“‘Can’t hold on’ and ‘Ganyu’—what’s the connection here?”
Lumine tilted her head, her curiosity evident. “What happened to Ganyu?”
“Well…” Baiwen began hesitantly, “after the recent events with the Adepti in Liyue, although the situation has been resolved, the Qixing wanted to show their respect to the Adepti. So, Miss Ganyu was sent as a messenger to Jueyun Karst to deliver letters regarding various matters for the Adepti’s review.”
Baishi chimed in, “But Miss Ganyu hasn’t returned since she went to Jueyun Karst. She’s always been the secretary overseeing everything for the Qixing, and now we’re left managing her workload in her absence.”
Finally, Baixiao added, “Frankly… as much as it pains us to admit, we’re completely overwhelmed. Even with the three of us splitting her tasks, we’re struggling. We’ve been pulling all-nighters for days now…”
Jia Changjiang and Lumine couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under the trio’s eyes.
“How can there possibly be so much work?” Jia Changjiang asked, puzzled. “And the Adepti… aren’t they supposed to continue working alongside Liyue? Why is there so much to deal with?”
“It’s because of the aftermath of the Archon War and the resulting issues,” Baiwen explained, her voice weary. “On top of that, the Jade Chamber suffered significant damage during the battle. We need to assess exactly what was destroyed and what remains intact… The workload is just—”
“—enough to make you wish the Jade Chamber had completely exploded instead?” Lumine interjected with a cheeky grin.
“Y-yes! Wait, no!” Baiwen instinctively agreed, then quickly corrected herself. “It’s already a blessing that the Jade Chamber survived! If it had been completely destroyed, rebuilding it would’ve been an even greater task!”
Jia Changjiang rubbed his chin, his expression turning thoughtful. While the Jade Chamber’s survival had a lot to do with his own intervention, the sight of these overworked secretaries brought back memories.
So Teyvat has its share of workaholics too…
Back before he arrived in this world, Jia Changjiang himself had been a burnt-out office worker. And now? He was, essentially, an unemployed wanderer.
Wait… what exactly counts as my job? Is being an adventurer even considered work? If not, does that make me unemployed?
As he spiraled into this existential pondering, the trio of secretaries suddenly seemed to seize upon an idea. Like drowning sailors grasping at straws, they turned to Jia Changjiang and Lumine with pleading eyes.
“Mr. Jia, Traveler—you two can enter Jueyun Karst freely, right?” Baiwen asked.
“Could you possibly… help us find Miss Ganyu before we collapse from overwork?”
Faced with the sight of three exhausted young women, Lumine relented with a sigh. “Fine. Lives are at stake, after all…”
“This sounds… quite urgent,” Paimon added, nodding.
“There’s one more thing,” Baixiao said, her voice tinged with concern. “Miss Ganyu has seemed… distracted ever since the Rite of Parting. Even before heading to Jueyun Karst, she wasn’t quite herself.”
“If you can, please try to speak with her,” Baishi added.
“Don’t worry!” Lumine’s eyes lit up at the mention of Ganyu. The image of the half-Qilin adeptus and her soft-spoken demeanor brought a grin to her face. “Leave it to me!”
Thumping her chest with confidence, she declared, “We’ll take care of it!”
“Although we’ve agreed, I can’t guarantee we’ll convince her to return,” Jia Changjiang said, scratching his chin. “That said, what about the other Adepti? Since the Rite of Parting, they’ve mostly stayed in Jueyun Karst, haven’t they? Aren’t they curious about how Liyue is doing?”
“Well, actually…” Baixiao hesitated, but seeing their unique status, she explained, “The Adepti don’t seem inclined to involve themselves in Liyue’s affairs. It’s as if they’ve chosen not to make any significant changes for now.”
“Fair enough,” Jia Changjiang said with a nod. “That’s just how they are. Hmm… I know! The Lantern Rite Festival is coming up! Maybe we can drag an Adeptus or two to join in the festivities.”
“Great idea!” Lumine agreed enthusiastically.
The three secretaries exchanged looks, unsure of what to say. These two seemed far too casual about the whole ‘Adeptus’ thing.
“Oh, by the way!” Lumine suddenly pulled out her business license application. “We’re here to apply for a merchant permit. Can you handle this for us?”
“We’ll take care of it,” Baishi assured them. “In the meantime, we’ll entrust Miss Ganyu’s matter to you. She mentioned heading to Cloud Retainer’s abode first, so please start there.”
—
On the way to Jueyun Karst, as they climbed the slopes of Mt. Hulao, Lumine struck up a conversation about the Adepti.
“Jax, why do you think the Adepti are still staying in Jueyun Karst?” she asked. “Didn’t they say they’d find a new way to coexist with Liyue?”
“A new way of coexisting doesn’t necessarily mean doing things differently right away,” Jia Changjiang replied. “If you had an entire mountain to yourself, would you really leave it just to get involved in city affairs?”
“Hmm… you’ve got a point,” Lumine admitted. “Cloud Retainer’s been holed up for centuries, hasn’t she? I even helped her gather materials once.”
“But why would Ganyu leave?” she wondered aloud. “Do you think she felt like she didn’t belong in Liyue Harbor anymore, being half-Adeptus? Maybe after Zhongli faked his death, she thought she couldn’t continue working there and left without telling anyone?”
Paimon groaned, holding her head. “Lumine, why is your guess so detailed?”
“Because it makes sense! I’m a master at figuring out girls’ problems!” Lumine said proudly. “Besides, didn’t Baiwen and the others say Ganyu’s been acting off since the Rite of Parting?”
“If something’s kept her away for so long, it must be serious,” Lumine concluded.
Jia Changjiang and Paimon exchanged stunned glances.
Jia Changjiang couldn’t help but quip, “If only you could apply that brainpower to other things…”
“Hmph! My brain’s fine as it is!”
With a huff, Lumine resumed climbing. “Let’s go find Ganyu. A girl’s inner turmoil…”
“…is something I’m great at solving!”
—
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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