Kapitel 56: Chapter 56

Istaru put his hands on his hips, raised his head, and pointed at the dumbfounded Paimon: "Hmph, a fake is a fake. She can't even answer a single question.

I was so happy. Among the four consuls, Paimon was their eldest sister. According to Fanes' plan, she assisted the fourth descendant, who can master the seven elements, in gathering the "Light World Power" to inherit the throne.

To prevent the Fourth Adventer from suspecting anything, Fanes took back Paimon's power and sealed her memory. Now it seems that even her IQ has dropped by several levels.

Paimon burst into tears and rushed over, grabbing Lumine by the collar. "Waaaah, I really am Paimon! Don't abandon me!"

Lumine smiled and touched Paimon's head with disdain. "Don't worry, how could I ever doubt you, Paimon."

Paimon shrank in fear when she heard Lumine's voice. "Lumine, I'm scared by your serious look."

Istaru stood aside and said, "Lumine, catch this faker quickly and ask her why she's pretending to be me. She must have a conspiracy against you."

Paimon gritted her teeth, stomping her feet in the void. "You, you, you are the fake! Waaah, Lumine..." She looked at Lumine, who had a smile on her face, and cried.

Lumine nodded. "Yes, we must interrogate her properly."

She hugged Istaru, grabbing her like a rag doll and grinning mischievously. "Tell me, who is this fake Paimon of yours? Why are you trying to trick me? Are you planning something against me?"

Istaru and Paimon looked utterly confused.

Istaru finally came back to her senses and hurriedly shook her head. "I am the real Paimon!"

Lumine snorted proudly. "Hmph, Paimon is so silly. She reacts slowly and forgets the food she ate the day before. How could she answer so quickly and accurately? So the smart one must be the fake Paimon."

Paimon burst into tears and then smiled. "Lumine really recognized me." But then she remembered something, and her expression turned angry. "No! I'm not stupid, and my reaction isn't slow!"

Lumine looked straight at the fake Paimon. "Tell me, is there someone behind this charade?"

It was strange. The fake Paimon was so small, and her body was exactly the same as Paimon's, even her aura was similar. If Lumine hadn't spent so much time with Paimon, she wouldn't have recognized the difference.

Istaru immediately looked at Takumi dejectedly. "I'm sorry, Takumi, I couldn't deceive her."

With a fierce look in his eyes, Takumi locked his gaze on Lumine. Sister Lan also stared at him.

Zhongli remained calm. He only wondered why the god of Celestia wanted to play a trick on the Fourth Adventer, but he did not feel any malice. If Celestia wanted to target the Fourth Adventer, there was no need for such tricks. They could have just dropped a nail from the sky.

Yae Miko looked at Takumi with a charming expression, snickering. The hunter of gods finally got his just desserts—seeing him in this situation made her happy.

Lumine held Istaru to keep her from escaping, looking sharply at the young man who seemed to be a big shot. "This is our first meeting. Why are you trying to trick me?"

She didn't feel any malice, and it was evident that the other party didn't intend to harm her.

Takumi sighed in regret, then spread his hands. "The secret's exposed. What a pity that you didn't fall for it."

He then smiled warmly. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Takumi. I am the fifth descendant. I'm very happy to meet someone of my kind. I wanted to leave an impression on you."

Lumine looked confused. "The fifth descendant? Someone of the same kind?"

Istaru chimed in, "A descendant is someone who comes from outside this world and possesses the power to change it. You are the fourth descendant, and Takumi is the fifth."

Lumine suddenly realized. "You mean you're from outside this world too?"

Paimon pointed at Istaru angrily. "Darn it! You tricked Lumine and me! Who is this guy? Why does he look just like me?"

Takumi smiled. "Her name is Istaru, a flying spirit and guide for me, the fifth descendant. Every descendant has a flying spirit —it's standard."

Paimon looked confused. In just a short time, she had been bewildered more times than ever before.

Istaru nodded approvingly. "Yes, we spirit are specifically meant to serve as guides for adventurers from other worlds. We help them travel through the Seven Nations before they leave Teyvat."

Lumine looked at Paimon. "Is that true?"

Paimon scratched her head. "Why don't I know anything about this?"

Istaru put her hands on her hips. "You must have fallen into the sea and lost your memory. Think about it—do you remember anything before you met the fourth descendant?"

Paimon scratched her head, clearly troubled. "I can't remember anything..."

Istaru shrugged. "See?"

Lumine looked at Paimon with an expression that conveyed, "You really are unreliable."

However, as someone who had traveled the world and had vast experience despite temporary amnesia, Lumine understood what this meant almost immediately.

"So, when outsiders come to this world, they need to leave their mark in every country before they can get a departure certificate. Otherwise, they won't be able to leave legally." She compared it to not being able to leave a country without getting a customs clearance certificate.

Lumine remembered the mysterious god who had stopped her and her brother five hundred years ago. She asked, "I have a question. How do you know more than me when you're the fifth descendant, and I'm the fourth?"

Takumi spread his hands. "Although I arrived later, I've already cleared the Seven Nations."

"You know how in a game, you might buy it but then leave it aside and not play it, while someone else buys it and finishes it?"

Lumine nodded in realization. "I see. So, have you seen anyone like me in the Seven Nations? My brother."

Since Takumi had traveled through all seven nations, he must have some information about her brother.

Takumi clicked his tongue. "Your brother—he's in trouble."

Lumine raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Takumi continued, "If you consider this world like a country, your brother has joined an organization that commits crimes against humanity—killing people, setting fires. Basically, he's a fugitive."

Lumine's cheeks twitched as she processed this information. She understood now what had happened when she saw her brother before.

While she had been asleep, Aether had traveled to the seven nations and obtained the departure certificate, but then he got into trouble for joining an anti-human organization. He hurriedly escaped, and eventually, they were stopped when leaving.

As for seeing her brother in Mondstadt earlier, it must have been due to the Abyss Order intercepting a prison transport. Aether, with his resentful nature, wanted to retaliate, hence his talk of overturning the laws of Celestia.

Based on what she knew of her brother, Aether was definitely capable of taking drastic measures.

"That idiot Aether," Lumine muttered to herself. "Next time we meet, I'm going to beat him into a pulp."