SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 72 out, this is Chapter 73 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Pairings: Albedo/Sucrose, Zhongli/Mitsuko/Kazuha, One-sided Diluc/Mitsuko, One-sided Diluc/Jean
Disclaimers: Genshin Impact and Sailor Moon belong to miHoYo and Takeuchi Naoko-sensei respectively. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except the plot, I hope.
Chapter 73: Teyvat Arc: Shadows Amidst Snowstorms, Part One
Time passes...
"Hey, Timae—" Paimon called out, she and the Traveler were approaching the Mondstadt's alchemy store. "Huh, is that Albedo? Why is he leaving?"
And why does he look so serious? The Traveler wondered.
"It's the Traveler and Paimon!" Timaeus noticed the pair.
"Hello, you two!" Sucrose greeted. "It's been a long time!"
"Were you having a really serious discussion right now, or something?" Paimon asked.
"Just a regular catch-up." Timaeus assured. "We meet here once in a while to go through any recent developments in our research projects."
"So, we just missed him." Paimon whined. "Maybe we should have hollered to him. He didn't look in the best of moods just now, though. Was he upset about something? If so, he probably wouldn't have been in the mood to help out, anyway."
"Upset?" Sucrose echoed. "You mean, Albedo?"
"He wasn't looking his usual self." Paimon pointed out.
"Upset..." Sucrose gulped and turned to Timaeus. "I wonder if... I wonder if Timaeus' research topic is... so boring this time that Albedo finally snapped?"
"S—Surely not." Timaeus protested. "It's not that boring! Is it?"
"Anyway, Paimon wanted to ask you for a favor, Timaeus!" Paimon spoke. "Paimon found a bunch of super-duper sweet Sunsettias in the mountains the other day. But if Paimon eats them all, then they'll be gone, so Paimon isn't ready to finish them all yet. Paimon was thinking maybe you could make a device that you put fruits in, and it turns them into juice! That way, they'll be preserved for as long as Paimon needs!"
"Do you realize how absurd you sound right now?" the Traveler facepalmed.
"I'm afraid that sort of thing... is a little..." Timaeus started. "Paimon, I'm afraid you've entered into the realm of the weird and wonderful with this one."
"So how about you, Sucrose?" Paimon turned to the bio-alchemist. "Any idea?"
"I'm sorry." Sucrose flustered. "It doesn't sound like it falls within my area of expertise. I could give it a try if you really want, but I'd probably just end up giving all your precious fruits arms and legs. As you know, my focus is on Bio-Alchemy. Besides, keeping things fresh forever is just not possible. If you just wanted to modify certain properties of the fruit or their seeds, on the other hand, I'd easily be able to help with that. Alchemists usually focus in on their own research areas. Take us for example — Timaeus, Albedo, and I all have very different research foci. Paimon, your idea is very imaginative, but it's beyond Timaeus' and my ability. I don't think even Albedo could make such an incredible device. After all, alchemy is not mechanics. There is a big difference between the two."
"Sorry, I just don't know what has gotten into Paimon today." the Traveler apologized.
"Excuse Paimon for overestimating the power of alchemy." Paimon complained.
"In fact, before Albedo showed up, everyone in Mondstadt thought alchemy was useless." Sucrose supplied. "Of course, we know better now. But even then, I have to admit that alchemy is only one of the many wondrous arts in the world. It's certainly not some kind of all-powerful magic that can simply take a substance and preserve it indefinitely. That wasn't meant as a criticism against you personally."
"I will make sure to keep Paimon in check in the future." the Traveler assured.
"Paimon just wanted some fruit juice." Paimon whined. "What's wrong with that!?"
"Of course, these are just Timaeus' and my subjective opinions on the matter." Sucrose backtracked. "If you're really intent on pursuing this wondrous device, you can try your luck asking Albedo. But I wouldn't get your hopes up. If he has no idea how to make one either, you'll have to give up on the idea."
