"So… what should we do now?"
After leaving the tavern, Lumine suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness hit her.
"We should go back to the inn and sleep."
Paimon hugged the round little Farmas tightly.
"Farmas, being a slime actually seems pretty nice—soft, warm, and you never have to worry about not having food!"
Paimon happily squeezed Farmas' body and buried her face into the warm slime.
"Paimon, that's rude!"
Lumine scolded, seeing Paimon practically glued to Farmas.
"Ah—hot! Hot! Hot!!"
Farmas' body temperature suddenly spiked, and Paimon immediately let go in panic.
"Ugh! I hate Farmas! My hands almost got cooked!"
Paimon flailed her burning hands in the air, cheeks puffed angrily.
Farmas sat on Lumine's shoulder, watching with a completely blank expression—
but both Lumine and Paimon knew he had done it on purpose.
"Hmph! How dare you bully Teyvat's cutest mascot! Take this—Farmas!"
Paimon somehow found a tiny twig and pretended it was a sword, rushing at Farmas.
But the moment the twig touched his soft slime body, it was swallowed smoothly—
along with part of Paimon's hand.
No matter how much she pulled, she couldn't get it out.
"Huh?! I surrender! I surrender!! Let me gooo!!"
Feeling the temperature rising around her trapped hand, Paimon immediately begged for mercy.
Farmas finally released her, letting her pull her hand out.
Then he expelled the twig—
which shot out and smacked Paimon right on the forehead.
"Ow—! Ugh, I'll get you this time—take—this—!"
So, bickering all the way, they finally returned to the inn where they had been staying and slept straight until noon.
The Next Day
Knock, knock, knock.
"This is the Knights of Favonius City Defense. May we ask you a few questions?"
Half awake, Lumine poked her head out of the bathroom, toothbrush in her mouth, staring at idle Paimon and Farmas, who was seriously studying the Holy Lyre.
"Farmas—hide the lyre!"
Lumine's eyes widened.
Still foamy-mouthed, she hurriedly warned the red slime on the bed.
Farmas shrank his body—
and the Holy Lyre was immediately absorbed inside him.
Lumine quickly retreated, rinsed her mouth in record time, and opened the door with Paimon.
"Good day. Knights of Favonius City Defense, Lawrence."
The blond knight placed a hand on his chest and saluted.
Farmas remembered him—Lawrence, the knight who guarded Mondstadt's city gate day and night. Also the temporary examiner of the Knightly Code.
"Oh, the Traveler? You're staying here?"
Seeing the room's occupants, Lawrence's tense expression eased.
Lumine exchanged a glance with Farmas, preparing to answer—
but Paimon puffed up her cheeks and spoke first:
"Yes! Is something wrong?"
"Well… Scout Knight Amber's very important item was stolen. I'm checking unfamiliar individuals who recently entered the city."
Lawrence glanced around the room and nodded.
"But since it's you, Traveler, this shouldn't be necessary…"
"What did Amber lose?"
Lumine asked, finally relaxing.
As long as it wasn't about the Holy Lyre, things were manageable.
"This…"
Lawrence looked troubled, hesitating before finally speaking.
"Amber's Vision. Her Pyro Vision was stolen."
Lumine froze—still not fully understanding the significance of a Vision—
but Paimon gasped loudly:
"Her Vision?! But Visions are an external elemental organ—they stay linked to their owner! How could she lose it?!"
"We're not sure either. Amber reported it to Acting Grand Master Jean in tears. She said a sudden gust of wind blew through, and while she was fixing her clothes, the belt holding her Vision snapped. She saw a flash of green, and after that… she couldn't sense her Vision anymore."
"A… green figure…"
Farmas felt his head ache.
So it was Venti who snatched the Vision.
If the owner came looking for it… the Anemo Archon's reputation would be ruined.
"Could it be him?"
Lumine and Paimon both stared at Farmas.
Clearly, they all suspected that green bard named Venti.
Farmas shook his head subtly toward Lawrence.
"We haven't seen any green figure."
"I see. Thank you, Mr. Farmas."
Lawrence nodded.
"I'll go question the remaining guests. Sorry to bother you."
He left calmly.
Farmas peeked out from behind the door, watched Lawrence walk toward the other rooms, then quickly shut the door and squeezed the Holy Lyre back out of his body.
"Farmas… you know something, don't you?"
Lumine asked, noticing his strange behavior.
Paimon sat on the bed, pointing at Farmas dramatically.
"I've got it! You and that bard Venti are actually a pair of Liyue master thieves! You used us to sneak into Mondstadt just to steal the Holy Lyre and the Vision!"
With a classic detective pose and her tiny finger pointed dramatically:
"There is only one truth—Thief Farmas!"
"Ow—!"
Lumine flicked Paimon's forehead.
"Don't accuse people blindly, Paimon. If anything, we look more suspicious than Farmas."
Lumine's determined gaze fell on the red slime.
She picked up the Holy Lyre from the floor.
"I-I was only joking to lighten the mood…"
Paimon rubbed her forehead.
"Venti… really is that bard, right? But why would he steal Amber's Vision?"
Lumine looked at Farmas again, golden eyes filled with questions.
"I don't know. But we're meeting Venti tonight anyway—just ask him then."
Farmas said, fighting the urge to immediately expose all of Venti's crimes.
His mind was already drifting elsewhere.
"Amber cried? Hmm… I kind of want to know what that looked like."