“That’s Albedo?” Lumine asked, tilting her head. “Why would anyone paint in this freezing weather?”
“I heard Albedo enjoys painting,” Rosaria replied nonchalantly. “It doesn’t matter where—if the scenery is good, he’ll paint. The view here is exceptional. Whether it’s the distant mountains or the icy plains, everything is worth capturing.”
“And the hilichurls?” Paimon chimed in. “Aren’t they dangerous?”
As if on cue, the familiar sound of a hilichurl’s cry—“Ya!”—echoed through the air. Lumine and Jia Changjiang immediately recognized it, their instincts kicking in.
After countless encounters and battles with hilichurl camps, the reaction was practically muscle memory.
“Well, first things first—let’s deal with these guys!”
Lumine sniffled, wiping her slightly runny nose from the cold. She unsheathed her one-handed sword, forged from Dvalin’s horn. A powerful gust of wind howled as she summoned an anemo vortex, pulling the surrounding icy elements into the swirling storm and sweeping the hilichurls off their feet.
The group of hilichurls, no more than small fry, was easily dealt with. Lumine didn’t even use her full strength—just a single swirl of her Windblade was enough to send them scattering in panic.
Albedo, however, had put down his brush and was now staring at them with a puzzled expression.
“Who are you, and why did you disturb them?” he asked. “Luckily, I had already finished my sketch. Otherwise, it would’ve been a shame to lose the opportunity to capture that unique hilichurl.”
“You’re painting hilichurls?” Lumine asked, intrigued. “Why here in Dragonspine? Aren’t there plenty of hilichurls in the wilds around Mondstadt?”
“It’s… difficult to explain. Perhaps it’s better if you look at my work,” Albedo suggested, holding up his sketchpad.
On the page was a meticulously detailed drawing of a hilichurl, rendered with an almost lifelike precision. Around it were simpler sketches of other hilichurls, drawn in quick strokes.
“Wow!” Jia Changjiang leaned in for a closer look. “You’re amazing! This one hilichurl…”
He paused, trying to find the right words, before blurting out, “…looks exactly like a hilichurl!”
“What kind of compliment is that?” Lumine shot him a disapproving look. “At least say it looks realistic! But why only put so much effort into one? The others are just stick figures.”
“Ordinary hilichurls aren’t worth the effort,” Albedo explained, his tone calm but laced with a hint of passion. “But this one—its physique, fur, and posture—it all speaks of an extraordinary vitality. In the repetitive cycles of a primitive society, such distinctiveness represents something pure, something essential. From nothingness to creation, from the known to the unknown…”
Rosaria sighed and waved dismissively. “If this is going to turn into a lecture, count me out.”
With a glance at Lumine and Jia Changjiang, she added, “You’ve found who you’re looking for, so I’ll be on my way.”
Without waiting for a response, Rosaria turned and walked away, her retreating figure exuding an air of effortless nonchalance.
“Thanks for guiding us!” Lumine called after her.
Rosaria paused for a split second at Lumine’s shout, then continued her descent down the mountain trail without a word.
“That was… abrupt,” Paimon muttered. “She’s such a strange person.”
“But kind of cool,” Lumine mused, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Yeah, I’ve decided—I’m going to visit the cathedral sometime. Maybe I’ll run into her there!”
Albedo’s attention shifted back to them. “I didn’t expect Sister Rosaria to bring you here. From what she said, you came specifically to find me?”
“Yep! Sucrose told us to come,” Lumine said, placing her hands on her hips. “She said we might be able to help you break through some kind of bottleneck. I’ve been stuck making potions lately, so I figured I’d take a break and lend a hand while getting some fresh air—achoo!”
She sneezed, quickly rubbing her nose. “But I didn’t think it’d be this cold up here. I should’ve layered up more.”
Jia Changjiang stood quietly behind Lumine, trying his best to blend into the background like an unassuming rock.
The truth was, he wasn’t feeling cold at all. Thanks to a Frost-Resistant Orb he had crafted recently while experimenting with decorative trinkets, he was perfectly comfortable. But if he mentioned it, Lumine would definitely try to take it from him.
Better her than me.
Albedo studied them both, his gaze thoughtful. “I see. If I’m not mistaken, you’re the Honorary Knight that all of Mondstadt has been talking about, correct?”
He placed a hand on his chin. “Your actions during the Stormterror crisis, Lumine’s control of elemental forces despite lacking a Vision, Jax’s strength against the dragon… and, of course, the other peculiarities surrounding you two.”
“Such as?” Lumine asked, wary.
“The enormous demon that appeared alongside Stormterror in the skies above Mondstadt,” Albedo continued, “and the deeper mysteries surrounding you both.”
“Let’s cut to the chase,” Albedo said with a faint smile. “You two… are from another world, aren’t you?”
Lumine groaned. “Why does everyone seem to know that? It’s not like I told anyone!”
“I was literally called an outlander by an Abyss Mage in front of Jean and Diluc,” Jia Changjiang replied with a shrug. “It’s been obvious for ages. Nothing to stress over.”
“So, my hypothesis was correct.” Albedo nodded, his eyes lighting up with a spark of excitement. “If I can work with you, my research could make great strides.”
His gaze turned fervent as he looked at them, a mix of curiosity and scientific zeal.
“What exactly are you researching?” Lumine asked, skeptical. “Sucrose didn’t really tell us much.”
Albedo paused, his expression contemplative. “Where to begin… Perhaps with the essence of life itself?”
“The essence of life? What kind of vague topic is that?” Paimon exclaimed from her cocoon of blankets.
“Words might be insufficient,” Albedo admitted. “Perhaps it’s easier to show you.”
He bent down and picked up a broken, withered branch from the ground. Channeling his alchemical energy, a subtle glow enveloped the branch, and to their astonishment, fresh green leaves began to sprout from it.
“Restoring life to the lifeless.”
Lumine’s eyes widened in awe. He didn’t even need an alchemy table?
“Alchemy… can do things like that?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
Albedo shook his head slightly. “But there is one thing I cannot achieve. There is a special seed in my possession—what you just saw has no effect on it.”
—
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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