Chapter 235: Depressed Stelle
"Then it's settled!" Venti clapped his hands together, his serious demeanor vanishing in an instant. His expression flipped back to that of the familiar, liquor-craving bard as he leaned eagerly toward the bottle of Windblume Nectar on the table.
He shot Zhongli an expectant look, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "See, old friend? The important matters are all discussed, and our cooperation is finalized. On such a celebratory occasion, shouldn't we hold a little party? Have a proper drink? This is my treasured Windblume Nectar, hoarded for many, many years. If you miss this chance, you won't find it again!"
Zhongli watched as Venti's gaze remained practically glued to the wine bottle, and he knew perfectly well the little trick behind the bard's supposedly "generous" offer. A helpless shake of his head was accompanied by the barest hint of a smile curving his lips.
He wasn't a heavy drinker, but the thought of sharing a cup with this old friend, whom he had known for thousands of years, was not an unwelcome one.
"Very well..." Just as Zhongli reached out to unseal the bottle of Windblume Nectar, a loud, somewhat boisterous voice boomed from outside the room, growing closer with every word.
"Zhongli! I could smell the wine wafting from your place a mile away! Good heavens, you've been secretly hoarding the good stuff, haven't you? Quick, let me have a taste!"
Before the last word had even faded, the door burst open with a resounding bang. The towering figure of Ruotuo strode in. In one hand, he carried a large box of steaming, richly spicy beef offal swimming in chili oil. In the other, he held a bundle of sizzling, fragrant grilled wild mushroom and chicken skewers.
"Perfect timing! I brought some snacks to go with the drinks!" Ruotuo's voice boomed as he placed the food on the table. Only then did he notice the green-clad figure sitting across from Zhongli.
"Eh?" His eyes widened in recognition. "Isn't that Barbato—er, no, no." He paused, as if catching himself before speaking a god's true name aloud, and quickly corrected himself. "Isn't that Venti? What are you doing running all the way to Liyue in the middle of the night?"
Venti's eyes lit up. Wasn't this the perfect reinforcement?
He immediately pointed to the Windblume Nectar on the table and announced with great enthusiasm, "Ruotuo, you're here! Just in time! I specially brought my carefully brewed, one-of-a-kind Windblume Nectar for my dear old friend Zhongli!"
At the words "Windblume Nectar," Ruotuo's eyes instantly brightened. He took a deep, appreciative sniff, a look of pure delight spreading across his face. "Windblume Nectar? Good heavens! You certainly know how to live!"
He then patted the oiled paper packages and meat skewers he had brought, turning to Zhongli. "Look, we have the wine, and I've got the dishes ready—all fresh from Wanmin Restaurant! How about... we just make do with a bite right here?"
Zhongli looked at the two of them—a bard practically vibrating with anticipation for a drink, and an old friend and former subordinate who had invited himself in with a full spread of food. He sighed, a familiar sense of fond helplessness washing over him.
His golden eyes swept over the precious bottle of Windblume Nectar and the enticingly fragrant food on the table before he finally gave a gentle nod.
"Very well. Since both the wine and the dishes are prepared, and your enthusiasm is hard to refuse... It has been a long time since I last drank with the two of you. Let us have a few sips today."
Soon, the unique, mellow aroma of Windblume Nectar filled the guest room of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, mingling with the spicy scent of chili oil beef offal and the smoky fragrance of grilled skewers.
The three beings, each with their own extraordinary status, sat around the table, clinking glasses. They no longer discussed grand plans for the continent's future, but rather shared old anecdotes and trivial, amusing stories, the atmosphere relaxed and harmonious.
Meanwhile, in the distant land of Natlan, outside the Holy Fire Arena...
A cool night breeze blew through the grounds, dispelling some of the oppressive stuffiness of the summer night.
Lumine and Paimon were supporting a somewhat dizzy and wobbly Citlali, one on each side. They paced slowly through the open area outside the arena, helping her sober up.
"Ugh... just, just one more drink... I can still drink..." Citlali mumbled indistinctly, her body leaning limply against Lumine's shoulder.
Paimon floated beside them, her hands on her hips and her small face a mask of exasperation. "Honestly! You have such a low tolerance for alcohol, yet you insisted on drinking so much... Now look what happened!"
Lumine just smiled helplessly, carefully supporting Citlali's weight.
After a long night of back-and-forth conversation, they had finally pieced together a more complete version of the truth. They now understood the deeper reasons why the Captain and the Pyro Archon, Mavuika, had diverged in their paths and ultimately clashed, and why Olorun had chosen to side with the Captain.
The situation in Natlan was far more complex than it appeared on the surface. Behind the five-hundred-year plan lay the hopes, sacrifices, and difficult choices of countless people.
"It seems our journey in Natlan is far from over," Lumine whispered to Paimon, her gaze fixed on the bonfires still flickering within the Holy Fire Arena. "Tomorrow, we still have to continue dealing with things here."
Paimon nodded vigorously. "Mhm! We promised to keep an eye on Chasca for Chuychu, and as for the Captain... we also need to figure out what else we can do to help."
And so, without them even realizing it, as the exploration event [Temporary Stelle of Amphoreus] announced by the chat group entered its final day, the group members scattered across various worlds found themselves unable to participate due to their own sudden and pressing affairs.
Zhongli, in Liyue, needed to begin the initial preparations for the communication system.
Lumine and Paimon, in Natlan, were deeply entangled in the local complexities and their own commitments.
Wise and Belle, in the world of Zenless Zone Zero, had to attend the grand opening ceremony of Zhitobog and the Overlord's feast hosted by the Children of Calydon.
And as for the four newest members of the chat group—Welt, Himeko, Hu Tao, and Venti—they were unable to use the "Domain Anchor" to teleport to the world of Amphoreus, as they hadn't been in the group when the event began and thus hadn't registered in advance.
By the next morning...
[Honkai: Star Rail - Stelle]: "Ah?! Is everyone really not coming? (´;ω;`)"
Stelle, who had woken up early and in high spirits, saw the string of apologetic messages in the group chat. She instantly wilted like an eggplant hit by frost, her usual vibrant energy draining away until she looked almost petrified.
[Genshin Impact - Lumine]: "Sorry, Stelle. Things here in Natlan are a bit tricky, and I can't get away right now."
[Zenless Zone Zero - Belle]: "We have to attend Zhitobog's opening ceremony here. It's very important, and we can't be absent."
[Genshin Impact - Hu Tao]: "Oh dear, this Director would love to visit another world, but unfortunately, I missed the registration! Be sure to include me in the next event!"
[Honkai: Star Rail - Welt]: "Stelle, please be careful. We are also dealing with some anomalies at the space station and cannot go."
[Honkai: Star Rail - Himeko]: "I look forward to hosting everyone on the Astral Express next time."
Watching message after message pop up, each one explaining why someone couldn't come, Stelle squatted in a corner, miserably drawing circles on the ground with her finger.
'It's the last day, and I really wanted to have fun with everyone...'
March 7th saw her dejected state and was about to go over and comfort her, but then Stelle suddenly looked up. The disappointment in her eyes was instantly replaced by a familiar, curious, and eager gleam.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]