"Carmine?" I blink in slight surprise.

"Yes?" She tilts her head at me.

I take a moment to process my surroundings, looking around me and seeing nothing but the green plains. This looks like my mother's personal dimension, but I don't see her house anywhere. And it has nowhere near the number of protection seals and killing curses. No, this space is empty. There is nothing but me and my twin sister.

Though, this doesn't seem like Carmine's doing either. I don't think so anyway. She's the type to teleport to you, and doesn't teleport you to her, because she thinks it's bad manners and very rude. So this is probably our mother trying to tell us something.

Nonetheless, I try to tease her.

"I didn't know you missed me this much." I grin. "It hasn't been a week yet."

"I didn't do this." She responds, either ignoring my teasing or completely missing it. Ah, I almost forgot just how bad she is at picking up social cues. "I only acquired enough power for flight. Teleportation, especially to this degree, is still out of my league."

"You can fly already?" I raise a brow. "I'm guessing you chose the magic perk tree?"

"I did." She nods. I thought as much. "Did you not?"

"I decided the physical perk might be more suited to me." I shrug, then quickly clarify before she questions my decision. "Yes, I know, draconic magic is far more versatile, but I chose what's fun."

"Magic is more fun, though."

"At a level so low you can't even teleport?" I snort. "I'm more inclined to disagree there."

Carmine opens her mouth to argue but stops herself and relents.

"Fair enough." She concedes. "How's everything on your end? What's your world like?"

"Typical fantasy world, albeit strangely advanced in some fields like food and alcohol. Every region is governed by a kingdom, who worship their own deity, and surprisingly enough, no demon king or catastrophic event happening this time around. As far as I know anyway." I answer. "I am enjoying myself, though. They have good drinks and beautiful women, so I can't complain."

"Of course, that's all you care about." She rolls her eyes, but in a good-natured way, then pauses. "...Mine has one."

"Hm?"

"A demon king." She explains. "I don't know who they are or what's their goal, but whatever it is, from what I've seen so far, they're doing a lousy job at it."

"That bad?"

"As well as most others of their ilk." Carmine shrugs. "I've never seen a competent demon king in my life. Well, unless you count our mother I suppose?"

Can she be called that? I know that was a title she used at some point in her life, but I'm not sure if she can count as your typical Demon King. She's relatively benevolent to her subjects and worshippers, ignoring very specific cases that I'd rather not remember.

…Her cruelty can frighten me at times, as rare of an occurrence as that is.

"Are you enjoying your time, though?" I ask, disregarding that thought.

Carmine pauses and frowns in thought, taking a few seconds before answering.

"I can't really say yet." She gives a rather boring answer. "There are some interesting things I've seen, but I haven't really done or explored much. I think spending a month would be appropriate if you want a more exciting response."

"What's this? Am I hearing this right?" My grin widens. "You haven't done much? While I, your lazy brother, already have a house to my name?"

Carmine whips her head at me, almost in disbelief. She probably thinks I lied there, but why would she not? From her perspective, I'm far too lazy. There was no way I'd be able to get my own home in the span of a week in a world unfamiliar with the Ama Clan and with none of my powers.

And honestly? I built that reputation, so I can't fault her for it.

"What?"

"You heard me," I say, winking. "I already have my own house and even a stable job that pays quite well, while you 'haven't done much'. For shame, sister. For shame."

Carmine takes some time to process what I had just said, looking at me with a confused and slightly annoyed frown. She tears her gaze away from me before looking at the horizon, thinking of her next few words.

"I don't know if I should be proud that you finally acted like an adult for once–" She says. "Or if I should be annoyed at your stupid luck."

"Luck?"

Ah, I love how easy it is to get her fuming sometimes. She's blaming it on luck this time.

"Yes, luck." She deadpans. "I'm going to bet everything I own that you got a house due to a convoluted series of events, which can be described as pure dumb luck."

…Well, I mean, that's practically what happened. Never mind, she has a convincing argument.

