"Phew... An unexpected variable has appeared." On his way to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Zhongli's thoughts raced.
The Traveler should awaken soon. Once he sets out on his journey, perhaps Tang Wang will become a help to him as well?
No, there's another possibility. His gaze sharpened at once. Either way, I should make thorough preparations in advance.
And then there's Tang Wang's ability, Epitome Invocation... At the thought, Zhongli felt another headache coming on.
From what he currently knew, it had the power to "give form to stories and experiences." Normally, it might only be able to churn out weapons classified by the Adventurers' Guild as "four-star" or even "five-star."
The best-known five-star weapons in Liyue were probably the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear, the Staff of Homa, the Summit Shaper, The Unforged, and the Primordial Jade Cutter...
But as Tang Wang had said, he came from beyond this world.
That meant he could give form to stories from beyond this world and wield powers from beyond it directly. By comparison, the way its current wielder used it was a terrible waste.
"Oh my, Consultant, you actually showed up in front of me of your own accord?" Hu Tao was utterly surprised by his arrival.
"Oh, I get it, I get it. Did you buy another ridiculously expensive antique? Or did you skip out on your tea bill?"
"...Neither." Zhongli shook his head. "Tang Wang has paid for all my tea recently."
"He's as kind as ever." Hu Tao smiled and nodded. "But Consultant, you'd better keep your distance from him."
"I'm telling you, a while ago, I saw him buy a whole heap of women's clothes! He carried bags and bags of them back to his place!"
"...Is that so?" Zhongli was startled when he first heard the news.
But then he remembered the outfit Ronava had been wearing... Well, perhaps it wasn't surprising after all.
"Ahem, Director, you've got the wrong idea. He's recently acquired a rather unusual female companion." After some thought, Zhongli decided to explain the situation to Hu Tao.
"Huh? Linaya really came to Liyue?" Though that was what she said, Hu Tao looked utterly disappointed.
The corner of Zhongli's mouth twitched, but he continued in a more serious tone:
"No. She is a..." He deliberately lowered his voice and pretended to glance around.
At that, Hu Tao's interest was immediately piqued:
"What? Is her identity something you can't talk about?"
"Yes." Zhongli nodded slightly. "At the very least, she doesn't want her identity revealed. So please keep it a secret, Director."
"It's that hush-hush? Let's hear it."
"She is... an adeptus who once lived in Liyue." Zhongli then began making things up without a change of expression. "During the Archon War, she guided countless departed souls to the other side."
Of course, it wasn't entirely made up-after all, as the Ruler of Death, Ronava really had done similar work.
"But then, one day, she disappeared."
"Oh, I see, I see." Hu Tao smiled and nodded. "Going by what you said, she's an expert in the field."
"Precisely." Zhongli nodded. "And now, she wishes to find a place for herself in the mortal world, so Tang Wang brought her to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
"That's what I don't get. With his income, couldn't he easily support one more adeptus?"
"...Just take it that she's a rather conscientious adeptus who can't sit idle."
Meanwhile, over at Bai Ju Inn...
"What a pity, Lady Ronava..."
"I told you, you can just call me Ronava," she said with a sigh. "Or if you can think of a nickname like Geo Lili, you can call me that instead."
"All right, Ronava." Tang Wang nodded gently. "What I regret is that a powerful and knowledgeable being like you isn't willing to accompany me as a traveling companion."
"It seems I still lack the personal charm expected of an adventurer."
"When did I ever say I wasn't going to be your traveling companion?" she retorted, sounding displeased. "Don't misunderstand. I just thought that when you aren't traveling, I can't very well sit around staring at the walls of a human dwelling, can I?"
"I see." Tang Wang couldn't help laughing. "It seems our Ruler of Death really is conscientious."
"..." Ronava stiffly turned her head away and said nothing more.
They spent a little time tidying the room. Soon, the previously empty wardrobe was piled full of all kinds of women's clothing.
Among them was the distinctive outfit Ronava had worn when she was the Ruler of Death.
"Uh, Ronava, do you want to wash this outfit?" Tang Wang asked tentatively.
"...No." She refused at once. "It's part of the Four Shades' power. It doesn't need to be washed the way humans wash things."
"All right." He closed the wardrobe. "If you see any other styles you like, just buy them. You can put them on my tab."
"All right, judging by the time, Zhongli should have already talked things over with Hu Tao." Glancing at the sunlight outside the window, Tang Wang let out a soft breath. "He said to wait until the afternoon, but he can't really be that slow, can he?"
"So, boss," Tang Wang said, approaching the front desk again before leaving Bai Ju Inn, "are there really no vacant rooms here?"
"Oh, young people these days are always in such a hurry." The person at the front desk was a somewhat frail-looking old man. "Just wait a few more days and a room will open up, won't it?"
"All right, then." The corner of his eye twitched uncontrollably.
As a noob with no romantic experience whatsoever, having to share a room for two nights in a row with a stranger of the opposite sex-at least, a stranger as far as he was concerned-was still too hard for him to accept.
"Come to think of it..." He opened the Shadow Domain interface and looked at the body pillow stored inside, his feelings growing complicated once more. "Needing to hug something to fall asleep isn't a good habit."
What he feared most now was that, if Ronava woke up before him one morning... Looking at his body pillow, he could hardly imagine what expression she would make.
"Forget it. I should stop thinking about this..." He shook his head vigorously, banishing the thoughts that would only cause him needless trouble.
A short while later, inside Wangsheng Funeral Parlor:
"Are you the adept-newcomer who wants to join Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?" Hu Tao, who had nearly let it slip, hurriedly stopped herself.
"Yes." Ronava nodded.
"What's your name?"
"Ronava."
Normally, speaking a Ruler's name would bring "death" down upon the speaker.
The problem was that Ronava was no longer a Ruler, and they had no way of knowing who currently held the Authority of Death.
"Oh, oh, oh, that's a very unique name." Hu Tao nodded. "Do you have any work experience?"
"A few thousand years, I suppose."
"Looks like you have no intention of hiding it at all." She nodded again. "Good, good. I like honest employees, unlike a certain consultant who keeps everything to himself."
Zhongli, who had been called out for no apparent reason, couldn't help coughing a few times.
"Do you have any requirements for your pay and benefits?"
Hearing the question, Ronava turned her head and glanced at Tang Wang.
"I'm not very clear on how humans pay people. Just don't make it too much less than his."
"It definitely won't be." Hu Tao shook her head. "Wangsheng Funeral Parlor makes a lot of money!"
As the sole business with a monopoly on Liyue's funeral industry, Hu Tao really was qualified to say that.
"Then, do you have any requirements for your working hours?"
"...I need to sleep now, so I can't work all the time." After a moment's hesitation, Ronava spoke somewhat diffidently. "And sometimes I'll go adventuring with Tang Wang, so I won't be able to stay at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
"Oh, my goodness." For a moment, Hu Tao couldn't believe her ears. "Adeptus, it's hard to imagine what you've been through before this."
"But here, we work eight hours a day at most, plus four hours of overtime. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is a legitimate business; we don't do work that violates the Ministry of Civil Affairs' requirements."
"Given how highly qualified you are, you'll get the same terms as Consultant Zhongli! Just show up promptly when you're needed, and wander around as you please when there's no work."
"Oh, right, there's actually a job coming up soon. Come with me later and get familiar with how the work is done."