Archon of Minus

Chapter 34:Otherwordly girls are weird

That bitch. That fucking bitch.

Those were the words that Lumine repeated in her mind for days on end. Ever since Kumagawa decided to open up to her, and open up he did.

Worst part of it is that Kumagawa still seems to care a lot about her. Even after all she's done to him, for some reason.

Kumagawa is surprised as well at the result of pouring out his life. It's been a few days since he talked with her about his life and she's still there.

Even after he told her the things he has done. Most people would run away or curse him after finding out what kind of monster he is.

Well, Medaka might have not done so. But he chalks it up to her being a crazy beast woman.

Not only that, she even got angry on his behalf. Even though it'd be natural to get angry at him.

She has also been practically stuck to him ever since. Speaking of which...

Kumagawa:[Lumine-chan, can you get off?]

Lumine:No.

Lumine had her arms around his shoulder and the rest of her body held on Kumagawa's back. He certainly didn't complain about the feeling of her breast on his back, but it did make moving around a bit difficult.

Kumagawa:[You know, I can't really make my morning coffee like this.]

Lumine:No problem. Paimon, make a coffee.

Paimon:Paimon thinks you should do kt yourself if you're so clingy...Anyway, that reminds Paimon! We've got a letter.

Kumagawa:[A letter?]

Lumine:What for?

Paimon:Who knows? Maybe we have some admirers out there after the whole Storm Terror fiasco.

Kumagawa:[They really should direct their admiration at a better target.]

At that, Lumine gave a chop to his head, although it dealt no damage at all. She's also been making sure to reduce him talking down about himself.

Kumagawa:[Ah, exactly when things were getting dull...]

Lumine:Jean?

Indeed, the letter was from Jean herself. As always, Kumagawa invited himself in her office without any announcement once they arrived at the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.

Jean:...Thank you for coming on such a short notice, Honorary Knights. I know you must be busy.

Kumagawa:[What's going on? Did Klee-chan blow some sort of monument up? Because if that's the case, I'm gonna side with her.]

Jean:It's not that...Well, to make a long story short, there is a particular matter at hand that the Knights requires your assistance with.

Lumine:Sounds like typical Master Jean to me.

Jean:I have been meaning to have a word with you if the occasion presented itself, but as you know, Mondstadt's safety must always be my first priority. I have recently received multiple reports from the Knights of someone within the Lawrence Clan having close dealings with the Fatui.

Paimon:The Fatui! Again? But who are the Lawrence Clan?

Jean:There was a dark period in Mondstadt's history when the aristocracy ruled over the city. The hard-won freedom that followed with the fall of Decarabian was lost once again, as slavery spread throughout the land. The first Dandelion Knight, Vennessa, spearheaded the revolution that overthrew the old aristocratic system and established the Knights of Favonius, leading Mondstadt to become the city that you see today. The aristocrats, that had oppressed the people of Mondstadt, were none other than the Lawrence Clan.

Paimon:Oh, Paimon gets it. So the clan's descendants are now scheming with the bad guys to carry out more dubious deeds?

Jean:...We suspect as much, though we have yet to obtain any solid evidence. The reason I summoned you here today is to ask you to help us further investigate this matter.

Lumine:But, why us? Sounds like a job for the Knights of Favonius to me.

Kumagawa:[Right. As much as I like fighting against elitism, you guys should start pulling your weight around.]

Jean massaged her temple sighed. It was hard to tell if she was frustrated with the situation, or was just exasperated by Kumagawa as usual.

Jean:Unfortunately, the Knights of Favonius and the aristocracy have been at odds with one another for as long as I can remember.

Kumagawa:[Well, I figured they wouldn't be the fans of an organization representing those that overthrew them.]

Jean:Indeed. We have already considered every possible way of resolving our differences, but it seems the descendants of the aristocracy remain antagonistic towards the Knights...No matter what stance we take when dealing with them, the outcome is always the same...Our efforts only result in adding more fuel to the flames. We could come knocking on their door on the grounds of a search warrant, but if the investigation were to come up empty, I'm afraid tensions and distrust would only increase. All of our past efforts would have been wasted...

Lumine:But as the Honorary Knights, we technically also belong to the Knights...

Jean:You are in fact the best candidate to represent the Knights of Favonius. But you need not emphasize your role as the Honorary Knight. You are travelers from a distant land, and you can approach the aristocrats in this way.

Kumagawa hummed, an amused grin on his face. Using such a type of white lie...Who would have thought Jean of all people would avocated for deception?

Jean:Once you come to friendly terms with the Lawrence Clan, you should be in a good position to learn more of their possible connections with the Fatui.

Paimon:Whoa, leave it to Master Jean to come up with such a thorough plan.

Jean:Aha, perhaps such plans have become second nature after all the diplomatic issues I've dealt with. The name of the Lawrence Clan member in question is Schubert. Lately, he can often be found strolling in the northern city walls.

Jean got up and turned towards the map of the city behind her. She pointed at a particular spot that this Schubert was often seen at.

Jean:It is said that he is difficult to get along with due to his temperamental disposition, but if we approach him calmly, then things should go off without a hitch.

Lumine: I hope things will go smoothly.

Jean: Thanks again for your help. If you run into any snags along the way, I'll do anything in my power to support you.

With that the three headed out, going for what was most likely an unpleasant encounter. Kumagawa stared at Lumine, the girl meeting his gaze.

Lumine:I'm not gonna leave.

Kumagawa:[...Eh?]

Lumine:Ever since you told me your story, you look at me like you expect me to walk out on you. Like you expect me to hate you. That doesn't change who you are to me. You're the one who helped me and my brother against that god. You're the one that always had my back. You're the one who, even though you ended up starndled here because you helped us, still choose to stand by my side all rhis time. It doesn't matter who you were. It doesn't matter what you were. It doesn't matter what you've done...I could never hate you.

Kumagawa:[Lumine-chan...]

Lumine meet his gaze directly, no deception or hesitation from her. Really, she...

Kumagawa:...You're such a strange girl.

Lumine:Huh!?