"You're not exactly wrong." I chuckle. "But let's be honest here, how many times did I tell you to seduce and/or befriend luck gods? You've never listened, though. So who is really at fault here?"

"The fact that their influence possibly extends to where you are, even a little bit, is cheating." My attempt at 'comforting' her has the opposite effect as she glares at me. "I don't know why Mother would let you have that."

"I wouldn't do such a thing, Carmine."

Mother's voice makes the two of us flinch, quickly turning around at the same time to see her standing there with her hands behind her back and a neutral look on her face. Ah, if she's here, then it is her who brought us to this dimension. I'm surprised she didn't just teleport her to her home.

"I wanted to introduce you to this little place I made for you two." She answers my unasked question. Is she reading my mind? "Crimson, I don't read your mind because I respect your privacy and you know this. It's your face that's far easier to read than you think it is."

"I… see."

"You've gotten worse at hiding your emotions." She notes, gazing directly at my soul. "Maybe we should have you relearn that lesson."

"Please don't." I plead, suddenly feeling in danger.

"I won't. I was joking." She responds, making me sigh in relief. "How are you two adjusting?"

"Fine, relatively speaking," Carmine answers first. "Is there a reason you sent me there, though?"

"Maybe, maybe not." She shrugs. "You don't need me holding your hand all the time, Carmine. You're smart enough to figure it out yourself."

My twin sister blushes in embarrassment at the way our mother phrased her response. Shut down instantly. Favorite child or not, Mother is still as strict as ever.

"Crimson?" Mother glances at me.

"Oh, I'm loving my time there." I wave off her… concern? "I'm beginning to think that I might've done something to impress you for you to send me to that wonderful world."

"Do you, now?"

"Ah, but don't think you've fooled me just yet." I shake my head. "I know you well enough to spot one of your traps when I see one. You have something planned for me, something that will force me to get serious, don't you?"

She does not respond verbally, but instead, she gives me a very unsettling smirk, basically confirming my worries. I knew it. There is something waiting for me in Teyvat, isn't there? The worst thing about this is not knowing what it could be.

I don't like this.

"Regardless, I've brought you here for two things." The smirk on her face drops, returning to her neutral look. "First, as I said before, I wanted to show this world I've made."

"Which is?" My sister tilts her head.

"The worlds you two are in are separated by a lot of multiverses. And by a lot, I mean infinite." She explains. "So after some adjustments, like syncing the passage of time of your universes for one, I made this neutral space to forcibly connect your worlds together. You'll meet here every once in a while, assuming either of you wants a break from their world."

"But how will we be able to do this?" I ask. "We're not able to cross dimensions via teleportation at our current state."

My mother snaps her fingers, and in an instant, a futuristic-looking black and red watch materializes around my right wrist. I inspect the device up close, seeing many options on the screen ranging from calls - with the only two contact numbers being Carmine and Mother - to that very old snake game. Oh wow, the memories.

One option, called cross-space, seems unavailable at the moment.

"You'll use this." She answers. "I'll let you explore its capabilities on your own. Do not disassemble or dismantle it, or else I'll end this little holiday prematurely."

That seems to have been directed at Carmine specifically, who flinches at the warning. I'm not an engineer like them, but I imagine trying to break this thing down to learn its inner mechanism is some kind of forbidden act. Or something.

I don't know, I don't speak nerd.

"And that's about what I have for you. For now at least." Mother says. "Don't expect me to be looking out for you from now on as I have other projects I need to be monitoring. Only call me when you absolutely have to."

"Can't you monitor us as well?" I question. "It's not exactly an impossible task for you to be in two places at once."

"What, do you feel uncomfortable that Mama won't be there for you?" She responds mockingly. "Stop whining and grow a spine. You're an adult."

"In body, not in mind." Carmine quips with an amused grin.

"I don't want to hear this from a homeless bum." I try to fire back.

But I was back in my home all of a sudden, making me blink a few times as I once again scan my surroundings. I look out the window and realize that the sun had already risen, casting light into my room.

I frown in slight annoyance and irritation as I see it, but the sun isn't what I'm upset about.

