Chapter 362: The Generous Paimon
Just as the awkward tension in the room threatened to freeze solid, a shrill, grievance-filled shriek shattered the silence.
"Ah—?! Who... who are you?!"
Paimon stomped her tiny boots in mid-air, her finger trembling furiously as she pointed at an empty cardboard sleeve. Just moments ago, it had been brimming with golden, crispy fries. Now, not even a single crumb remained.
Following the trajectory of her tiny, accusing finger, the group's collective gaze landed on a petite, blue-skinned Oni girl. Soukaku had somehow crept up to their table completely unnoticed. A suspicious smear of grease and ketchup lingered at the corner of her mouth.
"How could you eat all of Paimon's fries without saying a single word!" Paimon yelled, crossing her arms. "That's way too cunning!"
Instantly becoming the center of attention, Soukaku flinched. She hurriedly wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks. Her hands nervously drifted up to fiddle with the small horns on her head.
"I... I'm sorry..." she mumbled, her voice shrinking into a pitiful, aggrieved squeak. "But I was just so hungry... I've been running around on missions since the crack of dawn and haven't had a chance to eat a proper meal all day. When I smelled that delicious aroma, I... I just couldn't control myself..."
A sharp throb pulsed at Tsukishiro Yanagi's temples. The Deputy Chief of Section 6 let out a quiet sigh and immediately stepped forward, placing herself between the apologetic Oni and the floating fairy.
"I am truly sorry for the disturbance," Yanagi said, bowing her head slightly toward Paimon and Lumine. "I am Tsukishiro Yanagi from Hollow Special Operations Section 6. This is Soukaku. She is... still young, and her metabolism burns through calories at an alarming rate. It is entirely my fault for taking my eyes off her."
She gestured toward the empty fry box. "We will, of course, compensate you for the meal."
Lumine offered a gentle, understanding smile and waved her hand dismissively. "It's perfectly fine, Miss Yanagi. It was just a small snack. Please don't worry about it."
Meanwhile, the moment Paimon heard Soukaku's tragic confession of 'not eating a proper meal all day,' her fiery indignation evaporated. The anger of having her snacks stolen was instantly replaced by an overwhelming, deep wave of sympathy. If there was one thing Paimon understood on a spiritual level, it was the sheer, unbearable agony of an empty stomach.
"You really haven't eaten anything all day? That's so pitiful!" Paimon floated right up to Soukaku, her large eyes shining with empathetic concern. "Well, since you apologized so nicely, Paimon will forgive you!"
Before anyone could blink, Paimon reached into the empty space behind her back. With a dramatic whoosh, she whipped out a neatly folded fabric covered in complex, whimsical patterns. She fluttered over to an empty table nearby and snapped the fabric down, spreading the [Gourmet Tablecloth] flat across the surface.
"Just watch Paimon!" She patted the magical cloth with her little hands, her mouth moving at lightning speed as she recited a rapid-fire list of dishes.
The very next second, the air above the table warped. A soft, golden light shimmered across the fabric, and like a miracle pulled straight from a fairy tale, a lavish, steaming banquet materialized out of thin air.
The rich, savory aroma of a perfectly roasted, golden-crisp Sweet Madame filled the room. Beside it sat a massive, sizzling steak drenched in a thick peppercorn sauce, a towering mountain of fluffy white rice, and several chilled, glass bottles of Fonta, their carbonated bubbles popping cheerfully at the rim. The sheer variety and generous portions made it look as though an entire high-end restaurant's kitchen had been teleported directly onto the table.
"Wow—!" Soukaku's eyes blew wide open, practically sparkling like twin lanterns. A thick line of clear drool slipped uncontrollably from the corner of her mouth. She stared unblinkingly at the feast, a desperate, longing whimper vibrating in the back of her throat.
Snapping her head around, she looked up at Yanagi. Her large, watery eyes pleaded with an intensity that could melt glaciers. "Yanagi-nee..." her voice trembled, heavy with raw desire.
The implication was painfully obvious.
Yet, at that exact moment, Tsukishiro Yanagi was experiencing a level of psychological shock that vastly eclipsed whatever she had felt watching Stelle's earlier chaotic antics.
Her sharp gaze locked onto the seemingly ordinary tablecloth, then swept over the steaming, perfectly plated dishes. The colors, the heat radiating from the meat, the rich aromas—it was all entirely real.
Her analytical mind spun into overdrive. This cannot be explained by any existing spatial compression technology in New Eridu. Material teleportation on this scale, complete with temperature preservation? Impossible.
What she had just witnessed was the literal creation of matter from nothing. It violently shattered the fundamental laws of conservation of mass and energy, completely exceeding the boundaries of her scientific cognition. These 'mysterious friends' of Wise and Belle possessed technology—or perhaps supernatural abilities—that were far more terrifyingly advanced than she had initially calculated.
