The golden hours refer to a short 1-hour time span right after sunrise or right before sunset. The colors shifted as the sun dyed a part of the sky in its fading brilliance like a candlelight in the night. It was both an ending and a beginning. The mark of twilight brought itself upon the world as the sun began to slowly disappear behind the towering skyscrapers in the distance.

Stars peeked out from the darkness of space. Peering down from the heavens, their light decorated the oncoming night sky while the brightest star continued to recede. The shadows of the night crept on while I listened to the monotonous and heavy steps I took down the concrete path. It was just another ordinary day that was just waiting for the next to come.

I had just parted ways with the individuals that arbitrarily called themselves my "friends", and feeling a sensation of emptiness, I chose to take a detour that day in search of something that would fill that void. Instinctively, my body moved towards the sun. The warmth I desired was in front of me, yet somehow outside of reach. No matter how far I walked, I wouldn't get any closer. Contrary to thinking it was meaningless, I was addicted to that feeling of having an objective. Even if it was logically pointless, this alone was already more meaningful than my current life.

Life was very much like a candle. Once lit, it can only keep going until it dies out. It's brief, and it was never meant to last. It exists to light the darkness, but one candle's light alone can't illuminate the vast darkness beyond. Just like how night comes when the sun disappears, the darkness can easily snuff out the light of one candle. Even if said candle had paired up with others, what makes one candle so significant from the others. What made one life so unique from the other? Subjectively, the answers were infinite. Objectively, there was none.

And so I walked on, meaninglessly.

It didn't take long for me to see her.

Long, brown hair swaying in the wind. A tightly fitting school uniform. Just like I was, she was facing the setting sun that had already started disappearing past the horizon. For some reason, I felt like time had stopped. Everything seemed to stop moving as I stood still. Motionless, my eyes couldn't move from her back as she remained idle. Her shoulders slumped down in defeat. Her hands remained at her sides loosely. I didn't know this girl who seemed to be roughly around the same age as me, but I already felt that perhaps she was a kindred spirit. Someone who had already given up on everything around them.

Was this fate?

Soon enough, she walked away. The spell placed on me at that moment disappeared, and she too had disappeared just like the sun that sunk from the skies. The golden hour had ended, and that enchanting moment had come to a close. Free from that moment of delusional bliss, I told myself I would see her again someday. Maybe one day I would be able to see her face and reach out to her as a comrade who had given up on the world around us. To my utter disgust and disappointment, I would soon learn that she had gone missing two weeks later. Reports of a missing girl from my school would go around.

News outlets would attack the school's reputation, and rumors would spread like wildfires. Some said that it was due to bullying. Others said that it was because of a confession. Reporters blamed the school's competitive nature. That said, no one even knew where she was now. It only took about a month for everyone to seemingly forget her existence. It was to the point where I started wondering if she was even real, but that doubt only served as fuel for my ever-deepening cynicism and hatred toward society. While it wasn't a direct cause, the girl's disappearance would certainly influence my choice to aim to become a top student by the time I graduated from my studies.

Magecraft was often seen as an elite-level art that could only be mastered through years of training and shown through results. Oftentimes, it felt as if it was catered to the rich, the popular, and the favored. Of course, talent and hard work would always be rewarded, but for those towering up above to have the audacity to trample on those beneath them was the epicenter of what a pointless and fruitless life an average individual could have. That was why I chose to change things around.

From an average nobody to a top student, I made sure to paint myself in all the colors of an ordinary person while clawing at the earth desperately as I worked. It was a combination of both spite and self-satisfaction that kept this nonsensical war on society going. It took me the rest of my time through higher education and a dead Hero to realize how silly that rage was. Perhaps that girl I saw during that sunset wasn't sad. Maybe it wasn't even the same person as the one schoolmate who went missing. The assuming mind was a terrifying one.

Yet here I was...

Ow! Fuck!

