At the Liyue Harbor Market
Two figures, one red and one blue, walked through the crowd. The blue Yaksha's expression was calm, showing no sign of unfamiliarity with her surroundings.
The red Yaksha, on the other hand, looked completely stunned, as if her brain's CPU was about to fry. They were Bonanus and the newly returned Indarias.
This... was Liyue? It had always prospered under Rex Lapis's leadership, but this was completely different.
People's faces were full of smiles. The heavy, anxious atmosphere of war had vanished.
All kinds of meat, strange gadgets, and beautiful fabrics were being sold here.
Indarias felt like she was living in a dream. But the vivid reality before her didn't seem like a dream at all.
The people of Liyue had long grown accustomed to seeing adepti out and about. They were only curious about the newly returned one, nothing more.
After all, it was just a guardian returning. Wasn't that common?
Besides, they had been notified in advance, so everyone was mentally prepared.
"Bonanus... this..." Indarias stammered. Her head felt heavy. Just moments ago, she had been on a life-or-death battlefield. Now, everything was so peaceful.
The sunlight was warm and comfortable, not the dark clouds of war.
Indarias was afraid. If this was just a dream—a beautiful world without war—then waking up would be unbearable.
"Hehe, it's all real." Seeing her sister's doubt and fear, Bonanus linked her arm with Indarias's and smiled sweetly.
Feeling her sister's warmth, Indarias's unease slowly faded.
Once Indarias had calmed down, Bonanus began explaining the whole situation in simple terms, including the details leading up to her return.
She also added some of her own made-up, absurd stories.
Hearing all this, Indarias's mouth dropped open in surprise. But the explanation gradually helped her accept her current situation.
"That's incredible! So Rex Lapis knew about this too?" Indarias felt like her brain was about to short-circuit again. It was absurd, yet somehow it made sense.
"Of course. Rex Lapis himself approved the mission to bring you back. But keep it a secret."
Bonanus laughed softly, resting her head on Indarias's arm. Her other hand pointed toward a nearby stall.
"Let's go check that out!" Bonanus said excitedly. There seemed to be new accessories that looked beautiful.
"Alright!" Hearing that, Indarias perked up. The shopping instinct of a woman surged within her.
All her worries were forgotten in an instant. Shopping was the only thing that could make these two sisters happy.
And the merchants were grinning from ear to ear. The big spender was back. Perfect!
...
Unbeknownst to them, the sky was gradually darkening.
But Indarias and Bonanus had gained three companions: Xiao, Bosacius, and Menogias. More precisely, three tool people.
After finishing their duties, they had come looking for the sisters.
But the moment they found them, they were turned into pack mules. Everyone's hands were stuffed with large bags of newly purchased goods.
And they had been dragged around the market for several rounds.
Bosacius and Menogias never imagined that accompanying women on a shopping trip could be so exhausting. As for Xiao, he was already used to it.
"Hey, Alatus, you've been this height for so long. Still not growing?" Indarias patted Xiao's head with a grin.
"Go away." Xiao's expression darkened immediately. If not for the packages in his hands, he would have swatted her hand away.
Damn it. Everyone—adepti and mortals alike—liked to tease him about his height. What was wrong with this world?!
"So, did you miss your big sister?" Indarias said playfully.
"No." Xiao answered without hesitation.
"That's so hurtful." Indarias clutched her chest, as if wounded by a heartbreaker.
"Alright, Indarias, don't tease Alatus." Bonanus ran over and linked her arm with Indarias's, pulling her aside.
She felt like Xiao's blood pressure was already through the roof. Anything was fine, but never mention the height of a 1.6-meter-tall adeptus.
"Haha! Indarias is as lively as ever. That's a relief." Bosacius, carrying the most bags, laughed heartily.
It was good to see that Indarias hadn't been changed by the karmic debt's corruption.
"Hmph, I'm not that fragile." Indarias said confidently, touching her chest.
"Indeed." Menogias shook his head lightly, replying in his usual calm tone.
"Hey, little sister, you just brought Indarias back, and instead of teaching her anything, you're dragging her shopping. Just so you know, I'm not storing any of this at Wangsheng." Bosacius sighed.
"Don't worry. Yanfei's house has enough space. And she even got me a warehouse to store these things." Bonanus smiled.
"With all that stuff, I wonder if Sister Bonanus will ever actually use it." Xiao said flatly.
"I heard you bought a lot of ores, but I don't remember you knowing how to use them." Menogias nodded.
Hearing that, Bonanus fell silent. Come to think of it, what was she supposed to do with all those ores, jewelry, toys, and random trinkets?
She had no idea. She just bought things that looked nice.
Seeing her silence, the three tool people shook their heads helplessly. Only their little sister—clueless, lazy, food-loving, and shopping-obsessed.
She had maxed out all the buffs.
"What do you know? Come on, Bonanus, let's check that place out." Indarias shot them a glance and dragged Bonanus off to another shop.
The three tool people exchanged looks. Seriously? It was already dark. Did these women have endless stamina?
For a moment, all three Yakshas looked utterly defeated. Here they were, three of Rex Lapis's greatest guardians, reduced to shopping assistants for two of their own.
How embarrassing.
But seeing the amused looks from passersby, they knew this incident would become the talk of the town.
The three trudged behind the women, looking like they had aged ten thousand years.
Bosacius felt like he had lost weight. Menogias felt like he had strained his eyes. Xiao felt like he had shrunk even more.
After all, walking through a crowd taller than you would make anyone feel that way.
...
The shopping spree went on for a long time, but eventually, it had to end.
The three helped carry everything to the warehouse, then went their separate ways back to their respective homes.
Before parting, they all agreed to gather for a meal tomorrow after their duties were done.
As for where Indarias would stay, Bonanus offered to share her bed until she found a place she liked.
And so, the day came to a perfect close.