Seeing the embarrassed girl, Yin Kong understood at once.
"Of course. Forget one day—even advancing you a whole year's salary would be no problem."
Realizing Yin Kong was not being sarcastic, Aoyama Nanami was naturally astonished. Wasn't her new boss a little too generous?
Still, she was not the type to push her luck, and quickly said:
"No, no, one day is enough."
"Here." Yin Kong casually pulled out a Yukichi Fukuzawa he had picked up on the way back and handed it over. Then he remembered something. "But since it's already so late, why don't I treat everyone to a meal? We can consider it a celebration for the official founding of the Cunning Rabbit House Agency."
Aoyama Nanami, who had just breathed a sigh of relief over the Yukichi Fukuzawa in her hands, froze again.
Was it really appropriate for her to eat and take things like this?
Seeming to notice the girl's concerns, Kuki Shinobu patted her shoulder and said with a smile:
"Don't worry. The Traveler has always been like this. When you're with him, you don't need to worry so much."
At this point, a nostalgic look inevitably appeared in Kuki Shinobu's eyes.
"Besides, the Traveler's cooking is incredible. Missing it would be a huge loss."
While Aoyama Nanami hesitated, Miss Yoko suddenly thought of something and walked over to Yin Kong, asking in a low voice:
"But Yin Kong, what about little Paimon?"
With Aoyama Nanami here, little Paimon probably could not show herself openly, right?
We were throwing an amazing feast, but one person had not been invited. Guess who that person was?
Even if Yin Kong prepared a separate meal for the little one afterward, with her personality, she would still feel disappointed.
"Don't worry, I have a way." How could Yin Kong possibly have overlooked Paimon? He smiled. "Want to come see?"
Miss Yoko asked curiously:
"Huh? Can I?"
Yin Kong nodded.
"Of course. It's not exactly a secret."
Miss Yoko nodded vigorously, then turned back.
"Sister Hitomi, please keep these two company here for a while. Yin Kong and I will go pick up a little guest first... Oh, right, Yin Kong, I haven't introduced you yet. This is Sister Hitomi, my new manager."
Sister Hitomi was a stern, rigid-looking woman in her thirties.
She had naturally noticed Ono Yoko's barely concealed delight ever since Yin Kong had appeared.
In fact, Ono Yoko had already told her a little about Yin Kong on their way here, but she had never expected it to be this exaggerated. She looked exactly like a young girl madly in love.
She desperately wanted to remind Miss Yoko that this behavior was extremely dangerous.
But seeing the excitement on the idol's face, she ultimately only nodded with a stern expression.
Yin Kong did not mind the manager's coldness. Before long, he brought Yoko back to the apartment.
"Traveler!" The moment the door opened, familiar super-Paimon came flying at him. "Did you miss me today?"
Gently catching the little one, Yin Kong chuckled.
"Of course I—didn't."
"What? You jerk! I've been worrying this whole time about whether you might run into danger or some accident, but you didn't have me in your heart at all!" Hearing that, Paimon immediately crossed her arms and turned her head aside. "I'm angry! I'm not talking to you anymore, hmph!"
Seeing this, Yin Kong immediately said:
"Alright, alright. How could I not miss Paimon? Look, I even prepared a surprise gift for you."
Hearing the word "gift," Paimon instantly forgot her anger and turned back around.
"What surprise gift? Did you find-draw an old friend, like Marivka or Skirk?"
"How could that be?" Yin Kong could not help laughing. "It's a surprise gift specially for you."
Paimon said excitedly:
"A gift just for me? Could it be—something delicious?!"
"That would not be entirely wrong." Yin Kong smiled faintly and added, "But the delicious part is only one portion of the surprise."
Only one portion?
Paimon held her head and thought for a long while before shaking it. Hugging Yin Kong's arm, she began to act spoiled.
"I can't take it anymore! Traveler, stop keeping me in suspense!"
Seeing this, Yin Kong immediately extended his right hand and slowly opened it.
"Alright, then I'll reveal the answer. Ta-da! This is the surprise gift I prepared for you."
"A cat?" Looking at Sapphire, who sat obediently in Yin Kong's palm, Paimon looked surprised. "Traveler, do you want it to stay in the apartment and play with me?"
Yin Kong explained:
"The surprise gift I prepared would naturally not be that simple. Paimon, this cat is called Sapphire. It possesses the abilities of concealment and transformation. As long as you form a contract with it, you can share those abilities. Do you know what that means?"
Paimon froze, then said in immense delight:
"You mean I can finally go outside?!"
Yin Kong, Drenched in Sweat
"That's great! We can act together again, Traveler, sob..."
Seeing Paimon throw herself straight into his arms and begin crying softly, Yin Kong could not help being stunned.
Then he gently patted the little one's back and comforted her.
"Don't worry. I won't leave you behind alone."
But the more he comforted her, the harder Paimon's tears became to stop.
"These past few days, I've been alone in the apartment... I was really... really scared. Scared that you'd suddenly not want me anymore..."
"Alright, alright. It's okay now." Yin Kong had not expected his actions to put such pressure on Paimon, and he said apologetically, "Can't we act together again from now on? Besides, Miss Yoko is still here. If you keep crying, you'll turn from a flying short Violetgrass into a crybaby Floating Hydro Fungus."
