In the end, Yae Miko put on a dark expression and, very unwillingly, continued keeping watch over Alice. After all, if it were anyone else, there was a very high chance Alice would find an opportunity to sneak off.
"Don't look so miserable. Smile a little," Alice said with a grin, throwing an arm around Yae Miko's shoulders.
"You think I can smile right now?" Yae Miko replied with a smile that did not reach her eyes.
"So were you just born incapable of smiling?"
Yae Miko: "—!"
…
"So this is Inazuma. I wonder what its gods are like." March 7th no longer held any grand expectations for the gods here. She had a feeling none of them were particularly serious.
"According to Mr. Zhongli, present-day Inazuma has three beings with god-level combat power," Welt said. "Raiden Makoto and Raiden Ei are twin gods, and the third is a special puppet created by Raiden Ei."
The surname Raiden was relatively uncommon, so he could not help thinking of his student, Raiden Mei. He was probably overthinking it.
"You must be visitors from abroad. Do you need any help?"
At that moment, Kamisato Ayato walked over, a freshly bought cup of milk tea still in his hand.
No matter how busy he was, he could never go without his beloved milk tea. He even came to buy it personally.
Welt: "?!"
The moment that voice rang out, Welt's expression instantly fell apart.
If it had been anyone else's voice, he would have been only mildly surprised at most. But Kamisato Ayato's voice sounded far too much like that blond bastard Otto. It was genuinely difficult for him to keep a straight face.
Welt then noticed Kamisato Ayato's trousers.
Why did those white pants look so much like something Otto would wear?
Could it be that Otto had switched to a new soulium body and run off to another world?
The resemblance was a little too strong. Just from appearances alone, Kamisato Ayato clearly looked like someone with deep schemes hidden beneath the surface. Otto had also been the type of person whose thoughts no one could ever fully read.
Based on those factors alone, Welt immediately took Kamisato Ayato very seriously.
This man was definitely not simple.
"Sir, is there something strange about me?" Kamisato Ayato said, the corner of his mouth twitching. This was their first meeting. There was no need to stare at him like that.
Could this man be into men?
"Welt, what's wrong? Do you know him?" Himeko asked in confusion.
Welt shook his head. "I don't know this man, but his voice caught my attention. He sounds very much like someone I know, and I have a personal grudge with that person."
"Uncle Yang, I remember you judged someone by appearance back on the Xianzhou too, didn't you?" March 7th said, the corner of her mouth twitching. This felt all too familiar. Wasn't he being a little too suspicious?
"So last time it was judging by appearance, and this time Uncle Yang is judging by voice?" Stelle could not help laughing.
Because someone's voice sounded too much like an old enemy, even a steady person like Welt had become visibly tense. It was honestly hard to imagine.
"Sir, I have no grievance with you at all. Isn't this a bit rude?" Kamisato Ayato said, black lines practically hanging over his head.
Just because his voice sounded a little like Welt's enemy, the man had reacted like an old wound had been ripped open. What kind of grudge did he have with that person? Was it some sort of father-killing hatred?
Welt fell silent. Kamisato Ayato's voice really did make it hard for him to stay calm.
"Mr. Welt, you two don't even know each other. There's no need to be like this," Stelle said.
"Mm."
Welt nodded. He really had been somewhat rude. A similar voice was one thing. At least Ayato did not have Otto's face the way Luocha did.
"I am Kamisato Ayato, head of the Kamisato Clan and commissioner of the Yashiro Commission." Kamisato Ayato did not pursue the matter any further.
Everyone was slightly startled. The person they had casually run into on the street actually had such an impressive background.
Back in Liyue, they had learned about Inazuma's three great pillars. The Yashiro Commission handled Inazuma's cultural affairs, and all kinds of ceremonial arrangements fell under its care.
"There's no need to mind it. When I'm outside, I'm just an ordinary Inazuman. I still have to pay for what I buy…" Kamisato Ayato said with a gentle smile, as warm as a spring breeze.
He had no need for others to bow and scrape before him.
"Would you like some milk tea? The milk tea from that shop tastes quite good. I go there often."
"Is it really that good?" Stelle asked curiously.
"It is. You can add whatever toppings you like. As long as the shop has it, it's worth trying," Kamisato Ayato said enthusiastically.
He quite enjoyed experimenting with different toppings.
March 7th and the others fell silent. This man was clearly a fanatical milk tea enthusiast.
"Can you add chili peppers?" Stelle asked.
"Yes. I've tried it before. The taste wasn't bad," Kamisato Ayato nodded.
"Then how about trying this?"
Stelle took out Himeko's coffee. For the people of Teyvat, this was a fine item from another world, well worth sampling.
Welt and the others wanted to say something, but stopped themselves. This was the leader of the Yashiro Commission. If he got "murdered" by a cup of coffee in the middle of the street, would they end up wanted criminals?
But before anyone could warn him, Kamisato Ayato had already accepted it. After all, he had not sensed any malice from them.
The thick coffee Himeko had made was poured into the milk tea. A rich aroma of coffee instantly spread through the air, and Kamisato Ayato's eyes lit up.
This coffee was clearly high quality.
Seeing that, Himeko felt a bit expectant. After all, no one who had ever drunk her coffee had adapted to it easily.
She wondered what someone from another world would think of it.
Stelle and the others had all tasted Himeko's coffee before, so they knew exactly what it was like. It looked normal, and it smelled normal too. There was nothing outwardly strange about it.
But once you actually drank it, things got interesting.
Himeko's coffee was explosively intense. Even people who managed three sips usually had no desire to take a fourth.
"…"
Kamisato Ayato bit down on the straw and took one sip of the milk tea mixed with coffee.
Before he could even properly taste the flavor, he dropped straight to the ground and did not get back up.
"This is bad! Lord Ayato has been attacked! Seal off the area!"
The moment people noticed what had happened, alarmed cries rang out. Soldiers quickly rushed over and surrounded the Astral Express crew.
"Stelle, this is all your fault!" March 7th kicked Stelle.
She had never expected things to turn out like this. After drinking Himeko's coffee, Ayato was not going to wake up anytime soon. And with him unconscious, there was no one to explain things for them.
Dan Heng rubbed his forehead in frustration. He knew it. There was no way their Trailblazing would go this smoothly.
"Uh… should we run?" Stelle asked awkwardly.
"Run for what? We didn't frame anyone," March 7th said irritably. All they could do now was wait for Ayato to wake up.
"Lord Ayato is fine. He only fainted."
The soldier checking on him gave his report, and everyone let out a sigh of relief. As long as nothing serious had happened, that was fine.
"You all will come with us," the officer said. These suspects could not simply be let go.
The members of the Astral Express had no choice but to follow the soldiers.
There was no injustice here, so there was definitely no reason to run.
(End of Chapter)
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