…I didn't get the last word.

Damn it.

– "Mother" –

Once the two are back in their worlds, I return to the project I've been cultivating for a decade or so. Now where was I…

I have a question.

Of course you do. You always have questions.

It's about your son.

I have a lot of sons. Be specific.

Crimson.

Ah, the idiot one. What about him?

When he accused you of preparing some sort of obstacle or challenge.

Was he correct?

What do you think? I wouldn't send him to a world that perfectly fits all his needs and wants without a catch. I'm not surprised he caught on to the fact. He can be smart when he wants to be, especially when he feels in danger.

What is it? Are you sending one of his siblings to keep him sharp?

Contrary to what you and most people believe, my cruelty does have a limit. Most of them hold a grudge against that dumbfuck of a son of mine because he likes making their jobs harder. They'll gladly tear him apart if given the chance. No, what I have prepared… is Crimson himself.

…Elaborate.

An exasperated sigh escapes me as I answer his question.

You know how I love him from the very bottom of my heart. He is my son and I will burn anything down to protect him from any type of threat. But I know him more than he knows himself, and there is no denying that he's an irresponsible moron.

A complete and utter fuck-up, but one I absolutely adore.

Unfortunately, I'm very sure that he'll do something he's going to regret deeply.

The only reason he hasn't bothered me for so long was because of his power, which I took away from him for the time being. Any mistakes he made, he used to erase from existence before 'I noticed'. Or before I decided to act because I knew about it anyway.

But he can't do that anymore. Not unless he takes time to grow in power, and considering how lazy he is? Tall order. He is going to fuck himself over far beyond repair, and I truly hope he learns a lesson when he does. About time he remembered what responsibility meant.

Also, creating that sense of danger in the back of his mind and letting it slowly fester when I don't actually have anything to throw at him sounded funny.

And you say your cruelty has a limit.

Nevertheless, I'll give him a year or so before checking up on him.

Let's hope he doesn't fuck up and proves me wrong.

As unlikely as that is.

– Crimson –

As I get comfortable on the bed, sitting cross-legged, I inspect the watch up close. Never seen this type of technology before. Well, I recognize the craftsmanship. This is one of Mother's personal creations, she's chosen black and red as her theme after all, but I don't think I've ever seen her make something like this before.

So on top of getting a world that suits me, I get exclusive access to one of her new toys? Hmm, she's being too nice, and that smile she gave me makes me feel worried. She definitely has something bad prepared here.

Damn it, and I was just getting comfortable. I suppose I should take a few hunting commissions for more levels, to get ready for whatever I'm supposed to be facing. Unless it's not a test of physical might, which would be worse.

As I press Carmine's name on the contact page, a holographic screen opens up a second later, showing my sister's adorable face. She blinks twice before responding.

"Well this is convenient, isn't it?" She says, putting a hand on her chin. "We have unlimited access to calls."

"I suppose we have," I reply. "Makes me feel better, really."

"It does?" Carmine tilts her head at me.

"Why wouldn't seeing my beloved sister's face whenever I want to make me happy?"

"Yes, I'm sure that's what you meant." She rolls her eyes, completely immune to me at this point. "I'd chat more, but it's already morning and I need to get to work."

"Of course, don't make me stop you." I shrug. "Hurry up and get a house. You're still homeless, after all."

Carmine responds by cutting off the line, making me laugh. Funny. She's probably the nicest out of my family, but she's nearly as prideful as our mother. I suppose her dragon blood must have something to do with it.

But she was right. I need to get some work done because I'm now several times more worried about what's hiding from me there. Perhaps unlocking the next perk would be a good start for the moment.

Once I put that goal in my mind, I get off the bed and exit my room, sensing the Astrologist still in her room. Is she asleep? It is a bit early to be awake. Shame, I would love a conversation with her right about now. But no rush. I can do that when she wakes up.

I leave the house that I most definitely earned and walk straight to the Adventurer Desk, which is only a block away. I see people preparing their stalls and opening up their stores for the day, which reminds me that I haven't eaten anything yet.