My consciousness forcefully returned to reality as oil splashed up at my face. Being absentminded while cooking came to bite me quickly. The moment I threw the ingredients into the hot oil, I should have expected the immediate popping of the oil, but due to being stuck in my little daydreams, I ended up on the receiving end of the hot oil's wrath. I was more than ready to spew a thousand more curses to vent my needless and unjustified anger at the hot oil that was currently frying the food. Luckily, I held myself back in time as a familiar little girl hopped right at my open back playfully in an attempt to scare me.

Her small body was just slightly bigger than mine. Both of her little hands with nails colored black wrapped around me and held tight. Her infectious little noises reached my ears and filled me with life. Of course, the perpetrator of this sneak attack was none other than Hu Tao. Good thing I didn't swear. It wouldn't do for me to color this little girl's vocabulary with profanities at this age. Laughing wryly, I tapped the hands that wrapped around me and called out to the recent friend that I made.

"Careful now, we're in the kitchen you know?" I warned her with a light tone.

Hu Tao let out a sigh of defeat. This was the third time she had tried to spook me today. Unfortunately, most likely due to my older mental age, I was able to maintain a solid poker face no matter how surprised I was. I had considered pretending to be scared to entertain her, but it's a little hard to predict someone as unpredictable as Hu Tao. Not to mention, I also felt that she could probably deduce whether my reaction was genuine or not. It was a strange feeling since we had only just met a few days ago. Hu Tao, who was clinging to my back, let go and lightly smacked my back.

"I'll scare you one day. Mark my words," she declared. "I'll make sure to do it while we're both still alive."

"Really? You won't haunt me like a ghost?" I asked mindlessly while poking at the ingredients that were taking a hot bath in a wok full of hot oil.

Hu Tao huffed and replied, "You'll be stuck with a very spooky ghost. You don't mind that?"

"It'll make every day a little more fun, but I hope you'll pass on properly."

"Not until I scare you so bad that you think of me every night!"

Silence eventually came down between the two of us as the little jokes started to hit too close to home with each passing response. Only the sound of the hot oil cackling could be heard in the kitchen. Four days had passed since I was picked up by Hu Tao and her grandfather from Wuwang Hill. Originally, we were heading to Liyue Harbor after spending a night, but there were reports of odd spiritual phenomena occurring in the area. Hu Tao's grandfather, being the head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, decided to stick around to investigate while also trying to look around for details about me.

Not that there was much to go off of in the first place.

Since I was transported, I had gone with the story that I just woke up on Wuwang Hill one day with no memories. Fast forward until now, and well, Hu Tao and I were still in Wangshu Inn to hang around while Hu Tao's grandfather went along with an old friend of his to go fishing. Supposedly. I thought it was supposed to be someone special, but upon taking a look at him, I couldn't figure out who it was. He looked like a basic NPC, so I dismissed him from my mind. After all, I had more important things to do.

Hu Tao, curious about what I was cooking up, proceeded to question me on just that.

"Whatcha cooking there, Colt?"

I answered, "Shrimp Tempura"

Using a pair of chopsticks, I quickly plucked out golden-colored shrimp one after the other. One by one, I placed them on an improvised rack composed of bamboo over a bowl to let it rest and let the residual oil fall. The downside of being isekai'd into a non-modern world comes in a landslide. There were no paper towels, no special little trinkets and gadgets, and there isn't even a functional sink around here.

Then again, considering that the inhabitants of this world literally just throw the ingredients into a pot before performing voodoo shenanigans to create their food instantly... yeah, it's no wonder that they didn't need a ton of cooking ware. While I originally was able to perform this form of food-wizardry myself, all the food that I laid my hands on was- to put it kindly and shortly- unfit for consumption by any living being. I was lucky that Hu Tao's grandfather was willing to invest in my food ventures. The people of Wangshu Inn were very friendly and allowed me to use the kitchen as well. I recalled there being an NPC who worked as a chef here, but I haven't seen him around yet.

