The voice sounded familiar.
Tabibito stopped and thought back.
Right. Mondstadt.
When Keqing had thrown her back there not long ago, Tabibito had been in such a hurry to return to Liyue that she and Paimon had rushed off without even greeting Amber. Amber had been coming back from patrol at the time, and Tabibito still remembered the strange look Amber had given her.
"Amber!"
Tabibito turned around.
At the intersection near Third-Round Knockout, Diluc, Amber, and a few unfamiliar faces were standing together. Amber waved the moment she saw them, clearly surprised.
Tabibito brought Paimon over and reached out to hug Amber.
Amber immediately stepped back.
Tabibito froze. "Amber?"
"Hmph. Now you know it's me?" Amber said, pretending to be upset. "The other day, you saw me and didn't even say hello."
Tabibito scratched her cheek.
Before she could explain, Amber laughed and hugged her anyway.
"I'm kidding."
Tabibito hugged her back, still feeling a little guilty. "Sorry. I had something urgent and needed to hurry back to Liyue."
Then her eyes brightened. "Actually, this works out perfectly. Since you're all here, I'll treat you to dinner tonight!"
She was about to ask when Diluc had arrived, but Xiangling had already stepped forward.
"Amber, Diluc. It's been a while."
Diluc nodded. His expression was as calm as ever.
"It has. We only arrived in Liyue Harbor today. I was just considering going to the Adventurers' Guild to ask where Tabibito might be. Since you've been in Liyue for some time, I thought you could help."
He looked at Tabibito.
"As for dinner, I'm afraid tonight may not work. I need to visit Ryou."
Tabibito smiled. "Then there's no need to go searching. Ryou just came back from Qingce Village today. You can come with us in a while."
She glanced at the people behind him.
"Though with this many people…"
Before she could finish, one of the men in the group spoke.
"That won't be necessary. Collei and I still have somewhere to go, and we'll arrange our own lodging. We don't know Ryou, so going with you would only make things awkward."
Tabibito looked at him.
His appearance stood out at once. Not because he looked strange, exactly, but because of the long ears. His clothes were also clearly Sumeru style.
That made her think of Dunyarzad and Dehya.
Before Tabibito could say anything, Amber cut in.
"It's fine. Ryou and Keqing are both really nice. We can bring a gift and treat it as a proper visit."
Collei shook her head. "Amber, Tighnari still needs to take me to meet someone. You should go without us."
"That's settled, then," Tighnari said gently. "We won't disturb you."
He was about to leave with Collei when Paimon mentioned Dehya beside Tabibito.
Tighnari stopped.
He turned back. "Did you just say Dehya?"
"Yeah." Paimon nodded.
Tabibito looked at him. "Do you know her?"
"Not well enough to call us friends," Tighnari said. "We've met a few times. She's a mercenary from Sumeru, and a very capable one. I simply didn't expect her to come to Liyue."
He thought for a moment.
"If there's a chance tomorrow, I may pay her a visit. It isn't easy to run into someone from Sumeru in Liyue Harbor. Perhaps we could even travel back together."
Tabibito understood roughly what he meant and did not press.
Soon, the group split up.
Diluc arranged for the others to settle in first, then said, "Only Amber and I will visit Ryou tonight. Since this is my first time calling on him, I should prepare a gift. Tabibito, do you have any suggestions?"
"No need to make it complicated," Tabibito said. "Xiangling and I are going to the market to buy seafood. You can buy some too."
Diluc looked unsure.
"He doesn't lack anything fancy," Tabibito added. "Food is better."
After a short pause, Diluc nodded. "Very well."
Tabibito walked beside Amber, curiosity finally getting the better of her.
"Amber, how did you end up in Liyue?"
Amber's expression changed slightly.
"I came with Collei," she said quietly. "Her condition has been getting worse. Last time, you mentioned that Baizhu from Bubu Pharmacy was a very skilled doctor. Since Diluc was coming to Liyue Harbor anyway, I brought them with him."
"So she's sick…"
Tabibito thought of Dunyarzad at once.
"That's strange. I met two people from Sumeru too, and one of them was sick as well. Xiao said it was an incurable disease from Sumeru. No one in the world can cure it."
Amber's face changed.