"He doesn't seem to be in a good mood today, though." Paimon recalled. "What if he ignores us?"
"He won't." Timaeus confirmed. "Albedo is not that kind of person."
But, there's something about Albedo today. The Traveler wondered. Something seems different. What could it be?
"So, where is Albedo heading to, anyway?" Paimon asked. "Dragonspine?"
"Unless he specifically says otherwise, Dragonspine is where he usually goes." Sucrose nodded. "He seems particularly fond of that place. And somehow, the cold doesn't seem to bother him at all."
"Then let's go to Dragonspine to find him." Paimon urged. "C'mon, there's no time to lose!"
Near the Dragonspine camp...
"This looks lively, what's the occasion?" Paimon spotted the crowd around the camp. "Let's go and have a look!"
"Traveler and Paimon!" Amber greeted the pair. "Fancy meeting you all the way out here."
"Amber, Cyrus, Pallad." Paimon spotted the others. "What's everyone doing at Dragonspine? Don't you mind the cold?"
"Hi all." the Traveler greeted. "Long time no see."
"The Traveler is joining us too." Cyrus grinned. "Great, fantastic, wonderful! The more the merrier."
"I agree." Reckless Pallad nodded. "I feel much better with the Traveler joining us. Definitely the kind of person you want to have around in a tight spot."
"What's the occasion?" the Traveler asked.
"Paimon remembers most of these people are from the Adventurers' Guild." Paimon remarked. "Then again, it seems a certain Outrider has joined too." she turned to said Pyro archer.
"Allow me to explain." Cyrus started. "The Adventurers' Guild is holding winter training on Dragonspine. As you know, our members have varying levels of adventure experience. Dragonspine is an excellent place for budding adventurers to challenge themselves and improve, but it's dangerous to go alone. So, we made a plan for senior members to pair up with junior members. This way, everyone can experience training on Dragonspine together under safe and controlled circumstances. Now, every adventurer can progress together. I have been working on this grand plan for half a year now, and it's finally coming together! Traveler, you are an outstanding adventurer. Surely you must be willing to join us and help out?"
"Amber, what are you doing here?" the Traveler inquired.
"Is the Adventurers' Guild short on experienced members?" Paimon wondered.
"That's part of it, actually..." Amber admitted. "The other reason is, when I was patrolling the perimeter of Dragonspine, I found a lost kid named Joel. I heard he lives here on the camp, so I escorted him back."
"But, Joel's father..." the Traveler frowned.
"I know." Amber nodded. "Joel's father went missing. I totally sympathize with how much Joel misses his family. Dragonspine is so bleak and deserted, it must have been so lonely for him here. Anyway, I wanted to do something to cheer Joel up, so I said I'd build a snowman with him. It's something he enjoys doing. It also gives me a chance to stay here for a while and help Cyrus out."
"Since it's you, Amber, count me in." the Traveler nodded.
"Let's go meet up with Joel, then." Amber suggested. "I invited another friend of mine to join, too. She should be here any second. She'll be perfect for this kind of thing. Joel, we're here." she called out to the boy.
"Hi, everyone." Joel beamed. "I'm so happy right now! It's nice to have so many people to hang out with. Are you here to build a snowman, too?" he turned to the approaching Eula.
"Build... a snowman?" Eula echoed.
"I forgot to do the introductions." Amber flustered. "This is Eula, the Spindrift Knight and Captain of the Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Company."
"Amber, you're being far too formal." Eula chided. "The child is never going to remember all that. Please, just call me Eula."
"Okay, Aunty Eula!" Joel beamed. "You can call me Joel."
"Aunty... Eula..." Eula twitched.
"Eula's gonna add that to her long list of scores to settle." Paimon muttered.
"Alright, if that's what you want to call me, go right ahead." Eula accepted the address. "Amber, what's this I hear about a snowman? I came to assist because you told me the Adventurers' Guild was short-handed."
