re404:error

"Ha..." Paimon yawned widely. "Good morning, Traveler. I feel so tired... even though I slept quite a bit."

Ying lay in bed, straining to open her eyes, and glanced at the clock on the wall. "No rush, Paimon... just five more minutes... five more minutes."

"Okay... I'll sleep for another five minutes... Wait!" Paimon's head, which had already hit the pillow, suddenly jolted up. "Don't do something so dangerous, Traveler!"

Paimon quickly patted his soft cheeks to snap himself out of it.

Paimon rushed to the bedside, tugging hard at Ying's sleeve and pulling her up. "Get up! We made plans with Dunyarzad and Xingsu to meet up today!"

"Good morning! Dunyarzad, good morning! Xingsu." Paimon waved enthusiastically to the two of them, then his gaze suddenly fell on the petite figure beside Xingsu, and he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Eh? Who is this cute little girl?"

Nahida stepped forward, her emerald eyes slightly raised, about to introduce herself, "I..."

"I know! This must be one of your House of the Hearth's children, right?" Paimon guessed confidently.

Xingsu:?

Nahida:?

"Hey hey, hello little friend, I'm Paimon, and this is the Traveler..."

She turned to point at Ying beside her, but there was no one behind her.

"Huh? Where is she?"

"Oh my gosh--So cute!"

Ying's eyes lit up, and almost instantly she was right in front of Nahida, squatting down and softening her voice. "What's your name? How old are you? Are you in school?"

Then she turned to Xingsu, her eyes pleading and pitiful, and asked, "Can I touch her? Help! She's so cute! Please, please!"

"Uh..." Xingsu was clearly caught off guard by the sudden turn of events and could only turn to look at Nahida, seeking her opinion with his eyes.

Nahida glanced at Xingsu and nodded with a smile.

... She is really cute

I won't die until I can have a daughter like this with Arlecchino!

Xingsu that Ying had no objections, Xing Su nodded to her.

Ying immediately reached out excitedly and gently touched Nahida's soft, fluffy emerald hair, then carefully pinched her round, pink cheeks.

"Baby, you are a sweet, soft, and adorable little badminton shuttlecock! Ahhhhh~ I'm so happy and relaxed, my tired body and mind feel completely relaxed..."

"Uh..." Paimon, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore and chose to hide behind Xingsu and pretend not to know this embarrassing guy.

What's your name?

My name is Nahida.

"Oh, what a lovely name! How old are you this year?"

"Uh, five..."

"So amazing at only five years old!" Ying turned to Paimon, "Paimon, let's move our trip to Fontaine forward! I want to visit the House of the Hearth with Xingsu!"

"You bastard..."

"You know, giving children a warm home has always been my dream!"

"Hey! Wake up!"

"The House of the Hearth, hmm... it sounds like a warm place," Nahida murmured.

"Huh? Aren't you one of the children from the House of the Hearth?" Paimon suddenly noticed something. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Nahida sighed softly upon hearing this, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "Your conversation is too fast, one sentence after another, like a neat, ever-advancing line of ants. I simply can't find a gap to interject."

"Oh my god! You even use such a apt metaphor! Baby, you're so smart and amazing!" Ying was instantly impressed again, and couldn't help but raise her hand to clap gently, her eyes full of praise.

"Hey! You better stop this now!" Paimon, rubbing his forehead.

"If you're not a child of the House of the Hearth... then are you here to visit the Sabzeruz Festival? Where are your parents? Little kids can't run around like that, or the creepy uncle will grab them!"

Xingsu:?

Nahida shook her head seriously, straightened her expression, and said softly, "I didn't come here for sightseeing. I came specifically to help you."

"Come help us?" Paimon was taken aback, scratching his head. "But we're perfectly fine right now, and the celebration is going smoothly. We don't need any help at all!"

"Alright, I'll explain this part to them," Xingsu said, turning to the quiet Dunyarzad beside her. "Dunyarzad, you continue to the Sabzeruz Festival. I need to take the Traveler to see some things first."

"Okay." Dunyarzad didn't say anything more and left without expression.

"Dunyarzad looks strange. Is she angry with us? We promised to stay with her..." Paimon watched her departing figure, feeling a strange unease, and asked in a low voice with a puzzled look.

Xingsu's expression suddenly turned serious. "That's what I wanted to say. Come with me."

The group followed Xingsu as they turned and left the bustling streets, passing through a quiet corridor and arriving at a secluded little house.

On the hospital bed inside the room, Dunyarzad lay quietly.

"Dunyarzad!?" Paimon exclaimed in surprise.

The playful expression on Ying's face vanished instantly. She quickly stepped forward and bent down to check on Dunyarzad's condition.

Fortunately, Dunyarzad is still alive, but she is very weak, with only slight breathing and a faint pulse.

"Xingsu, what's going on? How can there be two Dunyarzad, and she..."

"Ah, let me think, where do I even begin to explain this to you... Never mind, explaining it directly is too complicated, give me your hand."

Xingsu held Ying and Paimon's hands and shared his memories of the past few days of investigation with them.

The next instant, countless fragmented images, recurring days and nights, cyclical celebrations, and countless identical encounters and partings surged into their minds like a tidal wave.

"I... we... have we really gone through the cycle of the Sabzeruz Festival so many times? Countless times, trapped on the same day countless times?" Paimon felt a wave of fear wash over him, his face turning pale.

Paimon looked up at Xingsu: "Xingsu! You've been investigating for so long, you must have found a way to break this deadlock, right? We can break out of the cycle, we can save Dunyarzad, right?!"

"The key to breaking this deadlock isn't with me, but..." Xingsu pointed at Nahida, "... with her."

"Her?" Paimon turned around, his pupils contracting slightly, an incredulous thought flashing through his mind, "Could it be that she is...?"

"Hello, Traveler, hello Paimon, nice to meet you. My name is Nahida, and I am..."

"You're the culprit?!"

Xingsu:?

Nahida:?