"Master Lu, I left the Mora here."
Ryou gave the empty warehouse a last glance and walked out with Keqing, Tabibito, and Paimon.
They had only reached the steps when the shouting started behind them.
"Master Lu!"
"Master Lu, what happened?"
Ryou looked back.
Master Lu had collapsed into one of the workers' arms. The men around him were panicking, and one had already run off to find help.
Ryou looked from Master Lu to the empty warehouse.
"…Okay, maybe I overdid it."
Keqing pinched his waist.
"You emptied the whole warehouse in front of him. Of course you overdid it."
"I paid."
"That isn't the problem." Keqing tugged him away. "Come on. If we stay, we'll have to explain it."
Ryou decided she had a point.
By the time they reached the entrance of Qingce Village, Xingqiu, Dunyarzad, and Dehya still had not arrived.
Ryou looked down the road. "Where did Xingqiu go?"
Keqing leaned beside him, a little too amused. "Ryou, do you think he took a liking to one of them?"
"My cousin isn't like that."
"You sound very sure."
"He probably thought we would take longer and kept walking around with them." Ryou brought out a few chairs and set them down. "We'll wait."
Keqing sat down. "Thank you, husband."
Tabibito glanced at her, then sat too.
"Thank you, husband."
Keqing turned slowly.
"Tabibito."
"What?"
"Don't call him that."
"I want to."
"He is my husband."
"I know."
Keqing's hand tightened around the chair.
Ryou placed a cup of watermelon juice into her hand before she could stand up. Then he handed another one to Tabibito.
"Drink. Both of you."
Keqing looked at the juice.
Tabibito looked at Ryou.
Ryou pointed at the cups. "Drink first, fight later."
Paimon immediately raised her hands. "Paimon wants one too!"
Ryou gave her a cup. "Here."
"Ehe, thanks!"
Paimon hugged the juice and started drinking happily.
At least one of them was easy to satisfy.
Ryou called Taroumaru over. The dog trotted up and sat in front of him, tail sweeping across the ground.
Ryou rubbed his head.
[Reinforce!]
[Ding! Taroumaru has been reinforced successfully. Gained five attribute points!]
The world blurred for half a breath.
The road, the trees, even Keqing beside him smeared at the edges before snapping back into place.
Ryou steadied himself.
The cost had gone up. If his mental strength had been lower, that reinforcement might have dropped him on the spot.
He checked Taroumaru's panel.
[Taroumaru]
[Size: 2]
[Stamina: 7]
[Agility: 8]
[Strength: 5]
Ryou thought for a moment, then put three points into size and the remaining two into agility.
[Taroumaru]
[Size: 5]
[Stamina: 7]
[Agility: 10]
[Strength: 5]
Taroumaru grew right in front of them.
His body stretched taller and heavier, his chest broadened, and his legs thickened. In a few breaths, the scruffy village dog was gone. What stood there now was nearly a meter tall, big enough to make anyone think twice before getting close.
[Taroumaru: Thank you, Master!]
Ryou patted him again.
Something wet splashed across the back of his head.
Ryou reached up.
Watermelon juice.
He turned around.
Keqing was still holding her cup, eyes fixed on Taroumaru.
"Keqing."
"I'll wipe it!"
She hurried over and dabbed at his hair, but her attention stayed on the giant dog.
"Ryou, why did Taroumaru suddenly get so big?"
"So the juice was because of him?"
"I was startled!"
Ryou sighed and took out some meat.
Taroumaru sat exactly where he was told and started eating, looking perfectly pleased with himself despite being large enough to scare half the village.
"See?" Ryou said. "Same dog. Just bigger."
"That is the problem." Keqing lowered her voice. "If we bring him back to Liyue Harbor like this, people will panic. If he hurts someone, even by accident, it won't be a small matter. Our positions make it worse."
"He won't bite unless there's a reason," Ryou said. "I'll make sure he understands what not to do."
Taroumaru lifted his head and wagged his tail.
The tail thumped the ground hard enough to make Paimon jump.
Keqing looked at the tail, then at Ryou.
"He had better be as obedient as you say."
"He is. And when you go out, you can take him with you. He'll keep you safe."
