Of course, that was assuming the Abyss did not accelerate things.
Still, there was no need to mention that for now and make Paimon worry for nothing.
"So our current time and date are all mixed up?"
After the two of them carefully explained everything, Miss Yoko finally had a rough grasp of the situation.
It was like saying one plus one equaled three. If a coworker or roommate said that, you would probably assume they were messing with you.
But if it were said by some world-famous mathematician, then even if you could not understand all those convoluted theories, you would probably assume the problem lay with yourself.
"Actually, aside from Paimon and me, other people would probably find it difficult to notice anything wrong in that regard." Yin Kong smiled faintly and suggested, "So, Miss Yoko, just treat it as the two of us having some kind of cognitive impairment—a disease that makes us unable to calculate dates."
Paimon nodded as well, tilting her head as she said:
"Come to think of it, Traveler, if the entire world thinks only the two of us have a problem with something, then could it be that we're the ones with the problem instead?"
"Of course I believe you."
Miss Yoko hurriedly replied, though she could not hide the disappointment on her face.
However, the indomitable idol quickly composed herself.
"You're going to take care of the paperwork for Cunning Rabbit House today, right?"
If possible, Miss Yoko naturally wanted to accompany Yin Kong.
Unfortunately, she was going to be incredibly busy for some time.
Although the murder in the apartment had not been reported, her manager's accidental death was obviously no small matter.
Whether it was sorting through and taking over the work the other party had handled, or selecting a reliable new manager, either task was enough to leave the popular idol overwhelmed for a while.
Unless something unexpected happened, for the next week or two, she would probably only have time to see them in the mornings and evenings.
"This is my bank card. If it isn't enough, call and tell me."
The moment Paimon saw the bank card the idol handed over, her eyes turned into stars.
"Miss Yoko is so nice!"
She loved this feeling of having someone reimburse her expenses.
Yin Kong, however, looked serious.
Ono Yoko was neither someone with ulterior motives like Childe nor someone as wealthy as Ningguang. This trust was already weighty enough.
"So, Yin Kong, are you heading out too?"
After Miss Yoko left the apartment, Paimon looked at Yin Kong with reluctance in her voice.
After all, although the monsters in the city had temporarily been cleared out once, she still could not openly appear before the public.
Yin Kong reassured her:
"Don't worry. Zhongli has already thought of a way. You'll be able to act with me again soon."
Hearing the good news, Paimon excitedly bounced around.
"Really? That's great! As expected of Zhongli!"
Of course, before setting out, Yin Kong still had one immensely important thing to do—
Even while talking with Paimon, he had already opened the Wish screen.
[Sea of Fathoms Decree] [Decree of the Deeps: Neuvillette].
Double Purple
Oh my God, it's Lord Neuvillette! We're saved!
In fact, thanks to getting an early five-star, along with all the miscellaneous quests and achievements from yesterday, Yin Kong had saved up another six Intertwined Fates.
Moreover, because Zhongli had consumed the guaranteed four-star from ten pulls without a purple, his next pull was guaranteed to yield at least a four-star character or weapon.
However, after weighing things carefully, Yin Kong decided to keep that guaranteed purple for now.
That was because the three featured four-star characters on Zhongli's banner were Chongyun, Razor, and Xinyan.
Originally, Yin Kong had naturally favored Chongyun most—the exorcist from a family of exorcists who possessed a pure-yang constitution.
But since he had already pulled Zhongli, he could directly seek guidance from the Geo Archon on either exorcism arts or Immortal Talismans.
Zhongli's banner only had a few days left anyway, so it was better to save the guaranteed purple for a character he liked more.
Yin Kong simply had not expected the confusion of dates to affect even his banner schedule.
As a result, it would probably be difficult for him to make any long-term pulling plans in the future.
But correspondingly, he might also get the chance to pull powerful characters early, just like Neuvillette right now.
If Zhongli was Genshin Impact's strongest shield—the well-deserved enabler of weak players in Teyvat—then Neuvillette was its strongest spear.
Although times had changed, and the title of strongest spear now belonged to the Pyro Archon Marivka, Neuvillette could still be called one of the most comfortable easy-mode characters.
At the same time, as Teyvat's Hydro Dragon Sovereign and God of Life, he was absolutely worth Yin Kong investing a five-star pity into.
Of course, anyone sensible knew that getting an early five-star was already incredibly unlikely, let alone getting two in a row.
But what if?
Everyone had a gambler's mentality. Yin Kong felt that if he did not try, he would not be able to sleep peacefully tonight.
He would just build pity.
No matter what, Yin Kong successfully convinced himself.
Under Paimon's puzzled gaze, he first brought Zhongli out from the background and asked the Geo Archon to use Mora to mold a gleaming golden Melusine statue. Only then did he calm his mind and focus—
But miracles clearly did not descend so easily.
A purple shooting star fell from the sky and finally transformed into a petite figure.
"I am the Prinzessin of Conviction, Fischl by true name, descended upon this realm at fate's summons—Eh? Traveler, Paimon?"
"Hi, Fischl."
Seeing a familiar old friend, Paimon was clearly delighted and warmly waved her hand.
Fischl, who had been somewhat nervous, immediately let out her familiar laugh.
