The next day started earlier than Lumine wanted it too. Given that all the inns were occupied by groups known as the Fatui, they had to sleep outside the walls of the city. Paimon would not stop whining and yelling about sleeping in the wilderness. However, Divya, thank the stars, didn't seem to mind much and actually quite liked it. The blonde made sure that her companion was comfortable and that her injuries wouldn't flare at any mild discomfort.

The three, however, had to separate once they received their commissions. Lumine first went ahead and accepted Cyrus' commission (a commission surprisingly from the Adventurer's Guild itself). Divyasree however, had a bit more of a difficult time choosing a commission. 

The main problem was that most commissions would require some form of fighting experience, something she very sorely lacked.

I didn't think it would be this hard to find a commission that lacked fighting 

Soon, however, she noted quite a commission lying at the corner of the Adventurer's Guild. It had developed a fine sheen of dust and debris, and it took quite some time for Katheryne to help her retrieve it.

"Is this commission still viable?" the brunette asked after quickly scanning its contents. Curious at her commission, Lumine and Paimon leaned in close to try and read the contents of it.

"Well... yes.... but most Adventurers tend to ignore it.  Are you sure you are willing to accept it?"

"Yes, don't worry" the brunette flashed a comforting smile to the woman, before turning towards her friends. 

"Paimon didn't think there would be a commission for a painting at the adventurer's guild of all places!!"

"Are you sure you'd be fine if we leave for the commission?" the blonde was more concerned than anything. Her head kept drawing attention to the barely noticeable yet present bruises on the skin. 

"I should be worried for you Lumine. Be safe and return quickly alright? We still have to contact Jean for our next move" the teen said, giving her a soft smile.

She has started to smile more Lumine noted with great happiness before the three parted ways to complete their commissions.

"Ughh!! Paimon is so tired from all that fighting!!! Paimon is hungry!!"

..As if you fought any of those hilichurls Lumine thought in irritation but kept her mouth shut. Afterall, patience was a virtue that she must develop if she needed to find her brother.

I wonder how Divya remains so patient with Paimon all the time she wondered, a small memory arising within her mind where said girl had shared some toast with the floating child.

The thought of the brunette brought up a smile on the traveler's face, and she immediately made her way to their meeting point with a lot more enthusiasm.

Imagine her shock and delight when she noticed the amount of food her friend was holding. Clearly, someone had finished a lot more commissions than the two had.

"YAAAAY!!! FOOD!!" Paimon cried out in joy, before floating quickly towards Divya. She quickly snatched some Fried Eggs and started gobbling them up at an alarming rate.

"You must have done quite a lot of commissions huh?" the blonde said, reaching out to relieve the brunette from some of the weight from the food.

"It isn't as hard as what you are doing, so I figured I'd finish up more commissions than you so that you could rest up and eat before your next one"

Warmth spread throughout very cell of Lumine's body once those words escaped from the eighteen-year-old's lips. It was a tingly, yet beautiful feeling that the blonde wanted to keep locked in a chest and open whenever she wanted to feel it. Her chest grew light, and suddenly it felt like she could do absolutely everything in the world. 

It felt nice, seeing someone else care about her well-being.... someone other than her brother.

".... Thank you"

Divya stretched her hand out and softly pat Lumine's head. Her fingers gently thread through her light golden strands, ruffling them gently with each pat. Each touch sent a tingle down her spine, like electric signals pulsating through her nerves.

Huh...?

"Hey!! How come Paimon doesn't get head pats??" The girl laughed, before patting the child's head too. 

The traveler's hand went up to touch the spot on her head where the teen patted her. It felt like the heat of flames was spreading rapidly through her body, without the sensation of pain. Her golden jeweled eyes glittered, warm with sunlight and wonder at the subtle affection. Unbeknownst to her, heat rose up in her cheeks as they flushed a shade of rose pink. Her ears had turned a soft rose red too.

She looked up to see a tender look in Divya's eyes, her chocolate brown orbs seemingly swirling like a languorous river. Her gaze was so... so gentle and... and filled with care, so warm and comforting that she had to avert her eyes before her emotions bubbled up. 

My brother pets my head all the time...

So why does this feel different?

Why does she feel different?

"You guys can go ahead and check if Jean is available. I'll just give another painting and collect the rewards for a commission before I follow you"

Her mood immediately dulled at the thought of splitting up with her companion.

 I want to spend more time with you....

Kaeya couldn't help but feel disappointed when he noticed only the Traveler and the Mascot walk into the Headquarters. For some strange reason, he had wanted to meet Divya and observe her reaction to this particular plot he had been hatching. However, right now, he had a job that required to be completed immediately.

It took a lot of effort on his part to not burst out in laughter at the gullible Paimon's exclamations. It seemed that Lumine was the only one who still remained skeptical about his long, 'pirate grandfather' escapades. 