She turned to Tabibito, voice suddenly tight.
"Tabibito… that incurable disease. Was it Eleazar?"
…
Feiyun Slope.
"Tighnari, why do you think Dehya came to Liyue Harbor?"
Collei walked beside him, still thinking about the name Paimon had mentioned.
"I heard she usually stays in Sumeru, and most of her work is in the desert."
Tighnari kept his pace steady.
"The last time I saw Alhaitham at the Grand Bazaar, he mentioned something that might be related."
"What did he say?"
They had moved into a quieter area now. Aside from the guards around Yujing Terrace, there were not many people nearby.
Tighnari lowered his voice.
"It concerns a young woman from the Homayani family. Dunyarzad."
Collei looked up.
"Alhaitham said the Homayani family hired a very capable mercenary. I suspect that mercenary may be Dehya. It's true that Dehya usually wouldn't leave Sumeru, but if Dunyarzad asked, that would be different."
He glanced at Collei.
"And Dunyarzad has Eleazar, just like you. If she came to Liyue Harbor, she may have come seeking treatment."
Collei went quiet.
Tighnari softened his voice. "Collei, we may have come to the right place. If Dunyarzad came here, perhaps she saw some hope first. Maybe you'll have a chance too."
"Tighnari…"
"Come on. Bubu Pharmacy should still be open."
He was still comforting her when his eyes caught a group walking away from the direction of the pharmacy.
Four people.
The pair closest to him stood out immediately. The man was handsome, the woman beside him striking enough to draw attention even in Liyue Harbor. Two others walked slightly behind them, but from this angle, Tighnari could not see them clearly.
He only glanced once before looking away.
Bubu Pharmacy mattered more.
Inside, Herbalist Gui was tidying up near the counter. A strange figure sat nearby, dressed in an unusual way, with something equally unusual coiled at his neck.
Collei startled and immediately hid behind Tighnari.
"Collei," Tighnari said softly, steadying her first.
Then he stepped forward and asked Herbalist Gui, "Excuse me. Are you Baizhu?"
Herbalist Gui pointed beside him. "Baizhu is over there."
Tighnari turned.
"I came hoping you could examine my apprentice."
Baizhu looked from Tighnari to Collei. His gaze paused on Collei for a moment.
"Come to the inner room."
They followed him inside.
Baizhu took Collei's pulse. A short while later, his expression changed.
Collei sat stiffly in the chair and looked up at Tighnari.
"Don't worry," Tighnari said, keeping his voice calm for her sake. "Baizhu will know what to do."
Baizhu shook his head slightly.
"Eleazar," he said. "Sumeru's incurable disease."
Collei's shoulders sank.
Then Baizhu added, "Not long before you arrived, another Eleazar patient left this pharmacy. You may have seen them outside."
Tighnari immediately thought of the four people they had passed.
The man and woman at the front had not looked like Sumeru natives, nor did they look sick. But the two behind them…
Could they have been Dehya and Dunyarzad?
His heart beat faster.
If he had looked more carefully, he might have found out.
"I saw them," Tighnari said quickly. "Baizhu, did you treat that patient? Is there a way?"
Collei looked at Baizhu too, hope and fear tangled together on her face.
"I cannot cure Eleazar," Baizhu said. "But someone can."
Tighnari stepped forward before he could stop himself.
"Who?"
"The young woman who just left was older than this girl, but her Eleazar was much milder. That means she has already received treatment."
Baizhu looked at Tighnari.
"The person who helped her is well known in Liyue Harbor. He is not a doctor. He works at the Ministry of Civil Affairs. His name is Ryou."
"Ryou…"
Tighnari repeated the name under his breath.
Collei suddenly remembered.
"Tighnari, when we arrived, Tabibito invited us to Ryou's house! Tabibito knows him!"
Tighnari sighed.
"And we refused."
Still, it was not hopeless.
"Amber is with them. She should be able to help us find him."
Baizhu looked between the two of them. "You know Ryou?"
Tighnari explained what had happened at Third-Round Knockout.
Baizhu listened, then nodded.
"Naturally, I know him. His father is my patient, and I have treated Ryou himself before."
He looked at Collei again.
"If you know him as well, then come with me later. We'll go to his house together."
[End of chapter]