28 Buer [2/3]

Isaac looked at Nahida and his smile froze for a moment. 'Hold on... Is this not her main body?'

After asking this, the system quickly replied. [The system is only able to summon the character's avatar, and not the main body due to some factors.]

[The character present here is only the avatar. The main body is somewhere sealed.]

[Although the avatar is not the main body, the system had granted permission to the character to do as they wish while within the domain of the cafe.]

[In other words, the character's avatar acts and feels like their real body, and can do what they want.]

'So basically, as long as Nahida is inside the cafe, she can do whatever she wants?' Isaac thought as he quickly grasped the answer. 'Although it's not true freedom, it's still better than being confined in the Akademiya, right?'

Finishing his thoughts, Isaac decided to continue speaking to Nahida with a polite and soft warm smile. "Yes, is something the matter?"

"I... Well..." For the first time, the God of Wisdom, Nahida, didn't know what to answer. She was momentarily stunned. "Where... Am I?"

"Why, you are at my café! Located in none other than Fontaine!" Isaac proudly declared. As for why he was playing oblivious, he wanted to put on an act.

"F-Fontaine?!" Nahida's expression quickly became shocked as she heard this. "That can't be right... Akasha Terminals can only function within Sumeru..."

"Unless..." She then looked at the kind-looking young man standing behind the counter.

She then saw his deep amber eyes. To some, it might induce a sense of cautiousness, but strangely, Nahida found his eyes to be... Familiar and comforting.

'Strange... Have I seen him before?' Nahida tilted and held her head as she thought of this.

Seeing Nahida's expression, Isaac let out a light sigh as he smiled at her. "You seem troubled, is there something I can help with?"

"Well..." Nahida didn't know what to reply with. To start, this situation was already too bizarre! 'Calm down. Perhaps there's a rational explanation for this. First, find out information.'

Taking a deep breath, she then looked at the man with an affable smile on his face. She then spoke, "Can... Can I have umm..."

Just then, she remembered something crucial.

'Oh no, I don't have any Mora...' Instantly, Nahida's face became flustered. 'I've never had any Mora on my person before... What should I do...?'

'Uh oh.' Isaac saw her face and his eyes immediately widened. He then blamed himself internally. 'How could I be so stupid? She has no money!'

Quickly shaking his head, he quickly tried to comfort her. "Seeing your situation, perhaps you don't have any Mora on you?"

He then grasped his chin and pretended to be thinking hard before lifting his hand with a smile as if he had gained an idea. "Alright, since this is your first visit to my humble cafe, your first order would be on the house."

"How does that sound?"

"Really?" Nahida was hesitant at first, but seeing his calm smile and kind intentions, she decided to ask. "But... Would that be fine?"

"No problem at all!" Isaac nodded his head lightly. He then pointed at a seat in the area where customers dine. "Why don't you wait there for a while? I'll go to the kitchen and brew you something."

"Ahem— Perhaps a good ol' tea would work? Since you're still a child, I suggest one that doesn't have caffeine in it. Would that be fine?" He quickly added.

"Yes, thank you." Nahida nodded her head. She then watched the man walk to the kitchen behind him.

Seeing the man disappear, Nahida decided to do as he said and sat on one of the chairs.

She hopped on one of the chairs and sat down. Because of her small body, she had a little trouble, but she did it nonetheless.

'For now, is still don't know how I ended up here in Fontaine...' She thought to herself as she looked around the cafe. 'So far, that person doesn't seem to know anything...'

'Was it caused by Focalors?' Although Nahida had never physically met the Hydro Archon, she had gathered some information regarding her using the Akasha. 'No, even a God can't summon other Gods whenever they want to... Then, who or what is it...?'

Just then, while in the middle of her thinking, the door of the cafe suddenly flowed gold. Nahida then noticed this. 'That door... Is it because of that?'

Shortly after thinking this, someone suddenly entered the door while running.

"Mister Isaac!" A child in red ran into the cafe with a bright smile. "You won't believe this! The new Knight that joined the Knights of Favonius defeated the drago—"

Before she could finish her words, the child in red suddenly saw another little girl in green looking at her.

