[Zhongtuo: Is there any good food at this festival? I want to bring some back for Qiqi and Klee. Hmm, preferably the kind that kids love.]
[Yae Miko, Embodiment of Wisdom and Beauty: Children usually like to eat sweet things. Things like Tricolor Dango would be very suitable.]
[Yoimiya: Let me know when you are about to leave Inazuma, Zhongtuo. I will help you pick out some delicious food. Since some foods cannot be preserved for a long time, buying them now means you would not be able to take them back.]
[Thoma: Speaking of which, I can also help prepare some Inazuman snacks. The Kamisato Clan always makes extra whenever we make sweets. I will pack a portion for you then.]
[Zhongtuo: Then thank you. When you all come to Liyue, I will treat you to Liyue's local specialties.]
[Kamisato Ayaka: Thoma, there is a festival tonight. Did you not come to join the fun?]
Thoma, who was originally happy about making a new friend, instantly froze when he saw this message from the Young Lady.
It is over. It is completely over.
He had been so focused on chatting in the group that he completely forgot the mission the Young Lady had assigned him.
Thoma's hands trembled slightly as he held his phone. He now did not know whether to reply to Ayaka's message first or go into the festival to find her and continue with the plan.
No, the plan must continue.
The Young Lady had finally made up her mind to confess today. He could not let her fail because of his own negligence.
After some thought, Thoma decided to execute the plan first. If the plan went smoothly, even if the Young Lady eventually found out he had forgotten his task because of group chatting, she would not punish him too severely. Thinking of this, Thoma hurriedly ran toward the center of the festival.
...
Meanwhile, at a skewer stall at the festival, Su Bai and the others were eating various kinds of fried skewers. On the surface, Ayaka chatted calmly with Su Bai and the others, but in reality, she was anxious to death inside.
What is wrong with Thoma? This has never happened before.
If Thoma did not show up soon, the festival would be over, and it would be too late.
"These fried skewers are truly delicious. I never expected such simple ingredients to taste so good after being deep-fried and coated in sauce."
"Huh? Ayaka, why are you not eating? Does it not suit your taste?"
Paimon, who had already finished her portion of skewers early on, tilted her head in confusion when she saw that Ayaka's skewers were barely touched. Asked by Paimon, Ayaka, who had a lot on her mind, could only gather her thoughts and reply.
"No, the skewers taste very good. I am just a bit worried about Thoma."
"Thoma? How could a big guy like Thoma get lost? Just relax and enjoy the food and drinks, Ayaka."
Paimon's words made Ayaka feel a bit more at ease. Based on her understanding of Thoma, he must have been held up by something. Otherwise, he would not have failed to start the plan by now.
"Sigh, the Vision Hunt Decree. I really do not know what that old hag Ei is thinking."
Watching the Shogun's Army soldiers constantly weaving through the crowd and checking the festival attendees for Visions, Su Bai could not help but sigh. In his opinion, the harm of the Vision Hunt Decree to Inazuma far outweighed its benefits.
As for why the Shogun's Army did not come to arrest Su Bai even though he had a Vision, one would have to ask Kujou Sara, who had already given the soldiers a heads-up.
Lumine also felt deeply about Su Bai's sigh. She had been in Inazuma for three or four days now. While completing commissions these past few days, she had witnessed many tragedies that had already occurred, but the Raiden Shogun seemed to not care about any of it.
This scene reminded Lumine of the words her friend from another world used to always say. If she ever had the chance, she definitely wanted to ask the Raiden Shogun: Have you ever thought of a time when friends are no longer friends, and homes are no longer homes? Have you heard the wailing of children? Have you felt the city tearing itself apart? Have you noticed the grins of those whose schemes have succeeded?
...
Just as the atmosphere was gradually becoming heavy, our overly stuffed Thoma finally found Su Bai and the others while clutching his stomach. The journey to find them had put his stomach through quite an ordeal.
"Young Lady, so this is where you are."
"Oh, Thoma? Ayaka was just worried something had happened to you. Where did you go? You really had us worried."
Paimon lectured Thoma like a little adult. Ayaka's gaze toward Thoma was also full of inquiry. Thoma scratched his head embarrassingly and chuckled before speaking.
"I ate some seafood at noon and my stomach felt a bit uncomfortable. I just ordered a cup of hot milk tea at a beverage shop to warm my stomach."
"Huh? Stomachache? That is really a shame. The fried skewers here are really delicious. If your stomach is upset, you cannot eat such greasy food, Thoma."
Paimon took another skewer from Lumine's bowl and stuffed it into her mouth. The delicious sauce paired with fresh ingredients made Paimon want to snatch another one from Lumine.
"Indeed, the flavor of these skewers is very good. Hmm, when I have time later, I can pack some to bring to Miko. She seems quite interested in fried skewers too."
After stuffing the last piece of fish tofu into his mouth, Su Bai generously offered his praise. The shop owner's culinary skills were truly top-notch, and the prices were relatively cheap.
"Right, right? I told you it was delicious."
Thoma touched his still bloated stomach and gave a bitter smile. If he had not eaten so much, he would have wanted to try them too.
Sigh, forget it. I should chat with them for a bit first and then find an excuse to take the Traveler away.
Meanwhile, Hu Tao, along with Zhongli and Azhdaha, was also rushing toward the festival grounds.
...
[Hu Tao: Where is everyone? Why did the group chat suddenly go quiet? This Director still wanted to ask someone about what good food is at the festival.]
[Yae Miko, Embodiment of Wisdom and Beauty: Little Hu Tao, the festival is at its liveliest right now. Everyone in the group should be attending it. If you want to know what is good to eat at the festival, I absolutely must recommend Fried Tofu to you.]
[Hu Tao: Fried Tofu? I think I ate that when I was in Liyue. As for the taste, I did not think it was anything special.]
[Yae Miko, Embodiment of Wisdom and Beauty: Oh my, oh my, little one. Fried Tofu is a rare delicacy in this world. Come to the Grand Narukami Shrine someday and try the Fried Tofu made by this Guuji. Then you will know what true Fried Tofu is.]
[Zhongli: Generally speaking, based on rationality, perhaps we should try some of Inazuma's local specialties. The same food represents different levels of fondness in different people's hearts. For example, the Butter Crab you just bought, Director Hu, I am not very interested in it.]
[Hu Tao: Huh? Zhongli, this crab has absolutely no fishy smell at all. Are you really not going to try it?]
[Kuki Shinobu: Everyone, sorry to interrupt your conversation. Has anyone around the festival seen a very burly white-haired idiot? He might be followed by three underlings. If you see him, please be sure to notify me.]
[Zhongtuo: Is this the person you are looking for? (Image)]