How amusing 

Now that he knew the very 'valuable' information would be in 'safe' hands, he decided to take a stroll around the city under the pretext of a 'patrol'.

He was pleasantly surprised to find Divya walk up to the Headquarters a few minutes after the Traveler had left.

"Oh my!! It seems we meet again my lady" he said, a genuine grin on his face. The brunette turned towards him in surprise, before returning his grin with a smile of her own.

"It seems so Captain. I heard that you sent my friends on a little errand?" she said, raising her eyebrow. Clearly, she had heard all of Paimon's rambling and as such she too didn't believe a word he had said. 

The blue-haired male internally frowned at the formality, but then sheepishly realized that he too, had addressed her formally. 

It seems she picks up on a lot more than she lets on

He chuckled at her obvious amusement. It appeared that she found the regal tale he had disclosed funny and was looking forward to the end-result.

"Oh, I wouldn't call it an errand. After all, the Traveler has been so kind as to help me with my issue. Might I ask why you haven't accompanied the two of them?"

The brunette's smile grew wider, as if she knew exactly what the two were going to find at the end of their long trip. He found her reaction fascinating.

"We agreed to do different commissions at the same time. That way, we'd have a greater flow of Mora that can sustain us for any future endeavors"

"Ah, so you have joined forces with Ms. Lumine and Paimon" It wasn't a question, but the eighteen-year-old still nodded regardless. 

How interesting..... he thought, but his mood had turned a bit sour at her confirmation regardless.

"I must go the library now, and I can see that Lumine and Paimon are back with some information for you too. So, until we meet again Captain" 

Before the knight could make a sound of protest, she started to walk up to the Headquarters, opening the doors before heading off to the library.

I had wanted to converse with you more

The library was a haven for Divyasree. One of her favorite pastimes was reading, and that would never change. It was quite therapeutic. Unfortunately, her visit to the library wasn't for leisure, but for information. She needed to visit the library to find some clues regarding the connection between Teyvat and Earth.

Teyvat was definitely a lot more open to interstellar guests than Earth.... from what she knew anyway.

While she did know Mondstadt's history, she also knew that the game could only reveal so much, and she had to know a lot more than just that. 

Just from a casual skim through the books in the library, she could tell that the local language of the City of Freedom was based off of German. To her, this was a good sign, because that meant there was a sure link between the two worlds. The history of the creation of the city, or at least of Dragonspine should help her create a few clues.

Well, she already had one. She had a suspicion that the Abyss Order had something to do with her transfer into this world. After all, the Abyss Order was behind the corruption of Dvalin, and the Fatui were only using this as an opportunity. 

Then again.... The Fatui were the ones who classified the 'Descenders'....Perhaps The Tsaritsa also might play a part in this entire thing?

But for her to confirm that, she had to meet the Tsarista and Aether, both of which was extremely difficult considering the fact that she was at the very beginning of the game's story quests.

"Oh~? I didn't think you would be the type to read darling~" the flirtatious voice of a very pretty woman echoed through the silent walls of the Library.

Startled, Divya almost dropped the book she was holding onto the ground, but she quickly caught it before it could.

"Dear me, I'm sorry if I startled you, cutie" Lisa said, walking from the higher ground to meet her.

Such cute nicknames the brunette thought, a bit dense when it came to subtle flirting. 

"It's alright Ms. Lisa, I was just thinking about a few things that's all. No need to apologize" the younger female said, flashing a smile at the green-eyed beauty, beaming when the woman returned it.

" 'A thousand years of knowledge'? You have quite the eye for good books darling" the librarian said, catching the title of the object in her hands.

It wasn't exactly a history book. There was no way Divya would be caught reading history of any place, even if it was a place from a fantasy world. So, she'd opted for a fictional novel that was inspired by the history of not only Mondstadt, but of Dragonspine too. 

The teen blushed mildly at the compliment, having never received one in accordance with her taste in books. Not many people back in her world read novels anymore, most of them shifting to comics or mangas. Don't get her wrong, she read those too and they were just as exciting, but something about a piece of literature, a novel, brought unspeakable joy to her that couldn't be compared with anything else.

"Umm... I just wanted to learn more about this City Ms. Lisa... it's nothing more than that" the outlander said softly, too embarrassed to admit that she appreciated the compliment. 

The librarian laughed, a sound prettier than wind chimes, before giving her another smile.

"Call me Lisa sweetie, and seeing someone who is willing to put in effort to understand our beloved nation's culture is quite heartwarming" 

I am not learning your history for curiosity's sake Lisa... Divya thought sadly. She couldn't afford to offend the woman though and gave her a small smile before requesting if she could check the book out for two days.

Upon receiving permission and an official slip, the brunette made her way out of the library after waving her good-byes to Lisa.  She glanced at the forbidden door in the room, before walking away.

What a curious little girl she is.... the green-eyed electro user thought with a sweet smile on her face.