Genshin Impact: Watch me turn the tables and kill my servants at the start!

When Fanes handed over all the affairs in Mondstadt to Rosalind, Rosalind was by the window flipping through an old atlas about the terrain around Mondstadt.

Fanes placed three folders on her desk: "Settlement statements for the mining areas in the north, a draft supply agreement for the Chamber of Commerce for next quarter, and approvals for maintenance costs for the outposts on the outskirts of the city. Everything's in there. Sign what needs to be signed, and return what needs to be returned. Don't wait for me to come back."

Rosalyn opened the first folder, glanced at it, and then closed it again: "How long are you going to be gone?"

Fanes slung his light backpack over his shoulder, glanced back at her as he reached the door, and said, "About five days. If we're lucky, we can be back in four."

After Fanes finished speaking, he pushed open the door and went out. He walked along the corridor towards the outside of the city for a while, and after turning onto the less crowded path outside the city wall, he saw a familiar silhouette squatting there among the branches of an old oak tree by the roadside.

Little Black was tilting its head and grooming the fine scales at the base of its wings with its beak. When it saw Fanes approaching, it jumped down from the tree branch and landed on his shoulder. It adjusted the position of its claws on the fabric before it stood still.

Fanes reached out and patted its head: "Is the mission to explore the ocean complete?"

Little Black let out a low, soft snort, as if in response to confirm. Fanes continued walking along the road leading to Fontaine.

It was already evening when he arrived at Momang Palace. The lights in the corridor were already on, and the light stretched down the floor to his feet.

Instead of going through the main entrance, Fanes went around to the side corridor, turning the last bend along the corridor he had walked countless times.

The door to Funina's bedroom was ajar, leaving a gap large enough for half a person to squeeze through sideways.

When Fanes squeezed through the gap, he saw Funina lying on the bed, with a novel open beside her, about a third of the way through. Her back was slightly hunched, her legs crossed behind her, dangling off the edge of the bed, and the tips of her shoes lightly tapping the wood grain under the bed legs.

Funina was focused on a turning point, her eyes glued to the paper, completely unaware of the commotion behind her.

Fanes paused for a second at the edge of the door crack, then he went around to the foot of the bed, and as Funina turned the page, he stepped over her from behind, leaned slightly, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind.

Funina's back tensed up for a moment upon contact, and she curled up like a cat whose nape had been touched. The pages of the book in her hand flipped automatically along the creases of her hand due to the vibration, and she didn't even have time to look at the contents of that page.

As Funina was about to turn around, the hands stopped on her shoulders, and then she heard that familiar voice: "It's me."

After hearing those two words, Funina's breathing returned to normal. She didn't struggle or adjust her position; she simply remained in the embraced posture, looking down at the book in her hands that had already been turned a page.

"...Next time you come, could you please use the main entrance? There's a floorboard in the side corridor that makes a creaking sound when you step on it; the guards hear it and think someone has broken in."

Fanes' voice came from beside her shoulder, very close: "That's why I walked over there. Because you already knew it was me when that floorboard creaked."

Furina didn't refute, but simply turned a page of the book in her hand, then closed it and placed it beside her pillow: "You just came from Mondstadt?"

Fanes loosened his grip and sat down next to her. "Yes. I just finished dealing with things over there. I'm going to Liyue the day after tomorrow to take care of some business. If you don't have any plans, you can come along."

Fryna turned to look at him from the bed: "...Go to Liyue?"

Fanes leaned against the headboard: "The scenery over at Chenyu Valley is quite nice, and the weather is perfect for this season. If you haven't been there, you should check it out."

Furnessa sat on the edge of the bed, her fingertips gently stroking the spine of the book. She was silent for a moment, as if calculating how long those days locked between the signature and the seal had been, then she turned to look at him, like a window blown open by the wind, its edges still trembling slightly.

"...When do we depart?"

