Heavy girl? I feel worse than Black Hole Trigger!

There really seemed to be nothing wrong with what Nagasaki Motoyo said.

...if the opponent isn't a slime.

"Alright, alright, calm down, Sushi."

At this point, it was Zheli, who had been stabbed innocently (though unharmed), who intervened. He shook his body, signaling Su Shi to release his arms, then took a step forward, raised his "head," and looked at the still stunned young man.

The young man quickly sheathed his sword, then thought for half a second before kneeling on one knee to look Zhe Li in the eye.

He was about to say something when Zhe Li suddenly broke the silence with a long, deep murmur.

"Oh~...I can't really blame you. After all, I look like a monster now."

A writhing monster that looked like it could swallow half a person just by opening its mouth (if it had a mouth) came into close contact with two seemingly powerless girls...

If it were Baodeng Zheli himself today, he would probably take action first.

"Sorry sorry."

The slime suddenly rose taller, a red light flashed, and then a young man with blond hair, blue eyes, and a bright smile walked out of it. He bent down, extended his hand to the boy, and laughed:

"Nice to meet you. My name is Bao Deng Zheli."

"..."

The boy stared blankly up at this ordinary man.

"Eh?"

Chapter 11: Autumn Frost and Falling Maple Leaves, Snow Clears and Spring Meets: Chapter : Slime Monster

The young man with white hair and red clothes stepped into Nascita's shop a little nervously.

The classical interior made him take a few more glances - this kind of decorative style is really rare in "Inazuma".

Then the young man took another step inside, and the rich aroma of coffee beans quietly reached his nose: he had learned from books and conversations with merchants from outlying islands that this unique-flavored drink was popular in the exotic "Sumeru" and "Fontaine", and he had also been fortunate enough to taste one or two.

As for his experience... well, he still prefers tea tasting.

The boy's name is "Maple Bare".

After a "handshake of peace" (as Hoto Oriri calls it), Oriri invited the boy to Nascita, a coffee shop on an "outlying island." Even though Nagasaki Suyo hadn't been friendly with him during the trip, he still gladly accepted the invitation.

He was interested in making friends with talented people. Moreover, he also felt that he needed a convenient place to talk and explain misunderstandings.

"Welcome to our shop, please feel free to sit down."

The tall blond young man said so, then slowly walked towards the counter.

The other two girls also moved skillfully to their respective seats: the older-looking girl with long brown hair went to the front of the counter, while the girl with short silver hair went to a spot at the edge of the counter where the food bowls were placed.

The flaxen-fur kitten ran after the food bowl which still contained clean water.

All three are very interesting. Even this young man who has just arrived here can't help but smile when he sees this scene.

"Why are you standing there? Sit down quickly." Zhe Li had just started the water heater when he noticed Fengyuan Manye was still standing near the door, so he waved to him and said.

Wan Ye looked up and saw Zhe Li's face was relaxed, so he smiled as well: "I will respectfully obey your command."

The boy also came to the counter, a seat away from Nagasaki Suyo. Suyo glanced sideways at Manye as she sat down, her expression unpleasant—she seemed still resentful of Manye's attack on Origin. However, she didn't say anything, instead lowering her head and scrolling through her phone.

She didn't want to act like a spoiled brat in front of Zhe Li.

The store manager poured a glass of ice water for Fengyuan Manye and said, "Please enjoy."

The young man looked at the transparent glass with a hint of surprise: the sword-forging skills of "Inazuma" were famous throughout the seven countries, but the craftsmanship of other countries was mostly far inferior to that of other countries; whenever he visited the "outlying island" port, he would be impressed by the handicrafts displayed by foreign merchants.

However, he had no memory of ever seeing such highly refined glassware.

The young man buried his inappropriate curiosity and took a sip of the refreshing ice water. On this scorching summer day, the strangely cool breeze from the shop and the sip of ice water perfectly dispelled some of the accumulated fatigue.

"...I am a ronin. When I see injustice, I draw my sword and help. This is the duty of a samurai like me."

After expressing his gratitude to the store manager, Fengyuan Manye took a deep breath before getting down to business.

"But I never expected that the slime I encountered on the roadside would possess intelligence."

When he said this, he shook his head helplessly: In order to protect the safety of the two ladies, he acted rashly without first confirming the source of the male voice carried by the wind. He only stopped hastily when the blade hurt innocent people. How reckless!

