"She's preparing to go to Liyue, and I want to give her a gift that will allow her to protect herself."
Once Lumine left Mondstadt, Miss Durandal would no longer be able to help her, so she could only ensure Lumine's safety by enhancing her strength.
"I see, no wonder you created such a weapon. You're banking on her strength continuing to increase, aren't you?"
Venti nodded. It really was a thoughtful design. Even he couldn't think of a better gift. But... "Why don't you go to Liyue with the Traveler? You're not like me, who needs to stay in Mondstadt. No, even I occasionally go to Liyue to drink with the old man. You've been in Mondstadt for too long; you should go out and see the world."
For thousands of years, Venti didn't know how Miss Durandal could stay in one place for so long; he would have gone crazy if it were him.
Even if Mondstadt's scenery was beautiful and the wine was good, staying in the same place inevitably became boring. Why not go out and see the world?
"...Let's not. My arrival would only make Liyue nervous."
The identity of a God was enough to put a nation on high alert, and coupled with her terrifying abilities, who knew if her appearance in their territory would be seen as an invasion.
She was doing quite well in Mondstadt, there was no need to go out and look for trouble, so she decided against it. There was no need to cause herself problems.
"Hahaha~ You're overthinking it, Miss Durandal. As long as you don't do anything attention-grabbing, most people won't recognize your true identity. Besides, your deeds have already spread to Liyue. If they knew you were coming, they'd probably be overjoyed."
With Miss Durandal's help, most of Mondstadt's difficult problems had already been resolved; the remaining ones were minor issues, and it wouldn't matter if she wasn't there.
But Liyue was different. Although some people had traveled long distances to Mondstadt, there were still others who couldn't come for various reasons.
If Miss Durandal could go, those people would definitely be the happiest.
Venti patted Miss Durandal's shoulder and asked, "If they're willing, would you be willing to visit Liyue?"
"I..."
"Don't talk about whether you can or can't. Just tell me if you want to."
Venti stopped Miss Durandal, who was about to say something, and asked, "The problems you're worried about have never happened. You like to think from other people's perspectives, but now I want you to answer from your own perspective: do you want to go to Liyue and see?"
"...Yes."
Having been cooped up in Mondstadt for so long, she naturally wanted to see other places and what made them different from Mondstadt.
There was nothing wrong with staying in Mondstadt, but after meeting Xiangling, seeing things she had never seen before from merchants who came from Liyue, and learning about other nations from other people, she gradually became curious about other countries.
She really wanted to go out and see, but was it really okay to do so? Miss Durandal didn't know, and finally decided not to think about these troublesome questions, letting nature take its course.
Hearing this answer, Venti nodded in satisfaction and returned the Sword to Miss Durandal.
With this answer, it would be easy. He had never done anything for his good friend, so he would take this opportunity to help her out.
--------
The time for Lumine to go to Liyue arrived quickly. As a Traveler, she naturally chose to travel on foot.
Just after leaving Mondstadt, before even reaching Springvale, she met Miss Durandal, who had been waiting for a long time.
Upon seeing Miss Durandal, Lumine's expression clearly changed, as if she had long expected Miss Durandal to appear.
Paimon was also very happy to see Miss Durandal, and eagerly flew over, circling Miss Durandal a few times.
"It's been so many days since we last met, Miss Durandal! Really, the Traveler looked for you every day and couldn't find you. Where did you go?"
Lumine wanted to find Miss Durandal to complete quests and get Primogems during this time, but couldn't, which meant she missed out on dozens of Primogems. The thought of it made her heart ache.
Losing a few Primogems was already a huge loss; now, losing dozens felt like the sky was falling for her.
"I had something to do, and it took a little time to prepare."
Miss Durandal looked at Lumine: "Show me your weapon, Lumine."
"Huh? Oh, okay."
Lumine obediently took out her weapon. Miss Durandal took the Dull Blade, glanced at it, and casually tossed it aside, then handed Lumine the weapon she had prepared in advance.
Lumine was initially puzzled by Miss Durandal's act of throwing away her weapon, but when she saw Miss Durandal take out an unfamiliar weapon, and a top-grade Sword at that, Lumine's eyes couldn't move away.
"This... what an amazing weapon. Where did it come from?"