Fanes stood up from the edge of the bed: "I'll come pick you up on my little black horse first thing tomorrow morning."

The next morning, Funina stood on the steps in front of the side gate of Momang Palace, waiting. She had changed into a simpler, lighter-colored casual outfit than usual, her hair was tied into a loose braid at the back of her head, and she had a small bag slung over her shoulder, making her look like someone who was going on a picnic rather than a long trip.

A morning breeze blew from the direction of the harbor, scattering a few stray hairs on her forehead. She reached up and tucked them behind her ear, then looked up at the horizon—a small dot was gradually growing larger from the horizon. As it drew closer, it became clear that it was a jet-black dragon, its wings spreading out to block out the rising sun and cast a moving shadow on the ground.

Little Black circled once in the air before slowly landing on the open ground in front of the steps. Fanes slid down from the dragon's back and waved to her: "Come on up."

Funina stood on the steps looking at the dragon in front of her, then she slowly walked closer and gently touched the smooth scale on the edge of Little Black's wing.

After feeling her touch, Xiao Hei turned its head slightly, its amber vertical pupils quietly glancing at her. Then it lowered its head even further, so that the tip of its nose was just within her reach, as if checking if there were any other movements in its field of vision that needed attention.

Funina hesitated for a moment, then reached out and gently touched its nose.

Little Black let out a low, steady purr, a sound with a quality akin to the lingering resonance of a tuning fork after a light touch, traveling along its throat into the air. She turned to look at Fanes: "It seems to like me quite a bit."

Fanes had already climbed onto the dragon's back and stretched out a hand to her: "It doesn't hate anyone. Come on up, this flight will take a while."

Funinna grabbed his hand and used it to flip onto the dragon's back, settling firmly on the smooth scales on the back of the little black dragon's neck.

Funina looked down at the receding rooftops of the Momang Palace and the city wall silhouette shrinking into a thin line, then looked up at the vast sky unfolding before her. The wind brushed past her face, blowing the stray hairs at the ends of her braids backward.

Funina subconsciously gripped the hem of Fanes' coat, but as Xiao Hei's flight altitude gradually increased, her fingers loosened their grip on the fabric and rested on his waist, her palm pressed against the fabric, adjusting her position slightly with the rhythm of flight.

They landed in Chenyu Valley in the afternoon. Sunlight shone through the thin clouds, turning the entire tea mountain into a soft golden-green hue. Most of the mountain mist had dissipated, with a few wisps of pale white gauze still hanging on the distant mountainside.

Little Black folded its wings and landed on a wide grassy slope. It crouched down, turned its head to look at Funina, and gently touched the edge of her elbow with the tip of its nose.

Funina looked down at its expectant posture: "Does it want me to pet it again?"

Fanes jumped off the dragon's back: "It's probably making sure you won't come back next time."

Funina crouched down and gently stroked the edge of the scale on Little Black's lower jaw. Little Black let out a soft growl from its throat, then lowered its head slightly, allowing her palm to touch the smoother scale on its head.

Funina's fingers traced the pattern on the scale's surface, and Xiao Hei's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were using his sense of touch to confirm the end of the trail.

After confirming, Xiao Hei raised his head again, glanced towards the tea mountain, and then looked back at Fanes, as if to remind them of the flower-covered hillside ahead. The mountain path meandered through several tea fields and a stream, the wind blowing along the valley, and occasionally the songs of tea pickers drifted from afar before fading away.

Funina squatted on the hillside, gazing into the distance, a freshly picked wildflower twirling in her hand. Then she looked up in Fanes' direction: "Have you been here before?"

Fanes stood a few steps away, following her gaze into the distance: "I've been here a few times."

Funina looked down at the fine serrations along the edge of the wildflower in her hand, then gently placed it back into the grass at her feet. "Next time you come, let me know in advance. I'll be able to prepare."

Phanes stood there, pointing to the Jade Pavilion in the distance.

"Would you like to go up there and play?"