Kael froze for a moment when he saw the expression on Barbara's face.
He quietly pulled up her Pain page on the System.
Maybe things had gotten too intense last night and he hadn't heard the notifications… or maybe the System had wisely decided not to interrupt him.
Either way, this was the first time he'd seen her updated stats.
[Barbara: Pain 45, Corruption 13.9.]
Just one night had lowered her Pain this much. Looked like the medicine he gave her really had worked.
At the very least, after everything that happened last night, she definitely felt safer than before.
Not long after Barbara left, Kael finally got out of bed as well.
Like always, he used the map to locate the Wild Boar herds without any trouble.
While feeding Little Gold, he also secured today's supply.
By the time he returned to the shop, dawn had only just begun to break.
But Mona was still nowhere in sight.
Resigned, Kael headed upstairs, ready to wake her up.
It was honestly the first time he'd seen an employee who needed her boss to give her daily morning wake-up service.
The moment he stepped onto the second floor, he saw Xiangling packing in the living room.
One by one, she tucked all the ingredients she'd gathered in Mondstadt into her bags.
"Xiangling, what are you doing?"
Hearing his voice, Xiangling looked up immediately.
"Oh! Brother, you're back~ I'm packing up. I'm heading back to Liyue."
A faint sadness stirred in Kael's chest.
He really had grown fond of Xiangling like a little sister.
"Because the Liyue Chef's Tournament is happening in a couple of months, remember? I need to go prepare."
So it was already that time.
If he remembered the Genshin storyline right, the Traveler had just arrived in Teyvat before accompanying Xiangling to the tournament.
But he had no idea whether the Traveler would appear in another year or two… or just a few months from now.
When it came up, Xiangling's eyes lit up.
"Oh! Brother, since your cooking is so incredible, why don't you come with me and join the Tournament?!"
Kael felt a little tempted.
Not because he wanted to compete. His Talent came from the System—he was basically the strongest chef in Teyvat by default. Entering the Chef's Tournament would be like kicking down a sandbox.
He just wanted to travel to Liyue for a bit.
He still remembered the shock of seeing Liyue Harbor for the first time in the game.
Seeing it in reality would be even more breathtaking.
Seeing him hesitate, Xiangling pressed on. "I'll bring you to Wanmin Restaurant! You can try our signature dishes—you'll definitely love them. And Dad will be super happy to meet you!"
Something in her voice made Kael nod almost automatically.
"Alright. I'll go see Liyue with you."
He still worried about Chef Mao.
Kael had genuinely felt the warmth of family in Chef Mao's home.
The helpless look on that father's face before he died was something Kael would never forget.
The System had also shown Chef Mao's Pain. Which meant his poisoning had been transferred into reality as well.
And that Pain was a full 100.
Kael hoped his arrival could ease even a little of that suffering.
"That's great! I'm planning to leave tomorrow. So hurry up and pack, Brother!"
"Alright."
But before leaving, he had to warn Amber and the others.
Otherwise they'd think he'd vanished again and start panicking.
Inside the bedroom, Mona—who'd been secretly listening—finally opened the door and stepped out.
"I'm going with you to Liyue."
Kael blinked. "Why? Just stay here in Mondstadt and watch the shop. Don't worry, even if you skip work, I won't dock your pay. You'll still get your full salary."
Getting paid without working—that was every worker's dream.
Where else were you gonna find a boss like him?
Mona rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they stayed in her skull.
In her mind, one thought rang loud and clear:
With how much this man attracts trouble, who knew how many girls he'd pick up during a single trip to Liyue?!
She refused to let anyone cut ahead of her again.
She'd already made up her mind: during this trip away from Mondstadt, she would win Kael over.
"Hmph. No. I'm going to Liyue with you. Astrology values the balance of Strength—I'm not someone who takes money without doing the work. Since you're paying me, I have to contribute."
"And don't underestimate me! I'm a famous astrologist. I can help you a ton on the road."
"And… when you're out traveling, I can take care of you!"
Kael sighed. You didn't see diligent workers like this very often.
Seeing how determined she looked, he teased lightly, "Well, I have everything I need… except a foot-washing girl."
"You—!"
Mona nearly exploded. She clenched her teeth and shot back, "Foot… foot washing isn't hard! I can do it!"
For a chance to travel with him, she'd risk her dignity. Fine.
Kael burst into laughter.
Seeing his reaction, Mona realized she'd been tricked again.
She planted her hands on her hips and glared at him.
"Well? Are you agreeing or not?!"
"I agree. How would I dare refuse you?" Kael smiled. "Since you're coming with us, go pack."
Mona almost smiled, but forced it down at the last second.
She straightened her back and struck a proud pose—unyielding, dignified, determined.
"Traveling with me is a privilege."
"Yes, yes."
Since they were heading to Liyue, everyone needed time to pack. Kael decided the Meat Shop would stay closed.
He should also go tell Amber and the others.
Even though the shop had been open three days and closed two, and looked like it was destined to fail someday…
Kael honestly wasn't worried.
The money he'd earned from Diluc, plus the reward from the SnowBoar King he hadn't even claimed yet, was more than enough for him to live comfortably.
He hadn't come to Teyvat to work anyway—he'd come to enjoy life.
The only problem was…
How was he supposed to tell Amber and the others?
One wrong word and he'd get nailed to a wall on the spot.
And knowing that damn System, if their Pain spiked, his Attribute Points would absolutely get deducted.
…Great.
Just great.
Now he really had something to worry about.
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Next Target 350PS :)