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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 20: A Village in a Market

P.S. I now have a discord server! Discord .gg/ceBMM2Zz6c

The trip to Inazuma may have done something to set Lumine's expectations to be quite above the ones she had for Liyue. Didn't help that Liyue blew her out of her mind with its own culture and lore.

But when they arrived to their new destination, a deep sense of disappointment washed upon her. First, towards Ritou. The place which Beidou described as the only port connecting Liyue to Inazuma was... it couldn't even be called a village. It was a 'village within a market'.

There were more stores than proper local homes. The merchants ranged from Liyue, from Mondstadt, and even from other regions they hadn't visited like Natlan and Snezhnaya. And then it hit her that they were being monitored, controlled and tailed.

"Why would they do that?" Paimon asked and, for some rather odd reasons, Lumine couldn't bring herself to even wonder. She was just... tired. Tired of looking, tired of being pushed into helping strangers, tired of... well, not having a moment of pause from the action.

Sure, she was never shying afaying from helping- but it was also true this was not how she expected her first step into Inazuma's big problems to start with.

"Possibly because they have been told about us," Kratos muttered, the edge in his voice raising the group's alert.

Kazuha had 'vanished' from their surroundings as he had to check a few things with Beidou, but it was clear that he had left them here. Was this planned? Could it be that the young man had tricked Captain Beidou too?

An ambush like that sounded more irritating than else, but their bad luck's streak seemed to end as someone did end up finding them as Kazuha had promised a while before docking into Ritou.

An 'old acquaintance' of Kazuha found them.

Thoma was from Mondstadt, but he had long relocated by following his merchant father in Inazuma. He had been under the Kamisato Clan's service for a few years now, and while the family didn't sound familiar to the group, he started to explain the situation in Ritou and Inazuma.

Inazuma had been stuck in an isolation bubble for a long time, and even more recently the Shogunate has been hunting down people with Visions and strip them from their owner.

And this created a circumstance to worry about considering that Shenhe (and by their own discovery Thoma too) had a Vision.

Why? Well, no one knew. Only that the Shogun exerted her power to 'make sure that no one unworthy could claim the visions'. Which made absolutely no sense.

"Well, that's how politics work here," Thoma remarked with a smile and a bit of dry humor. No one laughed, but the blonde wasn't trying to make it a joke - it was reality and... Lumine had a feeling this was far more complex than just that.

"So, what if we needed to speak with the Shogun?" She finally asked, and Thoma offered her a shrug.

"I will be honest, many would love to speak with the Archon, but she had long isolated herself from most affairs and only a few folks have been able to reach her. Not even most of the Clans tied to the Tri-commissions can get a proper summon nowadays."

That was another hurdle, and not one that she had enough info to go around to.

"So, with all that information delivered, what will you do?"

Lumine was ready to ask for directions to leave the village but-

"We need a place to stay for the day. A place that is discreet enough to avoid trouble."

Kratos' voice pierced through her expectations, leaving her look quizzical at the bald warrior. Of all possible outcomes, this was a novelty. Kratos was known to hate people 'watching' him, but for him to request a place where to rest... this was weird- no wrong.

"Hm? Resting now? I thought you would have-"

"I believe we have much to think. Especially when you madeyour caseclear to us," Kratos interjected, sounding quite frustrated just now.

Lumine kept her mouth shut as she just waited for the right time to express her annoyance. Thoma was equally puzzled, but he recovered fast enough as he led them to a distant shack, close to the coast but far from Ritou's proper exit into Narukami's land.

There was a strange tense pause as he left and-

"Why do we have to stay here?" The blonde demanded, furious at this turn of events. "We have much to do and see if this region is actually-"

"Cease."

The single word made her resolve crumble a little, but it wasn't enough to fully stop her.

"It's now fair! Are you going to tell me we need to sit here and-"

"Rest, yes."

Lumine felt her outrage rising, but she was confused by something quite oddier. Shenhe was covering all windows. All windows.

"...We are not really..."

Kratos offered a single glance that told her much more than needed.

"Why?"

"First," Kratos muttered, "You are clearly not in the right mindset, and also... we are being watched. To 'plot' to disrupt the law in front of guards is a foolish endeavor."

"And we can't do so with someone that is being followed too," Shenhe remarked quietly, finishing her chore before turning her attention to the conversation. "Thoma was also being tailed."

That sounded rather ominous.

"So... what do we do?"

"We understand the 'limits' of those people, and then we leave."

"What about the 'cause' you mentioned?" Paimon asked, chipping in the chat. "You said that Thoma said something about his 'cause', but Paimon just heard him talk about Inazuma's problems."

"And how his family was keen to see those fixed," Shenhe added, providing Lumine with the hint needed to make her own thought on the topic.

"He wants us to help because that would get the Shogun's attention on us."

Kratos nodded, and while Lumine wasn't fully sold on the matter, she could see the viable options behind it.

And...

After that little circumstance involving her brother and Dainsleif, perhaps she needed a break from all of it. A trip back into adventuring to save another country, hopefully without dealing with any strange plan from either the Abyss or the Fatui.

If only Lumine could learn to stop jinxing herself at this point.

AN

Next time... Fox goes to Master and wants her Master to actually care. Tragically, Master is busy sitting in her girl-cave for eternity (until Kratos comes by).