After letting the fried shrimp rest for a while, I tapped on the golden shell of the tempura shrimp to check if it was crunchy. The outside was hard, but it wasn't like a rock at least. The texture should provide a solid crunch, though this can be improved upon in the future. Satisfied with my increasing cooking skills, I took a bite of the simple yet delicious snack. The fried batter gave way with a crisp crunch. From within, the flavor of the shrimp spread into my mouth. The seasonings were satisfactory, and the breading wasn't too heavy. Hu Tao, seeing my visible moments of bliss, asked for a bite too.

Of course, I obliged.

The ultimate state of bliss for a chef was a simple one. Seeing the smile of a person enjoying their food was one of the best compliments for a chef. Even though I wasn't a true chef myself, seeing the younger Hu Tao gleefully bite into the shrimp tempura made me feel warm inside. It was as if my efforts were being rewarded...

"Wait," I panicked. "Don't eat them all on your own!"

While I was lost in my thoughts, the little rascal had eaten all of the shrimp tempura. Slightly annoyed, I proceeded to flick Hu Tao on the forehead. Upon seeing that she properly repented, I went back to cooking. The reason why I was investing so much time into cooking was due to how food worked in Genshin Impact. Players were allowed to cook to create dishes that could be consumed later on to provide additional effects. They can be used to heal oneself, or they can help increase one's stamina. The effects varied. One of the plans I had to increase Hu Tao's grandfather's longevity was by providing a special cuisine.

Combining my game knowledge and my knowledge of the past, I was hoping to create at least some form of a stopgap to promote a healthy lifestyle built on good food. Of course, this alone wouldn't have been enough. I had other plans in the future to help the old man live longer. The power of magecraft was flexible to some extent. It was just a matter of how to apply that knowledge to a given situation. As confident as I was, I couldn't be sure until the results came out. I didn't want to get too cocky. After all, just cooking- an essential lifestyle within the game that was done so seamlessly- was already a process of trial and error. Accounting for which ingredients had what effects purely by relying on in-game knowledge and finding overlaps in where they were used within a mere day and night was already an excruciating process.

Hu Tao and I would continue to play around in the kitchen until we ran out of ingredients that I was allowed to use. While the food I made certainly did receive some praise, I knew it wasn't enough for the food to just be good. I was aiming to create something with a nourishing effect that would promote a stronger body. In Genshin Impact, the food item that I aimed for was known as Sakura Shrimp Crackers.

It boasted of a marvelous effect of "Increasing the party's HP by 20-25%" for a set amount of time. With magecraft and a lot of effort, I was confident in being able to make the effects last much longer, but there was just one problem. One of the core ingredients- Sakura Petals- could only be found in Inazuma. Inazuma was an entirely different nation set across the seas of the current continent I was on. This meant I could only try to find imports of Sakura Petals or try to find a substitute.

Not much I can do in that department except waiting.

It's been merely four days since I reincarnated into the world of Teyvat.

I thought I was off to a great start considering that it was only a few days.

"Bad news!"

A middle-aged woman came rushing down the steps. Hu Tao and I were leisurely firing jabs at each other with little rhyme schemes at the outdoor dining area of Wangshu Inn. The woman was the boss of Wangshu Inn, Verr Goldet. She was a mysterious woman who was quite proud of being the boss of the inn she ran. Oftentimes, she was depicted as a blunt businesswoman who was knowledgeable about the deeper mystics of Genshin Impact, so it was surprising to see her with an expression of anxiousness.

"Hu Tao, your grandfather," she started with urgency.

Hu Tao was instantly alert and immediately asked, "Where is he?!"

Upon being told that he was in our room, Hu Tao immediately darted off. I made eye contact with Verr Goldet. While I wasn't the type of person who could read a person's eyes, it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the situation was dire. Wasting no time, I ran like the wind in Hu Tao's wake to see the situation for myself.

To say that it was a lot worse than I thought would be an understatement.

