Genshin Impact : The Divine Gunsliger of Teyvat

Why go to the Favonius Cathedral? It wasn't like Shao Yun was so poor that he needed to steal the Mora donated by the people of Mondstadt to the Church of Favonius.

Suddenly, it hit him. He smacked his forehead.

He'd been so focused on changing clothes and then falling asleep that he'd completely forgotten about the plot. Around this time, they were supposed to borrow the Skyward Harp, weren't they?

From what he vaguely remembered, the harp would eventually be stolen by the Fatui, and Lumine would be framed for it. If she got caught...

Even if she managed to escape, she'd still be wanted by the Knights. If Shao Yun went to help, he could make her escape smoother and maybe even earn some goodwill points.

He needed to get to the cathedral quickly, but... what about Amber?

"I'll go look for Lumine. It's already dark, and I'm a bit worried about her," Shao Yun said, lying through his teeth as he glanced at Amber. He then made his way to the door.

Hearing that Shao Yun was heading out, Amber offered to join him. She'd lived in Mondstadt her whole life and was a Scout Knight, so she knew the city like the back of her hand. She volunteered to go with him.

"Alright, I'll come too."

If they ran into Lumine while she was failing to steal the Skyward Harp and trying to escape, it would be a disaster. Shao Yun couldn't let Amber come along.

"No, if Lumine comes back and neither of us is home, how will she get in? Not everyone can find your spare key like I did."

Shao Yun's excuse made sense. If neither of them was home, who would let Lumine in?

Amber thought it over and agreed. Mondstadt was a safe city, and the chances of something happening to Lumine were slim.

"Alright. If you can't find her, come back quickly, and we'll get more Knights to help."

Shao Yun waved confidently at Amber's concerned reminder. "Got it. I might be back soon. Do you need me to bring anything?"

Amber shook her head. Her home had everything she needed. "No, just hurry back."

---

Leaving Amber's house, Shao Yun found the streets of the residential area eerily quiet. The only lively place in Mondstadt at night was the taverns. Aside from the occasional patrolling Knight, the streets were empty.

The area around the Favonius Cathedral was even quieter than the residential district. Only the on-duty nuns and a few Knights were around, everyone else was resting.

As Shao Yun approached the plaza in front of the cathedral, he noticed three suspicious figures lurking in the bushes. It didn't take a genius to figure out who they were—Lumine, Paimon, and Venti. They looked like a bunch of thieves. Luckily, it was Shao Yun who found them. If it had been anyone else, they would've reported them to the Knights immediately.

Shao Yun crouched down and crept closer to the bushes. Slowly, he parted the leaves and peeked inside.

Lumine and Venti were drawing something on the ground with sticks, while Paimon looked frustrated, scratching her head.

Shao Yun was baffled. Were they playing tic-tac-toe? Or maybe messing with ants? What were they doing out here so late?

At this moment, Shao Yun felt like a worried parent searching for his mischievous children who were out past curfew.

The rustling of leaves as he parted the bushes caught Paimon's attention first. She turned her head slowly and saw Shao Yun's stern face staring back at her.

"What are you three doing out here so late?!"

"Ahhh!" Paimon screamed, startled, and crashed into Lumine's arms. "A ghost!"

The three of them panicked. Venti was just flustered, unsure of what to do. Lumine, who had been squatting for too long, fell backward when Paimon bumped into her. Paimon, being the most timid, clung tightly to Lumine's clothes, squealing in fear.

Who knew such a tiny creature could make so much noise? Shao Yun covered his ears and quickly explained.

"It's me, Shao Yun!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Paimon stopped screaming. She peeked out from behind Lumine's shoulder, confirming it was indeed Shao Yun, and let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, it's just you, Shao Yun. You scared Paimon half to death!"

Shao Yun stepped into the bushes and helped Lumine to her feet, brushing the dirt off her clothes.

With his new Gunslinger Outfit and hat, Shao Yun looked much more dashing than before. Lumine almost didn't recognize him, but under the moonlight and with his concerned expression, she finally did.

"How did you find us?" Lumine asked, letting him dust off her clothes.

After making sure Lumine was clean, Shao Yun acted like a doting father, gently tapping her nose with his finger.

