As Beidou had said, the group encountered no significant dangers in the following days. Even minor troublemakers were beneath the notice of the crew of the Alcor.
However, despite the smooth sailing, Ying had been feeling rather unwell. After several days at sea, she discovered with dismay that she was prone to seasickness. Consequently, she spent most of these days confined to her cabin, unable to appreciate the beauty of the sea.
Hearing Paimon's cheerful laughter outside, Ying spoke with a hint of melancholy.
"Ugh… Even though we look so alike, why doesn't Paimon get seasick? It's not fair… (≧﹏≦)"
Aether, standing nearby, chuckled and gently tapped her head.
"There are many unfair things in the world. For instance, you can eat a whole bowl of rice in one sitting, while she can't even finish a quarter of it."
"Huh… Then Paimon must have bribed the heavens to be able to eat so much…"
Just as they were conversing, the ship suddenly lurched.
"Mmm… Aether, quickly go and see what's happening!"
Ying suppressed the urge to vomit and urgently looked at Aether.
"But you…"
Aether hesitated, seeing how unwell Ying clearly was.
"I'll be fine… Just don't forget to tell me what's happening outside later…"
Seeing that Ying, despite her discomfort, still had an appetite for gossip, Aether shook her head helplessly and reached out to ruffle her hair.
"Alright, I'll be back soon. You stay here and be good, don't wander off, okay?"
When Aether reached the deck, she was stunned by the dark scenery. The sky was shrouded in thick clouds, and strong winds accompanied by rain lashed against the ship. Lightning struck every so often.
However, the crew of the Crux fleet were clearly accustomed to such conditions. The harsh environment did not daunt them; instead, they remained focused on their tasks.
"Whoa?!"
Paimon and Paimon followed closely behind Aether, both shocked by the sight before them.
Paimon: "Why is there suddenly such strong wind and heavy rain?!"
Paimon: "Yeah, yeah! What's going on? Is it the end of the world?!"
"Yo~ What's up? Did we disturb you?"
Beidou, drawn by the commotion, approached with a smile.
Aether surveyed the surroundings again and asked somewhat hesitantly,
"May I ask what this is…"
"Hahaha, don't worry. Inazuma is currently in a state of seclusion. These winds, rain, and thunder are likely the Electro Archon's way of warning off outsiders."
"A warning…"
I wonder if she might be the deity I'm looking for…
During my slumber, what exactly did my brother and that god go through…
Aether shook her head, pushing these thoughts aside for the moment. She then took Paimon and Paimon's hands and joined Beidou and the others in battling the harsh elements.
While everyone else was busy, Ying, alone in her cabin, dejectedly pulled a trash can in front of her, fearing she might accidentally vomit inside the ship.
"Ugh… How much longer until we reach land… (≧﹏≦)"
"Oh? It's only been a few days, and you've become like this?"
Hearing the familiar voice from beside her, Ying looked up in surprise and saw Lumine sitting on the bed, looking at her.
"Lumine, Lumine, Lumine… Lumine, mmmph…"
Ying exclaimed involuntarily, startling Lumine, who quickly covered her mouth.
"Shh! Keep your voice down. I just said something I shouldn't have before I left last time. If my sister hears about it, it'll be hard to explain later."
"Mmmph, mmmph…"
Ying nodded vigorously. Once Lumine removed her hand, she grumbled in a low voice.
"That was your own fault for saying something you shouldn't have. You were being so mysterious, and then you ruined it all with a single sentence (￣へ￣)."
Lumine wiped the cold sweat from her brow and said somewhat speechlessly,
"Uh… Normally, shouldn't you be asking me why I'm here by now…"
Hearing Lumine's words, Ying snapped back to reality and clapped her hands.
"Oh… Right…"
"Ahem, so… why are you here?"
Lumine: ………
This child is hopeless…
Lumine shook her head, suppressing the urge to retort, and then spoke.
"Actually, it's nothing much. In a little while, I need to focus on something very important. You know, as a brother, I'm in a terrible position. I can't even see my own sister whenever I want, so I can only look at my sister's little bride to alleviate my loneliness~"
Emm…
"I've told you many times, I'm not a child!… Mmmph…"
Hearing Ying's voice rising, Lumine quickly covered her mouth again.
"Ahem, alright, no more joking. The truth is, I just didn't get enough of seeing my sister last time and wanted to see her again. Since I've seen who I needed to see, I'll be going now~ (^_^)"
"Huh?"
Seeing that Lumine was actually about to leave, Ying quickly grabbed his clothes.
"Wait!"
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Lumine turned to Ying, asking with a hint of confusion.
"Well, since you're here, could you do me a favor and get us some passports? I heard proof of entry for Inazuma is super expensive…"
Ahem~ Because Ying had traversed here before the Inazuma storyline began, she was unaware of future events. The information she received was from Bai, who had also traversed previously.
"Passports? It's not impossible, but I can't just conjure them up for you. You'll have to wait a while."
"No problem, no problem~ Oh, and by the way, could you teleport me directly to Inazuma later? I want to get the Electro element early and tease Lumine a bit (^～^)"
"You're learning bad habits from my sister too…"
Lumine shook her head helplessly and agreed to her request.
"Hehe~ Then I'll go in and wait for you. I'm feeling a bit seasick…"
Ying happily agreed and jumped off the bed, stepping into the teleportation portal Lumine had just created.
"Wait! I haven't set the destination for the teleport…"
Lumine tried to stop her, but before she could finish, Ying had already stepped through the portal.
"Set… yet…?"
………………
Uh oh… What do I do if I accidentally lose my sister's little bride? Waiting online, urgent…
"It's over. Even though this teleportation portal's range is within Inazuma's territory, it'll still take a while to find her. What should I do? If Lumine finds out, she'll definitely go ballistic…"
Lumine scratched her head in distress. Suddenly, she spotted a pen and paper on the table nearby, and an idea struck her. She quickly grabbed them and began writing frantically.
A while later…………