Eh, I'll get something when I'm back.

"Ah, Mr. Amamiya." Katheryne bows politely. "I've prepared the trial for you."

"Trial?" I blink. "What rank am I at?"

"Assuming you complete the trial, you'll reach rank 20." She answers. "Your contributions to the guild and other adventurers have not gone unnoticed. We appreciate all the work you do for us."

Convenient.

"No need to thank me for doing my job, Miss." I smile at her. "Now then, what's this trial about?"

"Ah yes. Well, we've spotted an Anemo Hypostasis northeast of Mondstadt." She replies, assuming I understood what she meant. I do know 'Anemo' stood for wind in this world. Not the other word, though. "Originally, a trial like this is reserved for rank 30 and above, but considering your track record, we trust you'll be able to handle it."

"Your faith makes me feel better. I appreciate the gesture." I say. "Do you have a picture or something? I have never quite encountered a 'Hypostasis' before."

"Of course. Just a moment." She crouches and searches under the desk, standing and handing me a picture a few seconds later. "Here. These entities have impenetrable shells surrounding them, and can only be damaged if you strike the core. Be careful, they can be quite dangerous."

It looks like a… cube.

Hmm. Looks boring.

"I'll be back soon," I say, putting the picture on the desk and waving at the receptionist. "Do prepare my rewards until then."

"Be safe, and may the winds guide you." She smiles.

…I still can't figure out what's off about her. She seems polite and normal enough, but at the same time, she looks… rigid? Maybe I should study her more. I'm very intrigued and want to know what it is that makes me feel that way.

But for now, it's time to hunt some geometry.

Once I'm a distance away from the front gate, I leap to where the monster should be, causing the ground beneath to crack and shatter from the force. I scan the lands from high above, squinting and seeing the cube in the distance.

I cross said distance and land in front of it. It notices and begins to move erratically, casting whirlwinds and cyclones at me. I force my scales to grow just in case and rush toward it, resisting the wind magic it's casting.

Without wasting any more time, I jump toward it and forcefully pull one of the cubes it uses to protect itself away, snatching the core and easily crushing it in my hand. The other cubes disintegrate into nothing a moment later, making me blink in surprise and disappointment.

…That's it?

+5 Levels

Shame.

I'm very close to getting a new perk, so I should probably report back and take a few more commissions.

I hope I get my wings back soon.

– Mona –

Having exerted far too much mental and physical effort the day before, the Astrologist woke up in a… less-than-good mood, especially considering there was no coffee machine around to get her going. After a long trek from the borders of the region to the city, as well as what happened with the knights, Mona just wanted to go back to bed.

But now that she was awake, that was never going to happen, so she'd have to deal with it for the moment. She freshened up and sat on the couch in the living room, taking her notebook and reading the thoughts she had already written of what had transpired.

First, her inability to somehow locate where Klee was, if that was what happened. She's aware of the child of Alice, but Mona was fairly certain the girl wasn't anywhere near as knowledgeable and experienced as her mother.

So somehow avoiding her clairvoyance seemed highly unlikely. The only thing Klee was good at was explosive making and being adorable. She was what, six? Seven? A toddler should not be capable of doing what she did.

Unless it wasn't her doing? That was the most probable explanation. But why would this individual just return Klee to her room? Initially, when Mona first heard of it, she expected some type of kidnapper who wanted to use the Spark Knight for ransom. For as formidable as Klee was with her Vision and bombs, she was still a child.

But that wasn't the case for some reason.

Whoever it was, they were dangerous. Not many could fool the stars above, and anyone with such capability should be fearsome. If the Knights of Favonius were wise, they'd do well to do some medical and magical check-ups on the child. Nobody knew what this kidnapper did to Klee. After asking her questions, of course.

Mona hoped Jean doesn't overwhelm the child, though. The acting grandmaster was very clearly distraught for the Spark Knight's wellbeing. She tried to hide it behind that brave face of hers, but she had clearly been terrified out of her mind.

