“Why the rush to eat…?”
Jia Changjiang started to speak but stopped as he noticed Lumine’s predatory green-eyed glare, her hunger practically radiating off her. He quickly changed his tune.
“Alright, let’s find a pot, gather some ingredients, and cook something up. Then we can head back to Mondstadt for a proper feast.”
He gestured toward a direction where a boar, nearly half his height, foraged in the grass for mushrooms and pinecones.
“See? Perfect timing. We can—”
Before he could finish, a yellow flash streaked past him. Lumine had already launched herself toward the boar.
The unsuspecting animal, contentedly munching on a mushroom, suddenly found itself face-to-face with a starved predator, her sword gleaming as it thrust toward her quarry.
Watching this scene, Paimon made a mental note: Next time we camp in the wild, bring more snacks. Failing that, make sure Jia Changjiang is around to keep Lumine’s hunger in check.
Soon, the smell of roast boar filled the Mondstadt wilderness, a faint breeze carrying the spirit of one unfortunate boar to the heavens.
—
On a cliffside, a small campfire crackled, with a makeshift spit-roast of boar suspended above the flames.
Lumine gnawed on a roasted leg with alarming intensity, her ferocity enough to make Paimon hide behind Jia Changjiang.
“So, Mr. Jax,” Paimon ventured cautiously, taking advantage of the moment, “you’re from another world too, right? How did you end up here?”
“You’re asking about that… Well, I can’t say I really know,” Jia Changjiang admitted, using a stick to stoke the fire. “If I had to put it into words, I’d say… I blinked, and here I was.”
Lumine paused her chewing, her curiosity piqued.
“Jia Changjiang,” she began, setting down the bone she’d been gnawing, “have you ever encountered someone who called herself the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles?”
Her tone was serious as she described the enigmatic figure—white-haired and otherworldly.
“No, I haven’t,” Jia Changjiang replied, shaking his head. “From the moment I arrived, I’ve been in Mondstadt. My understanding of this world isn’t much deeper than yours.”
He thought for a moment before adding, “But I do know this: your brother, Aether, is alive. That, I can assure you.”
“?!”
Lumine dropped the bone in her hand, standing abruptly as she grabbed Jia Changjiang’s shoulders. “You know my brother’s name?! He’s alive?!”
Her voice wavered, trembling with a mix of hope and desperation.
“…I learned it by chance,” Jia Changjiang admitted. “But as for where he is, I can’t say. I’m sorry.”
“No, that’s enough!” Lumine’s eyes sparkled with newfound determination. “As long as we’re both still here, we’ll meet again someday. I know it!”
She hadn’t expected to find any news about her brother so quickly, especially in the first nation she visited.
“That’s amazing, Lumine,” Paimon chimed in, finally mustering the courage to emerge from her hiding spot.
However, she was promptly snatched mid-air by Lumine, who planted a kiss on her cheek. Paimon’s squishy face now glistened with the oil from Lumine’s lips.
“Paimon, bringing me to Mondstadt was the best decision ever!”
“Traveler! Your mouth is covered in grease!” Paimon protested, squirming to free herself.
Once free, Paimon furiously wiped her face with a cloth, glaring at Lumine before turning her attention to Jia Changjiang.
“The Traveler’s searching for her brother. What about you, Mr. Jax? What’s your goal?”
“Me?”
Jia Changjiang tossed his stoking stick into the fire, letting it burn with the rest of the kindling.
“I want to fight.”
He gazed into the flames, the firelight reflecting in his eyes.
“I want to grow stronger through battle, meet more people through battle, and feel the joy of victory through battle…”
He smiled faintly. “And this, right now, isn’t bad.”
“Fighting has never been just a way to unleash violence for me. Power is a tool—to guide myself, others, and the world toward the right path.”
Pulling another roasted leg from the boar, he handed it to Lumine.
“For now, I’m a Weapon Master. If those who wield Visions are the chosen of the gods, then I, who lack both a Vision and elemental powers, am undeniably a mortal.”
“A… mortal?”
Paimon was momentarily speechless, recalling how Jia Changjiang had thrashed a dragon not long ago.
“Alright, let’s eat up,” Jia Changjiang said, cutting himself a slice of meat. “After all, we’re Mondstadt’s heroes. I’m sure we’ll get a warm welcome back.”
“And besides…”
He grinned. “I promised Jean I’d serve as an instructor for the Knights of Favonius for a while.”
“This time, I’ll make sure Kaeya can’t dodge a duel with me.”
—
“Ah-choo!”
In Mondstadt, Kaeya sneezed abruptly, startling himself.
Sitting in the Angel’s Share, he rubbed his nose, his expression bemused.
“What was that? Someone thinking about me?”
“You have plenty of enemies, Kaeya,” Diluc remarked dryly, inching slightly further away as he continued to mix drinks. “If sneezing were a sign of that, you’d be sneezing constantly.”
“Another non-alcoholic drink?” Kaeya sighed as Diluc placed a glass before him. “Fine.”
Kaeya’s eye glinted as he took a sip. “It seems those two Honorary Knights really outdid themselves this time.”
Diluc said nothing, polishing an ornate glass before placing it back on the shelf. “Stop beating around the bush. Just ask what you want to know.”
“Alright, alright,” Kaeya relented, spreading his hands with a wry smile. “That demon who flew with the East Wind Protector—who was it?”
“Was it Lumine or Jia Changjiang?” he asked, his tone more curious than accusatory.
“Why not ask Jean?” Diluc shot him a sideways glance.
“Ha! The Acting Grand Master has enough on her plate. If I bother her, I won’t have time for my own pursuits.”
Kaeya’s uncovered eye narrowed. “It was Jia Changjiang, wasn’t it?”
—
T/N: RIP Kaeya
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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