Laying in bed, barely breathing was an elderly man dressed in a black uniform. Compared to the first time I met Hu Tao's grandfather, he seemed much frailer. It hurt my heart to see how each breathe he took was a struggle. His hands were large. They must have been reliable, tough hands in his prime, but now they were down to the bones. The skin had sunken down as the developed muscles disappeared over time. He was clinging to life on a thin lifeline. The bright fire had been reduced to that of a small candle flame.

I thought to myself, was there any meaning to life when it would all just end like this?

My fists curled up tightly. I just realized that not everything was going to work out the way I intended it to. Not everything was going to be okay. An unsettling feeling weighed down on my heart the more I thought about it. It was the feeling of failure. I could only lament my incapability and inaction as I gazed upon Hu Tao's grandfather. Upon our first meeting, words alone couldn't describe the impact he had on me. He was Visionless, yet he was so strong. His back seemed so wide back then, but now he looked so small.

My eyes drifted to the little girl before me.

Sitting on the edge of the bed with her hands tenderly resting on top of her grandfather's hand, Hu Tao worriedly watched over him. With each weak breathe her grandfather took, Hu Tao would react. A little hic here and there. A short exhale of relief. Each time her grandfather's chest moved up and down was another second he was still alive. Finally, Hu Tao turned to face me. She was smiling, but her eyes weren't. Far from it. Tears welled up and were ready to pour out. Only she knew how long she had been holding back.

"He still has longer... right?"

That one question broke me. I had already analyzed her grandfather and conclude. However, I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud to her. Hu Tao was still clinging on to hope that maybe- just maybe- it wasn't time yet. Knowing that I had promised her that he would be around until she grew up, the guilt I felt only weighed upon my heart even more. This was Hu Tao's last family member. Her mother and father already left her. Her grandfather was all that she had left in this world. She had been preparing to say goodbye all this time, but this was too soon. I couldn't find the right words to say to her and only clenched my fists tightly. It was then that the third person in the room spoke up. It was the fisherman friend that Hu Tao's grandfather went with earlier today.

"I'm sorry," he said. "We were out dealing with a tribe of strange hilichurls that were getting close to the inn, but he had overexerted himself."

Hu Tao lowered her head and faced her grandfather once more. She didn't blame him. One of the reasons why we were still at the inn was due to reports of weird hilichurls appearing nearby. It seemed as if they were possessed by strange spirits or something like that. While I did hear rumors of demonic spirits possessing monsters from Verr Goldet in passing, I didn't think that they were true. After all, most of Genshin Impact's enemies were hilichurls, slimes, and things of the such. Especially in this area of the country of Liyue. However, that still didn't change the fact that we were here now in this situation. Frustrated and still refusing to give up just yet, I ran out of the room in a hurry. I heard someone calling out to me, but I didn't catch it as the door closed behind me.

I ran up the stairs and caught sight of Verr Goldet. Hurriedly, I asked to use the top balcony area of the inn for the night. Confused yet understanding, she allowed me to do so, but I shouldn't expect complete privacy. I didn't have time to care though. After hurriedly thanking her, I quickly grabbed a few supplies and made my way up the stairs to the top of the inn. My previously useless phone was whipped out as I pressed the summoning app to quickly skim through the overview of its usage. Many factors went into summoning, and being a student of magecraft who became a top student in this very subject, my mind kicked into overdrive as I thought about the best possible solution. If I was lucky, I would be able to summon a Caster who could potentially heal Hu Tao's grandfather. If they couldn't heal him, they would at least be able to sustain his life one way or another. If it really came down to it, I could resort to more drastic options...

The open scenery of Liyue's marshlands opened up before me. I couldn't spend much time enjoying the view of it though. After putting my phone away, I pulled out a bowl and a knife before slashing appropriately to gather my blood efficiently. It was a crude and unrefined method, but I lacked several resources and the time to gather said resources. The Unknown God told me that the summoning would work during lunar phases, but I couldn't try to account for that now. Even if tonight was going to be a full moon, I didn't have another 4 hours to wait for nighttime to come around. I wasn't able to gather as much blood as I would have liked due to still being in an immature body, so I had to make due by mixing the blood with bits of water and thickening it with small amounts of flour to create a red, pasty substance.