Because aside from her caring about Klee deeply and treating her as her own, Alice would raze Mondstadt to the ground if something happened to her dear daughter. That woman was not someone anyone wanted to mess with, not even Mona's master.

As she continued to reread her notes, Mona hummed at the second interesting thing she'd seen yesterday. Yes, Crimson. Another traveler from a different plane of existence, just like Lumine. His very being and essence did not belong to Teyvat.

But unlike Lumine, when Mona tried to use her Astrology magic with him in mind, rather than the celestial bodies not being able to, they straight up refused to give her an answer, which shocked the young Astrologer. That was new, they never gave a response like this before, not after perfecting the art.

She knew this should be concerning, but at the same time, it was very, very fascinating. What did this mean? What could it mean? Was this a bad thing or a good thing? Who or what was Crimson, and where did he come from?

What kind of being was he for the very stars to reject her? Was it related to him personally, or to where he came from? Mona had so many questions, but no answers. She would ask the man himself, but she didn't think it would be very polite to do so, not when she barely knew him.

Having confirmed he came from a different world was one thing. Going any more than that might make him uncomfortable, and if she wanted her answers, she shouldn't do that. Simple as.

Fortunately, he seemed rather polite and very handsome, so Mona hopefully would enjoy interacting with him. A win-win. Plus, he offered to let her live here for free, so that was something she was very grateful for.

Speaking of her roommate, he was nowhere to be seen when she woke up. Perhaps he had a job? He was Lumine's friend, and considering his stature and how he held himself, she'd guess he was an adventurer like her.

Mona was admittedly curious to see how formidable he was in battle, but she didn't feel like going outside today. Just then, however, the front door opened, and in walked her roommate holding a few bags that smelled incredibly good to the definitely not starving Astrologer.

"Oh you're awake." He noted before smiling. "I bought some food for myself, but I might've gotten a bit too much. You're free to join me."

"No, no, I'm…" She paused as he plopped on the floor and began 'setting the table', but without the table. "...Fine."

Well, there was no dining table or anything. Maybe some renovation was in order.

"Are you sure?" He raised a brow at her, plating the floor with a wonderful-looking assortment of different dishes. "You don't have to pay anything. You can eat to your heart's content."

"That's kind of you," She said, quickly thinking up an excuse. She didn't want to be indebted to him any more than she already was. "But as an Astrologer, I must watch my diet–"

Unfortunately for Mona, her stomach betrayed her at this very crucial moment as it audibly growled. Her face turned a bright red color as she inwardly cursed herself for embarrassing herself like this. Crimson only chucked, though, and didn't seem bothered at all.

"Your body is saying otherwise." He said. "Come on, sit down and eat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know."

She tried to resist, she really did, but forcing herself to eat only salads for the past year – even if she did like it – because it was cheap had been painful. The damned equipment and books she bought were too expensive. She'd had to manage her money somehow.

But she couldn't. Seeing so many things she'd wanted to eat for so long right in front of her, her hunger, and the amazing smells crumbled all her defenses and resistances. Some variety every now and then wouldn't hurt, and considering it's all for free?

"W-well, if you insist, I suppose." She accepted his offer. "I'd be rude of me to decline your kindness."

"That's the spirit." His smile widened as she took a slice of pizza.

Mona cried from happiness when she took a bite.

She just couldn't refuse, no matter how hard she tried.

– Lisa –

Watching her friend and grandmaster close the door of Klee's room with a mixture of annoyance and worry, the Librarian approached Jean with her arms crossed.

"So?" Lisa asked.

"No good," Jean answered. "She's still mad at me and refuses to tell me anything."

"Unfortunate," Lisa responded. "Perhaps you should let her cool off before trying again."

"I let her 'cool off' for nearly three days now." The acting grandmaster groaned. "How long do I have to wait until she forgets about this?"

"Hmm…" The Librarian hummed, putting a hand on her chin in thought. "She seemed rather attached to that adventurer. Did she not call Crimson her 'bestest' friend? The last person she called her 'bestest' was Varka, and we know just how much Klee liked him."