Keqing's expression softened a little.
Ryou suddenly remembered he still had one taming slot left.
"Speaking of pets, is there any kind you like? I can catch one for you later."
Keqing thought about it, then shook her head.
"No. I'm fine."
Before Ryou could tease her, Xingqiu finally appeared with Dehya and Dunyarzad.
All three stopped at the same time.
Even Dehya paused.
Xingqiu stared at Taroumaru, then slowly looked at Ryou.
"Ryou… he wasn't that big when we left."
"He ate well."
"That explains nothing."
"It explains enough."
Xingqiu looked at Taroumaru again and wisely stopped asking.
Ryou noticed Dunyarzad's face was pale.
"Dunyarzad, are you feeling unwell? If walking is too much, Taroumaru can carry you back to Liyue Harbor."
Dunyarzad looked at Taroumaru.
Taroumaru looked back at her, mouth slightly open, tail wagging.
Dunyarzad immediately edged closer to Dehya.
"I… I can walk."
"He won't hurt you."
"I know." Dunyarzad gripped Dehya's sleeve, embarrassed but honest. "But yesterday he was still a normal dog. Now he's…"
She did not finish.
She did not need to.
Taroumaru now looked like the kind of dog that guarded treasure caves in old stories.
Dehya studied him with open curiosity.
"I've been a mercenary for years and traveled plenty of places, but I've never seen a dog grow like that." She looked at Ryou. "What did you feed him?"
"Special food."
Dehya raised an eyebrow.
Ryou acted like that answered everything.
"I only suggested it because Dunyarzad looked pale. No pressure."
Dehya nodded. "I know. She was just startled. I'll walk with her."
"Then let's go," Ryou said. "It's getting late."
"If Dunyarzad won't ride, Paimon will!"
Before anyone could stop her, Paimon climbed onto Taroumaru's back, grabbed his fur, and shouted, "Taroumaru, charge!"
Taroumaru barked and bolted down the road.
"Paimon!" Tabibito started after her, but Ryou caught her arm.
"Leave her. Taroumaru knows what he's doing, and Paimon is probably having the best day of her life."
Tabibito watched the tiny figure bouncing away on the giant dog's back.
Annoyingly, he was probably right.
The group headed back to Liyue Harbor at a slower pace. By the time the harbor gate came into view, Paimon and Taroumaru were already waiting near the bridge.
So was the problem Ryou had expected.
People moved aside the moment they saw Taroumaru.
Not for Ryou. Not even for Keqing.
For the giant dog standing at the entrance like he had personally come to inspect the harbor.
Two dogs on the bridge took one look at him and gave up on dignity. With two loud splashes, they jumped straight into the water.
The Millelith at the gate grabbed their spears.
Ryou rubbed his forehead.
"He doesn't bite."
Then the Millelith recognized him and Keqing.
"Ryou-sama!"
"Keqing-sama!"
The tension eased, but only a little. Their eyes kept drifting to Taroumaru.
Ryou called, "Taroumaru."
"Woof!"
Taroumaru walked to his side and sat.
That single command changed the way everyone looked at him.
The Millelith went from alarmed to stunned. A few whispered to each other, glancing between Ryou and Taroumaru like they had just watched him tame a monster with one word.
Ryou ignored it.
"Keep watch. We're heading in."
"Yes, Ryou-sama!"
Ryou waved and led the group into Liyue Harbor.
He still needed to take Dunyarzad to Bubu Pharmacy and have Baizhu examine her. After that, they could go home, eat, and make it to Heyu Tea House in time for Yun Jin's new opera.
Before they had gone far, Tabibito tugged his sleeve.
"Ryou, I need to go do something first."
"All right."
"I'll come to your house for dinner tonight."
Ryou was about to agree.
Keqing cut in before he could make that mistake.
"No."
Tabibito looked at her.
Keqing's face was cold.
"You are not coming to my house for dinner."
Tabibito smiled. "What if I do?"
Keqing glanced at the giant dog beside them.
"Then I'll have Taroumaru bite you."
Taroumaru lifted his head.
Tabibito looked at him.
For once, she did not answer right away.
[End of chapter]
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