"Oh, are you new here?" The girl in red asked as she looked at Nahida. She then approached Nahida with a bright and cheerful smile. "Nice to meet you! I'm Klee!"

Yes, it was none other than the child arsonist.

However, Nahida had an odd reaction. 'Wait... Klee? The same Klee that destroyed Mondstadt's Stormbearer Mountains?!'

She had naturally heard of Klee before. After all, her feats have more or less spread throughout the world.

"Oh, umm..." Nahida looked at Klee with a flustered smile. After a brief moment, she decided to introduce herself to Klee. "I'm Nahida. Nice to meet you too."

"Yay! I got a new friend today!" Klee cheered energetically. She then decided to sit at the same table as Nahida. "Nahida, did you also get invited by Mister Isaac?"

"Invited?" Nahida listened to her and quickly inquired about the word Invite. "What do you mean by invite? Does he summon people here?"

"Hehe, yup!" Klee nodded as she swung her feet below the table. "Mister Isaac didn't explain it to me entirely, but he said that his cafe calls those who have troubled minds... Or something like that."

"I see..." Nahida then grasped her chin as she listened to Klee. 'So that man can summon other people into his cafe... But why did he hide it from me when I asked earlier?'

As she was thinking this, the door of the cafe suddenly glowed bright again. Nahida noticed this and she became observant. 'Is it another person?'

Sure enough, to confirm her guess, another person walked through the door.

This time, it was a woman wearing a shrine maiden's outfit. She had pink hair and an aloof expression.

The woman entered gracefully and saw the two children sitting down on a table. "Oh? This is the first I'm seeing you two."

"Hello, little ones." The woman then walked over to them with an amiable smile. "Are you all here for a morning brew too?"

"Woah! You have pretty hair!" Klee looked at the woman and excitedly said. "My name is Klee! And this is Nahida! Who are you, lady?"

"Adorable." The woman softly chuckled as Klee introduced herself and Nahida. She then said with an amused tone, "My name is Yae Miko, but you may call me Guuji Yae. A pleasant greetings to the two of you, adorable little ones."

'Yae Miko.' Once again, Nahida recognized her. 'According to the scholars I've possessed before, Yae Miko is the Head Shrine Maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine in Inazuma...'

'A Mondstadter and an Inazuman...' Nahida grasped her chin as she thought deeply. 'And now... Me. Someone from Sumeru.'

'I wonder, will the next person that comes be from Liyue?' She made an educative guess as she looked at the door. However, contrary to her expectations, no one else entered.

"My, what are you thinking of so deeply, little one?" Just then, Yae Miko's voice drifted over to Nahida as she walked over and sat on the third seat on the table. "If you want, you share it with me, child."

If Isaac were here, he would most definitely lampoon about how the two are practically the same age, but the other is older-looking while the other is but a child.

"It's nothing." Nahida lightly shook her head. She then looked at Yae Miko. "Are you perhaps... Also aware of this cafe's summoning?"

"Oh? So you're aware?" Yae Miko crossed her arms as her face changed from carefree to coldness. "And here I thought I was the only one Isaac told this... So he doesn't hold me special, hm?"

"Uhh..." Nahida didn't know how to respond to her words as she saw Yae Miko look at the kitchen's door with fierce eyes.

"Guuji Yae, Have you been here lots?" Klee said with interest. "I only have a limited allowance so I can't come every day..."

Hearing Klee's words, Yar Miko softly chuckled as she hid her mischievous mouth with her hand. "More than you think, little one."

"Wow, you must love Mister Isaac's coffee and tea then!" Klee innocently said with a bright smile.

"Haha, yes..." Yae Miko could only lightly smile at Klee. However, the different glint in her eyes tells that there was something more to it.

"Order's up!" Just then, Isaac's voice drifted from the kitchen.

The three girls then moved their heads and looked at the kitchen door, where Isaac was passing through with a silver plate containing a teacup and three pieces of bread.

"Here's your meal, little miss. Free of ch—" Before Isaac could finish his words, he suddenly felt four more gazes on him.