"So that is how it is. Hehehe... I knew I had not been mistaken. Only you, the blessed one most trusted by this Prinzessin, my cherished friend whose fate and soul resonate with mine, could cross the barrier of three thousand worlds and send me an invitation."
Oz translated:
"My lady means that she is very happy to see you both. Seeing you in an unfamiliar place has put her greatly at ease."
"So Fischl gets nervous when she comes to an unfamiliar world too." Paimon suddenly understood, then comforted her. "Don't worry. This world is a little strange, but overall, it's fairly safe... right?"
Thinking of the Chameleon Witch who had chased them all the way to the apartment not long ago, Paimon's tone grew uncertain again.
After explaining the current situation to Fischl, Yin Kong began pulling again.
[Fleeting Sword], [Jade Orb], [Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers], [Educate To Convince]...
However, even after the last pink orb vanished, the miracle Yin Kong had hoped for still did not occur.
Still, another purple shooting star fell.
"Hello. I'm Kuki Shinobu, the deputy leader of the Arataki Gang. I take on all kinds of jobs..."
To Yin Kong's surprise, the four-star character he pulled this time was not one of the three currently featured four-stars, but Kuki Shinobu, dressed as a ninja.
"It's Shinobu?" After thinking hard, Paimon worriedly said, "Oh no! Without Shinobu, won't that guy who raises beetles starve to death on the street tomorrow?"
Yin Kong looked astonished.
"Paimon, did you only just realize this?"
He had thought the little one had long since guessed the answer to that question.
After all, although Zhongli had stepped down from his divine position, if he suddenly vanished without warning, it would surely cause a massive uproar in Liyue.
This time, Yin Kong did not need to say anything before Kuki Shinobu took the initiative to explain.
"Don't worry, Paimon. Our departure won't throw Teyvat into chaos, because we are only a single moment of our original selves."
Paimon rubbed her little head in confusion.
"A single moment? What does that mean?"
Kuki Shinobu patiently explained:
"To be honest, I don't completely understand it either, but the knowledge in my mind tells me that we are a moment from our original selves' lives.
But I suppose it means that no matter how long we spend here, when we return to Teyvat in the future, only a moment will have passed over there?"
"I see, now I understand when you put it that way. As expected of Shinobu, you're so reliable. You figured out the situation right away."
In contrast, Yin Kong could sense that the Prinzessin of Conviction was still quite confused inside. She probably had not fully figured out the situation yet.
Fortunately, Fischl had a very reliable Oz.
"Though it's a pity we didn't get double gold, gathering a four-person party isn't bad either."
At least they were not [The Bell] or [Sacrificial Greatsword]. Both Kuki Shinobu and Klee were four-star characters well worth raising.
Of course, Paimon still felt deeply regretful.
"What a shame. There are so many of you, but I can only talk to one of you at a time... Ugh, it would be great if one of you could stay behind and play with me."
At present, Yin Kong could only make the characters he pulled appear in the real world by adding them to his party, so they naturally could only move with him.
Moreover, only one character could be active on the field at a time.
Such a mechanic might not matter in a game, but in the real world, it was obviously extremely inconvenient.
"Don't worry, Paimon. We'll find a way soon."
That was all Yin Kong could do to comfort her.
According to Zhongli, as long as they could find materials suitable for crafting a Serenitea Pot, these characters should gain some ability to act independently.
The expedition dispatches at Catherine's might also unlock a similar function.
After reminding Paimon of a few more things, Yin Kong finally left with his three "guardian spirits."
His first stop today was the apartment building's property management office.
A Frail Young Woman with A-Rank Strength and Speed
"Mr. Yin Kong, are you sure you want to pay an entire year's rent at once on top of the deposit?" Upon hearing Yin Kong's request, the manager was extremely surprised and reminded him, "Normally, rent here only needs to be paid once every three months."
He had seen plenty of tenants request extensions because they were short on money, but in all his years, this was the first time he had encountered someone voluntarily asking to pay extra in advance.
Yin Kong nodded seriously.
"I'm sure. I don't like trouble."
"All right, if you insist."
After receiving the keys, Yin Kong immediately took out the recruitment advertisement he had prepared long ago and posted it at the entrance of the agency.
Since Conan was still obediently attending first grade at Teitan Elementary School after who knew how many Valentine's Days and Christmases, he probably did not need to worry about rent or similar issues for the time being, right?
After posting the recruitment notice outside the agency and preparing proof of funds and proof of premises, Yin Kong immediately rushed to the municipal center to handle all the necessary documents.
This time, however, the process was extremely inefficient.
Originally, even with all the requirements met, Yin Kong would have needed to go through at least one or two weeks of procedures.
Fortunately, he had already completed the most troublesome matters in advance.
Even so, it was already past three in the afternoon by the time he obtained the official business permit.
"Wow, the humans in this world are way too troublesome, aren't they?"
Fischl, who had been staying in the background the entire time, felt so bored that she was practically about to grow mushrooms.
Back in Mondstadt, joining the Adventurer's Guild had been extremely simple for her. There had been nowhere near this many messy procedures.
"It can't be helped. I actually think the situation here is already pretty good."
Kuki Shinobu was long accustomed to it.
Before you continue