บท 55: Another partner
On one particular afternoon in Isaac's cafe.
[I AM WELT OF HUMANITY!]
[AND I STAND AGAINST YOU, DARK QUEEN, AS A WARRIOR GUARDIAN OF THE HUMAN RACE!]
[LAW AND REASON, NOT THE CHAOS OF THE VOID, SHALL PREVAIL TODAY!]
In the cafe, three people can be seen watching TV together. On their hands were popcorn and on their faces were 3D glasses.
"Who do you think would win, mister Isaac?" Klee, who was watching the show with great interest as she sunk her hands in the bucket of popcorn, asked.
"Isn't it obvious, little one?" Sitting right next to Klee, Yae Miko smiled softly as she picked a single popcorn from her bucket. "The winner is quite obvious, but for entertainment's sake, I'll just keep quiet."
"Your thoughts, Isaac?" As Yae Miko turned her head to look at Isaac, her face suddenly froze when she caught sight of him.
"I think Welt would win," Isaac said with a stern face.
"...are you a fan of this Welt, by any chance?" Yae Miko said with a wry smile as she looked at Isaac.
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
As Isaac said this, he put his flags which had Welt's face down and took off his shirt which had Welt's face printed on it. Lastly, he put down the Arahato manga he was holding.
"...Just a guess." Yae Miko was speechless for a while before averting her gaze away from Isaac.
She wasn't even going to mention the figurines of Welt that were stacked on Isaac's table. She felt like if she asked, she'd be trapped in his fanatic rambling.
"Times like these are when I thank my Kitsune senses." Yae Miko sighed softly under her breath. She then quickly changed the topic. "By the way, when are you going to invite more people here?"
"Oh, that?" Hearing this question, Isaac quickly snapped out of his fanatic behavior and composed himself.
'Now that I think about it...' With Yae Miko's reminder, Isaac remembered to check his system points.
[522]
'Not bad...' Seeing the amount of points he had amassed from the previous main mission, Isaac felt satisfied. "This should be enough for 3 summons... However...'
It had only been a week since Isaac and Furina's incident with Vacher. With the help of Neuvillette, the natter was promptly hidden away, and it didn't reach the public.
Still, now that Isaac showed himself on the radar of the Iudex, being monitored came in as nothing of a surprise.
From time to time, he could feel that some of his customers were monitoring him— as such, Isaac had been well-behaved these past few days.
Right now, since it is Sunday, Isaac gets to close down for the day and spend the whole day with the invited characters— free from the eyes of the Marechaussee Phantom.
'I really can't afford to summon three characters all at once right now.' Isaac contemplated. 'Sooner or later, people would realize that the invited people here are not from Fontaine.'
If that were to happen, even Isaac didn't know if his bullshit-no-jutsu could work.
As such...
"Would the two of you like to see the next person?" Isaac asked with a light smile.
"Really?!" Klee was the first to react with enthusiasm. "A new friend will come?"
"Indeed," Isaac nodded at her. He then looked at Yae Miko. "As for you, Miko?"
"Hmm? Calling me by my name now, are we?" Yae Miko crossed her arms and smiled mischievously at Isaac. "Where did the respectful honorifics go?"
"Then forgive me, Narukami Shrine's Head Priest, The Narukami Ogosho's trusted aide, and a pillar of Inazuma, Guuji Yae Miko," Isaac said robotically with a clear hint of sarcasm. "Does that suffice—"
Zzz!*
Before Isaac could continue speaking, he suddenly jolted upwards as he felt a buzzing running up his spine. "Ouch— what the, did you just use your Electro vision at me?"
"Whatever. Do. You. Mean?" Yae Miko replied with a stale smile. Although she spoke softly, it was rigid— and her smile now indicates one thing.
She was pissed.
"It must be divine retribution. It's quite common in Inazuma, you know?" She chuckled softly to herself.
"Huh? What's wrong, mister Isaac?" The oblivious Klee asked as she looked at the two of them with innocent confusion.
'...I'm not paid enough to deal with this.' Isaac silently complained in his heart. 'I want to take revenge, but...'
Looking at his current stats and abilities, Isaac felt helpless. 'There's nothing that can help me!'
'And using that [Evernight] skill is out of the question! That thing is too dangerous and has severe backlash on me.' He seriously contemplated. 'I can only use it when I really need to.'
'My only hope right now is...' Looking at the floating window in front of him, Isaac subconsciously gulped. 'Please, be someone that can counteract her!'
[Would you like to invite a new character?]
[Cost: 160 points.]
