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

Tok: Although I think I have a common cold, I don't think I can have two executives come to see me at the same time.

-

The toy store is located in a narrow alley in Winterhold. The storefront is small, and the window displays a few assembled model airplanes and a row of wind-up toys.

Tok walked ahead, his pace much faster than usual, as if he wanted to make the most of this opportunity to go out.

As Fanes followed behind him, looking down at his phone to check the time, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure emerging from the alleyway beside him.

The girl was wearing that light-colored coat today, with the mesh veil still covering her face. Her steps were unhurried, as if she had just woken up from a long afternoon nap.

When the girl saw Fanes and Tok, she showed no obvious surprise, nor did she deliberately quicken her pace. She simply adjusted her direction naturally, walked to Fanes' side, and tilted her head slightly: "Where are you two going?"

Fanes put his phone in his pocket: "I'm going with Tok to the toy store to buy model airplane parts. His brother asked me to look after him for a few days."

The girl smiled slightly. "I'm free anyway. Let's go together."

The girl's tone was light and matter-of-fact, as if she had already made arrangements for them.

Tok glanced back at the girl. He didn't slow down, but his pace was noticeably steadyer than before. His gaze shifted between her veil and coat, as if he were assessing the level of the person in front of him in his own way.

Tok opened his mouth, then closed it again, turned around and continued walking forward, his voice coming from ahead: "...Do you like model airplanes too?"

The girl followed half a step behind him, her pace unhurried: "I don't know much about it. But it should be quite interesting to look around. Besides, I rarely have the chance to accompany children to toy stores, so it wouldn't hurt to learn more. If you'd like, you can tell me more about it."

Tok paused at the entrance of the toy store, pushed open the heavy wooden door, and led Fanes and the girl inside.

The lighting inside the store was dimmer than outside. Several rows of wooden shelves were filled with various toys and parts. On the wall in the corner hung a sailboat model that was mostly completed. The sails were still rolled up and the ropes were not yet fully tightened. It looked like a waterway navigation map that had not yet been fully unfolded, waiting for the last mooring point to be reinforced and secured.

Tok walked up to the row of model airplane parts, his eyes moving over the boxes labeled with their model numbers.

The girl followed him, stopping beside him and looking down at the row of boxes. Her gaze swept over the boxes before she spoke: "After these parts are put together, can it really fly?"

Tok took a rectangular box down from the shelf. One corner of the box was slightly raised, revealing the outline of a metal frame inside. "It's good. If assembled correctly, it can fly very far. I assembled one before, but I accidentally broke it, and now I'm trying to assemble it again."

The girl nodded, then reached for another box on the shelf. The corners of the box's wrapping paper had been flipped through many times. It depicted a biplane propeller plane with clean, simple lines, like a mature model that had undergone several iterations: "How about this one? It looks like the kind that can fly continuously for a long time."

Tok took it and looked at it: "This model has a rather large wingspan, but the parts are quite complete, and the steering mechanism has been reinforced. It should be more durable than the standard version."

As he spoke, Tok put it into his shopping bag. "I want this too."

The girl reached for a few more boxes, placing them leisurely on the checkout counter. Then, as Fanes approached to pay, the girl grabbed his wrist. She wasn't strong, but her hand lingered on his wrist long enough for him to stop: "I'll pay. The bill can be sent to Sandoni anyway."

Fanes looked at her: "...Are you sure?"

The girl had already withdrawn her hand: "I'm sure. She owed me a favor last time, but hasn't found a suitable opportunity to repay it. This is a good time to use it."

Tok stood in front of the counter, watching the girl push the boxes one by one to the cashier.

The girl had already paid and turned to walk towards the door. She took a couple of steps, then stopped, turned her head to look at Tok, and asked, "Want anything else?"

Tok stood there, clutching the handle of his shopping bag, his expression as if he were confirming something in his own way: "...No. Thank you, sister."

As they left the toy store, the wind was picking up a bit more. The girl walked beside Fanes, her steps still measured: "He looks fine. He should be better soon."

"His fever has completely subsided this morning," Fanes said. "He should be able to resume normal activities in another day or two."

The girl nodded: "That's good."

The girl turned in another direction, took a few steps, stopped, turned back, and waved in Tok's direction.

Tok stood there watching her retreating figure, then turned to look at Fanes: "Her eyes... seemed to be blocked by something?"

Fanes said, "That's an eye veil. She always wears it, nothing special. It's just that sometimes it takes a little longer for people to understand what she means when she speaks."

Tok thought for a moment: "...She spoke very gently, but it also gave the impression that she didn't care about anyone's feelings at all, and just happened to say it that way."

On their way back, they chatted about model airplanes some more. Tok's steps were lighter than before, and the shopping bag in his hand swayed gently with his steps, the paper edges of the bag's opening making a soft rustling sound.

Two days later, Tok stood in the living room, slotting the last piece into the wing's mounting slot. He checked all the connections, then wiggled it left and right to make sure it wasn't loose. Then he looked up at the sky outside the window: "I'm really all better. No fever, no cough, and nothing else bothers me."

Tok turned to look at Fanes. "I really thought I had one of those incurable diseases. When you told me it was just a cold, I thought you were lying to me, that you wanted to keep me in a good mood before I left."

Faenes sat by the window: "Now you believe it?"

Tok nodded, carefully placing the assembled model airplane on the table. He rotated the wings to confirm it could complete one effective acceleration within the taxiing distance: "I believe you. But next time my brother says you're coming to see me, I'll ask him if he has anything else to do before deciding whether to wait for you."

Faenes looked at his serious expression and asked, "What if I bring a box of the new parts next time I come? Will you change your mind?"

Tok stood by the table watching him, and after a long while, he replied, "...That depends on what model of parts that box contains."

Fanes also stood up: "Then I'll send you a message next time I come, and confirm the model before I set off."

"It's settled then. When you come next time, let me know what model of part it is so I can check if I have any left at home."

Fanes looked at him: "Alright. It's settled then."

-

Tok, belatedly realizing: You're telling me my brother, a toy salesman, managed to hire the most influential executive among the Fools? My brother truly is the best toy salesman of Winter!