Childe paused for a moment, then chuckled helplessly. “Who taught you to bargain like this? …Fine, tell me your wish.”
“I want to visit Liyue’s Toy Research Institute!” Teucer exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“The Toy Research Institute… Isn’t that the one the Millelith mentioned? The place near Lingju Pass where Ruin Guards often appear?” Paimon asked, scratching her head.
Lumine nodded. “That’s a pretty reasonable wish.”
Though the request was a bit dangerous, Childe agreed without hesitation.
“Sure. After all, you came all the way to Liyue just for me. It’s only fair that I, as your brother, honor your final wish before you leave.”
“You’re the best, Brother!” Teucer cheered, throwing his arms around Childe.
“Uh… Is this really okay? Taking Teucer to a place like that…”
Before anyone could object further, Teucer turned to Jax, Lumine, and Paimon with an eager expression. “Good Uncle and Good Sister, you should come too! This time, Teucer will give you the tour!”
“?” A visible question mark seemed to appear above Lumine’s head.
She had come along to watch Childe squirm, not to become a source of entertainment for a bunch of Ruin Guards…
“The Toy Research Institute… That’s near Lingju Pass, isn’t it?” Childe mused before turning to the group. “You’re not the kind of people who’d disappoint a kid, are you?”
He smiled knowingly at them, his tone playful yet challenging.
Faced with Teucer’s hopeful gaze, Lumine sighed, knowing she couldn’t bring herself to outright refuse. “Ugh, fine! We’ve been tricked!”
“Sure, why not?” Jax replied with his usual cheerfulness.
—
Before long, the group arrived at the entrance to an ancient ruin. While the design of the door was distinctly Liyuean, there were also industrial iron pipes scattered nearby that clashed with the structure’s original style.
“This… is Liyue’s Toy Research Institute,” Childe announced.
From within the ruins came the continuous clanging of machinery, echoing his words ominously.
“What is this place? And how do you even know about it?” Paimon asked suspiciously.
Childe shook his head. “In a way, this really is a ‘toy research institute.’ It belongs to the Doctor—another Harbinger. He has a bit of a… hobby for tinkering with old things.”
“This ruin was modified by him to study Ruin Guards,” Childe explained.
Jax crossed his arms thoughtfully. “I remember the adepti mentioning altered Ruin Guards. What are these things, anyway? Another one of the Fatui’s schemes?”
“No,” Childe replied firmly. “These machines are closer to the Abyssal creatures—they’re enemies to everyone. The fact that some have been wandering out of the ruin recently…” He hesitated, frowning. “It probably means the Doctor has abandoned this site. He tends to lose interest once his experiments no longer amuse him.”
“Do all Harbingers have such terrible personalities?” Lumine asked with a glare. “Not that you’re much better.”
“Haha… I can’t really deny that,” Childe admitted with an awkward laugh, scratching his head. “But I don’t know all the details about this ruin.”
“What if we run into danger? What happens to Teucer then?” Lumine demanded, already lumping herself in with Teucer’s safety team.
“Of course not,” Childe replied confidently, spreading his hands. “No matter what dangers arise, I’ll take care of them. That’s what being a brother is all about.”
“Brother! Let’s go in already!” Teucer tugged on Childe’s hand impatiently.
“Alright, alright, just slow down a bit…” Childe allowed himself to be pulled inside.
Watching them, Jax shook his head. “Childe really spoils his little brother, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah…” Lumine murmured, sounding uncharacteristically distracted.
Jax patted her shoulder. “Let’s go. Even if there’s nothing of value left in there, it won’t hurt to take a look.”
“…Fine.”
Once inside, the group was met with a massive assembly line, its machinery still active. Rows of Ruin Guards moved along the conveyor belts, clearly the result of the Doctor’s experiments.
“Wow…”
Teucer ran ahead, eyes sparkling with wonder. “It really is a Toy Research Institute! Amazing!”
As he dashed toward the main door, it suddenly slammed shut behind him with a heavy thud, leaving him locked inside alone.
“Teucer!” Childe rushed forward in alarm. “Damn it…”
He had just promised to keep Teucer safe, and now this had happened.
“Is there another way around? Can we break down this door?” Jax asked, tapping the thick stone barrier.
“There’s no time. These ruin doors are specially reinforced; breaking them would take too long. But there’s another path—we’ll have to circle around!” Childe said urgently, peering through the gap in the door.
Through the small opening, he could see Teucer still running through the ruins, blissfully unaware of the danger.
“Wait! The Ruin Guards from the assembly line are moving in his direction!” Lumine exclaimed, noticing the shift.
“If Teucer encounters those machines, he’s done for!” she cried, running toward the alternate path with Paimon flying close behind.
Jax stood still for a moment, watching the trio rush off without a second thought. He muttered under his breath, “Can’t they wait for someone to finish their sentence before running off…?”
From his inventory, Jax casually pulled out a sturdy white iron pickaxe.
“Well, since no one wants to listen, I’ll just handle this my way,” he said, hefting the tool. With a few swift strikes, he chipped away at the massive stone door, creating an opening large enough to step through.
—
Inside the ruin, Teucer was still dashing ahead gleefully when Jax caught up to him. Without breaking a sweat, Jax grabbed Teucer’s hand.
“Hey, kiddo, don’t run off like that. It’s bad manners to wander through someone else’s research facility.”
“Good Uncle!” Teucer looked up in surprise. “Where are Brother and Good Sister?”
“They’re over there,” Jax said, pointing toward another corridor. “See? They’re exploring the more exciting path, but only really strong people can go that way.”
“Oh…” Teucer’s eyes widened with awe.
“Let’s head forward and wait for them, okay?” Jax suggested with a grin.
“Okay!” Teucer agreed, following Jax obediently.
—
T/N: MINECRAFET
This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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