"That's something else." Amber related. "But look, Joel's at that age where he should be having fun, and there's nothing to play with on Dragonspine. He used to build snowmen with his dad, and since his dad's not around, we're keeping him company instead. Besides, Eula, it's gotta be more fun than taking an ice bath all by yourself. Let's combine our forces and build ourselves a huge snowman! It'll be a ton of fun."
"Aunty Eula, are you too busy to join in?" Joel noticed Eula's hesitation. "If so, it's okay, I understand."
"No, nothing like that." Eula shook her head. "My mind was on something else, that's all. Building a snowman with Joel, are we? Sounds wonderful. I'd be delighted to join you."
"Then let's get started!" Amber declared. "First, we need to split up into teams to gather some supplies! Joel and I will be on one team. Traveler, you and Eula can be on the other team. Joel, see that huge tree over there? Wanna race me there?"
"What's up with you two?" Paimon noticed the Traveler and Eula looking at each other. "Why are you just staring at each other without saying anything?"
"You're acting a little out of character." the Traveler pointed out. "There's no one else around. You can say."
"Joel probably hasn't spent much of his life in the city." Eula sighed. "He doesn't know me and he doesn't know what the Lawrence name means to people in Mondstadt. In his eyes, I'm just another ordinary person from Mondstadt. It was a surprise, but not in a bad way at all. Enough small talk for now. I see we have a member of the Adventurers' Guild joining us."
"Greetings." Cyrus approached the group. "We have a slight problem here. We've done a headcount and it turns out that we have an odd number of participants. In other words, we still have one instructor slot left to fill. How it happened was, we originally asked Fischl to be an instructor, but she was busy with something outside of Mondstadt during this period. So, we found another adventurer to fill in for her, but they still haven't shown up yet. Thank goodness you are here."
"My name is Gerald." the bespectacled adventurer introduced himself. "I'm a new adventurer."
"In that case..." Eula started.
"Eula can help." the Traveler cut in.
"For that, you will pay." Eula glared at the Traveler.
"You're in safe hands with Eula." the Traveler assured.
"I got it." Gerald nodded. "I'm ready and willing to learn!"
"Then everything is settled." Cyrus beamed. "Thank you for your help, Eula."
"Why did you give the spot to Eula?" Paimon was puzzled.
"I want people to know all the good qualities she has." the Traveler replied.
"You're so nice." Paimon teased. "Paimon noticed Eula smiled just now, it must have meant a lot to her. To be honest, Eula really is the best candidate for an instructor. Most people would find it hard to cope on the mountain 'cause of the sheer cold, but not her. This must be the whole reason why Amber got Eula involved in the first place! We were supposed to find supplies, but now Eula's busy with other stuff and Paimon doesn't feel like going around collecting things. How do you think Amber and Joel are doing? Let's head up the mountain and see what they're up to!"
Near the Frostbearing Tree...
"Strange." Paimon looked around. "Didn't they say they were going this way? Where the heck are they? Did we get here too late? Have they moved on already?"
"I just heard a strange noise coming from up the mountain." the Traveler's ears picked up a rustle nearby.
"Could they be in danger!?" Paimon stammered. "Let's go check it out! The sound has completely stopped." she added. "How could that happen? After all the adventures we've been on, our tracking skills are honed to perfection, aren't they? Guess we underestimated whatever was behind it, but if that's the case, then what exactly are we dealing with here?"
"I know that voice." Albedo exited his camp. "What brings you to Dragonspine?"
"So, it was Albedo all along!" Paimon exclaimed.
"'All along'?" Albedo echoed. "What do you mean by that?"
"On the way here, we kept hearing weird noises and it felt like someone was watching us the whole time." Paimon explained. "Turns out it was just you. Honestly, you really gave us the creeps! If you're bored up here, go find something useful to do: don't go sneaking around and scaring the poop out of people!"
