Chapter 20: Paimon's Really Mad

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Paimon and Lumine exchanged surprised glances before turning back to Ella.

Paimon pulled Lumine aside and whispered, "Does she not know that our phones can already translate Hilichurl language? Should we tell her?"

"Let's not. She's been researching for so long; if she found out..." Lumine trailed off as Ella looked their way.

"Traveler, is there a problem?" Ella asked, looking puzzled at Lumine.

Paimon hastily waved her hands. "No...no problem at all! We're coming right over!"

After reassuring Ella, Paimon turned to Lumine. "Traveler, let's use our phones for this!"

"Right..." Lumine nodded and approached the Hilichurl.

"Greetings, Hilichurl!" Paimon's voice echoed through the phone translation device.

The Hilichurl seemed excited, emitting a few peculiar sounds. Paimon gleefully exclaimed, "Amazing, it worked!"

Following some conversation, the Hilichurl calmed down significantly and even started swaying rhythmically, as if dancing.

"Alright, Traveler, let's go tell her!" Paimon's eyes sparkled with joy, marking their first successful communication attempt.

In the past, Ella had attempted to approach them, but after only exchanging a few words, the Hilichurls would chase her away with their companions.

"Did it work, Traveler?" Ella asked excitedly; this breakthrough came after extensive research on Hilichurl poetry and refining translations.

"Yes... It worked!" Paimon nodded with a smile.

"Oh! Can you please help me too? I want to communicate with the Hilichurls!" Ella's pleading gaze made it impossible for Lumine to refuse.

"What should we do, Traveler?" Paimon looked at Lumine, seeking guidance.

"It's alright; just stay close by. They're just a few Hilichurls!" Lumine smiled reassuringly, having dealt with countless Hilichurls before.

Eagerly, Ella approached the group. Initially, everything seemed fine as she spoke with the Hilichurls. However, something she said must have upset them, as they suddenly raised their wooden clubs, ready to strike Ella.

Lumine swiftly reacted, extending her hand, summoning a gust of wind that encircled around her palm, causing the Hilichurls to sway uncontrollably.

"Run!" Paimon promptly shouted, quickly hiding behind Lumine.

Upon hearing this, Ella swiftly sprinted away. Seeing her at a safe distance, Lumine released the wind and followed.

"Traveler, I'm sorry for causing you trouble. My knowledge isn't sufficient yet; I'll return to the library for further study. I must crack the Hilichurl language!" Despite feeling somewhat disheartened, Ella remained optimistic about the future.

Paimon scratched her head, slightly embarrassed, and confessed, "Actually, we didn't use your translations earlier. We relied on our phone's translation app."

Ella, puzzled, asked, "Hand-chicken? What kind of chicken is that? Does it know Hilichurl?"

"No... not that kind of 'chicken,' but this - my phone!" Paimon quickly waved her hands and produced her smartphone.

She then demonstrated its capabilities to Ella. As Ella spoke a phrase in Hilichurl, the phone translated it into Teyvat language instantly.

Ella eagerly examined the translations and discovered several inaccuracies in her own notes. It turned out that what she thought was "like" actually meant "challenge," no wonder the Hilichurls reacted aggressively.

Seeing Ella remain calm, Paimon, perplexed, asked, "Aren't you upset? He essentially stole your research findings ahead of time."

Ella smiled and said, "I'm a Foolish One linguist; this discovery just means I can better study the Hilichurls. Why would I be upset?"

Paimon scratched her head awkwardly, realizing she had underestimated Ella.

"By the way, could you lend me this phone? I'd like to continue researching the Foolish One language back at my place," Ella asked Paimon.

Paimon hesitated, then grinned, "Hehe, of course!"

After Ella left, Paimon began to regret her decision. Why did I agree so easily? How am I supposed to play games without my phone...

"Traveler, can I borrow your phone for a bit?"

"Nope, it's almost out of battery."

"Just for a little while, I'll only play one round of 2048!"

"Sorry, use your own phone!"

"But Traveler, I'm your best companion! How can you be so stingy? Hmph!"

"You're merely emergency food, and not even good enough, since you don't put on weight!"

"Aaargh... Paimon is so mad!"

***

Outside the Good Hunter, Amber stacked several crates to create a makeshift platform. After testing its stability with a few steps, she confidently climbed onto it.

As soon as people noticed her, they gathered around, drawn by their fondness for this enthusiastic and lively Outrider.

Amber pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and began reading aloud:

"Recently, the Knights of Favonius' Scout Team Captain has been stationed at Dragonspine for a month. She successfully dismantled ten Hilichurl camps and five Fatui encampments. Additionally, she rescued three adventurers and one foreign merchant!"

Upon hearing Amber's report, Sara felt a mix of emotions. Should she have treated Eula differently? It turned out Eula had made significant contributions to Mondstadt!

Others also experienced a vague sense of guilt, recalling their harsh words towards Eula. However, these feelings quickly faded, as some suspected it might be part of her cunning plan.

Sara hesitated momentarily before shaking her head and murmuring, "Next time she comes, let's sell to her."

She resumed her daily tasks but noticed that the number of customers at the Good Hunter was significantly reduced today. Some patrons were whispering about the establishment's deteriorating reputation.

***

Suddenly, many people found their phones displaying a new app store with only one application available, titled "Minecraft."

"Hey, have you seen? Our phones got a new feature!"

"Really? Anything from our phones must be top-notch—let's download it quickly!"

"Oh man, it costs money though! That's a hundred Mora!"

"It does? How do we pay? Do we insert cash into the phone itself? Ha ha ha..."

One person clicked to purchase, and a prompt appeared: "Please place the equivalent amount of Mora on the screen, then shout 'Hail the Anemo Archon!' three times for successful payment!"

Seeing this message, most scoffed dismissively. Could the phone actually absorb the currency just by placing it there?

"Hail the Anemo Archon! Hail the Anemo Archon! Hail the Anemo Archon..." Someone placed a hundred Mora on their phone and began shouting loudly.

To everyone's astonishment, the Mora vanished into thin air without a trace.

Quickly, several individuals knelt down, placing their phones before them and praying, "Oh, great Anemo Archon, protect us!"

Noticing no immediate response, they cautiously stood up. Naturally, someone started explaining their theory:

"I suspect these phones are Barbatos-sama's blessings for the people of Mondstadt. Otherwise, why would it require saying 'Hail the Anemo Archon' for the Mora to disappear?"

"Achoo..."

Venti, performing at Angel's Share as the Tone-Deaf Bard, suddenly sneezed. He warily scanned his surroundings but couldn't spot any cats nearby.