Swallowing hard, Yanagi forcibly suppressed the surging tidal wave of questions in her mind. Now was not the time to interrogate them about reality-bending artifacts.
She glanced down at Soukaku, who looked ready to dive headfirst into the steak, then at Paimon, who was practically glowing with smug pride. Finally, she looked at Wise and Belle, who merely offered wry, accustomed smiles. Taking a slow, steadying breath, Yanagi gave Soukaku a brief nod of approval.
Turning back to Lumine and Paimon, Yanagi's tone shifted. It grew far more solemn, carrying an imperceptible undercurrent of deep awe. "Thank you both immensely for your generosity. We are... truly imposing on you."
Paimon waved her tiny hands dismissively, her chest puffed out with the supreme satisfaction of a benevolent benefactor. "It's nothing, it's nothing! We already said we're friends, so there's no need to be so stiff! Eat up, eat up! It won't taste good if you let the meat get cold!"
The moment she received official clearance, Soukaku let out a victorious cheer. She practically launched herself at the table. Completely ignoring the silverware, she grabbed a massive roasted chicken leg with her bare hands and tore into it, her eyes curving into happy little crescents as she chewed.
Watching Soukaku wolf down the food with such pure joy, and seeing Paimon's genuine, enthusiastic hospitality, the thick wall of vigilance Yanagi had built up began to quietly melt away.
At the very least, this miraculous [Gourmet Tablecloth] had done more than just fill an Oni's empty stomach. The rich, comforting scent of roasted meat and the casual act of sharing a meal acted as a perfect bridge, effectively dispelling the initial hostility and suspicion in the room.
However, as the Deputy Chief of Section 6, Yanagi could not afford to completely abandon her professional caution.
She decided to use this gradually warming, harmonious atmosphere to initiate a more formal dialogue. She needed to determine if these individuals—capable of conjuring matter from thin air and wielding bizarre, unknown technologies—posed any latent threat to Wise, Belle, or the broader infrastructure of New Eridu.
Guided by Yanagi's polite but probing questions, an informal intelligence exchange naturally unfolded between the Chat Group members and the Section 6 operative.
Naturally, out of an abundance of caution, Lumine, Stelle, and the others did not explicitly announce that they were interdimensional travelers from entirely different universes.
For once, Stelle decided not to act like a complete gremlin. She crossed her arms, puffed out her chest, and spoke with the quiet, dignified pride unique to a Nameless. "We hail from the Astral Express..."
She had barely gotten halfway through her dramatic introduction when, without any warning, she threw herself sideways, executing a flawless, high-speed combat dodge roll right across the floor.
The entire room fell dead silent. Everyone stared at the gray-haired girl crouching on the ground, completely utterly bewildered by her sudden acrobatic display.
Realizing how ridiculous she looked, Stelle coughed awkwardly and stood up, casually dusting off her coat. "Ah, my apologies. I'm still not entirely used to piloting this proxy avatar. My main body back home is currently dodging a rather aggressive enemy attack."
She cleared her throat. "Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. You can basically understand the Astral Express as an organization that travels between the stars, helping various planets solve their local disasters along the way."
Yanagi's expression remained perfectly neutral, but internally, she immediately filed Stelle's entire speech under 'Delusions of Grandeur'. Given Stelle's previous erratic behavior, combined with the fact that humanity was currently trapped within the confines of New Eridu due to the Hollow disasters, the concept of 'interstellar travel' sounded like the ramblings of a severe chuunibyou.
Sensing the disconnect, Lumine smoothly stepped in, offering a description that was far more grounded and digestible for a local resident. "Paimon and I, along with Mr. Zhongli and Venti, come from a distant place called Teyvat. We are simply traveling across various regions, accumulating knowledge, mastering new skills, and gaining worldly experience."
Paimon puffed out her chest, planting her hands on her hips as she hovered in the air. "That's right! We are super-experienced Travelers, and I am the best guide in the world!"
Yanagi listened intently, her sharp eyes sweeping over the eclectic group as her brain worked at maximum capacity to categorize the data.
The individuals claiming to be from the 'Astral Express' possessed a highly distinct, militaristic aura. The gray-haired girl, Stelle, despite her utterly bizarre behavior, moved with the heavy, grounded center of gravity of a seasoned frontline veteran. The young man named Dan Heng was cold, precise, and hyper-vigilant, while the pink-haired girl, March 7th, provided a bubbly, disarming contrast. They operated like a perfectly balanced, high-tech tactical squad—likely a secretive, elite anti-Hollow society.
Then there was the 'Teyvat' faction. Yanagi assumed it was simply an unregistered settlement out in the wasteland. Yet, these individuals felt entirely different. The tall man named Zhongli exuded an oppressive, ancient majesty. Every word he spoke carried the weight of centuries, his posture flawless. And the bard in green, Venti, appeared carefree and drunk, yet his eyes held a terrifyingly clear, piercing depth that missed absolutely nothing.
None of them were simple people.
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