Archon of Minus

Chapter 40:Paimons are easily distracted

The way things were made were hard for even an experienced adventurer. The danger of getting frozen was high because of the elements making up the track course.

And the object of this challenge was to get through all this without being frozen. However, both Kumagawa and Lumine were used to unfair odds.

The last hilichurl remaining, an archer, looked around in panic after losing sight of Kumagawa and Lumine. It's hands were still firmly set on it's crossbow, arrow glowing with Cryon energy.

It moved it's head frantically, trying to find it's targets and hopefully react to the next attack. But it's efforts proved fruitless, for the next attack came from above.

An oversized screw pierced through the hilichurl's mask, the shap end coming out of the back of the creatures head after. The hilichurl was undoubtably dead.

However, the attack made the corpse bend back, leaving a little more time before it'd fall in the snow. At that exact moment before the corpse would fall, Kumagawa stepped on the flat end of the screw he just killed the hilichurl with.

Lumine wasted no time in positioning herself either. From above she landed in the minus's arms, resulting in a princess carry.

Kumagawa then leaped once more, using the screw as a platform. He spun in the air, with Lumine in his arms, over the strange floating cactus-like plant and landed at their destination.

Loud claps were heard from behind. Lumine got off Kumagawa, with Paimon floating beside the two, all three of them turning to Eula.

Eula:Well done. Your performance was most impressive. And you managed to remain calm even in these grueling Dragonspine surroundings, haha. I'm starting to wonder if even I could have done the same...Well, perhaps with a little less brutality.

Eula turned her head towards the corpse of the hilichurl. She's seen no small amount of such corpses in her career, but it was still quite a brutal way to go, not even mentioning the way the creature's corpse was later used.

Lumine:You get used to it.

Eula:I see...Given such an outstanding performance, it seems there is little left for me to teach you.

Paimon:Like Paimon said, adventuring is our specialty! Hehe... So that's it for our training, right? Then let's get out of Dragonspine before Paimon turns into a popsicle!

Kumagawa:[Haha, that's quite a bold thing to say. Haven't you used my jacket as your personal hideout from the cold? You've been exposed to it only revently.]

Paimon:Well, it's Dragonspine! But Paimon is sorry if she was bothering you...

Kumagawa:[No need to look so gloom. I was only chatting away about the cotroversy of it all. I don't really mind.]

Paimon:Oh...Paimon's glad then! Anyway, we did great!

Eula:Hold on. I was commending their performances just now. You, on the other hand, seem to have made no progress at all!

Paimon:What? You mean, Paimon was also part of the training!?

Eula:Yes, of course. You were frantically flying and dashing about throughout the entire thing. Not an elegant sight at all. Did you even listen to anything I was trying to teach you?

Lumine:Maybe the weather is just too cold here.

Paimon:Yeah, that's it, it's too cold here. B...Besides, Paimon was paying attention to the these two.

Eula:Whatever the reason, not heeding my instructions...A cause for vengeance, perhaps...

Kumagawa:[Hey, hey, no need to get so worked up. Paimon-chan's fine the way she is. She doesn't have to do much beside being cute. After all, she is our mascot.]

Paimon:Hey! Paimon's not a mascot!

Kumagawa:[Right, right, I forgot...]

Lumine:She's also emergency food.

Paimon:You two...Ugh!

Eula giggled at their interaction. These three, they really were quite pelicular.

From what she heard, they'll soon depart to Liyue. A shame, they were part of the few people that could talk to her without any prejudice.

They're good people, if a little strange. Even after the mission is over, she'd like to spend more time with them.

Eula cleared her throat, gaining their attention once more. She extracted a bottle of milk from her pocket.

Eula:Now, drink this.

Paimon:Huh? What is it...Are you trying to poison Paimon!?

Eula:Certainly not. It's warm milk. Didn't you say you were freezing? Drink it and it'll help warm you up.

Paimon:Oh...Uh...Thank you! Um, are you...Still planning on the whole vengeance thing?

Eula:If I wasn't, then why would I care about you being cold? If you turned into a Paimon popsicle, that would ruin my plans for vengeance now, wouldn't it...So, "dear friend"...Don't die on me out here.

Paimon was a bit confused by her words. However, she quickly remembered their lessons in aristocratic talk.

Paimon:Ahh! Paimon knew something was off!

Dear friend wasn't something good. It was a strange way aristocrats coldly refeered to people.

Than does she plan enacting her plan later? Or is the milk truly poisoned?

Paimon might not have to worry about the cold anymore. Her own could kill her before the cold got to her.

Lumine:You're...Strange.

Eula:Hehe, vengeance should know no bounds, you know...

Kumagawa:[That's probably why we get along so well. We're a bunch of weirdos.]

Lumine:Eh, fair enough. You're still the biggest weirdo out of the bunch, though.

Kumagawa:[Haha, I always am! That's something no will ever take from me!]

Eula:Now then, given that your training is complete, it's time we return to Mondstadt. Our last step will be preparing a cordial gift to present to my uncle when you meet him. I already have something in mind. Let's pay Sara a visit at Good Hunter.

Kumagawa:[Oh? Have you heard that, Paimon-chan? We can get Sticky Honey Roast!]

Paimon:Sticky Honey Roast!

Paimon seems to have forgotten about both her fear and the cold. Now her mind was set only on the delicious treat thta was waiting for her.

Kumagawa:[I should start writting a book. "How to tame your Paimon".]