He then saw Klee and Yae Miko sitting down at the same table as Nahida. Klee was looking at him as if she wanted to share gossip, whereas Yae Miko was looking at him with a sinister glint in her eyes.

'When did Yae Miko and Klee get here?!' Isaac started sweating buckets at the sight of the two troublemakers. He then sighed internally. 'Play it cool, Isaac.'

"Good morning, you two. It's a beautiful day, innit?" Isaac tried to placate the situation and hopefully not escalate anything.

Just then, Yae Miko's voice drifted over and reached his ears. "My, do my ears deceive me?"

Isaac heard and quickly looked at Yae Miko. He then saw her amused smile and sinister gaze. Seeing this, Isaac's Adam's apple trembled slightly. 'What is she planning now...?'

"To think that the greedy Isaac would actually give free food..." Yae Miko smiled, amused. "Do I sense favoritism? Now I feel neglected..."

"That's not fair, Mister Isaac!" just then, Klee's voice also drifted over. "I also want some morning tea! I love your tea! They make me think faster!"

"..." Nahida, however, just watched the whole scene with an interest.

'If you guys want food, pay for them!' Isaac screamed in his mind while maintaining a calm smile on his face. 'However, since Nahida is here...'

Internally sighing, he decided to bend to their will. But just this once! With a wry smile, he replied to them. "Worry not, this won't be a problem. Just wait a few minutes."

He then carried the silver plate with him back to the kitchen. But not before looking at Yar Miko. 'I'll get you for this!'

'I'm looking forward to it.' However, Yae Miko only gave him a soft yet sadistic smile.

'Tch.' Defeated, Isaac decided to return to the kitchen to cook their food.

---

After a couple of minutes, Isaac finally came back carrying three plates. He held two plates with both his hands and supported the third one in between using the two plates.

He then approached their table and placed the plates down.

"Thank you." Nahida thanked Isaac sincerely as she looked at her food.

"Yay! Thank you, muster Isaac!" Klee thanked Isaac as she looked at her green tea with fried fish on the sides.

"Right, how thoughtful of you, Isaac." Yae Miko smiled teasingly.

"For my dear customers, it's no problem at all." Though Isaac said this with a warm smile, the vein throbbing on his forehead told a different story.

"How about you join us?" Just then, Yae Miko's voice drifted over to his ears. "Come, let us all have breakfast."

"That's right! Join us, Mister Isaac!" Klee agreed with Yae Miko.

'Seriously, these two should never be together.' Isaac made a quick mental note before pulling a chair. "Sure."

"Coffee again?" Yae Miko then saw the cup that Isaac held. "Aren't you wary of overacidity?"

"Sometimes, but otherwise I'm fine," Isaac replied truthfully.

"Why don't you try tea then, Mister Isaac?" Klee added on the side. "It could help you greatly!"

"You really like tea now, don't you?" Isaac laughed wryly.

Meanwhile...

Nahida watched the three of them converse and couldn't help but think to herself while sipping her tea. 'Is this... what having family feel like?'

Joyous laughter around a table, where they eat and talk freely— this is what Nahida sees as a family.

'A warm atmosphere and a joyous moment...' Truth be told, Nahida would have never thought that she would one day experience something like this. 'Perhaps... I'm still dreaming?'

'...Am I... Worthy of experiencing such a thing?' Remembering her role in Sumeru, her head unconsciously lowered.

Just then, while in the middle of her thoughts, Isaac's voice drifted over to her. "Oh hey— Nahida, was it? How is it? Do you like the food?"

Nahida then lifted her head and saw Isaac's warm smile— a smile that seemed to be able to penetrate through her dark world.

Seeing Isaac, Nahida became silent for a few moments before she curled a soft smile. 'No... Regardless if it's a dream or not... I want it to last a bit longer.'

To interact with others and be recognized not as an Archon, but as a person— something she would have never thought she'd think of.

She then replied sincerely, "It's great!"

And so... For the first time in a long time, a bright warm smile appeared on Nahida's face.

* * *

A/N:

Hear me out.

Let me cook.

Error Pathway (from LoTM) in Honkai Star Rail.

I'm not saying I'm creating this fic yet, but in just throwing the concept out there.