“Let’s not talk about that for now…”
Luo Qing waved his hand dismissively and continued, “What are you two doing here?”
As a protagonist of the story himself, he was well aware that Lumine showing up anywhere typically signaled the onset of some major plot development.
And now, here she was, atop the remains of Elynas in the Glaze Crystal region.
Could it be she was here for Elynas too?
“We’re traveling, of course,” Paimon shrugged and explained. “Isn’t it perfectly reasonable for us to show up anywhere?”
“…”
Luo Qing was momentarily speechless.
Since when did Paimon start using the same kind of excuses he often did?!
“Alright then.”
Luo Qing shrugged nonchalantly, as if it didn’t matter to him.
“If you’re traveling, why not team up with us for a while? There are plenty of monsters around here, and we could watch each other’s backs.”
“Team up…”
Lumine gave Luo Qing a once-over, then glanced at Charlotte, who had been silently fiddling with her Kamera, unable to get a word in edgewise.
A reporter for the Steambird and a Harbinger of the Fatui—it puzzled her how these two could end up together.
Wait… Charlotte’s Vision is Cryo…
Suddenly, it all made sense.
After a moment of silence, Lumine raised her head and asked, “Luo Qing, can you tell me why you’re here?”
“We’re here to… uh…”
Charlotte began to answer but abruptly stopped, remembering their cooperation was supposed to be confidential. She quickly looked to Luo Qing, silently seeking his permission.
“We’re here to locate Elynas’s remains and see if there are any lingering fragments of its consciousness,” Luo Qing said frankly.
After all, if they were to travel together, Lumine would inevitably learn of his goal. It was better to be upfront—it might even earn him some trust.
“Fragments of its consciousness…”
Lumine repeated the words softly, her mind flashing back to Bu’er and Makoto, two former deities who had long since passed but were now practically homemakers at Luo Qing’s residence.
Is this guy planning to revive Elynas too…?
If that’s the case, then everything about Elynas up until now…
Lumine fell silent, exchanging a glance with Paimon as she debated whether or not to share their earlier experience with Luo Qing.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Seeing Lumine’s silence, Luo Qing didn’t press her. He simply waited for her response, all the while subtly studying her from head to toe.
Suddenly, he noticed something different.
The first time they met in Liyue, Lumine’s outfit gave off a faint golden glow.
In Inazuma, it was deep violet. In Sumeru, verdant green.
And now, it was water blue.
As someone who had spent a past life immersed in the lore of Teyvat, Luo Qing knew these changes were a result of Lumine resonating with the Statues of The Seven, granting her the ability to wield corresponding elemental powers.
But unlike in the game, in the real Teyvat, Lumine didn’t need to return to a Statue to switch between elements. She could freely utilize any element she had resonated with.
At this point, she could control five elements.
Following this pattern…
Natlan for Pyro… Snezhnaya…
Wait…
A realization struck him like lightning.
His gaze toward Lumine subtly shifted.
Meanwhile, Lumine had also noticed Luo Qing’s gaze.
To her, it felt like the look of a predator sizing up its prey.
What on earth is this guy thinking?!
Lumine couldn’t help but ask, “Luo Qing, why are you staring at me like that?”
“Oh, nothing. Just some thoughts, nothing important. Please, continue,” Luo Qing said awkwardly, quickly averting his gaze and pretending to admire the scenery.
“The wind sure is lively tonight…”
“…”
Lumine was speechless.
Given her familiarity with Luo Qing’s antics, she’d bet Mora to Primogems he had just been scheming something involving her.
The silence returned, heavier this time.
After a long moment of contemplation, Lumine finally decided to share her and Paimon’s prior experiences.
“Paimon and I already encountered the fragments of Elynas’s consciousness during our travels here,” she said.
“Hmm?!” Luo Qing looked genuinely surprised.
Of course. I knew it—Lumine showing up here had to be connected to Elynas.
“But it’s gone now,” Lumine continued, shaking her head slightly. She glanced at Paimon before explaining in a calm tone, “We stopped its heart. The consciousness within… I believe it has already dissipated.”
“What?!”
Luo Qing stared at her in disbelief.
Did I get here too late? Did Lumine already complete the quest?!
This girl is such a grinder?!
“Elynas’s heart…”
Charlotte, ever the journalist, perked up, sensing a potential story.
“Lumine, did you and Paimon stop its heart because you were worried it might revive and wreak havoc again?”
The famed Traveler, preventing a hidden crisis in Fontaine…
Yes, that sounded perfectly logical.
“Uh…”
Lumine hesitated, uncertain how to respond. A look of melancholy crossed her face as she shook her head at Charlotte.
“No, it was Elynas’s own decision,” she said softly.
“Of its own volition…”
Charlotte struggled to process the idea.
The legendary Elynas—wasn’t it supposed to be a wicked dragon? Why would it willingly let others stop its heart?
“It wasn’t like what you imagine,” Lumine explained gently. “It was afraid that its resurrection would destroy Melusine’s homeland and bring disaster to others…”
“It was a kind and gentle being, but its mind was disturbed at the start, which led to everything that happened.”
Lumine knew her explanation sounded weak, but it was the truth of her experience. She wanted someone to know Elynas’s true nature, not just the calamities it had caused in Fontaine.
“So… that’s how it was…”
Charlotte was at a loss for words.
A dragon that had once brought calamity to Fontaine turned out to be gentle at heart.
Such a revelation was shocking. If published in the Steambird, the paper would sell out in no time.
But the Steambird valued factual accuracy.
Without concrete evidence, this would likely be dismissed as hearsay. In other words—no pictures, no proof.
Meanwhile, as the two women discussed, Luo Qing was lost in his own thoughts.
His mind buzzed with unanswered questions: why had the previous deities perished, how had Furina, that clueless fool, become the current Hydro Archon, and what was the identity of that woman?
And what about the prophecy of Fontaine’s submersion…?
As someone who had lived through the Khaenri’ah cataclysm, Elynas must have known something.
But now, even its final fragments of consciousness had faded…
After a long internal struggle, Luo Qing decided to see for himself.
Breaking into the conversation, he said calmly, “Lumine, can you take me to where it happened?”
“Eh?” Lumine looked surprised.
“But Paimon and I were planning to return to the Court of Fontaine tomorrow…”
Luo Qing shook his head. “No, you have to take me there.”
Lumine blinked in confusion. “Why… why is that?”
Luo Qing hesitated for a moment before answering, “Because if you don’t, starting tomorrow, you’ll have an extra attachment on your leg.”
“?”
—
T/N: LUMINE RUNNN
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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