Warm yellow light spilled through the gap beneath the bathroom door. Amid the swirling steam, a girl's graceful silhouette flickered in and out of view.
Gabrielina lounged on the soft sofa, catching snatches of humming from time to time.
"Tell me... isn't it beautiful?" With no one else in the room, Gabrielina spoke to the system aloud.
"It sure is. Too bad you can't see a thing. Someone else gets to enjoy it all~"
"Aaaah!"
Paimon's scream suddenly erupted from the bathroom, followed by a burst of bell-like laughter and playful squealing.
Water splashed onto the floor, and the sloshing sounds left Gabrielina restless and distracted.
"...Nobody but a pervert like you would think that's a shame."
Gabrielina picked up the soda beside her, with its sphere of ice floating inside, and drained it in one go.
"I lived in dorms from elementary school all the way through high school, then went to university in Japan. You have no idea how biiig the Japanese girl in the bunk below mine was! What type haven't I seen?"
"You've definitely never seen an anime girl. Though, of course, now you're one yourself."
...That's actually true.
Then what am I waiting for? Come to think of it, I've been running around fighting Slimes and dragons... I still haven't had a chance to...
Her slender fingers twisted this way and that, slipping through the straps as she tried to undo the elaborate petticoat.
One minute passed...
Two minutes passed...
Her cheeks grew redder, her movements grew rougher, and in the end, she burned out.
Burned out, as though nothing remained but snow-white ash.
"How do I undo this?"
"Oh~ It's easier to undo from behind, you know? Why don't you try a little harder~" The system's voice was full of mockery.
"Then how am I supposed to go to the bathroom? What if I want to change clothes!?"
"Pretty girls... ahem, Flügel don't need to use the bathroom." The system abruptly switched to a solemn announcer's voice. "As for clothes... money's tight lately. I'll buy you a 'skin' later."
"?"
The little bird's ear feathers bristled with anger.
How am I supposed to save Teyvat with vermin like this?
Lamenting her own misfortune and furious at the system's uselessness, she decided to go downstairs for some snacks.
"Lumine, I'm going to see what they've got for a late-night snack!" The angel banged twice on the bathroom door, bringing the merriment inside to an abrupt halt.
"...Okay, hurry back!"
Gabrielina ambled toward the room's door, her golden pupils flickering faintly. The next second, space rippled, and she appeared in a shadowy corner of the ground-floor lobby.
Thank you, supreme master Artosh, for inventing such a magnificent spell.
Amen!
The card players nearby seemed startled, but perhaps because they'd had a few drinks, none of them looked frightened.
"Oh~ This beautiful... hic! Sorry, this beautiful young lady?" A man dressed like a noble approached from nearby and drunkenly bowed to her.
"Was what you just used Space Curvature Drive Technology powered by the elements?"
"Uh... space what?" Gabrielina felt that the term had a strangely familiar science-fiction ring to it.
"Space curvature technology. That's the graduation project I'm... hic!... working on!" The man suddenly grew miserable and gulped down another mouthful of liquor. "My advisor says there's something wrong with my brain. Nobody's interested in my thesis except one Astrologer! Oh, Anemo Archon above..."
Watching the man sob, Gabrielina silently took two steps back, avoiding his wildly unrestrained curls.
"Don't be sad, buddy. Think about it. Plenty of students get held up by their theses. Some even kill themselves! At least you're still alive, right?"
If the world kisses you with pain, slap it in the face!
The man stared blankly at Gabrielina, feeling as though he had seen an angel.
"Thank you, beautiful... hic! Lady, I've figured it out..."
"That fast!?"
"I'll drop out tomorrow and go home to inherit the family fortune... sigh..."
Gabrielina: I hate rich people.
"Girl, want a drink? This shit's amazing!"
Weren't you utterly devastated just a moment ago!? Keep being depressed, damn it!
Suppressing the urge to sober him up physically with a punch, Gabrielina turned and left.
"...Hey! The Angel's Share is incredible... and there's a singing bard... you've got to go see him!!!"
Ignoring the excessively "free-spirited" man behind her, Gabrielina walked to the window and looked at the tavern deep in the alley.
A singing... bard?
"Ehe?"
Ignoring the system's inexplicable noise, the girl peered through the window into the depths of the alley, and her eyes suddenly lit up.
Among all the brawny men overflowing with testosterone, two masked figures stood out so much that she spotted them immediately.
"Miss?"
"Hm?" Gabrielina whipped around and found a young waitress standing there.
"I thought I saw your eyes... shining," the girl said timidly. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Oh... it's nothing! Send a late-night snack for two up to room 520, and tell them... tell them I'll be back soon!"
A few Mora dropped onto the tray, and the young waitress hurriedly bowed in thanks.
When she looked up again, there was nothing before her but the cold window and her own reflection.
Several minutes later, at the Angel's Share.
Though the tavern looked rather old from outside, stepping inside brought a chorus of chatter and singing.
This was far from Dimitri's first visit.
Ever since La Signora had started assigning him missions, he had brought his underling here almost every evening to unwind.
He had heard that the tavern's owner was a nasty piece of work, born with a face that said everyone owed him hundreds of millions of Mora, and that he was always sabotaging their work, but...
Who could hold a grudge against good booze? Cyka blyat~ May Her Majesty curse him!
"Three Death After Noons, and make it quick!" Casually tossing some Mora onto the counter, the two headed up the stairs to the tavern's second floor.
The bartender, Charles, never looked up. Only after the pair had left did he let out a deep sigh.
He lowered his head and spoke to the young man seated in the shadows behind the counter, who was intently mixing drinks. "Master Diluc, those two Fatui are back."
The young man handed Charles the finished drink and neatly folded his handkerchief, but did not answer him.
"One... five... heh, they even tipped me." Charles smiled helplessly and turned to fetch the glasses. "I wonder who they could possibly be keeping watch on here..."
The tavern door opened again, and the clear chime of the wind bell was followed by a girl's pleasant voice.
"Hey, bartender, one Apple Cider~"
Charles did not turn around, but the corners of his mouth lifted slightly with his back to the girl. "1,200 Mora. Are you old enough to drink, little miss?"
"Of course! I'll go find a seat. Thanks for your hard work~"
Only after the voice behind him faded did Charles lower his head to look at Diluc beside him.
"I think I'm feeling better already..."
"Charles, you can cover that extra 300 for her." Diluc paused briefly, then gave an almost imperceptible smile a few seconds later.
"But you really should take care of your health, so your punishment is one less drink this weekend."
"Ah..." The bartender gave an exaggerated sigh, humming a tune as he turned to collect the Mora.
Yet before he could finish turning, he froze rigidly in place.
"Charles, what's wrong?"
"Master Diluc, thank goodness you're here." Charles put away the Mora with a wry smile, but his eyes never left the white figure who had just taken a seat in the distance.
"Tonight is probably going to be quite lively..."
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