"The things you felt and heard could easily be attributed to animals, or bandits perhaps." Albedo suggested. "You should be wary at all times in this environment: there are all too many ways to sustain losses here if you aren't careful. So, what business brought you here?"
"We actually came to look for you, but then it turned into looking for Amber, but now we've met you, so we're back to that again." Paimon related.
"Your thought process is rather chaotic, as is the way in which you articulate it." Albedo chuckled.
"How dare you!" Paimon fumed. "All Paimon's trying to say is that we came here to look for you!"
"Is that so?" Albedo was intrigued. "Then it must surely be something of great importance. I'm all ears."
"He seems to be in a better mood than we thought, right?" Paimon pulled the Traveler aside. "Does that mean Timaeus' stupidity doesn't really get to him after all? Let's just forget that ever came up!"
"It's okay if you can't tell me about it." Albedo assured. "Just treat this as an opportunity to stroll on the mountain and enjoy the view."
"So basically, the truth is we're here on adventurer duty." Paimon stated.
"So, you foisted the rookie off onto Eula, so that you could wander off and goof around?" Albedo teased after the Traveler explained the event.
"We're not goofing around!" Paimon retorted. "And Eula was the right person for the job — we were just being nice. What about you, then, huh? What're you doing on Dragonspine?"
"A friend commissioned me to do some artwork recently, and I have yet to finish." Albedo replied. "I came here because it's a quiet place where I can gather my thoughts, gather inspiration — and gather some raw materials while I'm at it."
"Raw materials for what?" Paimon blinked.
"Paint." Albedo answered. "Starsilver can be used to make high-quality silver paint. I just ran out of my previous batch, so I'll collect some ore while I'm here. But you have to be selective with the specimens you choose. Even with a high level of impurities, Starsilver still contains fine silver-colored particles. But they lack luster, which impacts the color saturation of the pigment made from them. Paint made with such pigment is generally viewed as a fake or a defective product."
At Albedo's camp...
"Aaaah!" Paimon exclaimed, seeing the area was ransacked. "Thieves! It's gotta be!"
"Some things are missing." Albedo surveyed the area. "It's hard to say their value, but some of my alchemy notes are missing."
"Alchemy notes?" Paimon echoed. "Would they fetch a high price?"
"To the uninitiated, they are merely scraps of paper." Albedo replied. "But for someone who knows what they're doing, the knowledge contained in those notes is more valuable than any treasure."
"So, you're saying only someone who knows alchemy would've stolen them?" Paimon concluded. "But the only people who come to Dragonspine are adventurers, thieves, and monsters. What use would any of them have with your notes?"
"I don't think it's that simple." the Traveler noted.
"I feel the same way." Albedo agreed. "However, hilichurl break-ins and other such incidents are not unheard-of on Dragonspine. It's difficult to draw a conclusion based solely on the evidence at hand. These appear to be..." he spotted the scattered footprints near the entrance.
"Footprints?" Paimon blinked.
"Fresh ones." Albedo concluded. Inspecting the snow. "Meaning, our thief can't have made it far."
Outside the cavern lower down Dragonspine...
"Here." Albedo led the Traveler further. "More footprints."
"They're heading to the cavern?" Paimon remarked. "We got you now! You sure can run, but you definitely can't hide! Let's go in!"
"Wait, I have an idea." Albedo spoke. "I'll go in alone. Traveler, please stay here and guard the entrance. This cavern has two points of entry, and there are shortcuts inside. Judging from the state of the footprints, he hasn't been in there long. I should be able to reach the other side before he does."
"Cut him off at both ends." Paimon realized Albedo's plan. "Good idea!"
"Whoever apprehends the thief first has to notify the other party." Albedo reminded. "This way, we're fully covered. Still, safety comes first. We do not yet know the identity of our thief. Please take care.
"We'll be fine!" Paimon assured.
