"Why are you only back now, Traveler!? Wuwuwu... I've been looking for you with Ying... hic... we've been looking for you for so long... wuwu... The street performers even said... the wind... the wind couldn't find a trace of you, everyone thought you'd... passed away... even Hutao was sad for a long time..."
"Alright, alright, I'm here. Paimon, stop crying. Look, what is this?"
"Wuwu... A steak! No, no, don't think a steak can bribe me into forgiving you that easily! I'm not that easy to forgive!"
"What if it's five pieces?"
"Five pieces!? (???`?)"
Gurgle...
The word "steak" made Paimon's stomach express its hunger, but deep down, she didn't want to forgive Gong Qu that easily for running off.
Her physical hunger conflicted with her emotional resistance, leaving her with a furrowed brow, unsure of what expression to show.
Gong Qu pinched Paimon's chubby cheek, then turned to the late-arriving Gatekeeper.
"There are still some stragglers nearby. Go take care of them."
His words were filled with a cold, murderous intent.
"As you command, my lord!"
The Gatekeeper grabbed the magically enhanced bow bestowed by his deity and walked toward the monsters that had gathered around due to the commotion.
At this moment, even if a dragon appeared before him, he'd dare to shoot a couple of arrows at it.
"Long time no see, Paimon."
"Hmm... I haven't had anything this good in a while... Hey, Keqing?"
"Wait, what? Am I starving so badly that I'm hallucinating and seeing Keqing?"
"You're not imagining it; that's the real Keqing."
Gong Qu gave Keqing's rear a playful shake, the sensation of her weight clearly felt behind him.
Keqing blushed and shot him a glare, then quickly climbed off him.
"You've been starving for too long; steak isn't the best for you now. Paimon, you should drink some milk to ease yourself first. I'll make you some porridge."
"Okay~~"
Paimon responded, her voice trailing.
Gong Qu ruffled her hair. "Where's your companion? It's just you here."
At his words, Paimon's face drooped.
"It's all your fault, Qu! You disappeared, and Ying and I searched the whole world for you. We finally found Zhongli, and he suggested we ask the street performers because they know everything in Teyvat. The street performers said that either you left this world or passed away."
"Ying cried for a long time that night, and the next day, she just stayed in the Angel's Gift, like an old drunkard, almost wishing she could bury herself in a vat of alcohol."
Paimon spilled everything—her longing, sadness, and all the emotions that had built up.
Before she knew it, Gong Qu had pulled her into his arms, and she continued babbling, oblivious to it.
"Alright, you've been talking for half an hour now, aren't you getting tired? Come, have some porridge."
As Gong Qu's personal chef, Keqing always carried ingredients for simple meals and cookware in her maid bag, so she naturally had rice and other essentials.
Paimon eagerly drank a large mouthful of fragrant rice porridge.
"Wow! It's sweet!"
"I squeezed a little sweet flower juice in. A'Qu once said that when you're tired or hungry, a little sweetness helps with digestion and absorption."
"Hehe, it's really delicious!"
Paimon grinned widely and finished the bowl of porridge, licking the sides of the bowl clean before cupping it in her hands. "Another bowl, please!"
Keqing, who was used to feeding little creatures, affectionately patted Paimon's head and went back to scoop more porridge from the pot.
Gong Qu wiped the remnants of porridge from Paimon's lips. "No need to rush, take your time. Once you're full, we'll head back to Mondstadt together."
"Then I'll explain to her why I've been gone."
Half an hour later.
"Ah, I'm so full! Traveler, I forgive you now!"
"That's a cheap forgiveness. A meal is all it takes?"
"Eh? No, no, one meal isn't enough. At least... at least five meals! No, ten meals!"
Paimon looked at her hand, counting the fingers, and then added up both hands to form a 'ten' with her fingers.
Gong Qu chuckled and raised his index finger.
"How about for a lifetime? I now have the resources of the entire world. Supporting a regular big eater like you is more than enough."
"Wow! A'Qu, you're so nice! It's a deal, pinky swear!"
Paimon felt like she hit the jackpot, extending her pinky finger, afraid Gong Qu might back out.
Gong Qu smiled and locked the pinky swear with her.
Soon, Keqing had cleaned up the area, and the Gatekeeper returned after dealing with the monsters. Gong Qu prepared to continue their journey with Paimon.
"Hey, A'Qu, I took a task from the Adventurers' Guild yesterday, but I haven't finished it yet?"
"What task? Tell me, I'll have someone help you with it."
"Huh? Is that okay? It's no trouble, it's just to clean the Seven Day Statue in Starfall Lake."
Gong Qu glanced at the slightly scorched Seven Day Statue in the center of Starfall Lake and turned to the Gatekeeper, who was busy replenishing his energy.
"Can you help clean that statue for me, my devout follower?"
Thud!
The half-eaten bread in the Gatekeeper's hand fell to the ground, his pupils shimmering with excited tears.
"As you command, Creator!"
Keqing watched the Gatekeeper hurry off toward the island in the center of the lake, feeling a little sorry for him.
"A'Qu, is he really okay? He hasn't rested since he got here."
"Don't worry, his health bar is still full. And I saw earlier that after I gave him a little 'motivation,' he got an exciting buff. Right now, he's full of energy."
The Gatekeeper, truly useful!
Gong Qu was already considering whether he should go back and recruit a few more Gatekeepers to form a team—no, a team of followers!
...
When they first arrived, Paimon had flown from Mondstadt to Starfall Lake, taking an entire day and night to avoid danger.
On the way back, Gong Qu formed a protective shield with elemental power and, carrying both Paimon and Keqing, traveled at superhuman speed, returning in less than two hours.
Whoosh!
Gong Qu slammed on the brakes with one foot, leaving a skid mark that stretched for twenty to thirty meters.
"Tch, I'll have to get myself a flying dragon soon. It's no fun always running on the ground. If this goes on, I'll turn into Saitama."
Gong Qu took a bite of steak, restoring some of his lost energy.
Keqing and Paimon climbed off his back. Keqing was already accustomed to his superhuman physique, while Paimon was still a little dizzy.
"A'Qu, when did you get so strong? I remember when we were traveling before, you were always the one handling logistics."
"A person changes after three days, Paimon. I'm not who I was before."
Gong Qu ruffled Paimon's hair.
To be honest, it felt really good, and he was starting to get addicted to it.
"Now, let's follow the best guide in Teyvat and head to the Angel's Gift."
"Hmph! You've got good taste!"
Paimon puffed out her little chest, proudly flying ahead to lead the way.
Along the way, Paimon told Gong Qu about Mondstadt's city districts.
Mondstadt City was generally divided into four districts:
The Northern District was home to the church and statues, the center of Mondstadt's freedom culture.
The Western District was a residential area, filled with bustling market life. It was the most populous area, with over a million people living there.
The Eastern District was the commercial area, home to the famous Angel's Gift Tavern.
The Southern District was a mixed-use area, containing buildings like the Adventurers' Guild and the Hunter's Tavern.
As for the Knights of Favonius headquarters, it sat in the center of the four districts, as if holding dominion over them.