"This... I don't know, tell me about it quickly!" (Ugh... I was so worried about her, but I didn't expect Ying to bring so many people around after only a few days of not seeing her... No! This time I must declare my ownership... and consume her completely!)
Hu Tao told Lumine everything Ying had told her...
"You were lost for a few months... I see, thank you."
"Mhm~ Let's start eating. After we finish, I'll take you to see Ying's room at the hotel. Even though we can't go in, remembering the room number is still good (^～^)"
"Okay," Lumine nodded in response.
(Lost for a few months... but from the moment I met her, she was alone... Is she lying to Hu Tao? No, it's also possible she got lost before I met her... Speaking of which, she did say that guy looked a bit like Paimon...)
After thinking for a while, Lumine looked at Paimon seriously and said, "Paimon."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Do you have any of your own kind?"
"Uh... probably... not..."
"Probably?"
"Yeah, you're staring at me so seriously that I'm starting to doubt myself..."
"Is that so... Alright, alright..." (Sigh, this is making me lose my appetite... So annoying!)
Lumine spent the rest of the dinner in a gloomy mood and followed Hu Tao to the hotel where Ying was staying...
"You have such good luck, your room is right next to Ying's," Hu Tao said enviously, looking at the key in Lumine's hand.
"Yeah, it's pretty good. But it wouldn't have mattered even if it wasn't next to hers. Once we've met up, we'll be staying in the same place anyway." (Hmph~ She should know my position in Ying's heart now, right? (￣へ￣))
"I'm so jealous~" (Hehe~ Ying's sister's possessiveness is so strong, but it's understandable. After all, Ying is so cute. If I were her, I'd be even more ruthless~ ๑乛v乛๑)
"Ah~ we're here~" Hu Tao trotted to Ying's room door and was about to knock when she suddenly noticed the light inside was off. She said with a puzzled look,
"Huh? She's not back yet?"
"Could she have already gone to sleep?" Lumine asked, walking over.
"She probably wouldn't have, she usually sleeps quite late."
"Could she be in danger?!" (Wait... she knows about this too?!)
"Danger? It's probably not that serious... I can't think of any monster that could defeat her."
"One monster might not be enough, but a group might be... I'll go look for her!"
"But you don't know where she is," Hu Tao said, quickly grabbing Lumine as she tried to leave.
"This..."
"Worrying now is useless. We can only trust Ying. Didn't you agree on a meeting time? You can just go look for her there tomorrow~"
"But..."
A long time later...
After Hu Tao's various comforts, Lumine finally calmed down and decided to look for Ying at the Rite of Descension tomorrow.
"Phew... comforting you is so hard. It's almost midnight, and this Hall Master should be heading back," Hu Tao said, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead.
"Mhm, thank you. If it's too late, you can sleep with us for the night." (After being comforted for so long, I'd feel bad if I didn't treat her well in return...)
"Hmph~ Never mind, never mind. It's not that late, let's do sleeping together next time (^～^)" (Hehe~ I'll come again when Ying gets back)
"Is that so... Alright then."
"Mhm, bye~" Hu Tao waved and left the hotel. Lumine and Paimon then went into their own room.
"Ah~ Finally, I can get a good night's sleep. Goodnight Lumine, remember to wake me up in the morning~" As soon as she said that, Paimon was fast asleep.
"Okay, okay, I got it." Lumine covered Paimon with the blanket and sat on the bed, checking the memories that had suddenly appeared in her mind a few days ago. She hadn't had time to check them because she was rushing.
"Teleportation... is it? It's that ability Ying used before... And this map... I remember when I last looked, these areas weren't lit up. And these stones that suddenly appeared, only I can see them..."
"If I'm not mistaken, these should be related to Ying... Did she give me this ability? We haven't even been together... Ying really has a lot of secrets..."
"Sigh... Anyway, since Ying gave it to me, it won't hurt me. Even if I have questions, I can ask her directly when I see her tomorrow... And I also need to let her know that flirting around is a bad behavior that makes me jealous (ᗜ˰ᗜ)"
The night passed in silence...
Time came to the next morning...
"Wake up, Paimon. If you don't get up, we'll be late," Lumine said, shaking Paimon.
"Mmm... I'm getting up... now... Ah~" Paimon struggled to open her heavy eyelids and flew up, looking sleepy.
"Let's go, let's go, Ying might already be waiting for us there (^～^)"
"Even though I'm also very happy to see Ying... you're almost jumping for joy... I feel like you two are hiding some secrets from me..."
"Ah... cough cough~ How could that be? Paimon, you must be overthinking things... Haha... haha..."
"Really? But I still feel like something is a little off..." Paimon looked at Lumine suspiciously.
"It's definitely true~"
(I almost forgot that I always go to see Ying when Paimon is asleep... I can tell Paimon directly... Hmm... Never mind, never mind. I'll tell her after I've completely devoured Ying~ (^～^))
The two soon arrived at the scene of the Rite of Descension...
"We're here! Ying~ Where are you?" Lumine called out, hoping to hear a response. However, it was clear that Ying couldn't hear her calls at the moment.
"Huh? Hasn't she arrived yet?"
"Could she have really run into trouble?!" Lumine panicked when she got no response and quickly ran all over the surrounding area.
"Don't worry, Lumine. It's not time for the Geo Archon to descend yet. Let's wait a bit longer."
"Mhm..." Lumine replied dejectedly, silently praying for Ying in her heart.
(Please don't let anything happen... Ying...)
The perspective shifts back to Ying...
"Hurry up and fly yourself, Paimon! You're too heavy for me to carry!" Ying vigorously shook Paimon, who was still waking up from her sleep, shaking away all her drowsiness.
"Hah~ That's too much, how am I heavy (*￣з￣)"
"Everywhere!"
"That's because Hostess's strength is too weak~"
"It's all the same! Anyway, hurry up and fly yourself, we're going to be late!"
"This should be blamed on Hostess for oversleeping..."
"Uh... well... it can't be entirely my fault. You slept earlier than me and woke up later than me." (No, it should be blamed on that scoundrel Aether. If I hadn't tried to make him fall asleep, I wouldn't have stayed up so late (￣へ￣))