"See you shortly." Albedo nodded and entered the cavern.
"Finally, you're back!" Paimon spotted Rubedo outside the cave entrance after she and the Traveler mined several Starsilver.
"Then why is the thief not with you?" the Traveler asked.
"Sorry, I was unable to catch him." Rubedo replied. "He was faster than I had imagined."
"So, after all that, we still don't even know who the thief was." Paimon winced. "Still, we won't be going back completely empty-handed. We did some mining!"
"Mining?" Rubedo echoed.
"For Starsilver!" Paimon nodded. "Look, we got quite a lot! It's just like you said — some are really bright and shiny, and others just look like regular lumps of rock with a little shiny bit here or there."
"Starsilver..." Rubedo pondered. "I was merely saying what was on the front of my mind. I hadn't thought you would genuinely go and gather some. The notes mean a lot to me. I'm not quite ready to give up the search yet. Let's keep an eye out for clues as we go."
"Just one thing — do you want us to bring all of this ore back?" Paimon asked. "Or did you wanna sort through and get rid of the useless bits first? There's no point bringing the bad ones back if it'll ruin the quality of the paint. Some of them do look pretty dull to Paimon, so it doesn't seem like those'll be of any use at all."
"Indeed, the sorting process is necessary." Rubedo nodded. "Humans are such practical creatures. They only want those things that are good. Once they have learned to distinguish between good and bad, they will never stop comparing things in their minds. Useless things should be disposed of at the outset."
"It saves a lot of time that way." Paimon agreed. "Efficiency first! So, let's start by..."
"Help!" a shout was heard. "Help me!"
"Wait, did you guys hear that?" Paimon was alerted. "Was that... a cry for help? It's likely an adventurer in danger!"
At the Fatui campsite...
"Is anybody there!?" the voice grew louder. "Help me!"
"No way, is that..." Paimon gaped, spotting Bennett locked in a cage.
"Is that the Traveler and Paimon!?" Bennett turned. "It's me, Bennett!"
"Let's get him out!" Paimon declared.
"Finally, I'm out." the rescued Bennett sighed in relief. "Thank you so much! If only there hadn't been rocks mixed in with the snow on the tree, it wouldn't have made me all dizzy when it fell down onto my head, and then I would've never walked into the Fatui's trap."
"Bennett... in a cage... never saw that coming!" Paimon shook her head. "So, what are you doing on Dragonspine? Didn't Razor wanna come with you?"
"Did you hear about the Adventurers' Guild thing?" Bennett asked. "They're hosting a winter camp here. As one of their veteran adventurers, I'm here to help out the rookies. Razor's not an adventurer, and as the leader of Benny's Adventure Team as well as the only actual member, I had to come on my own. But now I've been stuck here for so long, I've probably missed it. I hope Cyrus doesn't get mad at me."
"So that guy Gerald, who got left in the lurch — he was supposed to be paired up with you?" Paimon exclaimed. "If so... sorry, Bennett, but you really did miss it. He got paired up with a different instructor instead. A few people from the Knights of Favonius stepped up in order to help support the event. So, they ended up with more instructors than students. Wait a second, where'd Albedo go?"
"Albedo?" Bennett echoed. "You mean the alchemist from the Knights of Favonius? He's one of the instructors, too?"
"He just happened to be on Dragonspine." Paimon explained. "We were just with him, but then we heard you calling for help. He must have left us at some point after that. Could he have gone back to keep looking for clues? Let's go back to the cavern and see if he's there."
At the cavern entrance...
"Still no sign of Albedo." Paimon mused. "This is weird, where has he run off to? This was where we heard Bennett's cry for help, right? We heard his voice and went straight over to rescue him. Then we noticed Albedo was gone. So. he just... didn't feel like helping us save Bennett!?"
"What are you talking about?" Albedo inquired.
"Albedo!" Paimon chided. "Where the heck have you been? We've been looking for you!"
