※𝕊𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕕 || ᏀꫀᥒⲊhเᥒ Ꮖꪑρᥲᥴt※

＊{12}＊

＊ 「Strange...」 ＊

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As the traveller along with his emergency rations were wandering around the beaches of Yaoguang Shoal, they'd come across a little fox with white-blond fur within the distance.

This fox efficiently managed to defeat a Cryo Abyss mage in a matter of seconds, as if it were nothing.
Once the little critter victoriously brings the battle to an end, Aether and Paimon only stare as they let their jaws drop in pure bewilderment.

"Woah! That fox just beat up an Abyss mage! Paimon thinks there's something off about it - how about we take a closer look?" Opined the Emergency Food as Aether agreed.

The two then began approaching the fox - who was busy looking through the chest that was guarded by the Abyss mage.

"Uhm... hey there little fox!" Paimon greets and the swiftly animal turned over to see the two strangers.

"The hell you want? If you came here to steal my treasure, I'll tear your organs out and wear them as my new jewellery." The fox calmly threatens the two strangers with his crimson eyes intensely piercing through their souls.

"AAh! How creepy! Quick, protect Paimon!" Shrieked the little pixie as she hid behind Aether.

"We're not here to steal anything from you... we were just curious about you defeating that Abyss mage." Aether explans as he warily eyed the fox.

The fox glances at him before he turned his attention back on the chest placing a paw on it. The chest instantly engulfed into blinding blue flames, soon disappearing with the fire - no traces left.

"Wha-- h-how did you do that!" Paimon exclaimed as she came out of hiding and pointed to where the chest once was. "Are an Adeptus or something similar?"

"As if I'm telling you! Boogerface bitch!" Takumi ridiculed Paimon, maliciously grinning when the Emergency Food is quickly irked.

"What!? Why you-- hey! Get back here!" Yelled Paimon as Takumi ran off and chased after him.
Aether sighed before he followed after them.

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"He just disappeared! The moment he behind those rocks and Paimon went to over to look, he was gone!"

Paimon had ended up chasing Takumi behind a bunch of bushes, but by the time she went to go catch him, he'd already vanished.

"That is really strange..." Aether quietly says to himself as he puts a hand on his chin.

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"Hey grandpa. I'm back." Takumi announced his presence when he enters the house through the kitchen window.

"Could you not have used the front door? Also I am not that older than you." Zhongli says as the other began raiding the kitchen cupboards and some snacks and pastries he'd found.

"Of course of course, whatever makes feel more youthful than you actually are." Takumi laughed.
Zhongli inaudibly grumbled before he left to his office. He closes the door behind him and locks it; unhurriedly walking over to his desk.

He picked up on of the many documents littered on the table and tentatively scans through it. His gaze soon wanders to the small rectangular package wrapped in kraft paper.

The Archon puts the document down and began tearing off the paper wrapped around the package.
When he removed all the paper, he'd seen a small wooden box and opened it.

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"I'm surprised you've made it to Ritou, haha!" Amamiya smiled as he pets his bird's head - who was resting on his shoulder.

"Come on, let's see if we can hitch a ride." Said Amamiya as he took off his cloak and mask and put it away in the bag he was carrying.

He walks over to the docking area and spots saw a large ship. Amamiya widely smiled as he began walking over to a tall woman.

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"Here is the package." Said a woman with short brown head as she handed over a bag over to the traveller.

Aether and Paimon say their goodbyes to the woman before they went off.

"They've been so many delivery requests for Zhongli and/or from him himself!" Paimon states.

"You can say that again. This consent back and forth is making me exhausted.." Aether tiredly sighed.
They were now in Qingce Village, given a package to go and deliver.

"Then again, we were entrusted to deliver these items." Paimon notes.

"So it must be something very valuable and important for us to be the only ones to be carrying these stuff around." Aether states as his Emergency Food nods.

"Paimon also can't help but wonder what makes this all so important.."

"Me too."

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