He looked directly into Baodeng Zheli's eyes and said loudly:

"I feel deeply guilty for the accidental injury I caused earlier. If you have any requests, I will do my best to help you."

Bao Deng Zheli was somewhat surprised to see this elegant young man apologize so earnestly. It wasn't because he had preconceived notions about his moral character that he was surprised, but rather...

Isn’t this child too “typical”?

Traditional architecture, kimonos, wagashi, ronin and samurai, all the elements of a period drama are present, the only thing missing is the "chivalrous spirit".

At this moment, Fengyuan Manye filled in the last piece of the puzzle.

Zhe Li laughed cheerfully. Wan Ye didn't understand what he was laughing at for a moment, but then he said, "Never mind, never mind. It's not that serious."

"You didn't even make a scratch on me with that knife."

As he spoke, he stretched out his arms and shrugged, moving his body briefly.

As a Blood Star, Bao Deng Zheli naturally accustomed himself to a human form. However, at heart, he was a slime, his resistance to cold weapons at the highest level imaginable. Without any special attack or attributes, relying solely on F = ma to injure him would be more realistic than expecting him to trip and fall to a pulp in the middle of battle.

Fengyuan Manye also thought of the previous scene.

When his beloved sword, which had been with him for so many years, struck Zheli's slime body, it felt like sparks flying as it rubbed against steel, yet also like it was buried in moist soil, losing its power. He couldn't even draw his weapon back immediately; he had to wait until the next blow, when Zheli released his sword, before he could withdraw it and stop the attack.

To describe it precisely, it is not that "not even a cut was made", but that "it healed the moment the knife was put away".

"It's often said that the land of Inazuma is inhabited by spirits. I've also heard that there are still spirits and monsters living in the mountains and wilderness. It's rumored that the Yae-sama of Narujin Taisha Shrine is also one of them..."

Wanye looked closely at Zheli's smiling face.

"——However, a slime that is eloquent and masters the art of transformation cannot be found even in ancient books and texts."

Legend has it that on the "Continent of Teyvat", when the "elemental" energy in the atmosphere sinks, it gathers into slime.

Monsters that are merely created from the condensation of elements are already considered highly intelligent individuals simply because they know how to avoid danger and seek good fortune, not to mention possessing intelligence equal to that of humans, and even being able to speak human language and transform into human form.

"Really? ...Well, it's true, a 'slime monster' is really hard to imagine."

Before meeting Fengyuan Manye, Zheli didn't even know that this world, or this country, actually had Western fantasy creatures like "Slime": No matter how you think about it, these round, seemingly harmless creatures that suddenly become unstoppable once they enter restricted content are far from this country with an ancient Japanese background.

There is no record of this incident in the Kojiki.

"Oh?" Wan Ye suddenly became interested. "Manager, are you not a monster?"

If a non-human creature that can transform into a human form is not a monster, then what kind of creature is it?

When asked this question, Zhe Li fell into distress.

Of course he is not a monster, just an ordinary alien.

But how should this concept be explained to the ancient Japanese?

While pondering this, he happened to glance up at the window: the entrance to Nascita's shop led to "Inazuma," leaving the surrounding windows unaffected. His gaze effortlessly passed through the transparent glass, revealing the familiar, deserted street outside: paint-chipped concrete buildings, paved asphalt roads, and utility poles...

"Would you like to look back?"

Rather than making up an explanation full of loopholes yourself, it is better to let the other party imagine it on their own.

"Hmm?" Wan Ye raised his eyebrows in confusion and slowly turned his head.

"————."

The sunlight coming in from the window was bright, and it was obviously not the remote and dark alley on the "outlying island".

The boy stared at the scenery outside the window.

Where am I now...?

Chapter 12 of the Box: Autumn frost and falling maples, snowy days and tsubaki trees: Chapter : Someone has to explain the worldview! ?

"There's such a world on the outlying island..."

Fengyuan Manye could only utter this sentence dryly.

The view outside the window wasn't particularly surprising. While Inazuma was mostly made up of low wooden buildings, he had seen magnificent architecture from other countries in pictures. What was truly astonishing was that, simply by stepping through the threshold, without a single tinge of strangeness, he arrived in a completely different place—

It's as if you just accidentally took a small step off in the corner of the city and easily broke into another small world.

