The Weapon Master Shall Never Die Bare-Handed in Genshin Impact [108]

“Hmph! If you ask me… Stanley is the best!”

One of the children playing nearby crossed his arms and declared proudly, “Uncle Stanley is the most amazing adventurer ever! He knows sooo many adventure stories and has been to sooo many places!”

The boy stretched his arms wide, struggling to describe the greatness of his hero with his limited vocabulary.

“Uncle Stanley told me about the Silent Sea—it’s a super scary place! He said there’s no wind there at all, not even Lord Barbatos could bring back the souls trapped inside!”

“But Uncle Stanley made it out of there alive!” the boy exclaimed, his eyes shining with admiration. “When I grow up, I’m gonna be a legendary adventurer just like him! I’ll explore all kinds of places and secret realms!”

“Stanley… that name sounds familiar. Traveler, do you remember?” Paimon asked, tapping her chin in thought.

“Stanley…” Lumine murmured, thinking back. “I think I heard about him in the tavern. Supposedly, he’s a legendary adventurer.”

“Really?!” Paimon gasped. “If so many kids look up to him, he must be amazing, right?”

“Traveler, can you see that kid’s imaginary friend? Is it some kind of super-cool adventurer?” Paimon nudged Lumine eagerly.

Lumine adjusted the monocle and looked at the boy talking about Stanley.

“Hmm…” After a moment, she described what she saw. “It’s… pretty ordinary. He has a beard and looks kind of plain.”

“Huh?! But he’s supposed to be a legendary adventurer!” Paimon pouted, puzzled.

Lumine shrugged. “Maybe appearances aren’t everything?”

“Who else’s imaginary friend can we look at?” Paimon wondered aloud, scanning the area. “Oh, I know! What about that kid, Timmy, by the city bridge? Let’s see what his imaginary friend looks like!”

“Timmy…” Lumine hesitated, her expression turning awkward.

“Didn’t we, uh, eat the ducks from Cider Lake the other day? Timmy’s probably still mad at us…” she admitted.

“Oh… right,” Paimon winced.

“Well, let’s just take a peek from a distance—he won’t notice us!”

The group quietly made their way to the bridge and peeked in Timmy’s direction. What they saw startled them.

“It’s a Ruin Guard?!” Paimon exclaimed. “Timmy’s imaginary friend is that strong? Does this mean next time we scare his pigeons—I mean, walk across the bridge—his imaginary friend might attack us?!”

“Definitely a case of appearances being deceiving…” Lumine mused before turning to Paimon with a mischievous grin. “Paimon, I think it’s time to say the line!”

“What line?” Paimon asked, confused.

“You know,” Lumine said, smiling. “The one we always say: ‘We’ll explore this area later!’”

Paimon groaned, but after a moment of deliberation, she relented. “Fine… Traveler, listen to me!”

She took a dramatic pause before proclaiming, “We’ll explore this area later!”

---

After observing several imaginary friends across Mondstadt, the group regrouped, discussing their findings.

“There really are all kinds of imaginary friends,” Paimon marveled. “Mondstadt’s kids truly are full of imagination!”

“Of course,” Venti chimed in with a grin. “This is the City of Freedom, after all. Its children should have boundless creativity.”

“But what about adults?” Paimon asked. “So far, the only adult with an imaginary friend is Mr. Jax…”

“Why don’t we check a few more adults and find out?” Jia Changjiang suggested.

Lumine, ever curious, raised the monocle to her eye again and glanced at Jia Changjiang. This time, his imaginary friend had transformed into a regal black cat in a police uniform, exuding authority.

“Don’t bother,” Jia Changjiang groaned, covering his face with one hand. “I can’t even see my own imaginary friend—what’s the point?”

His dejected expression drew chuckles from both Lumine and Venti.

Despite having known Jia Changjiang for a while, this was the first time they’d seen him look so defeated. It was oddly endearing.

“Alright, let’s go to the tavern,” Venti suggested, stepping in to save Jia Changjiang from further embarrassment. “There’s a rather intriguing pair there right now.”

---

At Angel’s Share

As they approached the tavern, Paimon spotted two distinct figures seated at one of the outdoor tables: one with striking blue hair, the other with fiery red.

Diluc and Kaeya.

Not only were they sharing drinks, but they seemed to be engaged in an animated conversation.

“Wait—Diluc and Kaeya?!” Paimon whispered, peeking around the corner. “Why are they sitting together? They look… pretty familiar with each other?”

“Their relationship isn’t something you can explain in a sentence or two,” Venti said, gesturing for Lumine and Paimon to keep quiet. “After all, they’re sworn brothers.”

“Whaaat?!” Lumine and Paimon both exclaimed in hushed voices. “Diluc and Kaeya are brothers?!”

“You didn’t know?” Venti asked with a knowing smile. “Kaeya Alberich and Diluc Ragnvindr became sworn brothers over fifteen years ago.”

“That’s incredible! Though now that I think about it, they do have some similar traits… Still, it’s shocking to hear they’re brothers!” Paimon said. “But their relationship doesn’t seem… great?”

She observed the two men from a distance. “The atmosphere between them feels strange.”

“Maybe that’s just how men bond?” Lumine suggested casually, though she too leaned closer to eavesdrop.

“If it’s bonding, it’s probably some unspoken understanding between the two of them,” Jia Changjiang added, joining them in stealthily listening. “But we can’t meddle in their business now. Maybe someday we’ll get the chance to understand their past.”

“When the time comes—when we’ve earned the right to learn their story—they’ll share it with us,” he said with a wistful smile.

“And that…” he concluded, “is what you’d call fate.”

---

This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!