The Unlucky Bennett

Qiu Bai and Lumine stood atop the cliff, gazing down at the familiar figure below.

Without hesitation, Qiu Bai leaped from the edge. From such a great height, one might expect a loud impact, but when he landed, there was barely a sound. He lightly tapped the ground with his toes and came to a steady stop.

Lumine, on the other hand, glided down gently using her Wind Glider.

"Bennett, what are you doing here?" Lumine asked curiously.

Paimon, still hovering above, soon floated down as well.

"So this is where you guys were! I was wondering why you suddenly disappeared."

"Huh? Wait, isn't that Bennett?"

Paimon looked at him in surprise. After all, it was late at night, and they were still out in the wilderness.

"Heh, as the leader of the Benny Adventure Team..."

"I never stop just because it's nighttime!"

Bennett grinned, rubbing the back of his head.

"You should still be careful when traveling alone at night," Paimon advised. "After all, your luck is... well, how should I put it?" She sighed, covering her forehead.

"Oh, right—Honorary Knight, Paimon," Bennett said, suddenly noticing Qiu Bai. "Who's this guy behind you?"

"I'm Qiu Bai, from Liyue. A guest consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor," Qiu Bai said with a friendly smile as he walked up to Bennett, extending a hand.

"Hehe, I'm Bennett!"

"Leader of the Benny Adventure Team!"

Bennett clasped Qiu Bai's hand with a bright grin.

"But hey, where are you guys headed?" he asked. "I heard you went to Liyue—how come you're back in Mondstadt?"

"We had some matters to take care of, so we returned," Lumine explained. "How is everyone in Mondstadt?"

"They're doing great!" Bennett said. "Oh, right—Fischl mentioned something before. Let me think..."

He scratched his head, trying to recall her words.

"To the travelers wandering in the distant unknown, this Prinzessin der Verurteilung extends her divine protection to my loyal companions!"

Bennett did his best to mimic Fischl's dramatic speech, his voice full of theatrical flair.

Qiu Bai chuckled. "That does sound like Amy."

"Looks like Fischl hasn't changed one bit," Paimon laughed. "If she ever goes out without Oz, I bet she'd have a hard time holding a conversation."

"Since you're here, Bennett, why not head back to Mondstadt with us?" Lumine suggested with a smile.

"Hmm... I have been adventuring out here for quite a while now."

"Yeah, I suppose it's time to check in back home," Bennett said, nodding. He then rubbed his stomach sheepishly.

"Bennett, you must be hungry too! Lucky for you, we grilled some fish," Paimon said, happily stomping her feet. "Let's head back and eat!"

Lumine nodded in agreement, and the group made their way back up the cliff.

...

"I wonder if Dain is even asleep," Paimon muttered, eyeing Dainsleif, who remained still, his eyes barely open.

"This is the wilderness. You can never afford to lower your guard," Dainsleif said, finally opening his eyes. "It's a matter of survival."

Then, his gaze shifted to the campfire.

"But... it seems your fish is about to burn."

"What?!"

Paimon gasped. "I went looking for you guys and totally forgot about it!"

She quickly flew over, but it was too late—the fish was already charred black.

"This is all my fault… I'm sorry," Bennett said apologetically, looking at the burnt fish with guilt.

"It's fine, Bennett."

Qiu Bai patted him on the shoulder before stepping forward, a soft white glow gathering in his hands.

The energy seeped into the burnt fish, and gradually, the blackened surface turned into a rich, golden-brown color. After inspecting the results, Qiu Bai nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, come and eat."

"I've fixed the fish," he said with a smile.

"Whoa... Qiu Bai, you're amazing!"

"You actually restored a fish that was burnt to a crisp!" Paimon clapped her hands in amazement.

"Let's hurry up and eat. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow," Lumine said as she sat down by the fire, picking up a plump fish and taking a bite.

Seeing this, Paimon and Bennett also joined in.

"Hehe, well then, I won't hold back," Bennett said, rubbing the back of his head before digging in.

"You won't need to rush tomorrow morning," Qiu Bai added.

"Get a good night's rest—I'll take care of things."

Hearing this, he smiled to himself. The reason he hadn't used teleportation was simple—he wanted to take in Mondstadt's scenery. A thousand years had passed since his last visit, and now that he was back, he wanted to experience it properly.

"Yes! That's great news!"

"My poor little legs finally get a break!" Paimon cheered, stomping her feet in excitement.

Lumine chuckled and nodded.

"...Wait, what do you mean by 'no walking'?"

Bennett looked at them, confused. "Mondstadt is still really far away—we'd have to walk for a long time, wouldn't we?"

"You'll see for yourself tomorrow," Paimon said with a mischievous grin. "Qiu Bai's little magic trick."

Then she happily continued eating her fish.

"Oh, right—Dain, do you want some?" she asked, glancing over at him. "We've got extra."

"Heh, no thanks."

"You all go ahead," Dainsleif said, opening his eyes briefly to glance at her before shutting them again.

"...Alright then."

Paimon shrugged, then turned back and continued munching on her meal.

Qiu Bai sat on the grass, holding a skewer of fish in one hand. He took a bite and nodded approvingly.

"Hmm... not bad."

"Paimon's cooking is actually pretty decent."

"I like it," he said, complimenting her.

"Hehe, it's nothing special," Paimon said modestly. "Besides, if not for you, we wouldn't have been able to eat these at all."

She scratched her head with an embarrassed smile.

...

As time passed, one by one, everyone drifted off to sleep.

Paimon nestled against Lumine's chest, while Lumine held her close, both fast asleep on the grass.

As for why they didn't use the Serenitea Pot... well, that was another story.

Madame Ping had rushed the construction of their Serenitea Pots, which unfortunately resulted in them being completely empty. No buildings, no furniture—just an open field inside. Even if they went in, they'd still be sleeping on the ground.

Qiu Bai sighed at the thought.

Looks like I'll need to gather some materials and use my power to build a house in there myself.

With that in mind, he shifted his focus. Using his divine sense, he checked on Dainsleif.

"...He's asleep too?"

Qiu Bai muttered to himself.

"Well then... time to rest."

"Tomorrow, we'll finally return to Mondstadt," he murmured, stretching out on the ground.

With his hands behind his head and one leg crossed over the other, he gazed up at the stars.

Soon after, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.