With my pseudo-blood paint that was rushed to the extreme, I started drawing a magic circle on the terrace under the sun. Partway through, I felt a hand tap my shoulder. It was the fisherman from earlier. His expression was filled with sorrow as he gazed upon my hastily created work. While it was perfectly symmetrical, the scent of blood, the blood-stained knife carelessly tossed aside, and a bowl half-full of even more of it, he could only shake his head. He didn't have to say anything as he pointed back at the entrance. My eyes followed until they settled upon the distraught girl who I promised everything was going to be okay. Hu Tao, in shock and sadness, didn't know what to think of the ritual I was preparing with my own blood.

"I..."

I didn't know what to say. After all, I wasn't exactly thinking about anything just moments ago. The only thing that was on my mind was taking action and doing everything I can within my power to make it possible. I didn't think that these two would follow me up here and catch me in the middle of drawing a magic circle with my blood. Not to mention, this was using knowledge foreign to the world of Genshin Impact. I can't exactly say that I read this in a book somewhere. Probably. Knowing I couldn't just stay silent, I spoke up before anyone else could.

"I had an idea on how to help your grandfather live a little longer, but I didn't think we were so short on time," I explained in a roundabout way.

Instead of a smile, or even a fake smile, my words only received tears as Hu Tao ran off. The fisherman only sighed and shook his head. Looks like that wasn't the right thing to do. However, the older man avoided touching upon the matter further and instead asked me an odd question.

"Do you think this is something you have to do?"

The answer was obviously yes, but I couldn't say it.

For some reason, it felt wrong to say so.

Seeing how I was silent and taking it as an answer, the fisherman only told me to be careful. Not long after, Hu Tao came back with a small basket to perform first aid on where I cut myself. I remained silent to gather my thoughts and slowly realized that I was acting prematurely. I hadn't realized it, but I wasn't acting like the "me" from my previous world. I was a lot more irrational and impulsive currently compared to before. I sat there doing a thorough self-introspection while receiving a full sermon from Hu Tao. Though, it was mostly just talking about how silly I was for trying to draw a magic circle with my blood.

To which, I don't blame her.

For quite some time, I thought I was taking the correct course of action, but one look at Hu Tao's expression told me that even if I thought I was correct, it wasn't the right thing to do. Especially if no one was going to be happy in the end. How paradoxically silly of me to act like some grand hero. I thought back to the time when I heard about the disappearance of that one girl at school. I had jumped to a conclusion and rashly acted back then too. Only during the middle of it did I begin to change for the better, but here I am back where I started. I was only able to laugh at myself for how dumb I must have been for the past couple of days. While I didn't know why exactly I was making these same mistakes, I knew that I had to live with my failures and move on. For my sake and this girl's sake. For Hu Tao.

"Why are you laughing?" Hu Tao sternly reprimanded me. "Life is precious! You shouldn't hurt yourself like that!"

"Sorry, I just realized how silly I was being," I spoke honestly.

Hu Tao looked me in the eye before looking down at my arm.

"Are you doing this because you promised?" she asked in a soft voice.

"No, it's because I wanted to do something."

"Then, you don't have to worry!" Hu Tao declared boldly as she stood up. "I'm ready to say goodbye to grandpa. I'm all grown up now, so you fulfilled your side of the promise."

It was a blatant lie.

Hu Tao added, "Besides, he still has a bit longer."

With that last note, she turned away and started heading back.

As I saw her back, I couldn't help but think that it felt so lonely.

She was so small and so young, yet she had to carry this sadness so early.

Her father and mother left her first, so her only parental figure left was her grandfather.