"I was worried about you, so I came looking."

"Ah?" Lumine was surprised by his concern, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "Thank you. If the plan had gone smoothly, we should've been back at Amber's by now."

"Plan? What's going on? What are you all doing?"

Venti explained the situation. They had discussed how to save Dvalin at Windrise and decided to use the power of the Skyward Harp to awaken him. However, the harp was a sacred relic of the Anemo Archon, kept in the Favonius Cathedral.

Venti had tried to borrow it, but the nuns refused. When he claimed to be the Anemo Archon, they thought he was drunk and nearly had him arrested by the Knights.

Then, he convinced Lumine to try. The nuns recognized her as the new Honorary Knight, but without proper paperwork, even Acting Grand Master Jean couldn't borrow the harp.

So, both attempts to borrow the harp had failed, and now they were planning to steal it at night.

Shao Yun was furious. What kind of half-baked plan was this? It was on par with Dutch's infamous "I HAVE A GODD*** PLAN" moments.

His eyes widened in disbelief, and his lips twitched. If it weren't for the fact that Venti was the Anemo Archon and Lumine and Paimon were standing right there, he would've cursed him out.

"So, your plan was to waltz into the Favonius Cathedral and expect the sharp-eyed nuns to hand over their most precious relic to a random bard they've never met?"

Seeing Shao Yun's face, which looked like a volcano about to erupt, Venti chuckled nervously, trying to play it off.

"Ehe, well, I did tell them I was the Anemo Archon. Who knew they wouldn't believe me?"

Shao Yun decided not to press further. He turned to Lumine, who looked like she was about to be scolded.

"Lumine, sigh... never mind. At least you didn't get caught. But no more reckless actions, okay?"

He tapped her forehead affectionately.

"It's not like we caused any harm..." Lumine muttered, rubbing her forehead.

Shao Yun grabbed Lumine's arm, ready to drag her away like a parent dragging a misbehaving child.

"Now that we know how to borrow the harp, we can just go through the proper channels tomorrow. Let's go home. Amber and I already made your bed."

He figured that since they knew the proper procedure, it would be better to do things the right way. Lumine and Paimon, traveling alone, might push themselves too hard, but now that Shao Yun was here, he could make sure they rested properly.

Being wanted by the Knights wasn't a good thing. If Lumine got caught, it would be awkward for everyone—Lumine, Jean, and the Knights. If they let her go, it would look like the Knights were covering for a thief. If they didn't, Shao Yun would definitely break her out, which could lead to a messy confrontation.

"But it's such a hassle. We'd need signatures from Jean, the church's bishop, and a representative of the citizens. By the time we get the harp, it might be too late," Lumine argued, pounding her soft fists against Shao Yun's arm.

Shao Yun dragged her a few steps before stopping and letting go. He turned to face her, seeing the determination in her eyes.

"Are you sure about this?"

Lumine's expression was serious and unwavering. She stared straight at Shao Yun, her eyes burning with resolve.

"For Dvalin, and to avoid another farewell, I've made up my mind."

Seeing her unwavering determination, Shao Yun hesitated. But this was his travel companion. If she got caught, he'd storm the prison to rescue her. If she wanted to rob the Northland Bank in Snezhnaya, he'd gladly join her. The next day, all of Teyvat would know the bank had been cleaned out.

He sighed and let go of her arm. "Fine, count me in."

If he couldn't stop her, he might as well join her. With an extra person, their chances of success would be higher. Maybe they could even change the course of the story.

"Wait, you're joining us?" Lumine was surprised. She hadn't expected Shao Yun to get involved.

Shao Yun looked at her with a determined gaze. He pointed at her chest, his voice filled with sincerity.

"To me, nothing is more important than you."

To make it even more heartfelt, he pointed at Paimon. "You and Paimon knew I was a fugitive, yet you chose to travel with me. Not many people would do that."

He put on a fearless expression, his eyes filled with determination, and patted Lumine's shoulder.

"You, me, and Paimon—the bond between us is real. For that bond, I'd kill for you, and I'd die for you."

Shao Yun's words struck a chord in Lumine's heart. Each word carried weight, landing heavily in her chest. Aside from her brother, no one had ever said anything like this to her before.