Before meeting Zhongli, Tartaglia's life had been like a smooth ride—a protagonist's journey. Everything he did was completed at lightning speed. Even the Tsaritsa had praised his exceptional abilities more than once. That was why she had entrusted him and La Signora with such an important mission in Liyue.
But who could have guessed that from the very first time he met Zhongli at Wanmin Restaurant—from the moment he was tricked into paying for the first bill—Tartaglia, a Fatui Harbinger, had become Zhongli's walking wallet. Whenever Tartaglia was around, all the bills went on his tab.
Once, he could accept. Twice, he could accept. But every single time? He couldn't shake the feeling of being taken advantage of. Without realizing it, he had already lost to Zhongli.
For Tartaglia, who had always ridden high, losing to anyone—even a god of Liyue—was unacceptable. That was why, when he heard Zhongli was listening to stories at Wangshu Inn, he didn't hesitate to agree to La Signora's reckless plan. He wanted to regain his footing before Zhongli.
But who could have predicted so many gods would be here? He was finished. The outcome was clear: another complete defeat. Not only had La Signora lost herself to the stories, but Tartaglia himself was trapped, treated as a payment machine by these insufferable gods with no way to escape.
He had truly lost this round. The Tsaritsa had been right—Liyue was a dangerous place. He had been far too careless.
...
While Tartaglia brooded over his predicament and plotted his counterattack, in another corner of the inn, La Signora, though she had become the target of the storyteller's blade and had been moved to tears, was treated far better than Tartaglia. Whether it was tea or sweet snacks, Hu Tao and Keqing took the initiative to pay. La Signora didn't have to worry about a thing.
More importantly, Shenhe, Hu Tao, and the others had set aside their hostility toward her. They had gradually come to accept this pitiable woman, even treating her as a friend rather than an enemy. When the stories brought her to tears, Shenhe comforted her. When her Pyro energy flared, Keqing, Hu Tao, and the others helped suppress it.
Here, La Signora felt warmth she hadn't experienced in five hundred years. She rediscovered the feelings she had lost, and even her cold expression began to soften, becoming more like Rosalyne of old.
Just then, Hu Tao glanced at the frozen projections above the inn, as if she had noticed something. With a serious expression, she said, "Everyone, I hate to bring this up again, but I have to say—I've discovered something extremely important!"
Keqing blinked. "???"
Shenhe looked puzzled. "???"
Beidou pondered. "Hu Tao, what have you found now?"
Xiangling was surprised. "Oh, did we overlook something important? Or have you discovered some secret?"
Kazuha grew impatient. "Just say it already—stop keeping us in suspense."
Hearing this and seeing Hu Tao's grave expression, everyone grew serious, thinking she had uncovered a secret—perhaps the protagonist's final reincarnation or a clue to the next life.
Just as they were wondering, Hu Tao said with utter seriousness, "I hate to say it, but I have to—those people in Mondstadt are absolutely amateurish when it comes to funeral services. Completely unprofessional."
Keqing was still confused. "What do you mean by amateurish?"
Xiangling didn't understand either. "Hu Tao, what are you talking about? Could you be clearer?"
Hu Tao sighed. "Haven't any of you noticed? Knight Rostam's funeral—whether it was the ceremony or the burial method—was completely wrong for a Deputy Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. From start to finish, it was full of mistakes. How could such a shoddy funeral allow Knight Rostam to rest in peace?"
She raised a hand and pointed at the frozen projection above the inn. Everyone followed her gaze. The image showed Rostam's funeral. Judging by the visuals alone, it indeed did not conform to Liyue's customs, nor did it suit the status of a knight like Rostam.
But was Hu Tao overlooking something important? For instance, the funeral had taken place in Mondstadt, not Liyue Harbor. The customs followed were those of Mondstadt, not Liyue.
Xiangling was the first to realize this. "Hu Tao, don't talk nonsense. That's Mondstadt, not Liyue. There's no reason for them to follow our customs."
Keqing nodded. "That's right."
Beidou sighed. "Hu Tao, could you stop making such a fuss? I thought you'd discovered some secret."
Hu Tao, hearing their explanations, suddenly understood. She let out an awkward but polite laugh. "Haha—I see. Well, before long, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's business will expand to Mondstadt anyway. By the way, I haven't seen Miss Traveler Lumine in a few days—or that amusing Paimon. Where have they gone? They really should come listen to the stories too. There might even be stories about them."
Slightly embarrassed, Hu Tao quickly changed the subject to avoid further awkwardness.
The mention of Lumine and Paimon caught everyone's attention—they had all met the pair and were even good friends with them.
Xiangling echoed, "That's right. I haven't seen them at Wanmin Restaurant since they had my cooking half a month ago."
Keqing added seriously, "They're travelers. They can't stay in one place forever. It's natural for them to leave Liyue."
Hearing this, Beidou suddenly smiled. "Miss Lumine and that amusing Paimon? When Kazuha and I were returning from Inazuma, we happened to run into them at sea. They should have reached Inazuma by now."
Kazuha nodded. "That's right. Their destination was Narukami Island in Inazuma."
...
Meanwhile, across the sea, on Narukami Island in Inazuma, Lumine and Paimon, who had been in Inazuma City for two full days, had explored almost every corner of the city, sampled its delicacies, and met many interesting people.