Jean clenched her fists at the mention of Crimson's name, scowling in genuine anger and a hint of fear. Lisa almost sighed at her friend's views on that man. She had a feeling that this wasn't as deep as Jean is making it out to be, but considering how many problems they'd been dealing with before this humanoid dragon's arrival…

Stormterror more than likely left a mark on poor Jean, because the moment she heard that Crimson was a dragon himself, everything got much, much worse on her. Honestly, Lisa felt very bad for the woman seeing how workaholic she could be. It was very painful seeing her push herself to this point.

Just when all of them thought there was going to be peace after the initial dragon problem they had, even for just a little bit, another, possibly bigger issue made itself known. Was this another ploy by Snezhnaya? Worse yet, the Abyss Order?

Who knew? Clearly not them, though, and with how increasingly paranoid she was getting, it was only a matter of time before she did something reckless. Lisa knew her words wouldn't do much to calm her down and let her think about this more logically, from a more neutral lens, so it seemed to her that she needed to act in her own way.

"I have a suspicion…" Jean muttered. "That this is his doing."

"Jean, calm down." Lisa sighed. "Not every bad thing happening has to be related to him."

"No, he must be involved. There is no conceivable way that this is a coincidence." She disagreed. "I don't know what his goals are, but whatever it is, it requires Klee and/or Barbara."

"Barbara?"

"He keeps interacting with her, even while knowing that the knights are following him." She responds. "But I have nothing to pin on him. He acts like a normal, but I know for damn sure that he's faking it."

"Jean…"

"No, think about it." Jean whips her head at her. "First, he intimidates Kaeya so bad he comes telling me the man is dangerous, then takes Klee on this 'picnic' of his and befriends my naive sister. Tell me that isn't something to be worried about."

Now Lisa understood that train of thought. It did sound somewhat suspicious from her perspective, but there was one question that Lisa needed to be answered before she could fully get behind the idea that he was as dangerous as Jean was saying.

"That's all good and well," Lisa responded. "But if he's as strong as we're led to believe, why won't he just take what he wants forcefully? If he's as intelligent of a mastermind as you think he is, he'd take out all Vision wielders one by one in the middle of the night, making Mondstadt defenseless. No one would be able to stop him then."

"I know, but that's the point. What does he want that requires him not to kill anyone?" Jean hissed in frustration. "He's manipulative but has the power to kill all of us with barely any effort. Why not go with the less tedious method? What does this all mean?!"

Lisa… wasn't very convinced. At this point, Jean was very clearly fighting shadows. Sure, he didn't seem all that benevolent and kind from his earlier actions, but the grandmaster is reaching so far that she might just get to Inazuma.

But as she thought before, she very much doubted her words would do anything to convince her otherwise. What a pain, did she really have to act? She just wanted to manage the library and read books in peace damn it.

This is all Kaeya's fault. Damn you, Kaeya.

A deep sigh escaped Jean as she shook her head.

"...I'll be in my office if you need me." She said, walking away. "Please don't bother me unless it's urgent."

Lisa's frown deepened as she watched her friend leave, clearly not in the mood to argue or even chat. That was unfortunate, and Lisa didn't exactly know how to make her feel better or convince her that she might be a tad bit too paranoid. Just a tiny bit. A minuscule amount of paranoia.

And so, with a reluctant groan, she moved on with her plan, which was as straightforward as most of her plans. She would get her answers by asking the man/dragon/potential psycho in question, and get her answers that way.

After all, if he really was that strong, why would he bother to lie? He could simply laugh in her face, tell her that yes, he did want to kill all of them, and she probably wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

She hoped Jean was wrong, because if she wasn't, then may the Seven Archons help them all.

Lisa ordered one of the guards to get Crimson to the library, feeling slightly nervous at the prospect of him proving Jean right.

Got this chapter done quick because the family interaction scene was pretty easy to write, and I managed to keep that energy for the entire chapter. Thank god.