Chapter Twenty-Four: Entering Teyvat for the First Time

Himeko, however, had no intention of prying further. After all, who on this train didn't have a secret or two?

She offered a gentle smile toward Welt. "Thank you for your hard work, Welt."

Welt merely shook his head. "It is nothing."

Seeing this, Ye Yun snapped his fingers, and a portal materialized before them. "Let’s go, everyone. It’s time to see how Lumine is doing."

With that, the group stepped through the portal, traveling to the world where Lumine resided.

...

In Teyvat, within a canyon near the Starsnatch Cliff by Starfell Lake, Ye Yun and his companions emerged. Hook and Clara, the two youngsters, were visibly thrilled by the vibrant, lush world before them.

"Wow! It’s so beautiful here! Hook loves it!"
"Yes, Clara loves it here too."

Welt, meanwhile, was crouched beside a shrub, observing an Anemo Crystalfly with rapt attention. The creature felt dreamlike to him; as it fluttered about, it left a trail of tiny, pale green, star-like sparkles in its wake.

Himeko and Ye Yun stayed close to the two children, chatting while keeping a watchful eye on them. Lumine and Paimon, on the other hand, were busy touring the off-road recreational vehicle they had just purchased.

Lumine couldn't wait to open the door. Upon stepping inside, she saw a dinette set with seating for four facing the entrance. To the right was a compact bathroom, roughly four square meters in size. Further right were bunk beds—spacious and comfortable—with a large, one-way glass window beside them. The window took up a significant portion of the wall, flooding the interior with sunlight and eliminating the need for artificial lighting.

To the left of the door was a small kitchenette equipped with a gas stove. Directly opposite the kitchenette was a six-square-meter storage compartment. Beyond that lay the driver’s cabin.

Paimon flew up to the top bunk and flopped down. "Wow! Lumine! This bed is so comfortable!"

Lumine felt a great sense of accomplishment looking at the RV that was now hers—purchased entirely with Primogems she had earned herself. From here on out, this vehicle would accompany her as she traveled across Teyvat in search of her brother.

She walked into the driver’s cabin and honked the horn to grab the attention of the others. As everyone looked over, she rolled down the window and shouted happily, "Everyone, get in! We’re setting off!"

Clara and Hook, their hands full of bright, colorful flowers, trotted toward the RV. Himeko and Ye Yun followed close behind. Welt carefully placed an Anemo Crystalfly into a glass bottle before joining them.

Once everyone was aboard, Lumine closed the door. "Attention, passengers! The Traveler is about to depart; please hold on and sit tight!"

Ye Yun raised an eyebrow. "Lumine, do you have a driver’s license?"

Lumine went silent. She certainly didn't have one of those. But, she reasoned, as long as she knew how to drive, what did it matter?

"O-of course I do! It’s just... not on me right now. Hurry up and sit down, I’m starting the engine!"

Ye Yun teased her, "Lumine, it’s not shameful to not have a license, you know?"

Lumine, unable to handle the mockery, erupted. "Ye Yun!!! You’re dead meat!!!!"

In an instant, the RV was filled with laughter. After a brief bit of playful chaos, Lumine ignited the engine, stepped on the gas, and drove toward Mondstadt.

On a distant hilltop, Venti, the Anemo Archon, sat watching the vehicle speed past below with curious eyes. "Interesting. That thing moves quite fast."

With a flick of his wrist, Venti transformed into a gentle breeze and drifted toward the RV.

...

The RV traveled for over an hour before coming to a stop in front of a statue. Paimon pointed toward the statue in the middle of the lake.

"That’s a Statue of The Seven! There are seven nations in Teyvat, and each one is governed by a deity. These statues are carved in the image of those gods. We’re in Mondstadt now, and the deity here is Barbatos, the Anemo Archon who governs the wind. Let’s go take a look! I hear that praying at the statues brings good luck!"

The group was intrigued. Lumine walked to the shore and prepared to jump in, but Ye Yun quickly held her back.

"What are you doing? You’re planning to swim all that way?"

Lumine looked at the distance to the islet. It wasn't that far. "Yeah, why?"

Ye Yun chuckled. "No need to swim. I’ll fly you all over."

With that, he harnessed his power to lift the group and glide toward the islet. Hook flapped her arms, mimicking a bird, and giggled. "Hook can fly! Fly, fly, fly!"

Soon, they arrived at the base of the statue. Under Paimon’s guidance, Lumine successfully resonated with the statue and gained the power of Anemo. Ye Yun, Welt, and Himeko tried as well, but nothing happened. It seemed this was a unique trait of Lumine.

However, Lumine didn't seem as excited as one might expect. Instead, she rubbed her chin, staring at the statue and deep in thought. Ye Yun walked over and tapped her shoulder to snap her out of it.

"What are you thinking about?"

Lumine blinked, startled. "I was wondering if I could trade this Statue of The Seven for some Stellar Jades. It’s a pretty unique item, don't you think?"

Ye Yun sighed. *Good grief, that's definitely you, Traveler. Leaving nothing but scorched earth in your wake.*

Just as Lumine pulled out her Dull Blade, intending to chip off a piece of the statue to see if it had any trade value, Venti, watching from the shadows, widened his eyes in horror. *This traveler actually wants to dismantle my statue!*

Fortunately, Ye Yun stopped her, or Venti would have been forced to intervene. These statues were connected to "the one in the heavens," and he couldn't afford any trouble.

Later, Lumine continued driving the RV with the others in tow. Ye Yun leaned against the window, enjoying the scenery while snacking on a freshly picked Sunsettia.

Eventually, they encountered Amber in the Whispering Woods. After an introduction, Amber joined them in the RV. Along the way, the group cleared out a few Hilichurl camps.

Two hours later, they finally reached the bridge outside the city of Mondstadt. Ye Yun couldn't help but feel puzzled. If Lumine had already met Amber, why hadn't they run into Venti and Dvalin in the woods? By the original timeline, Lumine should have encountered them just before meeting Amber.

After mulling it over, he gave up. What Ye Yun didn't know was that Venti had intentionally lured Dvalin away to prevent him from showing himself. In Venti’s estimation, Ye Yun, Himeko, and Welt were all far from ordinary, and he feared for Dvalin’s safety. To keep the dragon alive, Venti had diverted his path.

*Tsk, tsk,* Venti thought to himself. *I really am a diligent god.*