“…”
Luo Qing fell silent, his thoughts drifting back to the mysterious woman he had seen in the starry space.
As he flipped through the documents Charlotte had handed him, he noticed they were mostly photographs of the outskirts of the Crystalline Zone. Occasionally, some Abyssal creatures appeared in the background.
“So… you want me to go there with you personally?”
“Yes…”
Charlotte nodded but glanced nervously at the women around her. Their gazes felt strangely intimidating, sending a chill down her spine.
“The Crystalline Zone is crawling with monsters. It’s impossible for me to explore it thoroughly alone, so…”
“You figured it’d be better if I went with you,” Luo Qing finished, raising an eyebrow. “Just me?”
“Well…”
Charlotte stole another glance at the women, her nerves getting the better of her.
“Would it be possible to trouble the others for help?”
“…”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
After a long pause, Makoto finally broke it.
“Luo Qing, something this small shouldn’t be a problem for you alone, right?”
“Huh?”
Luo Qing blinked, stunned by her words.
The other women were equally surprised.
Wait a minute… Charlotte has a Cryo Vision. If the two of them go off alone… and she comes back pregnant…
Are we going to need to add another room to the house?!
The house was already running low on space!
“This…”
Bu’er looked hesitant but glanced at Makoto’s resolute expression and immediately understood.
She’s going to pull the ‘it’s for the future’ card again, isn’t she?
“You’re really okay with me going alone?” Luo Qing asked incredulously, still struggling to process Makoto’s sudden magnanimity.
“Just come back quickly,” she said nonchalantly, yawning as she stood and made her way upstairs.
The other women exchanged glances before finding their own excuses to leave as well. Even Rosalyne claimed she wasn’t feeling well and went to her room.
In no time, the living room was empty, save for Luo Qing and Charlotte.
“…”
“Mr. Luo Qing, did I… upset them?”
Charlotte fidgeted, her voice full of guilt. She wondered if she had said something wrong to offend the goddesses.
“They’re just tired,” Luo Qing replied casually, standing up. “Don’t worry about it.”
He placed his hands on Charlotte’s shoulders and began gently steering her toward the door.
“Time waits for no one, Miss Charlotte. Let’s get going!”
“W-wait, what?!”
—
Crystalline Zone
The direct rail line to the Crystalline Zone had long since been destroyed, forcing Luo Qing and Charlotte to detour. First, they took a railboat to White Frost Village. From there, they boarded a smaller boat to reach the shores of the Crystalline Zone.
What would have taken Luo Qing half a day alone stretched into a full day’s journey with Charlotte.
The long journey left them with plenty of time to chat.
Charlotte held a deep admiration for Luo Qing, the Harbinger who was aiding Furina in Fontaine’s crisis.
But Luo Qing’s charm wasn’t limited to admiration.
With his natural charisma and knack for playful banter, he was a master at making any woman blush—regardless of whether she was 18 or 800.
Casual brushes of skin, subtle compliments, and expertly timed jokes left Charlotte red-faced and flustered in no time.
By the end of the day, she felt as though she truly understood him better.
Maybe the Fatui aren’t as dangerous and malicious as people say, she thought.
At least not Luo Qing. He’s so approachable… and kind.
That is, until she asked about his relationship with the goddesses. Luo Qing dodged the question with a vague, “You’ll find out eventually.”
There’s definitely a big story there, she mused.
By the time they reached the Crystalline Zone, the sun was beginning to set.
Standing on the beach, they gazed at the massive skeletal remains of Erinas, the Abyssal dragon slain centuries ago.
Charlotte hesitated, unsure whether to push forward or set up camp for the night.
“Should we rest here for a bit?” Luo Qing asked, turning to her.
He wasn’t particularly tired, but he was mindful that Charlotte might be.
“Uh… Mr. Luo Qing,” Charlotte said hesitantly, “we didn’t bring any camping gear…”
As a seasoned field reporter, Charlotte was used to roughing it in the wild. She had once hidden in a bush for days to capture photos of an underworld transaction. Sleeping under the stars didn’t bother her at all.
But she couldn’t gauge Luo Qing’s thoughts, so she decided to be considerate of his comfort.
Little did she know, Luo Qing was thinking the exact same thing.
“It’s fine,” he said, scanning the surroundings.
“There’s probably a Hilichurl camp nearby. Let’s clear them out and use their spot.”
“…”
Charlotte froze, stunned by his casual suggestion.
Is this… the power of a Harbinger?
One second he was suggesting camping, and the next he was proposing wiping out an entire Hilichurl tribe.
“Wait, isn’t that a little risky—Mr. Luo Qing, where are you going?!”
Before she could finish, Luo Qing was already walking up a narrow path. Soon, the warm glow of torches appeared in the distance, marking the Hilichurl camp nestled on the mountainside.
Around a massive pot of bubbling stew, several Hilichurls danced in a circle.
Two Mitachurls stood guard, polishing their weapons, while a Shaman sat nearby, chanting softly.
“Mr. Luo Qing!”
Charlotte hurried to catch up, her voice a frantic whisper.
“We’re supposed to be partners! You can’t just run off like that!”
“Oh, right.”
Luo Qing nodded, then glanced back at the camp.
“Charlotte, do you like stew?”
“Huh?”
Before she could process his question, Luo Qing raised his hand.
A moment later, stone pillars rained down from above, crushing the Hilichurl camp in an instant.
The camp was annihilated.
“…”
Charlotte stood in stunned silence.
A Hilichurl tribe that could give Fontaine’s patrol squads a hard time… wiped out in the blink of an eye.
“Let’s go,” Luo Qing said cheerfully, placing his hands on her shoulders again.
“We can enjoy some stew now.”
“…”
Still in a daze, Charlotte allowed herself to be guided into the ruined camp.
By the time she snapped out of it, Luo Qing had already cleared the area.
“Here you go, Miss Charlotte,” he said, handing her a wooden bowl filled with steaming stew.
Luo Qing took a sip himself, reminiscing. The first time he’d tried Hilichurl stew was during his first encounter with Theresa at Guyun Stone Forest.
To his surprise, it had tasted pretty good back then.
And tonight, it still did.
—
This is a fan translation of 原神：这个见习执行官太屑了 by 何一乐. 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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