By your resolve, Tapisserie Éternelle has been unleashed—this is the third of the four treasures you have earned!
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Sumeru
With Ganyu and Shenhe gone, several uneventful days drifted by.
The absence of the two women left the house quieter than before. For some reason, Kamisato Ayaka hadn't been visiting lately either.
What had once been a lively group of six was now down to just three.
Even then, Theresa and Ei spent most of their time holed up in a room together, noses buried in light novels, rarely stepping out.
The house felt eerily quiet, but Luo Qing didn't mind much. He figured it was normal for everyone to have their own lives and priorities. Once the Mondstadt residence was completed, there would be plenty of time to gather and enjoy each other's company again.
That morning, Luo Qing woke early, planting a soft kiss on Makoto's forehead before slipping out of bed.
After freshening up, he headed to Ei's room and quietly pushed the door open.
Inside, Ei and Theresa were sprawled on the bed, one at each end. Ei had her legs propped up, while Theresa leaned against the headboard. Both were engrossed in their light novels.
"You two stayed up all night reading again?!"
"Yeah… so what?" Ei replied flatly, her eyes never leaving the page.
"I told you not to stay up late reading novels!" Luo Qing scolded.
"What else could we do?" Ei shrugged, feigning innocence. "You and Makoto were making such a racket last night. We couldn't sleep, so we decided to read."
"..." Luo Qing was momentarily speechless.
Was it really that loud? I didn't notice…
"Ever since Ganyu and Ayaka left, you've been getting bolder," Ei continued, flipping a page without missing a beat.
"First, you'd sneak into someone's room. Now you don't even bother pretending to be subtle."
"Exactly!" Theresa chimed in. "And you don't even invite me to join in."
"..."
"Cough, cough! That's not the point," Luo Qing deflected, quickly changing the subject. "Ei, about what I told you before—it might happen in the next few days. Stay alert."
During his idle moments, Luo Qing had been monitoring Lumine's group through the Void, keeping track of their progress in retaking Sumeru. A few days ago, Lumine's group had encountered Scaramouche's taunts in the Sanctuary of Surasthana and were now on their way back to Sumeru City.
Today would likely mark the start of their final rescue mission.
"Hmph… Always changing the topic," Ei huffed. "Just don't forget your promise to me afterward."
"..." Luo Qing wisely chose to retreat, closing the door behind him and heading downstairs.
Stepping out into the morning air, Luo Qing connected his consciousness to the Void. He navigated the network to Nahida's dormant consciousness, observing her peaceful slumber for a few moments before moving on.
Next, he searched for Lumine's current location.
Once he pinpointed their position, Luo Qing retrieved a fishing rod from his system inventory, pretending to head out for a fishing trip.
As he walked past the Grand Bazaar, he "happened" to bump into Lumine and Paimon.
"Well, well, long time no see!" Luo Qing greeted them warmly, waving with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"Luo Qing…" Lumine's gaze drifted to the fishing rod in his hand. "Are you… going fishing again?"
"Exactly!" Luo Qing grinned. "But since I've run into you two, fishing can wait. Tell me, how's the intel gathering going?"
"I ran into Scaramouche…" Lumine muttered, her voice low. The memory of the encounter at the Sanctuary still lingered in her mind. "Luo Qing, you're helping them create a new god, aren't you?"
"More or less," Luo Qing replied with a casual nod. "Although technically, it's Dottore and Scaramouche doing the heavy lifting. I'm just here on an all-expenses-paid vacation—nothing to do with me."
"..."
Vacation… while secretly scheming to undercut his colleagues. Typical.
"So, you know they're creating a new god. That means you've also figured out who holds the Gnosis, right?" Luo Qing probed.
"Scaramouche," Lumine confirmed.
"Exactly. So, I'm counting on you two to snatch that Gnosis for me," Luo Qing said, pumping his fist for encouragement. "Right now, he hasn't fully absorbed its power. Go get 'em—I believe in you!"
"..."
"We're planning to rescue Nahida first," Lumine said hesitantly, glancing at Luo Qing. "Do you know her current situation?"
"Of course."
"Then why not come with us to save her? Aren't you two close?" Paimon interjected, her tone accusatory.
"Well, I am the Tsaritsa's man," Luo Qing said, crossing his arms confidently. "If I join you and ruin Her Majesty's plan to recover the Gnosis, I'd never hear the end of it."
"But…" Paimon scratched her head, flustered. "You can't just stand by and watch while Nahida is imprisoned by those guys! Aren't you friends?!"
"Of course we are. That's why I'm here talking to you," Luo Qing said. "Do you have a Void Terminal?"
"Yes…"
"Put it on."
After a brief hesitation, Lumine complied, placing the device in her ear.
"Now, wait a few seconds."
With a flick of his will, Luo Qing transmitted a piece of information directly into their minds through the Void.
"This is the anchor point for Nahida's consciousness. Once you infiltrate the Akademiya, you can use it to locate her."
"It's far more accurate than whatever Alhaitham gave you," he added smugly.
"..."
Lumine frowned slightly, feeling a strange sensation coursing through her mind. She glanced toward the Akademiya, as if Nahida's presence was now faintly perceptible.
Still…
"How does Luo Qing know our plans?" she wondered aloud, piecing the clues together. "We discussed this back in Aaru Village…"
"Luo Qing, you can manipulate the Void too, can't you?"
It didn't take much deduction for Lumine to connect the dots.
"Smart girl," Luo Qing said with a sly smile, completely unfazed. "With this, you'll be able to communicate directly with Nahida's consciousness—assuming she can hear you, of course."
"Well then, off you go. It's almost noon, and the fish will be biting soon. I need to get back to my fishing trip."
Luo Qing clapped his hands, ushering them along.
"Luo Qing! How can you think about fishing at a time like this?!" Paimon exclaimed, stomping her feet in frustration.
"I'm just a fisherman at heart. What's the problem with that?" Luo Qing replied, utterly unbothered.