Night in the wilds of Teyvat was extremely dangerous—especially in a dark place like Whispering Woods.
Once night fell, caravans and travelers usually stopped moving.
It wasn't just monsters.
Treasure hoarders—or even ordinary bandits—might be watching.
When there were only one or two people, escaping danger was easier.
When Lumine and Paimon traveled alone, they sometimes slept in trees if they couldn't find a hidden cave.
But when the group was larger—
Camping was necessary.
So before sunset, merchants and travelers would begin searching for safe resting spots.
Over time, many such known campsites appeared across Teyvat's wilderness.
Some were used mainly by caravans.
Others by adventurers or travelers.
As the head of Mondstadt's merchant network, Diluc knew the hidden details of almost every trade route.
To him, such campsites were no secret.
In fact, he didn't even use the usual merchant guild camps.
He relied on his family's private caravan intelligence, which was safer.
"Here it is."
Diluc stopped beneath a tree.
Nearby, a small stream flowed quietly.
The place didn't look special.
Just a slightly larger tree trunk compared to the surrounding forest.
"From up there you can watch the surroundings."
Diluc pointed upward.
When choosing a campsite, concealment wasn't the main priority.
Large caravans couldn't hide completely anyway.
The real principle was:
Easy defense
Hard to attack
Clear visibility for approaching danger
This tree worked perfectly as a natural watchtower.
The open space below allowed the group to set formation and place traps.
It was exactly what a good campsite should look like.
Jiang Chen took out the adventure gear.
Noelle quickly got to work.
She sprinkled powder around the camp to repel insects and snakes.
Then she laid down moisture-proof mats.
Sleeping bags followed.
She set up light shields and started a hidden fire.
Soon water was boiling.
Her movements flowed smoothly and elegantly.
Even this rough outdoor work looked graceful.
Finally she unfolded a portable table and chairs beneath the tree.
A beautiful tablecloth was spread out.
Five elegant teacups were placed neatly.
Under the quiet moonlight and the gentle rustle of leaves—
Noelle stood beside them, calmly pouring tea.
It looked more like a tea party than a wilderness camp.
"Wow… Noelle is amazing."
Paimon hovered beside Lumine, holding a teacup.
"Why does this feel like a picnic?"
She and Lumine had never experienced such luxurious outdoor living.
"I want some too."
Lumine complained.
Paimon reluctantly handed her the cup.
Nearby, Noelle was already roasting mushroom and chicken skewers over the fire.
She brushed seasoning across them occasionally.
"Now I see why you brought Noelle."
Diluc muttered.
He compared her with his own household servants.
Surprisingly—
They weren't as attentive as this young maid knight.
"That's nonsense."
"I brought her for training."
Jiang Chen refused to admit it.
After eating and drinking their fill, Noelle cleaned everything up.
Then she prepared to climb the tree and take the night watch.
"I'll take the first half of the night!"
Barbara said seriously.
"You should rest, Noelle."
"I'm just support anyway, and I didn't help much in the earlier fight."
Noelle hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.
"If only small things like this could make Boss Jiang Chen a little more comfortable…"
She whispered softly.
Then she slipped into her sleeping bag and quickly fell asleep.
Nearby, Lumine and Paimon were already sleeping soundly.
Being able to fall asleep quickly was an important survival skill for travelers.
In another tent—
Diluc suddenly spoke.
"This mission…"
"Is it about that place?"
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow.
Diluc continued calmly.
"You let Noelle handle most of the hilichurls."
"Lumine only dealt with a single lookout."
"Based on how the ley line energy was distributed…"
"If I'm not mistaken, the same thing will happen in the coming fights."
He paused.
"You're preparing to kill that monster."
"And let Lumine—like Fischl before her—reach the limit of her strength all at once."
Jiang Chen replied calmly.
"Since you figured it out, you should just go to sleep."
"I'll be relying on you later."
"Tch. You really know how to make people work."
Diluc muttered.
Inside his sleeping bag, his hand was slightly sweating.
Just remembering his last battle with that creature made him uneasy.
Without Jiang Chen beside him—
He would never willingly fight something like that again.
Soon the camp fell silent.
At the first ray of sunlight touching Whispering Woods, the camp was already packed up.
By noon, they finally exited the forest and entered a wide plain.
Far in the distance, a vast blue lake appeared.
This was Starfell Lake.
At the center of the lake stood one of Mondstadt's Statues of The Seven.
Statue of The Seven
The group didn't approach it.
Many hilichurl camps surrounded the lake.
Even if Jiang Chen and Diluc attacked, they couldn't clear them all quickly.
And even if they did—
The ley line energy gained by Lumine, Barbara, and Noelle would be minimal.
Not worth the trouble.
So they put on plain camouflage cloaks purchased from the Adventurers' Guild and circled around the lake.
Before nightfall, they reached the base of a massive mountain range.
Here, Noelle didn't dare light a fire like before.
Everyone simply ate dry rations.
Even standing at the foot of the mountains, they could feel it.
The dense concentration of ley line energy in this region was unusual.
Barbara swallowed nervously.
"This place…"
"Is a high-risk zone."
Want more? check out My patreon.com/Killua_001