Now it was her grandfather's turn to move on.

He was the last family member she had left, and after giving her everything he could, he was going to leave her.

Alone.

"Hu Tao," I instinctively called out to her. "From now on, you can think of me as family too."

Hu Tao paused upon hearing my words. I felt my heart stop beating. My eyes widened. I forgot how to breathe. The light outlined Hu Tao's figure. Her head turned. Little crystals glistened in the sunlight and rolled down her porcelain-white cheeks. I was stunned. Her hair fluttered in the wind and hid her expression. I had no clue what she was feeling at that moment. I could only hope that it came as some form of comfort to her.

It was a long day. After that little fiasco, I ultimately decided to complete the Servant Summoning Ritual anyways. Hu Tao's grandfather was able to recover enough to communicate with his granddaughter, so everyone had vacated the room. Once everything was said and done, Hu Tao was going to become the next Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

Before the arrival of the Traveler, I decided I would spend some time laying down foundations in Liyue while supporting Hu Tao. If it was just this much, I should be able to get a better grasp of the world around me and establish connections to call upon in the future, but first, I needed to get stronger. Summoning a Servant was the first step to doing that.

Solemnly, I finished the magic circle using the same method as before. I manually cast a spell to smooth over the design. If it was just a few simple spells, I was able to manage it without using the smartphone's apps, but all the complicated and sophisticated sequences required the apps to run it through. However, from here on out, it was dependent on the phone and luck. I took a deep breath before starting.

Initiate System Protocol

[Connecting to Throne of Heroes]

...Retrieving Data...

...13%...

I aimed my phone's screen at the magic circle before me and poured Mana into it. Focusing, I started chanting the keywords for the ritual. Normally, if one wanted a specific Servant, they would need a Catalyst and a customized Chant on top of many other things. In this case, I just had to focus my will while pouring in my Mana, and then the phone will process the rest of it. If everything goes okay, then the magic circle will light up brilliantly, and the Servant will appear inside the circle.

...18%...

"My Will Creates Your Body"

"My Fate Is In Your Hands"

"If You Wish To Serve This Pathetic Self"

"and Abide By This Will and Reason"

"Then Answer This Call"

...25%...

I felt drained even though I wasn't halfway through with the ritual. The feeling of helplessness started to rise as I thought back to seeing the fading and aging grandfather being bedridden by his granddaughter. The tears in her eyes and the forced smile that she put up in front of me made me feel a strong sense of anguish. I didn't want to see her get hurt anymore. I was aware that earlier on, she was worried about what I was willing to do for her, but in the end, this was my own selfish decision. I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly to myself.

"Let Silver and Steel Be The Essence"

"Let The Stone and The Archduke of Contracts Be The Foundation"

"Let White Be The Color I Pay Tribute To"

...47%...

Black mist started appearing on the wooden floor. This wasn't my first time summoning a Servant, so I instinctively knew that something was wrong. Was this the demonic presence that was affecting the hilichurls around Wangshu Inn? I couldn't tell, but just as I was debating on stopping the ritual, the air around me seemed to drop a few degrees. A chill shot up my spine. My instincts were screaming at me to finish the spell.

"Let Rise A Wall Against The Wind That Shall Fall"

"Let The Four Cardinal Gates Close"

"Let The Three-Forked Road From The Crown Reaching Unto The Kingdom Rotate."

...69%...

Despite the collective gathering of black mist, I chose to keep going. I wasn't able to utilize most of my magecraft in the world of Teyvat, so I had to use what I can in order to make an impact when I needed to. Feeling powerless and helpless was something I couldn't afford to go through again. Especially if I intend on seeing this game's story until the end while coexisting with its inhabitants. Knowing how strong some of the foes can be, having a means to fight back was vital. If not... I can't even imagine how much I would struggle. Visionless. Useless. Armed with the information that can't even be used properly...

"You... mere Mortals shouldn't dabble in the Adeptus Arts. Cease this at once."

