The discussion board was in an uproar, and people were even starting to organize an offline meetup on their own when the screen finally responded.
To everyone's surprise, however, the screen did not bring up a third video. Instead, it continued playing the previous one.
[System: The Q&A phase for this video has been temporarily suspended. Resuming video.]
While the video buffered, someone in the discussion board asked why Lumine had so decisively chosen option C when the situation had still been unclear.
Neither the video nor the question had provided any relevant information. Even when Shitou had brought out the three Noctilucous Jade samples in the video, they had all been rendered identically. Not even the most discerning appraiser could have judged the quality of those three pieces of Noctilucous Jade from their appearance alone.
[Keqing: Come to think of it, Miss Lumine, why did you choose the third piece of Noctilucous Jade?]
[Lumine: I was guessing too. When I used to play RPGs, it wasn't always the case, but with simple choices between items of the same type like this, you generally picked the last option.]
[Lumine: Because some games test and show off every option to stretch out the story, praising each item in turn, before revealing that the last option is the best.]
[Lumine: Since this video cut out the footage of testing the Noctilucous Jade's quality, I figured they'd shown how all three samples performed.]
[Lumine: Of course, that choice isn't guaranteed. I can only say its odds were better than the others. But I still had a chance to waive a punishment anyway, so I went for it with a little confidence.]
[Tighnari: I see. We should approach these questions more from a gaming perspective?]
[Lyney: Lesson learned. I'll have an idea of how to approach questions like this now.]
[Yae Miko: My, my, little one. How generous of you, sharing knowledge that only someone from beyond this world would really understand.]
[Yae Miko: Would you like me to get an invitation to Inazuma from Ei for you?]
[Raiden Ei: Hmm, in that case...]
Neither the Raiden Shogun nor Raiden Ei immediately rejected Yae Miko's suggestion.
After all, things were different from the original story now. The fundamental conflict between the Raiden Shogun and the Traveler was being diminished.
With the screen's appearance, Teyvat had gained exceptions aplenty. Even someone as rigid as the Raiden Shogun would not set every exception into her statue. If she did, she might as well rename her Thousand-Armed, Hundred-Eyed Statue the Thousand-Armed, Hundred-Headed Statue.
In that case, it seemed the greatest conflict between her and the Traveler no longer existed. Inviting her was not out of the question.
After all, with Yae Miko's guidance, Raiden Ei had already recognized the Traveler's importance. From the later scene in which Kazuha could still visit his friend's grave in one piece, she had even guessed that the Traveler might turn from an enemy into an ally in the future, becoming her first new friend in centuries.
-Hah, surely it couldn't be that the Traveler would join forces with that bunch of mortals who'd lost their Visions and defeat me?!
[Lumine: Don't worry (determined gaze). For the sake of Inazuma's most beautiful scenery alone, I'll definitely go there!]
[Yae Miko: I feel there might be a slight issue with what you mean by scenery, but never mind. It's settled, then.]
[Lyney: Ah, we may be a little far away, but Lynette and I will be waiting for you in Fontaine too.]
[Furina: Ahem. I shall acknowledge the significance of your journey for now. You are welcome to visit Fontaine in the future. I will give you the grandest welcome.]
[Navia: There goes Furina again...]
[Collei: I-I'd really welcome the Traveler too.]
[Collei: Ah, I mean, you're Amber's friends, so you're my friends too. I'd love to have my friends come visit.]
[Amber: Hehe, same old Collei.]
[Eula: ...]
[Childe: How about I just take Lumine to my homeland when the time comes, so she can experience Snezhnaya?]
[Keqing: Before any of you, the Traveler will visit us in Liyue.]
[Keqing: We also warmly welcome the Traveler.]
With Yae Miko taking the lead, everyone suddenly seemed to have become warm and hospitable.
After all, by now, especially after watching the Footprint promotional video, even the slowest among them could see how special the Traveler was. Naturally, they had to say something.
Well, nobody had brought up the subject before, but now that someone had taken the lead, they all naturally had to chime in.
The screen was obliging too. Only after everyone had finished welcoming the Traveler did the video finish buffering.
In the video, after Shitou asked which piece of Noctilucous Jade they wanted, Aether did indeed choose the third.
"That's right! I remember that one too!"
Paimon immediately agreed with the Traveler's choice.
"No problem. If that's the one you like, it's yours, sirs."
Shitou was happy to have made a sale, and Zhongli's next request delighted him even more.
"Hmm, one box of the [No. 3 Noctilucous Jade] variety."
[Xingqiu: A whole box of Luminous-grade Noctilucous Jade...]
[Chongyun: What, is it expensive?]
[Xingqiu: Uh, enough to bankrupt an ordinary family. Luckily, though, Northland Bank is reimbursing it in full.]
[Chongyun: Then thank you, Northland Bank.]
[Hu Tao: Thank you (palms pressed together).]
[Xiangling: Thank you.]
[Yaoyao: Thank you.]
[Ningguang: Hehe, thank you.]
[Childe: ...I'm suddenly wondering, Miss Ningguang, did you deliberately take the opportunity to foist this onto our Northland Bank because the Rite of Parting was so expensive?]
[Ningguang: How could that be? We of the Liyue Qixing would never neglect anything concerning Rex Lapis.]
Of course, if she realized that Rex Lapis had not actually passed away, there was nothing wrong with taking the opportunity to fleece Northland Bank.
[Gaming: Thank you... Huh?]
[Xianyun: What happened?]
[Gaming: Ah, Auntie Xianyun, it looks like I suddenly went from a three-star user to a four-star user on my personal interface?]
[Xianyun: Hmm?]
[Xianyun: Wait, this adeptus has become a five-star too?]
[Jiehu: W-why have I become a two-star?]
[Houzhang: And new nicknames have appeared...]
[Xianyun: ...It's you two old fellows?]
[Lumine: Uh, maybe the other dimension released a new version?]
[Moon Carver: What does that mean?]
[Lumine: It means that Xianyun has probably become a newly released five-star gacha character. As for you two, well, you were probably given slapdash NPC models and won't ever enter the banner.]
[Lumine: The same goes for Gaming. He's probably a new four-star character.]
Wait, so changes to user privileges on this screen were entirely based on the game?
Quite a few viewers, who had been planning to work hard, earn a god's recognition, obtain a Vision, and then aim for a higher user star rating, suddenly felt considerably deflated.