"I should be the one to ask you that." Albedo scolded. "Didn't I tell you to stay at the cavern entrance?"
"I'm not really following who was waiting for who, and who was looking for who." Bennett admitted. "But, first things first: I apologize, Albedo. I don't fully understand what's going on, but it seems like it's mostly my fault."
"Bennett, this is not because of you." Albedo assured. "You needn't blame yourself. Traveler, clear this up for me — what was the reason that you left the cavern entrance? Did you..."
"There you are." Eula cut in. "Stay right there. You have a lot of explaining to do."
"Me?" Albedo blinked.
"Eula?" Paimon gaped. "Aren't you supposed to be helping the new guy?"
"That's what I would be doing — if I hadn't been interrupted by a certain someone's malicious scheming." Eula snorted. "Albedo, I saw you taking Joel towards the wasteland at the edge of Dragonspine. That place is crawling with monsters. What the devil do you think you were doing?"
"Wait a second..." Paimon backtracked. "What's going on!? Actually, wrong question — how much stuff is going on?"
"When I came to stop you from leading Joel any further, your first reaction was to throw the child down and attack me." Eula explained. "When I fought back, you quickly fled. Care to explain?"
"I see." Albedo realized what happened. "Interesting. Eula, it sounds like you met an impostor. Someone who was impersonating me."
"Impersonating you?" Eula echoed. "To what end?"
"It is difficult to draw a definitive conclusion for now." Albedo admitted. "But these strange incidents do seem to be connected."
"Your alchemy notes were stolen?" Eula exclaimed after Albedo recounted everything. "Can the Traveler and Paimon testify that the three of you were together up until you entered the cavern?"
"We can confirm that." Paimon nodded.
"As things stand, I don't have any reason to harm the child." Albedo reminded. "Whoever you met is likely to be both the thief who stole my notes and also an impostor. Of course, it's entirely natural for you to be skeptical of my story. I was separated from the Traveler and Paimon for a significant duration while we were pursuing the thief. My word alone cannot serve as a definitive account of my actions and whereabouts during that period. But the Traveler and Paimon can at least testify that I was not the individual who tore up the campsite or stole my notes."
"Albedo, do you have any enemies?" Bennett asked. "Could it be one of your enemies impersonating you to get revenge on you or something?"
"I don't have any enemies, and I'm not aware of having given anyone cause to exact vengeance upon me." Albedo shook his head. "There is insufficient evidence to assert what happened with any certainty at this point. Given how serious the situation is, I intend to investigate it myself, even if you decide not to pursue it any further. Eula, I won't discourage your ongoing suspicion of me if you can't believe my story. Though naturally, I would hope you can afford me some credibility on account of our solidarity as fellow members of the Knights of Favonius. Traveler, Paimon, Bennett, if you are willing, I welcome you to monitor my activities beyond this point so that you can act as my witnesses. If I am what this impostor wants, he will come looking for me again eventually. Things can only become clearer from that point on."
"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, as preposterous as your claims sound, and I will choose to believe that an impostor went after Joel, and not you." Eula declared. "I will keep Joel safe. If you need any support with the investigation, contact myself and Amber."
"Eula, where are you?" Amber hollered. "Eula! And Traveler, Paimon, Albedo, and Bennett, you're all together!" the Pyro archer beamed. "Great! Bennett, I'm glad I ran into you here. Cyrus was telling me you still hadn't shown up. He was getting worried you might've run into some trouble. Now that I've found you, let's go check in with Cyrus.: But before that — has something come up? How come you're all gathered here together? Need any help?"
"Between us, there have been a few minor incidents." Eula replied. "But nothing I haven't already dealt with."
"So, it's all set then?" Amber nodded. "Great. Shall we head back down together? I did say I'd bring Bennett back if I saw him."
"And then there were three." Paimon muttered after Amber, Eula and Bennett headed off.
