asked bluntly, "What do I get in return, Your Highness?"
"What do you want?" Severin replied without hesitation. "You can say it directly."
Unconditional goodwill often led to exploitation. Knowing how to ask for fair compensation was a sensible way to survive—Severin didn't dislike their straightforwardness at all.
"I haven't found any clues about my sister in Mondstadt," Aether said. "Lord Barbatos suggested I go to Liyue and ask Rex Lapis. I heard the Rite of Descension will begin in a few days. But the journey is long, and there could be danger along the way. I'd like the Fatui to escort Paimon and me to Liyue."
"A trivial matter," Severin answered immediately. "I agree. Paimon—what about you?"
"My wish?" Paimon brightened. "Same as the Traveler's, of course! But… I also really want to eat at Good Hunter. I heard their Sticky Honey Roast is super delicious. We were going to eat there today, but then the holy light came down from the sky, and we rushed to the library…"
"Very well," Severin said. "I'll have people escort you to Liyue—and cover all your expenses in Mondstadt. Eat and drink as you like. No need to worry about Mora."
"Yay! Long live the Prince!"
Paimon's happiness shot through the roof.
"Paimon," Aether warned gently.
She froze, then immediately bowed apologetically. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness! But the Traveler and I took commissions from the Adventurers' Guild. We've earned enough Mora to get by!"
Aether nodded. "She's right. We still have Mora."
He reached into his pocket—
Empty.
"…Uh-oh. Paimon. I think we lost it on the way."
"Then we can't eat the Sticky Honey Roast today," Paimon sighed. "But that's okay! I heard it's really expensive anyway—we can eat something else."
Her stomach answered her optimism with a loud gurgle.
Severin spoke lightly, "Then let me treat you today. You can treat me next time. How does that sound, Traveler?"
"…That'll have to do."
Afterward, Severin briefly explained what had happened in the library.
"So that mysterious island floating in the sky…" Aether murmured. "That's Celestia. The place where gods reside…"
He was deeply shaken—but also aware that this was far beyond what he could deal with right now. He soon began purifying the curse afflicting Severin.
In the short time they had spent together, Aether had developed a good impression of the Prince of Snezhnaya.
Being friends with him didn't seem like a bad thing.
"What a terrifying curse!"
When the markings on Severin's arm were revealed, both Aether and Paimon recoiled—mirroring the reactions Barbara and Amber had shown earlier.
Paimon even covered her eyes.
Anyone else afflicted by such a curse should have been bedridden and half-dead. And yet Severin stood there calm and vigorous, as though the curse didn't exist at all.
"This is going to hurt," Aether warned, steadying his breath.
As he activated his purification power, every Fatui member and envoy in the hotel hall dropped to one knee.
The Fatui envoy stationed in Mondstadt, Anastasia, choked back sobs.
So this was the truth—
The omnipotent Prince of Snezhnaya had been bearing the most agonizing torment imaginable all this time. Compared to that, their own hardships were laughable.
The Mirror Maiden, who attended to Severin daily, knew his condition better than anyone. Her eyes reddened as she silently prayed for the Traveler to ease even a fraction of his pain.
"This curse is incredibly powerful," Aether said after a few minutes, drenched in sweat.
"With my current strength… I can only purify a small part of it."
The process was forcibly halted.
Paimon hid behind the Traveler, trembling. "W–Why are you all looking at us like that? Like you want to eat us alive…"
Having confirmed that the Traveler's purification actually worked, everyone present looked at him with blazing intensity—some practically ready to bind him and drag him back to Snezhnaya to heal Severin every day.
Severin waved a hand casually, and the room immediately calmed.
"Traveler," the Mirror Maiden said earnestly, "you must grow stronger. If you can cure His Highness, Snezhnaya will grant any request you make. Her Majesty can fulfill any wish."
"Really?" Aether's eyes lit up. "Then… can the Tsaritsa help me find my sister?"
The Mirror Maiden hesitated. "That… would require consulting Her Majesty."
"No need," Severin said, adjusting his sleeve as he rose and gazed out the window.
"Come with me. I have a lead on your sister."
Aether's breath caught. "You've seen her?"
"On the outskirts of Mondstadt," Severin replied evenly. "I encountered several Abyss Mages. The aura they carried was similar to yours—so it's likely they've met your sister."
A convenient fabrication.
Whether the Traveler believed it or not was his own choice.
"Please," Aether said urgently. "Take me to her."
"Not yet," Severin replied. "First, dinner at Good Hunter. The Abyss Mages are highly alert during the day. We'll move after nightfall."
At the restaurant, Paimon finally got her long-awaited Mondstadt meal and praised it endlessly.
That night, the three set out as planned.
"I remember the Abyss Mages being nearby," Severin said as they approached Starsnatch Cliff.
"Let's split up."
Aether took Paimon westward until they vanished from sight.
Only then did Severin walk slowly to the highest point of the cliff.
Mondstadt at night was breathtaking—countless lights glowing warmly below.
But he hadn't come to admire the view.
"Rage is like a feral beast. Desire, an abyss," he said quietly.
"The starlight aura on you is unique—shared only between you and your brother."
A young woman in a knee-length dress stepped out from the forest.
Golden hair. Calm, resolute eyes.
Two Inteyvat flowers—the national flower of Khaenri'ah—adorned her hair.
Behind her stood more than a dozen powerful Abyss Lectors, all high-ranking members of the Abyss Order.
"Using my own kin to lure me out…" she scoffed.
"Prince of Snezhnaya—long time no see."
Lumine stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Severin as they gazed down at Mondstadt below.
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