Even the immortal caves of Liyue might not be able to hide from him, who was particularly sensitive to the wind. But even at this moment, he could hear the faint murmurs of the "Island" from behind the door.

"Technically speaking, this cafe shouldn't be located within 'Inazuma'," said Origin.

The manager retrieved tea bags from the cupboard and leisurely prepared hot water. The warm steam mingled with the cool air from the café's air conditioning, somehow calming Manye's thoughts.

As the hot water soaked the tea bag, the tea gradually took on a light orange-red hue. Zhe Li gazed intently at the transparent teapot, casually remarking, "We don't know why, but this door seems to connect to your kingdom."

"Just a door, huh?"

Wan Ye turned his head and glanced at the seemingly ordinary shop door: it turned out that the faint wind he heard through the door was not an illusion.

But such a strange thing is indeed unheard of.

Then, in silence, he visited the small café. The soft, clacking sound of Nagasaki Suyo's nails tapping on the screen drew Manye's attention. However, the girl merely glanced at him sideways before shifting her stance and shielding Manye's view with her arm, preventing him from seeing the mysterious object in her hand.

Soon, the store manager presented the reserved white-haired boy with a cup of hot tea.

"Please enjoy our specialty, Earl Grey tea."

Kaedehara Manye noticed from the corner of her eye that Nagasaki Suyo moved her ears slightly.

"Tea?" Wan Ye sniffed it. The strong tea flavor was mixed with a hint of citrus fragrance, which made people feel refreshed.

He had no doubt about the deliciousness of the cup of black tea before him, but a doubt still lingered in his heart. He smiled, expressing his approval of the tea, and then raised his eyes and asked, "Mr. Manager, do you think what I mean by this is that the store we are in is located in a foreign country?"

"Ah. Exactly."

"If that's the case..."

MapleStory tried to piece together a concrete image of what she had seen and heard during this short period.

First, the name "Hōto Oreki" and the facial features all resembled those of the Inazuma clan. When he heard the destination was a "cafe on an outlying island," he wondered if it was a new establishment created by island residents influenced by overseas trends. After all, Manyō was familiar with the outlying islands, and he had never heard of such a novelty opening there before.

However, it is also true that just by stepping over the threshold, you find yourself in a foreign country.

Such exquisite tea-making skills must be possessed by a master who has studied the tea ceremony for many years.

"Could it be that you, sir, are a descendant of the Inazuma who moved to Fontaine many years ago?"

"……Um?"

What the hell is Fontaine?

Zheli tried to dig up some impression from his memory. He seemed to have vaguely heard the term used in the casual conversations of the people on the "outlying islands" as a reference to a certain place. "Fontaine people," "from Fontaine," and so on. Perhaps, like "Inazuma," it was the name of a world beyond the gate, a foreign country.

Yes, for a country like "Inazuma" that is in an era of change, even if it sees something beyond common sense, it will first believe that it either comes from ancient mysteries or exists in advanced foreign countries.

No matter what, it is difficult to imagine such a fantastic idea as "another world".

It's not a bad idea to pretend to be a "Fontainebleau" here...

"No. We, or rather, you are in another world."

But Baodeng Zheli spoke frankly.

"Farther than the sky, to the other side of the starry sky; if it weren't for this miraculous connection, I'm afraid we would never know each other even if we spent our entire lives together—strangers from such a distant place."

Wan Ye listened in a daze, then nodded in sudden understanding.

"So, he's from another world."

"...?"

Why did you accept it so easily?

Baodeng Zheli, who had a rare opportunity to act profound, was speechless for a moment.

Seeing the store manager's hesitant expression, Manye burst out laughing. He took a sip of tea from his cup before saying, "In Teyvat, people from other worlds aren't common, but they do appear from time to time. For example, the great adventurer Ms. Alice, who once visited Inazuma, knew a lot about other worlds."

It turned out to be a place frequently visited by time travelers. No wonder our door was inexplicably connected.

"What kind of person is that Ms. Alice?"

"I've never met Ms. Alice, so I'm not very familiar with her. I only know a few things about her from casual conversations." Manye gave her an apologetic look, paused, and then said, "To most people, Ms. Alice is known for her book 'The Guide to Teyvat Travelers' and is a seasoned adventurer."

"Okay. It seems you're not some time traveler. I wanted to ask you about this door."