[Y/N]
Isaac prayed deeply in his heart that he wouldn't get someone troublesome for a while before finally extending his hand toward the screen. 'Alright— let's go!'
After thinking this, Isaac's hand touched the floating window in front of him, and soon, a new window popped up.
[Success.]
Just like before, a ticket flew out from the system window and floated to the door of the cafe.
Slowly, various colors shined from the cracks of the door, as if what was on the other side was showing off a light show.
"Wow, it's so pretty!" Klee saw the door change and looked at it with interest. "Are you inviting another person right now, Mister Isaac?"
"That's right," He nodded. "And I just hope... That it won't be someone troublesome." Isaac mumbled to himself as he side-eyed a certain Kitsune.
After saying this, the trio looked at the door which had stopped shining. It then budged a little, as if it was unlocked.
At the same time, a new system window appeared in front of Isaac. 'Who could it be...?'
Curious, Isaac read the profile of the newly summoned character.
[Profile]
[Name: Xiao]
[Vision: Anemo]
[Title: Yaksha/General Alatus/Conqueror of Demons]
[From: Liyue]
'This...' Seeing the profile of the new person that appeared, Isaac was momentarily stunned before smiling vibrantly. 'Jackpot!
'YES!' Isaac silently cheered internally as he retained his calm composure outside. 'Finally, someone serious!'
After dealing with a mischievous fox, an arsonist, and a curious mind, Isaac can finally meet someone who is always solemnly stern.
In other words...
'A person who can keep the three girls in check for— I mean, with me!' Isaac smiled as this thought flashed through his mind. 'Perfect!'
Without wasting any time, Isaac immediately summoned Xiao. He clicked on the profile screen and dragged the character's picture out, throwing it at the glowing door.
'Now we wait...'
---
Meanwhile, in Wangshu Inn.
It was a busy day as usual— merchants and travelers from across Teyvat would flock to this inn almost every day. After all, it's one of the tourist spots of the nation.
But there's also another reason why a lot of people would visit Wangshu Inn— it was because of a rumor that an Adeptus dwelled within it.
Nobody knows who this illuminated beast is, but one thing is for sure—
He was a reclusive one.
Meanwhile, Xiao, who was sitting in one of the hidden rooms in the Inn, was silently meditating at a table in front of him.
On the small table, an incense was burning, filling the room with aromatic smoke.
Currently, at this moment, his Karmic debt which had plagued him for centuries is once again acting up.
"...Hgn..." Clenching his teeth and shuddering, the Conqueror of Demons desperately suppressed the evil that tainted him.
Countless bloodshed and suffering had ailed this Yaksha for centuries— yet his tenacity and vow to hold his contract made him persevere to live this long.
But even someone as tenacious as a monolith would one day collapse if it were to face something greater.
That's why, he had never once let his guard down.
It took a lot of effort, but soon, his Karmic debt began to die down.
Tud—*
"Ha... Ha..." Laying down on the wooden floor, Xiao exhaled heavily as he sweated profusely. "Karma..."
His eyes quickly began to lose focus— it took a lot of his energy to suppress his karma, after all.
At this moment, his drowsy eyes could not help but half close, and soon, a hazy memory began to resurface in his mind.
This was a memory of the past— one that he would always remember.
That melodious scene with the bard under the moonlight who played that flute— which unexpectedly soothed his pain during a moment when his Karmic debt was about to devour him.
That memory is forever stuck in Xiao's mind.
He knew not how the bard found him back then, all he knew was that the "wind" had aided him at his most dire moment.
"...How I long for such soothing melodies once more..." Xiao muttered under his breath. However, a second after saying this, he clicked his tongue. "...how ludicrous."
Shaking his mind and getting rid of such childish thoughts, the solemn Conqueror of Demons stood up and looked at the incense that was still burning.
"Even this can't help me now..." He lamented to himself.
As he said this, Xiao walked to the door which led out of the room. "I wonder... Without something to help me soothe my pain..."
"Would my time finally come?"
He often pondered this with himself— contemplating whether his karmic debt would finally win over him and he would turn into one of the monsters he swore to purge.
"If so..." Xiao then shifted his gaze and looked at his Jade polearm, with eyes filled with resilience. "I shall take it upon myself to end everything before others get hurt..."
Even in the end, he still had the tenacity of a Yaksha— he, as well as his comrades, swore to fight for this world, after all.
As he said this, Xiao took his polearm and opened the wooden door in front of him.
Tak*
But instead of seeing the secret passage he always takes, he instead sees something else.
"Welcome~"
Got a problem with your insanity? No problemo, Isaac's got serenity!
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