A cold voice cut through the air. At the same time, the demonic, black mist around me was thrown into a chaotic storm. The presence of this formidable person alone was enough to shake the air. Not moving an inch, I found myself in awe. Not a word came from my mouth. In front of me was a fierce spearman and an iconic character from Genshin Impact - Xiao.

"If you're the one responsible for sending the spirits into disarray, I will have to stop you now."

He gave me a stern warning, but I shook my head in refusal.

"Little kid, stop playing with demons."

In return, I continued my chant. Not like I could stop now. I had to do this for myself. That way, I'd be able to help others. Only by helping myself first can I truly help others. Society was a cruel environment. The flowers of kindness in the world would only get trampled by it relentlessly. Everything was always so temporary. It never lasted. There was always hate and not enough love. As I thought that, the black mist rushed at me and enveloped a part of the magic circle. In response, the magic circle started to glow. I panicked while cursing inwardly in my mind.

"I Decree!"

"This Cruel World Will Know Everlasting Love"

...85%...

Oh shit, I fucked up. My emotions were running wildly as Xiao advanced. Even if I was just a kid, these stupid demonic spirits weren't leaving me alone. Not to mention, I was performing a ritual that looked sinister and weird since the magic circle was made using my blood. I couldn't afford to stop here though. I don't know when the next time I can try to summon is going to be anyways. Plus, I may need strength to fight in the near future. I can't sit around and wait. I've learned my lesson from doing just that.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

"I told you to stop, but if you won't listen, I'll have to stop you myself!" Xiao declared as he darted around the magic circle towards me. Twirling his spear, he made sure to use the back of his spear to avoid seriously maiming me, but I hit the deck while continuing to point the phone at the magic circle while chanting. I squeezed as much Mana as my body could muster and chanted the remaining lines.

"From The Seventh Heaven, Attended To By Three Great Words of Power,"

"Come Forth and Stand By My Side Against The Cruel World!"

[100%]

Just as I completed the summoning ritual, Xiao slammed his foot into my stomach. I was sent rolling across the terrace and belched out a black substance. Feebly, I picked myself up as Xiao pointed his spear at me. His eyes were unforgiving and filled with suspicion.

I could only smile though as behind me, the magic circle was glowing brightly with a series of rainbow colors.

Normally, the colors would have been just silver or gold, but I instinctively knew I hit the jackpot here.

Stepping out from the curtains of light, the Servant I summoned came forth. I turned to face her.

"I ask of you,"

"Are you My Master?"

Dear lord, I just summoned one of the best Servant Classes. It just so happened that she was also a maid. White hair, golden eyes, and a full-on maid uniform to boot. Her stance seemed unorthodox from what I've normally seen from swordsmen, but just from her aura, it felt like she knew exactly how to react with her blade. Making eye contact with the Servant I summoned, I nodded and called out to her.

"Saber-"

"Master, introductions will have to come later," she cut in curtly.

In a blink of an eye, she disappeared from my sight. I only felt the wind brush past my face as the sound of metal clashing upon metal resounded in the night sky. From there, I could only surmise what happened. Even if I enhanced my eyesight using Mana, I felt like I was watching a martial arts film considering how these two were fighting.

Xiao was trying to close in on me, but he was intercepted by Saber. His spear techniques allowed him to easily change from offense to defense, but Saber's technique was firm yet graceful. It looked like Xiao had the upper edge with how fierce his onslaught of spear attacks were, but in the end, he was unable to close in the distance and was forced to retreat.

The wind started flowing as Xiao then performed an acrobatic leap into the air. Soaring above the wooden deck of the inn, he unleashed a burst of spear thrusts with insane speed. Saber was able to cope, but she realized what Xiao was aiming for as called out to me.

"Master!"