Even Paimon, who was responsible for being cute, could tell this weapon was extraordinary. Such a weapon must be rare. Where did Miss Durandal get it?
"This is the result of my work these past few days. Your strength is improving very quickly. In the future, you will encounter many enemies, and a suitable weapon can help you a lot. This... is for you."
"This is... you made it specially for me?"
After learning the news that she was about to leave Mondstadt, she specially spent time crafting this weapon?
The moment she took the Sword, Lumine immediately felt a resonance between herself and the weapon, as if it were a part of her body.
"What a magical feeling, completely different from any weapon I've held before."
Lumine tried swinging it. Its weight was lighter than her previous Dull Blade. Not only that, she felt her control over elemental power become stronger than before, and her body became lighter.
"It's a weapon that will grow as its wielder's strength increases. The stronger you become in the future, the stronger it will become. And with increased use, its compatibility with you will grow, and it will become your exclusive weapon. Others cannot unleash its power; it will just be a relatively hard Sword, with no enhancement."
Oh~ an exclusive weapon! That word sounded particularly high-class. She didn't expect it to have such a function.
A growth-type weapon meant she wouldn't have to worry about weapons anymore and could use it indefinitely, reducing expenses in that area.
"Thank you, Miss Durandal!"
A delighted Lumine excitedly hugged Miss Durandal. This sudden movement made Miss Durandal's body stiffen, mainly because it was too sudden, without any preparation.
This was the first time Lumine had made such an intimate gesture towards her. This feeling was completely different from when Klee hugged her, leaving Miss Durandal somewhat flustered as she pushed Lumine away and took a few steps back.
"Ah, I... I'm sorry, I got too excited, Miss Durandal."
It seemed Miss Durandal was still not used to such intimate interactions. She had been too impulsive; no matter how excited she was, she shouldn't have done something like that.
Miss Durandal shook her head. Lumine's actions indeed exceeded her expectations, but she didn't reject such interactions; it was just too sudden and startled her.
"Alright, I've given you the weapon. It's almost time for you to set off, Lumine."
Miss Durandal took a deep breath, adjusted her state, and said, "If you encounter any insurmountable difficulties, you can come to me. Although I can't hear distant sounds through the wind like Barbatos, if you need me, I will rush over at any time."
By using her abilities to train fast-moving bird to help transmit messages, flying in the air was quicker. She had asked Venti about the distance between Liyue and Mondstadt.
Flying back would be quick, and then she would rush over, taking less than a day. She should be able to make it and wouldn't have to collect her corpse... probably.
After saying this, Miss Durandal prepared to leave. She needed to go to Cape Oath to calm down, and then go to Mondstadt in a few days, by which time she should have calmed down.
"Wait a moment."
Lumine grabbed Durandal's hand, just as she had held onto Durandal before, Lumine held Durandal's hand tightly, not letting her leave.
"Come with me to Liyue, Durandal. I... I want to travel to the Seven Nations with you, okay?"
"...Do you know what you're doing, Lumine?"
Durandal looked at Lumine in surprise. What kind of nonsense was this person spouting? Of all the people to invite to her party, she chose herself? Was she truly foolish or just pretending?
"Why do you always ask that question? Of course, I know what I'm saying."
Lumine smiled, "I want to travel to the Seven Nations with you, I want to see the scenery of each nation with you. I want you to accompany me. Is that answer enough?"
Without saying a word, Durandal's eyes widened. When Lumine said she wanted her to accompany her, Durandal lost her composure.
No one had ever said such words to her before. Meeting occasionally like before was one thing, but now she wanted her to be with her all day. Was she crazy? Or was something wrong?
"It's impossible. This is the only place I can go. I can't possibly go to other nations."
"You haven't even been there, so why do you think it's impossible? If you don't take that step, how will you know the outcome?"
Clutching Durandal's hands tightly, Lumine said seriously, "I need you, Durandal. Please accompany me on this journey, okay?"
"Need... me? This kind of thing... I..."
Refuse? She should refuse her, but her heart was happy at Lumine's words, wanting to agree to her. But if she left, what would happen to Mondstadt? What would happen to Klee?
"Big Sister Durandal!"
Just as she didn't know what to do, Klee's voice interrupted her thoughts. Klee ran towards her and threw herself into her arms.
Not only Klee, but also others she knew in Mondstadt appeared not far away.
"You all..."
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