"Traveler, can we talk somewhere else?" Albedo asked. "There is something I need to tell you. Let's go to my camp."
Back in Albedo's camp...
"My camp is somewhere that we can talk openly without reservation." Albedo stated. "But before that..."
"What a mess..." Paimon gawked.
"Now that everything is in order, it's time to talk." Albedo started. "I remember I once told you that you must have questions, and that I would answer them. I also said that, while I did not wish to deceive you, there were certain things I could not go into detail on. I am a synthetic human being: a human forged by human hand. The one who created me, my mother and teacher, her name is Rhinedottir — a researcher from Khaenri'ah, also known as 'Gold.' When the pinnacle of attainment in alchemy is combined with unimaginably vast learning, the apex achievement is the creation of human life."
"When you say Khaenri'ah, do you mean..." Paimon trailed.
"I am indeed somewhat older than my appearance might suggest." Albedo nodded. "But when I came into being, Khaenri'ah had already been destroyed. I have no memories of it. My master raised me and taught me everything. Like her, I am a pure alchemist. I live for academic knowledge. Nationality and identity are not what ultimately define us. Traveler, what is your general feeling toward Dragonspine? You've visited numerous times now. Would you say it's a cold, eerie, and melancholy place? Rhinedottir created two miraculous beings. One is me, and the other is the venomous dragon, Durin, who died here."
"Durin!?" Paimon exclaimed. "So that makes you guys... brothers?"
"As sons of Rhinedottir, Durin and I are indeed inextricably linked to one another." Albedo admitted. ": The phenomenon of our creation defies definition within the scope of a typical human worldview, but if we may tentatively call it 'birth', then yes — we, by extension, are family."
"Speaking of Durin, Paimon remembers that his power was quite special." Paimon pointed out.
"Because of this, whenever strange things happen on Dragonspine, it always makes me wonder." Albedo pondered. "For instance, the feeling of being watched that you described, as well as the sounds you heard and the one impersonating me that Eula met."
"About that." the Traveler spoke up. "There's something else I couldn't say earlier."
"When Eula and the others were here just now, Traveler gave me a look as if to say, 'Don't say anything'. Probably because it would only make you more suspicious." Paimon nodded. "So Paimon kept quiet. But Paimon noticed that you came out of the cavern not too long after going in, and you told us that you didn't manage to catch the thief. Then, we heard Bennett calling for help so we went to rescue him. But strangely, you didn't come with us, and when we got back to the cavern to go find you, suddenly you were the one looking for us."
"So, it seems that you met my impostor, too." Albedo mused.
"If so, it was a pretty good impression." Paimon admitted. "He had you down to a T. We never would've guessed. Also, after he left us, why did he go after Joel?"
"Perhaps, Durin's power drives people to madness." Albedo suggested. "But that's merely crude conjecture. Whether someone is impersonating me or there is another, false 'me' out there, this is a cursed tale, and it is not one whose weight you should have to bear. Traveler, perhaps you should return to Mondstadt if you have no further business here. The work that lies ahead will occupy me completely, I'm afraid I will be unable to entertain you beyond this point."
"I'm not going anywhere." the Traveler stood firm. "Paimon and I will help with the investigation."
"If there's something really bad going on, we can't just leave you here to deal with it all on your own." Paimon reasoned. "That wouldn't be very nice, now, would it? Besides, there's no one else in Mondstadt that you can talk to about this. Sucrose and Timaeus don't know your secret."
"Thank you" Albedo relented. "You were intending to participate in that winter camp, if I recall correctly? That could serve as an excellent pretext for you to remain on the mountain. In that case, please join in the activities of the Adventurers' Guild as planned and be on the lookout for any leads while you're at it. If anyone sees 'me', or someone like me..."
"We'll be sure to pass the info straight onto you!" Paimon nodded. "Let's split up to look for clues, then meet back here at this camp in a few days' time!"
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Grins* Don't you just love plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.