The scene Kael had been worried about… would never happen.
In the life simulations, every one of them had experienced his death.
Losing the person they loved in such a brutal way left a pain and grief so immense it blended with their love and carved itself into their souls.
Even if they no longer remembered the simulations,
the feeling of losing him was etched into them like a brand.
For the girls in the real world, as long as Kael was alive, that was already enough.
And now, he wasn't just alive—he was responding to their feelings.
That alone made them happier than they ever could've hoped.
Even Barbara, corruption value and all, only had one wish:
that when Kael faced a choice, he wouldn't abandon her.
As long as he did that, she was content.
So when the three of them sat together, the atmosphere was surprisingly peaceful.
After all, they all loved the same person, and they all wished for the same thing.
Everyone took their seats at the table.
Kael had prepared each girl's favorite dishes.
Even Mona's seat had her beloved Satisfying Salad.
Though the ingredients were simple, he'd made a luxurious version, putting his heart into every detail.
Soon, the only sounds left in the room were quiet chewing.
The moment they tasted the first bite, all three immediately dropped into focused, blissful silence.
Kael's cooking was amazing on a normal day.
Tonight, he'd gone all-out.
None of them had ever tasted anything like this.
Xiangling's cheeks puffed out as she chewed. "Brother, your cooking is incredible. You're way better than me. If you join the Chef's Tournament this time, you'll definitely win first place!"
Hearing her say that, the others all looked up at Kael.
Barbara blinked. "The Chef's Tournament? That's held in Liyue, right?"
"Yeah."
Kael nodded. "That's why I invited you tonight. I'm heading to Liyue for a few days. I'm bringing Xiangling home, and I'll enter the Chef's Tournament while I'm there."
Amber, Eula, and Barbara all put down their utensils at the same time, frowning.
Kael hurried to reassure them. "But I won't be gone long. I'll come back to Mondstadt once a week."
Eula had spent years patrolling the outskirts of Mondstadt. She knew the terrain best.
"The distance between Mondstadt and Liyue isn't short. Even if you rush without stopping, it takes several days. If you go back and forth weekly, all your time will be spent on the road."
"Relax. I have a solution."
Kael had already prepared his explanation.
"I have an Adeptus artifact. I can teleport from Liyue's Statue of The Seven straight to Mondstadt. Coming back is instant."
Xiangling's eyes sparkled. "Brother, is it the pot I saw last time?"
Kael nodded with a perfectly straight face. "Yeah, that one."
"Really?"
Amber thought about it, then nodded slowly. "If that's the case, traveling between Liyue and Mondstadt isn't a problem."
"However, coming back once a week isn't enough. You need to come back three days a week."
Amber folded her arms, then turned slightly pink. "Even if you don't come back during the day… you still have to come back at night."
Eula and Barbara both flushed and nodded in agreement.
Kael stared.
They'd already arranged his schedule this precisely?
He rubbed his nose. "Alright. No problem."
Amber smiled. "Good. Then we're fine."
She lifted her glass. "I hope you take first place in the Tournament."
The others raised their glasses as well.
After dinner, Eula and Barbara left for an urgent patrol assignment.
Only Amber stayed to help Mona and Xiangling clean up.
Kael could tell perfectly well.
He'd been thoroughly… scheduled.
After cleaning up, he and Amber went upstairs together…
---
The next morning, Amber left early.
Kael realized Amber's progress was getting fast.
Very fast.
And maybe, as punishment for him leaving Mondstadt for a while, she'd made sure he… felt it.
Kael let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Good thing he'd upgraded his Stamina.
Otherwise, Mondstadt's gliding champion would've crushed him.
He stepped outside the room and found Xiangling and Mona already packed, waiting for him.
"Let's go. I'll use the Adeptus artifact to bring us to the border of Mondstadt first. Cuts down the distance."
Kael opened the map and tried to teleport.
Then he paused.
It wouldn't let him bring companions.
To teleport with others, he needed to have arrived there within the last three days.
Right.
Kael didn't even need to think.
This was the System's nonsense again.
These items definitely had upgrade potential. The System just wanted to lure him into doing more life simulations.
More simulations meant more strength…
and upgraded tools.
But Kael already had a workaround.
The map couldn't take people.
But the Serenitea Pot could.
Anything—objects, animals, even people—could enter and exit the Pot.
He could store them, then teleport on his own.
Kael took out the Serenitea Pot.
It was Mona's first time seeing it. Her eyes practically glued themselves to the surface.
The pot radiated powerful energy and a serene aura.
She loved magical tools with special functions.
Her bag already held a small collection.
Whenever she had money, she bought more magical artifacts.
Which was exactly why a powerful astrologist like her was always broke.
---
Kael turned to them. "I'll put you both inside the pot first. There's a small world in there. Once you're in, I'll teleport."
Xiangling and Mona's eyes lit up.
"Brother, hurry and put us in!"
Xiangling could barely stand still.
For someone from Liyue, being able to enter an Adeptus artifact was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
The moment she first saw the pot, she'd been fascinated.
Now she could actually go inside.
Seeing their excitement, Kael laughed softly. With a thought, both girls vanished from sight.
Oh, right.
Kael suddenly remembered.
He called into the pot, "If you see something Gold, small, and kind of shaped like a monster, don't attack it. That's my pet."
Inside the Serenitea Pot, Xiangling and Mona stared in awe at the scenery.
Before they could even gasp, Kael's voice came from the sky above them.
Xiangling looked up and shouted, "Okay, Brother!"
Kael could project his awareness into the Serenitea Pot and see inside.
Watching them wander around in amazement, he chuckled.
No wonder they were astonished.
The beauty inside this System-granted pot would've been rare even across all of Teyvat.
He opened the map quietly and selected the teleport waypoint closest to Liyue.
[Teleport?]
"Yes."
The world blurred.