Fortunately, I was ready for it as a raised my hand and opened my palm toward Xiao. Using the last bit of Mana I had mustered after Saber was summoned, I shot a ball of condensed mana at him. Xiao easily slashes apart the feeble projectile that I had barely put together. That split second was enough for Saber to recover. Before Xiao could complete another swing of his jade spear, a sword came crashing in with immense force. Spinning in the air from the side, Saber slammed her blade against the spear. I heard a cracking noise and widened my eyes as the sword the Saber was using shattered to pieces.

This shocked Xiao, as well since his guard was broken at the cost of his opponent's own weapon. However, Saber was relentless as quickly followed up her spinning slash by carrying the momentum of the spin and kicked Xiao back. Xiao, whose spear was knocked aside mere milliseconds ago, could only try to block the blow by skillfully contorting his body to have it hit his arm instead. Unfortunately, the blow only shifted him back a few paces. I was feeling confident, but upon seeing Saber's strained expression, I realized that opting for peace would be for the better. Not to mention, all the black mist from earlier had disappeared already.

"Can we stop fighting? I wasn't trying to use the demonic energy for anything. It just happened to gather here..." I tried to explain.

Xiao gave me a weird look as he glanced at Saber briefly. Perhaps he sensed that Saber had remained on defense for the majority of the fight until that very last moment when her sword broke. Given the circumstances, had Saber aimed to kill, the battle could have become more serious, but in this case, it was just a matter of self-defense. For me at least. Xiao flipped his spear into the air and had it disappear before begrudgingly saying, "You should have said that earlier."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think that the demonic spirits were real," I apologized readily. "I should have been more careful."

"No, as part of the adepti, it was also my own responsibility to handle the spirits. Especially because of my karma..."

Surprisingly, Xiao was very reasonable about it. It was nice to have a man-to-man talk to sort things out. Well, maybe having the appearance of an innocent young boy played a part in it. I briefly explained the Xiao what I was doing in a simple way and got some form of understanding. He offered to come to help me once should I call for him as a way of making amends - to which I was thankful for. I offered to make him Almond Tofu if I ever was in the area. Meeting Xiao was a pleasant surprise. Even if it started with a misunderstanding. Just when I thought things were smooth sailing, I heard a familiar voice ring in my ears.

"Wah~ did you say you're an adepti?!" Hu Tao excitedly entered the conversation. Her grandfather was doing well and would wake up periodically to drink water, and she had finished talking about everything that she needed to talk about with him. I felt bad not being able to do anything, but in the end, I could only deal with it as it was. I glanced towards Saber who respectfully bowed and went into spirit form to stay hidden. It also helped to conserve Mana. Although the battle between Saber and Xiao was a pure melee that lasted very short, summoning, fighting, and providing for Saber had already exhausted me of nearly everything. Hu Tao continued to bounce around Xiao while bombarding him with silly questions.

"Do adepti ever need to use the bathroom?"

"Do adepti get scared of ghosts?"

"Do you really eat dreams?"

"What's your favorite food?"

"Do you have a favorite book?"

"You're not as scary as the books say."

I laughed as Hu Tao continued to fire away. Xiao, while he did look a little bothered, showed a small smile. He was definitely entertained by this little creature running around him. At some point, I also started joining the questionnaires as we put Xiao on the hot seat, but somehow, the questions started coming my way. Oops? We passed time through the night before Xiao walked us back to our rooms. He patted us both on the head and gave me a complex look before leaving. Hu Tao and I took turns looking after her grandfather through the night until the next day arrived. We made sure he wasn't alone at any point in time once the new day came.

3 days later, we would make our way to Liyue Harbor.

2 days after that, Hu Tao's grandfather passed away.

It was a fleeting moment among my memories of this world, but it stuck out.

Like candlelights in the dark.

From there, I decided to make sure the new Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor could get through her first task as the head of the ceremonies. Knowing about her story, I wanted to at least be there during her darkest times. Only Hu Tao was able to get through this trial, but I couldn't help but feel that I wanted to be there for her. After all, the first person she had to hold the funeral rites for was none other than her beloved grandpa.