"I'm not a crybaby! And who are you calling a flying short Violetgrass?"
Once Paimon had finally stopped crying and started laughing again, Yin Kong took out the contract.
"Alright, I've already prepared the contract."
"Oh, right!" Paimon hurriedly glanced through the contract and read in a low voice, "Party A agrees to share its transformation ability with Party B. In exchange, Party B must provide Party A with a comfortable and clean residence, grooming and cleaning at least once every three days, a relaxing massage at least once per week, and twenty dried fish every day... Wow, Traveler, I want the relaxing massages too."
"Dream on." Seeing Paimon's attention immediately get drawn to the massages, Yin Kong smiled and reminded her, "Oh, and since it's a contract, whether it's grooming or dried fish, Paimon has to do it all personally."
Paimon said in surprise:
"What? Those are all my responsibilities?"
Yin Kong smiled.
"So, Paimon, are you signing it or not?"
Paimon held her head.
"I have no choice. To be able to act together with the Traveler, I'll sign!"
Under Yin Kong's witness, Sapphire and Paimon pressed down their hand-pawprints in succession, completing the contract.
"Is that all?" Very soon, Paimon let out a soft cry. "Oh, I understand now. I can create an illusion of myself as camouflage, hehehe—"
Hearing Paimon's "ill-intentioned" laugh, Yin Kong knew that Teyvat's little idea machine had probably come up with another bad idea.
Sure enough, after laughing, the little one blurred before Miss Yoko's astonished eyes, then transformed into an exceptionally beautiful silver-haired, red-eyed girl.
"Hehe, I'm Skir—wait, why am I still so small?"
Paimon quickly discovered that although she had indeed turned into Skirk as she remembered her, Yin Kong and Miss Yoko still looked just as enormous in her field of vision.
In other words, her height and build had not changed noticeably.
Only then did Yin Kong slowly explain:
"Because the little one is still very weak, its transformation ability is naturally quite limited. So the size difference in the form you transform into cannot be too drastic."
Hearing that, Paimon could not help feeling disappointed.
"What? Then I'm still just a kid. I thought I could finally look a little more imposing this time."
Even without the crown on her head, and even if she stood honestly on the ground, Paimon's appearance was still obviously different from that of a real child.
So this ability simply made Paimon appear "normal" to other people.
"And aside from disguising yourself, you can also choose who gets to see your true appearance."
Simply put, people Paimon acknowledged could see her floating beside Yin Kong.
Conversely, everyone else could only see her walking on the ground step by step like an ordinary child.
"What an amazing ability!"
Watching Paimon float into the air one moment and turn into a child standing on the ground the next, playing back and forth without tiring of it, Miss Yoko was amazed. Yet a trace of envy inevitably flashed through her eyes.
If such an ability were used in the entertainment industry, its potential would be unimaginable.
"Miss Yoko, do you want an ability like this?"
Hearing Yin Kong's question, the idol was startled, but she quickly admitted honestly:
"Yes. An ability like this would be very useful to me."
Yin Kong pondered for a moment.
"Unfortunately, the little one is still too weak and cannot support two contractors... Since Miss Yoko wants it, I'll keep an eye out."
So far, this idol had spared no effort in supporting him. Naturally, he did not mind giving her something in return.
Besides, if Miss Yoko's career could rise to another level, it would not be a bad thing for him either.
Ono Yoko was practically overjoyed upon hearing this answer.
"Really? I can form such an amazing contract too?"
She had thought that such incredible power required some kind of special ability to use.
Yin Kong nodded at first, but quickly reminded her:
"Of course. But as an ordinary person, you'll face greater restrictions than Paimon. You can probably only make adjustments to certain details and won't be able to transform freely into someone else."
"That is already more than enough!"
Ono Yoko nodded excitedly.
No one could claim that their appearance was flawless and perfect. At least for her, being able to accomplish this much was already an incredible surprise.
"Come to think of it, am I going to adopt it from now on?" Over here, Paimon had finally settled on her new appearance. Holding the obedient and adorable Sapphire, she asked, "Yin Kong, according to the rules, should I give it a new name? Like the Young Morax you named the little one, they're all—"
"Cough, cough, cough! Paimon!"
Yin Kong immediately coughed a few times, cutting Paimon off.
Young Morax was naturally the name he had given that little Natlan dragon back then.
Thinking that the real Morax was currently listening in the background, Yin Kong perhaps experienced the feeling of breaking out in a cold sweat for the first time in this world.
"Do not be nervous, Traveler." Zhongli chuckled, teasing him leisurely within his heart. "I imagine that the reason you chose such a name was merely because you placed deep expectations upon it, was it not?"
"Y-Yes... that's right, hahaha."
Yin Kong gave a dry laugh. Though it had ultimately proven that, in a certain sense, he had not chosen the wrong name, facing the real person now was still inevitably awkward.
"Traveler, since you have such a habit, why not call this little one before us Young Barbatos?"
Though your voice sounds very sincere, old man, why do I feel like you're secretly laughing?
Raw Materials
Young Barbatos?
Hearing this new name, Paimon could not help complaining:
Before you continue