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

Phanes originally intended to travel by boat to Mount Sumeru.

Fanes had already had his men book ship tickets at the port and pack his luggage, including the dry food he needed for the journey and the spare charging module for his terminal.

Standing at the entrance of the shrine, waiting for Yakoda, I held my backpack strap in one hand and my phone in the other, looking down to check the departure time of the ship.

Jakoda was a step behind him, emerging from the end of the corridor with a bulging backpack slung over her shoulder. She stopped beside Fanes, glancing at him sideways. "All ready?"

Fanes nodded: "All ready. The tickets are booked, we'll depart early tomorrow morning. First, we'll transfer to a ship south of Liyue Harbor to go to Sumeru. Once we arrive in Sumeru, we'll use the clues to pinpoint the approximate location of the skirmishers."

As soon as they stepped out of the courtyard of the shrine, a transport vehicle covered with a gray cloth suddenly stopped at the entrance of the alley.

A figure dressed in dark gray civilian clothes jumped out of the driver's seat and quickly ran to Fanes. After stopping in front of Fanes, he bowed slightly and then said, "My lord, you don't need to go to Sumeru. Lord Sanbing has already left Sumeru."

Fanes and Jakoda suddenly stopped. Fanes looked at his sweat-drenched subordinate: "He's gone? Where did he go?"

The subordinate stood ramrod straight, as if reciting a prepared line: "The master said he misses home. He really does miss home."

Yakoda stood to the side, raised her eyelids to glance in Fanes' direction, and then lowered them again.

After listening, Fanes paused for a moment, then spoke: "...He went to Inazuma."

The subordinate nodded vigorously: "Yes! Lord Sanbing went to Inazuma!"

Looking at his confident expression, and considering the character and past experiences of the skirmisher, Fanes said, "That is indeed possible. After all, Inazuma is truly his homeland."

Fanes was thinking to himself—couldn't you come up with a more plausible reason? You're telling me the stragglers are homesick, but you might as well tell me that population control is more relaxed in Inazuma, and he feels it's a better place to hide.

After hearing this, the subordinate's expression seemed to relax slightly, though not by much: "Lord Sanbing said he will be waiting for you over there."

He stood before Fanes for a moment longer. "This is the last time. Sir, we have done more than enough for you."

After saying that, he turned around and walked quickly back to the transport truck. Before closing the door, he glanced in Fanes' direction again, then started the truck, turned a corner along the street, and quickly disappeared around the street corner.

Yakoda stood to the side, watching the departing transport truck: "...Do you believe him?"

Fanes stood there, watching the direction the car had disappeared in: "He was covering for the skirmishers. Saying they went to Inazuma was a way to distract us. But I really don't want to go and catch them right now."

Yakoda turned to look at him: "So what are you planning to do?"

Fanes slung his backpack back over his shoulder: "Then let's go to Inazuma."

Yakoda, standing beside him, asked, "Are you really going?"

Fanes said, "I'm really going. The tickets haven't been refunded yet, so I can just change the destination. Plus, it'll be a good opportunity to check on how the shops are doing there."

Yakoda walked beside him: "What if we get to Inazuma and find that the Scattered Soldiers aren't there at all?" Fanes thought for a moment: "Then we can treat it as a market survey and channel maintenance trip. We can also take care of some business matters there at the same time."

Fanes turned to look at Akoda, "And if we go to Inazuma, we can bring some things with us. Like some local specialties for Thor, since she really likes them."

Yakoda didn't slow her pace: "So, what local specialties are you planning to bring back?"

Fanes thought for a moment: "Liyue's osmanthus cake, Mondstadt's pancakes, Fontaine's little cakes. She would probably like them all."

Yakoda thought for a moment: "You might need to bring a freezer to ensure that the food doesn't deteriorate in quality or change in taste during loading and unloading. Also, I remember the General has a sweet tooth, so you should prioritize desserts that are moderately sweet, have a smooth texture, and aren't too cloying."

Fanes stopped at the edge of the dock, looking at the ship moored there: "Let's buy some local specialties first, and then set off. Anyway, going to Inazuma isn't an urgent mission."

Yakoda walked over to him: "And what happens after we get there?"

Fanes said, "Let's find a place to stay first, then go to Inazuma Castle and Narukami Shrine to see if we can find any clues about the stragglers. If we can't find them, then consider it a relaxing trip, a chance to organize our thoughts, and prepare for the next step."

Yakoda nodded: "Then I'll go buy some local specialties."

After speaking, Yakoda turned and walked towards the street, but stopped after a couple of steps. "Do you want to bring something for Yae no Miko as well?"

Fanes thought for a moment: "Bring a box of fried tofu."

As the ship sailed away from Liyue Harbor, the afternoon sun bathed the sea in a shimmering golden light. Farnes stood at the bow, watching the harbor silhouette gradually shrink in the distance.

After a while, Fanes turned to look at Yakoda beside him: "What do you think of the relationship between the skirmisher and his mother?"

Yakoda, also gazing at the distant sea, asked, "You mean between him and Thor?"

Fanes said, "Yes."

Yakoda thought for a moment: "Personally, it's difficult for me to assess the specific nature and trajectory of this relationship, because the information and historical background involved are very complex and cannot be summarized in just a few words. Moreover, I'm not very clear about the specific details of their interactions."

Fanes said, "Therefore I will not comment."

Fanes paused for a moment, "But if he really wants to be loved, I can absolutely be his father."

Yakoda turned to look at him, her expression carrying a subtle air of confirmation: "Boss, if you want to pursue Thor, just say so. There are no outsiders here, no need for all this beating around the bush."

Fañez leaned against the ship's railing: "Am I not subtly expressing my own desires?"

Yakoda looked at him: "What you just said, to put it more directly, is like, 'I want to build a deeper relationship with Thor, so I'm also checking in on her family members and seeing if there's a chance to get closer naturally.'"

Fanes thought about it seriously for a moment: "That's one way to understand it."

Yakoda withdrew her gaze: "Then you need to find the skirmisher first. As long as his location can be pinpointed, there will naturally be an opportunity to meet him. Use this opportunity to get closer to Thor, and you can naturally advance your relationship with her."

Fanes leaned against the edge of the ship's gunwale: "Then it's settled."

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Sumeru City, in an inconspicuous alley, Ying was standing at the door of a building with a sign that read "Archives of the Order of the Church".

Paimon was next to her, looking down at the address on her phone. After confirming the house number, she looked up and said, "This should be it."

Ying pushed open the door and went inside, and Paimon followed her in.

The door slammed shut behind her, making a striking sound that was particularly clear in the quiet midday. The sound traveled a distance through the gaps in the door frame to both ends of the corridor before being absorbed by the wind further away, leaving a fading echo at the seams of the window frames.